How to get free Wi-Fi in train?

Is there free Wi-Fi on the train?

Train Wi-Fi… It’s a thing. Sometimes works. Sometimes doesn’t. Sitting here, 3 AM, thinking about that trip to London last year. Remember staring out the window… dark. Phone battery low. Needed to send that email… couldn’t. Not enough bars. The Wi-Fi kept cutting out. Frustrating.

Remember plugging my laptop into the outlet. Tiny table. Barely enough room. Should have brought my headphones. Loud kids. Ugh. Made working difficult. Still, better than nothing, I suppose. At least, most stations had decent Wi-Fi. Got some work done waiting for the connection at Crewe. Remember buying a terrible coffee. Bitter. Still drank it. Needed the caffeine.

• Check the train company website. They’ll have info on Wi-Fi availability. Specific routes sometimes matter. Not all trains the same.
• Station Wi-Fi. Usually free. A lifesaver sometimes. Good for quick checks. Or if your train Wi-Fi is acting up.
• Download stuff offline. Podcasts. Movies. Books. Learn from my mistakes. The boredom on a train with no internet… real.

The quiet of the night… makes me remember these things. Little details. Funny how they stick. The train… the bad coffee… the spotty Wi-Fi. It’s the small things, you know?

Is it possible to get free Internet connection?

Ugh, internet access. It’s a nightmare, right? Last year, July, I was flat broke. Seriously, ramen noodles for dinner broke. My apartment in Chicago, near Wrigleyville, was a wifi desert. Absolutely nothing.

I spent hours at the library, that stuffy place on Belmont. The wifi was slow, always crowded. People hogging the computers playing Candy Crush, it was infuriating!

Then, a friend mentioned the Chicago Public Library’s digital inclusion program. They offer free internet access through hotspots, believe it or not! It’s not blazing fast, but it’s free. Free. Home internet access. That’s what I needed.

I jumped online, filled out the application. It was a bit of a hassle, honestly. Lots of forms. Personal info, income, all that stuff. But it was worth it. It wasn’t a scam, which I doubted to begin with, I didn’t waste my time.

The hotspot arrived within a week. A tiny little thing, but it worked. It worked! It was lifesaver. I could finally work from home, apply for jobs, do anything that involved a computer and a connection.

That experience, man, it changed everything. It felt like winning the lottery. Not financially, obviously, but in terms of opportunity.

• Chicago Public Library’s Digital Inclusion Program: Provides free internet hotspots.
• Application process: Tedious, lots of personal information required.
• Speed: Not super fast, but perfectly adequate for basic needs. It’s certainly better than nothing.
• Impact: Huge. Provided access to jobs, opportunities, and a sense of connection to the rest of the world. Seriously. A game changer.