Union Station at 10 PM on a Wednesday?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There are homeless drug addled people in NYC too - why is Union Station your biggest fear?

Time of night on the return trip and potential for train delays making it later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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-pandemic. 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.

Exactly my point (OP here). It is NOT the place it was pre-pandemic. I loved Union Station then. The aggressive homeless are out of control. Going there at 10 AM to take a train to NYC, not really concerned. Coming home when the train itself could be late, then has to try and find my husband? I'm just not comfortable with that. He's shy and quiet and would be the perfect victim frankly. At least with a bus, he's coming home into a quiet suburb where he can be picked up directly at the stop.

People can tell me to cut the cord all they want. Don't care. He went off for a month on a student exchange to Europe at 16 and I was only mildly concerned as I knew where he was going was safe and he wasn't traveling alone. I know he's excited to take the train, but he really doesn't understand the station and the area at late at night is different then during the day. There's a time and place and this is neither.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

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.

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.

BestBus is quite safe. It's not Greyhound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

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.

Did you clck the link? It shows trains leaving at 10:25pm that will get him home, on this coming Wednesday. It's directly from Metro's site. No, trains do not stop running at 10pm. The last trains leave at 11pm, but then they opearate until they reach the end of their route.

[Anonymous]

I was marred at his age. OP, you are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Married*

[Anonymous]

Maybe his girlfriend can pick him up since he’s arriving so late. Ask her to arrive an hour early and hold a sign with his name on it just in case he gets there early. And then he can wait by security while she pulls the car around. Safest option for him.

[Anonymous]

My son backpacked around Europe at 19 with a friend. He will be fine.

[Anonymous]

The way to do this would have been a bus. Cheap, clean, WiFi. This is the one I took in the before kids days. https://www.washny.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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-pandemic. 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.

Exactly my point (OP here). It is NOT the place it was pre-pandemic. I loved Union Station then. The aggressive homeless are out of control. Going there at 10 AM to take a train to NYC, not really concerned. Coming home when the train itself could be late, then has to try and find my husband? I'm just not comfortable with that. He's shy and quiet and would be the perfect victim frankly. At least with a bus, he's coming home into a quiet suburb where he can be picked up directly at the stop.

People can tell me to cut the cord all they want. Don't care. He went off for a month on a student exchange to Europe at 16 and I was only mildly concerned as I knew where he was going was safe and he wasn't traveling alone. I know he's excited to take the train, but he really doesn't understand the station and the area at late at night is different then during the day. There's a time and place and this is neither.

I’m the “it’s not the place it used to be” pp here, and I just got back from the Nats game, which concluded with running out of the stadium with my teen and hiding with him in the bathroom of a restaurant. We kept hearing gunfire and there was zero information about what was happening. I was really proud of my teen — he wasn’t with me when it started, but he called immediately while I was still fumbling to get out my phone, and we found each other and made a break for it. However, he was terrified. He’s just a few months away from being 18, but I saw tonight that he is still a kid in many ways.

And, seriously, this isn’t the town it used to be. I’ve been to a dozen games at Nats Park, even when the neighborhood was less gentrified than it is now, and while I am always careful in crowds, it has never occurred to me to be afraid there. I moved here in the 80’s, and worked downtown when it was still seriously sketchy, and this seems worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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-pandemic. 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.

Exactly my point (OP here). It is NOT the place it was pre-pandemic. I loved Union Station then. The aggressive homeless are out of control. Going there at 10 AM to take a train to NYC, not really concerned. Coming home when the train itself could be late, then has to try and find my husband? I'm just not comfortable with that. He's shy and quiet and would be the perfect victim frankly. At least with a bus, he's coming home into a quiet suburb where he can be picked up directly at the stop.

People can tell me to cut the cord all they want. Don't care. He went off for a month on a student exchange to Europe at 16 and I was only mildly concerned as I knew where he was going was safe and he wasn't traveling alone. I know he's excited to take the train, but he really doesn't understand the station and the area at late at night is different then during the day. There's a time and place and this is neither.

I’m the “it’s not the place it used to be” pp here, and I just got back from the Nats game, which concluded with running out of the stadium with my teen and hiding with him in the bathroom of a restaurant. We kept hearing gunfire and there was zero information about what was happening. I was really proud of my teen — he wasn’t with me when it started, but he called immediately while I was still fumbling to get out my phone, and we found each other and made a break for it. However, he was terrified. He’s just a few months away from being 18, but I saw tonight that he is still a kid in many ways.

And, seriously, this isn’t the town it used to be. I’ve been to a dozen games at Nats Park, even when the neighborhood was less gentrified than it is now, and while I am always careful in crowds, it has never occurred to me to be afraid there. I moved here in the 80’s, and worked downtown when it was still seriously sketchy, and this seems worse.

OP here. Well that’s scary as hell and I’m glad you both are safe. There are so many people (my husband included) who are in denial about the changes going on. I’ve expressed my concerns and am getting the ‘you are crazy’ talks and looks. Husband said he will park car and go to the platform or as close to it as possible to pick up our kid. I’m now at the ‘you have to experience it for yourself’ phase of this and will silently pray that nothing happens to either. I can do nothing to change their plans. Add to this that I’m in a sensitive place now after my neighbor losing their 21 year old daughter to unexplained sudden heart failure a couple weeks ago. That beautiful, lively, intelligent, previously healthy girl is gone and I’m struggling for them and with them. My heart is broken. It drove home how fragile life is and how short our time can possibly be with our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are simple country folk, albeit with a lot of money. Used to private everything. So yes, this will be a maiden voyage for him and yes, I'm a bit nervous. Out of my wheelhouse

You’re ridiculous. What does your money have to do with anything? Why flaunt it in the midst of this discussion? Ugh.

[Anonymous]

You have anxiety.

The area surrounding penn station in ny is far more sketchy. Im a mom who just got back from there with two young daughters. They are tweens and they are more street savvy. I went to college in nyc and was sad to see how nyc has devolved, crimewise. We saw a guy shooting up right near the station in broad daylight.

I second the bus. Best bus is good. Also, why not stay the night in nyc?

[Anonymous]

Penn Station in NY is much safer than union Station. I hate coming in on the late acela because aggressive criminals have followed me as I was heading to the union Station cab line. Once I was with my young daughter and she want go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are simple country folk, albeit with a lot of money. Used to private everything. So yes, this will be a maiden voyage for him and yes, I'm a bit nervous. Out of my wheelhouse

So hire a private driver to pick him up. Done. Come on, OP, Uber is for the poors, you know this.