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While issues like the economy and the war in Iraq dominate the current election, one lesser theme has largely gone unnoticed by the mainstream media. Often, while discussing his middle-class origins and lifestyle, Joe Biden points out that he regularly rides an Amtrak train to and from his home in Delaware. By comparison, John McCain has been an outspoken opponent of Amtrak, voting to cut the rail provider's budget and stating that he would shut it down if he became president.

It's easy to understand Senator McCain's dislike of the train line. I have ridden Amtrak for years, and have often found it to be slow, filthy, and surprisingly expensive. The dining cars are overpriced and generally missing at least a few items, the staff is often rude and uncommunicative, and there are many places where the line seems to run as a local commuter rail, seriously slowing down travel time. Based on Amtrak's current level of service, it's not hard to understand why Senator McCain is calling for an end to the company.

The thing is, Amtrak doesn't have to be like this. In riding trains throughout Europe, I have generally found rail travel to be clean, efficient, and utterly enjoyable. Admittedly, I was once on a Polish train that asked the passengers to help move a tree that had fallen across the track, but the train's employees and service staff also gave us free drinks and snacks, so I feel like things evened out. Beyond that, the club cars were well-stocked, the bathrooms were usually spotless, and the staff was friendly.