# New Amtrak Covid Policy



## PaTrainFan (May 28, 2021)

I'm on my first post-pandemic Amtrak trip and a conductor made an announcement of a brand new policy. 
Passengers are expected to go to Amtrak.com and answer several COVID related questions. First I've heard of this, and I called AGR to inquire and was told it was new to her so she had no details but she was able to take my answers. 
There are several questions but not among them is if you've been vaccinated. I don't know what happens to riders who don't do it, as it's so new egos gonna know? I'm generally supportive of common sense safety measures, but I find this to be a bit over the top at this point in the pandemic.


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## desertflyer (May 28, 2021)

You can do the Pre-Trip COVID Check online and in the app too. Here's the online form: Pre-Trip COVID-19 Check | Amtrak


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## Tlcooper93 (May 28, 2021)

I just filled out my pre-covid check for my Acela trip tomorrow to NYP. It was just a bullet point check of the usual. Just check that you acknowledged the following:

Copy and pasted:

You do not have symptoms of COVID-19
Within past 14 days, you have not been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
You have not tested positive for COVID-19, or if you have, you meet CDC criteria for coming out if isolation.
No member of your household (including you) is waiting for the results of a diagnostic COVID-19 test, which was taken because of COVID-19 symptoms.
You agree to wear a mask at all times in compliance with federal laws and Amtrak policy.

Pretty easy. Took about 15 seconds.


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## jis (May 28, 2021)

Tlcooper93 said:


> I just filled out my pre-covid check for my Acela trip tomorrow to NYP. It was just a bullet point check of the usual. Just check that you acknowledged the following:
> 
> Copy and pasted:
> 
> ...


They asked me those questions and checked my temperature at the checkin desk of the Metropolitan Lounge in NYP, but at that time they did not ask me those to get on the train.


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## Bob Dylan (May 28, 2021)

jis said:


> They asked me those questions and checked my temperature at the checkin desk of the Metropolitan Lounge in NYP, but at that time they did not ask me those to get on the train.


DITTO!

I also had to fill out a Contact Tracing slip @ the Desk both days I entered the Club during the first Week of May.


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## jis (May 28, 2021)

Bob Dylan said:


> DITTO!
> 
> I also had to fill out a Contact Tracing slip @ the Desk both days I entered the Club during the first Week of May.


Yes. I did too.


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## AmtrakBlue (May 28, 2021)

It's the same questions doctor's offices and other places ask before you show up. I volunteer at a food bank and I have to answer those questions each time - though I'm the one who asks them of myself. Plus we're supposed to take our temperature before going.


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## zephyr17 (May 28, 2021)

Heck, I had to fill out something similar to get the vaccine!


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## Bob Dylan (May 28, 2021)

AmtrakBlue said:


> It's the same questions doctor's offices and other places ask before you show up. I volunteer at a food bank and I have to answer those questions each time - though I'm the one who asks them of myself. Plus we're supposed to take our temperature before going.


I have to do all of them every time I work @ my 2 PT jobs !


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## Qapla (May 28, 2021)

By having you answer all the questions ... it gives them better enforcement of the mask policy because you have agreed to it before getting on the train and can't say "I didn't know"


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

Qapla said:


> By having you answer all the questions ... it gives them better enforcement of the mask policy because you have agreed to it before getting on the train and can't say "I didn't know"


If you buy your ticket online you have to acknowledge the mask requirement before you can proceed with payment. That’s been in place for months.


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## Palmetto (May 29, 2021)

I went to the doctor on Thursday. There were no masks, and no questions asked. It's Florida, you know??


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

Palmetto said:


> I went to the doctor on Thursday. There were no masks, and no questions asked. *It's Florida*, you know??


That explains it.


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## Everydaymatters (May 29, 2021)

Every time I go to the doctor's office, I am asked about "...shortness of breath or difficulty breathing..." They had better clarify that one with their employees. I am on oxygen and yes, I do have difficulty breathing and shortness of breath that has nothing to do with Covid. I'd hate to be denied boarding because of a coach attendant on a power trip. 

