It’s not “the” train, it’s “a” train. This morning I rushed to the station. I looked over the Amtrak board and saw a list of departing trains, all on time, all in blue. One was in yellow. It was delayed. It was the 10 a,m. train I was supposed to be on. I knew that if I waited too long and the train was cancelled, not just late, that there would be a mongol horde of people rushing to the ticket counter to get the 11 a.m. train. At 10:30 I was at the halfway point between departure times and I went to the ticket counter to rebook. I didn’t know when, if ever, the 10:am train would leave, but I knew the 11 am train was on time. There were only 2 people in line ahead of me, but dozens waiting downstairs for “the” train. They were waiting for “their’ train. They waited so long, that if they left now, that wait would’ve been wasted. Why didn’t I wait too? I want “a” train to Philly, not “my” train, and not “the” train. A small shift in thinking makes big difference in an outcome. A big door swings on a small hinge.
Another way to think of it is taking responsibility. If you switch trains and you’re late, it’s your fault. If you stay where you are and you are late, you can blame Amtrak. People like to complain about someone else, but they don’t like to take ownership of their lives.