It was a moment of weakness. The caller ID said “Ogden, UT” and I don’t know anyone in Ogden — at least no one that would be calling after dinner. So I was ready to blurt “Take me off your list!” after the automatic dialer-induced pause dissipated. But the young man on the other end of the line asked if I’d be willing to take a few minutes for a survey about transportation. How could a Commuter Daddy refuse?

Photo by jsmjr

It was clear after a few minutes that the survey had been commissioned by Amtrak. During the early parts of the survey, I was singing the praises of Acela’s Wi-Fi, and wouldn’t you know that latter half of the survey was dedicated to Wi-Fi related questions.

I took the opportunity to note that I could not reach my own blog via the Acela Wi-Fi, and my one critique was that there should be more bandwidth. Otherwise, I cited Wi-Fi as one of my primary motivators, in addition to the fact that when I am on the Acela, I am not driving. Time gained is more important than Wi-Fi.

That got me thinking, though. Perhaps Wi-Fi is too widespread. Maybe our ability to connect our devices everywhere is not always time gained.

Yes, Wi-Fi is needed — even critical — while traveling for work, and the more pervasive the better. Should I find myself in Tokyo on business, I would appreciate Wi-Fi enabled cabs. When I bought my iPad, I didn’t bother to wait for the 3G-ready ones. Almost everywhere I go, I can hitch a ride on some Wi-Fi.

But beyond work, that’s not always a good thing.

I’ll be on vacation next week. When asked why so soon after our post-Thanksgiving family trip to Disney, I answer that I am trying to steal back time from mountains of evening and weekend hours spent these last 18 months on a major initiative at work — a project that curtailed my ability to take off the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day last year. I fully intend to remain offline as much as possible, plus or minus some blogging when inspiration strikes.

Time spent offline is time spent recharging my batteries. It is time spent interacting with the family, catching up on magazine reading and curling up with the book I started in April but haven’t yet finished. It is also time spent visiting with friends, or having a date night with Brandy — or both. It’s a chance to check out the Mexican restaurant opened by Brandy’s client over the summer that we’ve been meaning to get to. It’s an opportunity to take our youngest to see Yogi Bear, or go bowling with him — or both. It’s time that can be spent playing marathon games of Monopoly or Risk — or both.

All moments that need not be interrupted by connectivity. Wi-Fi silence can be golden.