By Tiffany Trent

Staff Writer 

There are many stereotypes associated with riding the SPRINTER. Let me take a moment and set the record straight. As a rider of the SPRINTER myself, here are some of the comments I’ve heard that just aren’t true.

“Oh my gosh, the SPRINTER is dangerous!”

Let’s be honest for a moment, shall we? Everyone knows there is a belief that the SPRINTER is dangerous. Even my own boss refuses to ride the train. Last May one of my co-workers was graduating from CSUSM and some of us were going to his commencement ceremony. I suggested that we take the SPRINTER since finding parking would be a challenge and my boss, a retired professional surfer who traveled the world by herself, refused because of the sketchy people.

Let me just put all of your train-related fears aside. First of all, there are security guards who regularly ride the train to check tickets and maintain order and safety. Secondly, I have been taking the SPRINTER for over a year and I can honestly say that I have yet to see Freddy Krueger or that dude from all the SAW movies riding the train (I think they’re more of the hitchhiking type, but that’s just my opinion). I have, however, seen students, workers, elderly citizens, teens and kids on the train. If any of these groups of people scare you in the slightest then I highly recommend staying far away from the SPRINTER. Otherwise, you’ll be fine.

“Riding the SPRINTER isn’t much cheaper than buying a parking permit.”

Oh, yes it is! A semester permit here costs a whopping $338.00. I don’t know about you, but between tuition and books and luxuries like food and rent, I do not have that kind of money to be shelling out for parking.

A one-way ticket for the SPRINTER that lasts two hours costs two dollars. You can barely even get a drink at Starbucks for $2. A month long pass for CSUSM students is $40.00. If someone bought monthly passes for the whole semester, it would cost $160.00. Something about $160.00 is just so much more appealing than $338.00, but maybe that’s just me.

“Taking the SPRINTER wastes time.”

While taking the SPRINTER to campus can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour depending on which station you depart from, you can use that time to get homework done. I am a world-class procrastinator and getting last-minute studying done on the train has saved me countless times. The train comes with free Wi-Fi which is also helpful. It’s kind of difficult to write an essay or solve math formulas while you’re driving on the freeway. But hey, if you’re one of those skilled multi-tasking drivers, then you belong to a very cool minority that I wish I could be a part of.

“A SPRINTER that size must be bad for the environment.”

Actually the SPRINTER is very eco-friendly. An estimated 8,500 hundred people take the train on an average workday. That’s a lot of emission, smog and pollution saved compared to if even half of those passengers drove a car for their commute instead. The SPRINTER is like a enormous carpool, only you don’t have to wear a seat belt and you don’t get stuck in traffic. Does it get better than that?

In light of all of this, I challenge you to set your preconceived notions of the SPRINTER aside, and try it out as your new method of getting to and from school.