The Slice: If you’re stuck at a crossing, it qualifies as a nightmare

More than a few Inland Northwest residents hear trains in the middle of the night.

Some believe these rail sounds infiltrate our slumbers and influence our dreams.

To find out more, please consult today’s total team coverage FAQ (frequently asked questions) section devoted to this topic.

Q: What does it mean if I dream about trains all the time?

A: Well, it doesn’t necessarily imply that you are thinking about sex in your sleep. Unless, of course, your train dreams include seeing that one scene from “North by Northwest.” In that case, well, you know.

Q: What should I do if I wake up in the morning humming a train song?

A: It depends. There are approximately 10,000 train songs. But if the one stuck in your head is a song you like, roll with it.

Q: I know railroads played a key role in this area’s development. But I have never ridden on a train. So why would I have rail-themed nocturnal visions?

A: Perhaps your last few air-travel experiences have convinced you that there has to be another way.

Q: We once took a train trip across Canada. It was wonderful. Do you think my dreams are telling me I should do that again?

A: Possibly.

Q: I’m convinced that I must have been a freight-hopping hobo in a previous life. How can I know for sure?

A: Religious issues are outside the purview of this FAQ.

Q: Does shouting “All aboard!” in my sleep suggest that I have issues?

A: I might remind you that this is a family newspaper.

Q: What would you say to someone who dreams that he is one of the escaped cons in “The Defiant Ones” and is doomed night after night to not be able to climb onto that train that would take me to freedom?

A: Try to run a little faster tonight. You’re dragging on the chain.

Q: Remember that “Twilight Zone” episode where the harried advertising executive repeatedly falls asleep on the commuter train and dreams of a simpler life? Should I worry if I dream that I am on a train having a dream like that?

A: What?

Q: Considering where I live and the surrounding terrain, I simply don’t understand how I manage to hear trains. Any ideas?

A: Sometimes there’s still a little magic in the night.

Today’s Slice question: What do you do with the plastic bags your newspaper sometimes comes in?