If you're one of the millions of Americans traveling this week for this Christmas holiday, you're probably already dreading the journey. Metropolitan streets across the country are jam-packed each evening, filled with worker bees fleeing the concrete jungles and filtering back across country roads to their home bases. Security checkpoints are stuffed to the gills, confusion reigns at the ticket desks and everyone seems to be on their last shred of patience.

Here at Gadling Labs our intel at the Amtrak station in Chicago reports half-hour lines just to reach the checkin kiosk with longer lines snaking through the terminal to actually see a real human being. Huge herds of passengers are being shepherded from the Great Hall of Union Station towards the tracks like sheep traversing the hills of New Zealand. It's a madhouse.

Prepare yourselves, dear readers. If you're hitting the road with public transportation this week, make sure to budget extra time to manage logistics and deal with security. Have a sandwich before you leave. Watch some failblog to release steam. And when you finally reach the thick of the traveling masses, when you're surrounded by three hundred travelers, starving, pawing for space and hot beyond belief, remember one thing: it's Christmas. You're almost home. Soon you can wear whatever you want and watch TV for seventy straight hours. You'll be there soon. We promise.

Safe travels and happy holidays from everyone at Gadling!

[flickr image via staminaplus100]

Filed under: Transportation