It just struck me how afraid some of us are of Train Attendants! Maybe that should be another thread.


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

When I answer the questions I don't answer yes if my symptom is something normal to me, like my sinus drip cough.
There have been times that I've just said "I pass all the questions" rather than have them all read to me (especially since I sometimes have trouble hear/understanding them).


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## MARC Rider (May 29, 2021)

I've taken about 5 Amtrak trips (10 rides) in the past year starting last June, and most recently about 2 weeks ago, and I was never asked any of these Covid questions when booking. (I use the app to book). I recall agreeing to wear a mask, but no questions asking me about a list of COVID symptoms.


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> I've taken about 5 Amtrak trips (10 rides) in the past year starting last June, and most recently about 2 weeks ago, and I was never asked any of these Covid questions when booking. (I use the app to book). I recall agreeing to wear a mask, but no questions asking me about a list of COVID symptoms.


The questions are new. I have not had to answer any either for my previous trips, the last one was in March.


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## MARC Rider (May 29, 2021)

AmtrakBlue said:


> The questions are new. I have not had to answer any either for my previous trips, the last one was in March.


Given that it looks like the pandemic might be winding down, this seems to be a case of locking the barn door after the cows have escaped.

(I know that the pandemic isn't over, but the case rate is certainly lower than it was last winter when I took my trip to DC.)

Also, I booked a few trips a few weeks ago for June, and I wasn't asked any questions during the booking. I have my e-tickets, and I presume I can just drive to the station and board my train (wearing a mask, of course.)


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Given that it looks like the pandemic might be winding down, this seems to be a case of locking the barn door after the cows have escaped.
> (I know that the pandemic isn't over, but the case rate is certainly lower than it was last winter when I took my trip to DC.)
> 
> Also, I booked a few trips a few weeks ago for June, and I wasn't asked any questions during the booking. I have my e-tickets, and I presume I can just drive to the station and board my train (wearing a mask, of course.)


As you might suspect, the questions are asked 24-48 hours before your trip since they're time sensitive questions. You'll get an email with a link when they want you to answer them. As to the timing of the questions (now instead of months ago), it might be because they've gone back to full capacity.


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## Barb Stout (May 29, 2021)

Everydaymatters said:


> Every time I go to the doctor's office, I am asked about "...shortness of breath or difficulty breathing..." They had better clarify that one with their employees. I am on oxygen and yes, I do have difficulty breathing and shortness of breath that has nothing to do with Covid. I'd hate to be denied boarding because of a coach attendant on a power trip.
> 
> It just struck me how afraid some of us are of Train Attendants! Maybe that should be another thread.


The only places I go to where they ask these questions are medical facilities and I say yes to shortness of breath and a few of the others that I experience on a regular basis, but I always add that they had been ongoing for several years prior to Covid19. I don't know if it would be wise to answer in the affirmative even with the extra information that I provide to a non-medical entity, although I do believe (or at least hope) that most people are reasonable. I would be curious to hear how train riders fare if they do answer with correct yes answers with explanations.

Edit: I just realized that these are written questions, so I don't know if there is a field for an explanation. I would probably like to add near the end if there are any comment fields available "Since I do have shortness of breath, I would appreciate assistance with baggage placement if the rack is higher up than 2 or 3 feet."


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## Mystic River Dragon (May 29, 2021)

I agree about the timing of the questions being because of going back to full capacity. They may simply be covering themselves if someone gets sick because the stranger they had to sit next to was sick.

That's why I took my two short trips in early May, so I could avoid sitting next to a stranger.


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## AmtrakBlue (May 29, 2021)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> That's why I took my two short trips in early May, so I could avoid sitting next to a stranger.


But, but, you've sat next to AUers. Who could be stranger than us?


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## jis (May 29, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> I've taken about 5 Amtrak trips (10 rides) in the past year starting last June, and most recently about 2 weeks ago, and I was never asked any of these Covid questions when booking. (I use the app to book). I recall agreeing to wear a mask, but no questions asking me about a list of COVID symptoms.


