Not Quite the Same

Baltimore's Penn Station, in addition to stations in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Deleware, and Manhattan, now has wireless internet access (Wi-Fi). This isn’t quite the same as a 24-hour service, but is in the same vein in that it adds wireless mobility to travelers and inhabitants of Baltimore, in the same way that diners provide food, pharmacies provide diapers, milk, and aspirin at 3 a.m., and venues of various sorts provide entertainment.

I’m really excited by Penn Station’s access. Currently, there is no indication that the service includes a time limit; Pittsburgh added free Wi-Fi to its city so residents could access service “anywhere” but the Wi-Fi is only available in the city’s “better neighborhoods” and only for 30 minutes…which ruins the fun. It’s sort of as if the enforcers of that idea had never had an assignment due while on the move and suffered a technological malfunction.

That said, Wi-Fi in Penn Station—and these other stations, too!—is incredible, even if trains don't run 24 hours a day. There's also talk of having wireless access on the trains, which does extend to the wee hours. Some trains have some amenities on them now, but it's nice to think the two-hour Marc ride could avail the convenience of gmail and Blogger in addition to the power supply that fuels low batteries while operating Microsoft Office.

As Baltimore becomes more like The City That Never Sleeps, there’s no limit to turning in a breaking news story to your editor at 2 a.m. while waiting for the Amtrak to whisk you away to your next story…