Union Station at 10 PM on a Wednesday?
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Anonymous
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I do think you need to land the helicopter, but I (woman, but very aware) do not like Union Station at night at all--it's not all that busy, lots of homeless people and other shady characters. Won't stop me from taking a train in and out, but I get through as quickly as possible and am very wary. I'd have concerns about a naive young person (like oh, say, my 20yo niece) there alone at night. And your husband is not helping the situation by acting like there are no risks.
Are you from Japan, by chance (since you used "bullet train", I wonder). My experience is that Japanese people, having lived in a very, very safe country, have next to no "street sense", and NYC + Union Station at night call for a modicum of street sense. Your options are 1. He drives and parks in the garage. Some street sense needed, but it's easy and signage is good. Parking there is quite easy, and in fact is my preferred solution for 1-2 day trips. 2. Uber, if he is used to using it. You'll need to talk about how to meet driver (there is a pickup at front of station) and about the importance of walking directly and purposefully from train to pickup point. 3. You pick him up. If you are really worried, you go, park in garage, and meet him at the train. 4. Metro if it's running, but have a backup plan in case the train is late. 5. For future trips: are there any NYC buses that run from Reston? (I don't know) I like the train better than the bus overall, but for a quick run to NYC I like the Vamoose bus from Arlington just because it saves the trip downtown. It also stops in Bethesda. Either way, you need to have a very serious discussion with him about not engaging with strangers, especially anyone who claims to need help or wants to "help"him. All that said, learning to navigate public transport is immensely freeing and a valuable life skill. I hope he has an awesome trip. |
Anonymous
What? Then why do you live in Reston? |
Anonymous
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Bullet train? Reston is a place where "country folk" live? A 20 yr unable to navigate a way home? Is this a troll? I guess nobody should tell Op there are a ton of homeless people loitering around Union Station . |
Anonymous
There is one that runs from the Vienna metro that I've taken to save the trip downtown. I didn't realize there was parking at Union Station - I will have to check that out for future trips. |
Anonymous
Yes--i think it's $25/day (or was last time I traveled through). Make sure you map your route to the entrance b/c it's a little tricky. Then I usually keep going up until I can park close to the door. Escalators go down to very near the platforms. Machines for payment are near the escalators. Easy. |
Anonymous
Nope |
Anonymous
Nearest metro station. He's insisting on taking the metro. We are much farther out. |
Anonymous
Exactly. He's pretty naive. Hopefully my husband will go in. He thinks it will be very crowded at that time. |
Anonymous
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Metro is probably the safest option. You go from Amtrak to Metro while staying inside the entire time. The trouble and vagrants are mostly outside, like where you'd go to pick up an Uber. The transit police don't bother them out there, that's why.
Metro runs until midnight. Here's a link to the trip planner. 10:32pm Red Line train, connect at Metro Center, arrive Reston at 11:48pm: https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/trip-planner-results.cfm?locationLatLng=38.89759%2C-77.006096&destinationLatLng=38.9589096%2C-77.3614631&first-form=&location=UNION+STATION&destination=RESTON+TOWN+CENTER&travelby-trip-planner=BCFKLRSTX123&arrdep-trip-planner=D&hour-leaving-trip-planner=10&minute-leaving-trip-planner=15&period-leaving-trip-planner=PM&month-leaving-trip-planner=7&day-leaving-trip-planner=21&route-trip-planner=T&walk-distance-trip-planner=.75 |
Anonymous
I thought it closed at 10? And doesn't the metro run slower at night? I'm also concerned the train will be late coming home and he will arrive much later. The more I think about it, he should take the train there for the experience and take the bus home, where he can be picked up in Tysons or Vienna, then we can take him to get his car at the metro station in Reston. I'm reading that since the pandemic, the inside at night is occupied with mentally ill and drug addicts that are aggressive. He is not a large or tough looking kid. He will be preyed upon. I understand his need to spread his wings but there is no consideration for safety here at all. He should be going with a friend, at least. |
Anonymous
Momma, you must cut the cord. My god. |
Anonymous
Op, back off. Have you ever taken trains or busses? Trains are way less sketchy than busses. He’s a twenty year old guy. He will probably be fine taking the metro at 10pm at night. If not, he can take an Uber or you can pick him up. As a woman, I would not take the metro that late alone. But he’s a guy and should be ok. |
Anonymous
| I was doing all of this by myself at 19 without a second thought and I am from Texas. |
Anonymous
| I would have been in the “land the helicopter” crowd a few years ago, but we moved away from DC and I am back visiting. We’re staying on Capitol Hill and are shocked by the aggressive homeless people in and around Union Station, as well as how many shops are closed, etc. If you haven’t been there lately, it’s not the place it was pre-covid. I think the metro would be fine, if it’s running that late, but I wouldn’t want my naive kid standing around waiting for an Uber at that time of night. |
Anonymous
| There are homeless drug addled people in NYC too - why is Union Station your biggest fear? |