Actually whether you have symptoms or not when booking is not terribly important unless you are going tot ravel immediately after that. They are important when you are boarding the train. So it makes sense that they (Amtrak and the airlines) do not ask symptoms questions while booking a trip. They might inform you that when traveling you would need to answer those questions.

Generally you have to answer those questions to get a boarding pass while checking in for airline flights. Amtrak is trying to institute something that is somewhat equivalent to that in its world where you dont have to check in to get a boarding pass.


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## PaTrainFan (May 29, 2021)

There may be good reasons to implement the policy with Amtrak going to full capacity but I don't understand why they wouldn't ask if you're vaccinated. Technically, you can still get and carry COVID but the chances are minimal.


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## jis (May 29, 2021)

PaTrainFan said:


> There may be good reasons to implement the policy with Amtrak going to full capacity but I don't understand why they wouldn't ask if you're vaccinated. Technically, you can still get and carry COVID but the chances are minimal.


Whether you are vaccinated or not does not change anything as far as access to the trains and the protocol to follow while on the train, so it makes sense that it is not asked. As soon as vaccinated people are allowed to stop wearing masks on trains maybe they'll ask, though it is not clear how they will enforce such a thing.


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## MARC Rider (May 29, 2021)

How does this work, then? Do you get an email the day before your trip asking the questions and requiring you to respond before boarding? Are they going to have TSA-like screeners at the train station to let you on the platform? If, for some reason, you didn't respond to the email questions, are they going to question you at the station and not let you board if your answers are "wrong?" I don't mind answering the questions, but I wonder why they didn't bother doing this last year when there was more risk out and about.


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## PaTrainFan (May 29, 2021)

I'd like to know as well.



MARC Rider said:


> How does this work, then? Do you get an email the day before your trip asking the questions and requiring you to respond before boarding? Are they going to have TSA-like screeners at the train station to let you on the platform? If, for some reason, you didn't respond to the email questions, are they going to question you at the station and not let you board if your answers are "wrong?" I don't mind answering the questions, but I wonder why they didn't bother doing this last year when there was more risk out and about.


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## Eric in East County (May 29, 2021)

_They asked me those questions and checked my temperature at the checkin desk of the Metropolitan Lounge in NYP, but at that time they did not ask me those to get on the train._

Most interesting! A few months ago we asked if Amtrak was checking the temperatures of people boarding trains and the general opinion was that the taking of temperatures to get into various places had generally been discontinued. We recently had to undergo temperature checks to get onto the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot here in San Diego. Also, our healthy care provider *Kaiser* *Permanente* always does temperature checks whenever we enter one of their facilities.

Eric & Pat


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## willem (May 29, 2021)

> Technically, you can still get and carry COVID but the chances are minimal.


My understanding, and I welcome correction, is that the chance of getting COVID after vaccination is 5% or greater.


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## jis (May 29, 2021)

willem said:


> My understanding, and I welcome correction, is that the chance of getting COVID after vaccination is 5% or greater.


95% efficacy vaccine means that the probability of getting an infection after getting vaccinated is 5% of what it is without the vaccine, i.e. assuming the probability of getting infected is 100% without the vaccine. The actual chance is obtained by multiplying that by the attack rate, i.e the infection rate at the moment of the unvaccinated, which of course changes over time depending on the prevalent state and intensity of the epidemic at that location.

It should be noted that it does not say anything about the intensity of said infection (unless specifically tested for in the trial) or more importantly the transmissibility of such an infected person, which are also major a factor in what net effect it has in the overall case rate.


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## Eric in East County (May 29, 2021)

Re: Amtrak’s COVID-related questions, that whole drill appears to be based entirely on the honor system *with no way to verify if the person answered truthfully*. Now that Amtrak is going back to full capacity in its coaches, what guarantee can it provide that the person sitting next to you does not have COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who does. Can a passenger refuse to sit next to someone who is not known to them and who has not been properly screened to see, at the very least, if they are running a fever? If it becomes obvious that someone onboard an Amtrak train is suffering COVID-19 symptoms, will Amtrak put them off at the next stop for lying on their questionnaire? 

Thank you, but we’ll stick to traveling in a private bedroom.

Eric & Pat


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## Bob Dylan (May 29, 2021)

Eric in East County said:


> Re: Amtrak’s COVID-related questions, that whole drill appears to be based entirely on the honor system *with no way to verify if the person answered truthfully*. Now that Amtrak is going back to full capacity in its coaches, what guarantee can it provide that the person sitting next to you does not have COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who does. Can a passenger refuse to sit next to someone who is not known to them and who has not been properly screened to see, at the very least, if they are running a fever? If it becomes obvious that someone onboard an Amtrak train is suffering COVID-19 symptoms, will Amtrak put them off at the next stop for lying on their questionnaire?
> 
> Thank you, but we’ll stick to traveling in a private bedroom.
> 
> Eric & Pat


Masks are still Mandatory on All Amtrak Trains and in the Stations until Sept per Federal Regulation.

As for Coach passengers being "Safe", it will depend on Amtrak OBS and Conductors enforcing this policy.


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## jis (May 29, 2021)

Eric in East County said:


> Re: Amtrak’s COVID-related questions, that whole drill appears to be based entirely on the honor system *with no way to verify if the person answered truthfully*. Now that Amtrak is going back to full capacity in its coaches, what guarantee can it provide that the person sitting next to you does not have COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who does. Can a passenger refuse to sit next to someone who is not known to them and who has not been properly screened to see, at the very least, if they are running a fever? If it becomes obvious that someone onboard an Amtrak train is suffering COVID-19 symptoms, will Amtrak put them off at the next stop for lying on their questionnaire?
> 
> Thank you, but we’ll stick to traveling in a private bedroom.
> 
> Eric & Pat


Absent PCR testing everyone there is no way to verify or give any guarantees. Even with a PCR test there is no guarantee. Of course adhering to mask policy also tilts the probabilities in favor of not getting infected. It is all probabilities. At the end of the day everyone is pretty much on their own as far as actual risk assessment and risk tolerance goes. Amtrak is not unique in this. This is true of all domestic flights too.

The best one can do is to require everyone to have a clean PCR test before boarding a train/plane . That is what is done on many international flights, but that would seem to be an overkill with the current state of the pandemic in the US, specially for vaccinated people.


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## me_little_me (May 29, 2021)

Eric in East County said:


> Can a passenger refuse to sit next to someone who is not known to them and who has not been properly screened to see, at the very least, if they are running a fever? If it becomes obvious that someone onboard an Amtrak train is suffering COVID-19 symptoms, will Amtrak put them off at the next stop for lying on their questionnaire?


Running a fever does NOT mean Covid. It simply means they are sick. There are lots of causes for it. 

Yes, someone can refuse to sit next to you for any reason. They can exit the train. How does the person sitting next to you know that you have been properly screened? Should you be tested for a fever?

What do you mean"obvious" that someone is suffering Covid symptoms? Those same symptoms have occurred long before Covid. How does someone know your symptoms are Covid? Should they call the conductor and demand you be tested? You must have lied on the questionnaire if you have coughing or running nose. Of course, it could be allergies but you are guilty and should be kicked off the train.

Yes, you would do best in your own room. Be sure not to go to the diner either.

You might also read this thread from FlyerTalk


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## Barb Stout (May 30, 2021)

jis said:


> 95% efficacy vaccine means that the probability of getting an infection after getting vaccinated is 5% of what it is without the vaccine, i.e. assuming the probability of getting infected is 100% without the vaccine. The actual chance is obtained by multiplying that by the attack rate, i.e the infection rate at the moment of the unvaccinated, which of course changes over time depending on the prevalent state and intensity of the epidemic at that location.
> 
> It should be noted that it does not say anything about the intensity of said infection (unless specifically tested for in the trial) or more importantly the transmissibility of such an infected person, which are also major a factor in what net effect it has in the overall case rate.


So if 30% of the population of your community has Covid19, then 0.3X0.05=0.015 which I believe means that if a fully vaccinated person goes out and about in that community without masks, social distancing etc, then the chance of catching Covid19 for that vaccinated person is 1.5%. Is that correct?


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## Barb Stout (May 30, 2021)

me_little_me said:


> You might also read this thread from FlyerTalk


I was struck by the number of people on that thread who felt being asked vaccination status was "extremely invasive". It's public health. Everyone has to breathe, so why would that question be considered invasive?


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## Eric in East County (May 30, 2021)

Our “take away” from this discussion thread is that:

Amtrak’s COVID-19 Questionnaire is, at best, a token gesture since there is no way to verify the truthfulness of the answers that are provided.
It appears that, at present, there is little that Amtrak can do to prevent someone infected with COVID-19 (or anything else for that matter) from riding its trains and, once “social distancing” restrictions are eased, from possibly infecting other passengers.
By choosing to travel by train, one should be thoroughly familiar with and then be prepared to take the necessary prophylactic measures to protect themselves from becoming infected by others.
While we welcome the easing of government-imposed restrictions that have resulted in schools being closed and people not being allowed to go to work, attend church & private family gatherings, go to restaurants, attend concerts & athletic events, etc., we reserve the right to follow our own personal protection plan, taking whatever steps we feel are necessary to keep us safe whenever we are out in public.


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## jis (May 30, 2021)

Barb Stout said:


> So if 30% of the population of your community has Covid19, then 0.3X0.05=0.015 which I believe means that if a fully vaccinated person goes out and about in that community without masks, social distancing etc, then the chance of catching Covid19 for that vaccinated person is 1.5%. Is that correct?


Over the entirety of the pandemic, but that is a bit of an after the fact thing and also a bit hokey (see below), since you will know the net attack rate for the entire pandemic (though not of only the unvaccinated in any easy way) only after it is all done, and the attack rate can change wildly on the way to the end of the pandemic. It is more useful to get a feel for what is my chance of getting infected today.

This more useful use as far as I understand it, is to see what is the daily case rate per something like 100K is, which gives a you a good estimate of the attack rate. That multiplied by (100-efficacy)/100 (i.e. 95% efficacy gives the multiplier of 0.05) gives you what the infection rate would be for an otherwise unprotected vaccinated person.

So for example today the case rate in my county is 6.5/100K, so the estimated daily case rate for an unprotected vaccinated person who has a 95% efficacy vaccine would be 0.325/100K or something like 0.0003%. This is the reason that CDC has relaxed the mask thing for the vaccinated, specially with an R-0 down at 0.76..

If we use the cumulative cases so far as a proportion of the population in our case it is about 10%, so yes your computation would give 0.5%, but that is a synthetic number, in the sense that since the vaccine was not available through the entire period it is hard to imagine how somone could have been vaccinated at all over that period, and if it was available that would skew the number significantly making it not great a proxy for the unvaccinated. That is becoming a significant issue even with the daily number as more people get vaccinated. So using it as a proxy for unvaccinated will tend to give a lower than actual estimate of infection rate for the vaccinated.

Does that make sense? I don't claim to be an expert but this line of thinking seems to be an useful way of making practical use of the jumble of numbers we get every day.


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## willem (May 30, 2021)

jis said:


> [...] the probability of getting an infection after getting vaccinated [...]


Thank you for that discussion. Things are better than I expected and made them out to be. On the other hand, I understand that the effectiveness of most or all COVID (and non-COVID, for that matter) vaccines goes down as the age of the subject group goes up.


jis said:


> It should be noted that it does not say anything about the intensity of said infection (unless specifically tested for in the trial) [...]


Didn't the Pfizer and Moderna trials test for that? I thought they both claimed 100% efficacy for prevention of ICU admissions and deaths.


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## Barb Stout (May 30, 2021)

jis said:


> Does that make sense? I don't claim to be an expert but this line of thinking seems to be an useful way of making practical use of the jumble of numbers we get every day.


Yes, sort of. A few weeks ago I read an article that explained the math and while I could follow it as I read the article, it didn't stick with me as it's more complicated than simple percentages, iirc.


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## Barb Stout (May 30, 2021)

willem said:


> Didn't the Pfizer and Moderna trials test for that? I thought they both claimed 100% efficacy for prevention of ICU admissions and deaths.


That's what I remember also.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 30, 2021)

Eric in East County said:


> Now that Amtrak is going back to full capacity in its coaches, what guarantee can it provide that the person sitting next to you does not have COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who does.


At no time does Amtrak (or any other carrier) promise you will not sit next to an infected passenger.



Eric in East County said:


> Can a passenger refuse to sit next to someone who is not known to them and who has not been properly screened to see, at the very least, if they are running a fever?


You can refuse whatever you want but at that point it's up to the carrier to re-accommodate you or not.



Eric in East County said:


> If it becomes obvious that someone onboard an Amtrak train is suffering COVID-19 symptoms, will Amtrak put them off at the next stop for lying on their questionnaire?


I believe the point is not to ensure that every answer is true so much as to establish liability.


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## Sidney (May 30, 2021)

If there was any positive during the pandemic it was the guarantee of both seats. I couldn't resist the $50 coach sale and I booked Lax to Pdx next week. I am hoping for both seats to myself but with so many people traveling I doubt it will happen. I do plan spending most of my time in the SSL car.

Last three seatmates I've had in Coach overnight were grossly overweight,had body odor and hit me up for money. On the other hand a few times I had lovely young ladies seated next to me,but that is the exception.


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## jis (May 30, 2021)

willem said:


> Thank you for that discussion. Things are better than I expected and made them out to be. On the other hand, I understand that the effectiveness of most or all COVID (and non-COVID, for that matter) vaccines goes down as the age of the subject group goes up.


For fun recompute with 10 percentage points subtracted from the efficacy and recompute to convince yourself that you are still quite safe. Remember J&J is in the 80% zone at full efficacy and it is considered to be very good.When you get down to below 70% things start getting shaky.


> Didn't the Pfizer and Moderna trials test for that? I thought they both claimed 100% efficacy for prevention of ICU admissions and deaths.


Yes. But out in the field there have been both ICU visits and deaths in breakout infections after vaccination, though very few aascribed unequivocally to COVID. But the number is greater than 0. Trial numbers usually are more optimistic than actual field numbers. But on the whole the field numbers are not devastating either, except that there are no 100% guarantees, which of course we knew all along. CDC has a report out on it posted at its site. Just look for something like "Breakout Infection Report" or some such.


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## willem (May 30, 2021)

jis said:


> So for example today the case rate in my county is 6.5/100K, so the estimated daily case rate for an unprotected vaccinated person who has a 95% efficacy vaccine would be 0.325/100K or something like 0.03%.


Wouldn't that be 0.0003%? I'm so confused...



jis said:


> For fun recompute with 10 percentage points subtracted from the efficacy and recompute to convince yourself that you are still quite safe.


In the example you just gave, I believe that would be 0.975/100K, or about 10 in a million.

But with 0% efficacy (unvaccinated), the chance is "only" 65 in a million. Have I carried that its (il)logical extreme?


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## west point (May 30, 2021)

If I walked into a doctors office that was not enforcing C=19 protocols I would immediately leave and not return, Too many chances of a immune compromised person getting exposed. Some have been found to not get any anti bodies after vaccinated. I do not want to be a person who is immune but has become a typhoid Mary.


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## lizpackslight (May 31, 2021)

Sidney said:


> Last three seatmates I've had in Coach overnight were grossly overweight,had body odor and hit me up for money. On the other hand a few times I had lovely young ladies seated next to me,but that is the exception.


You are the second person who has reported people hitting them up for money in Coach. I would be unspeakably uncomfortable if that happened to me!  It happens on the subway, but I didn't expect that on Amtrak.

I'm riding the southbound Crescent later today and it is supposedly at 90% capacity. I'll let y'all know how the Covid precautions are.


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## jis (May 31, 2021)

willem said:


> Wouldn't that be 0.0003%? I'm so confused...


Yes. Corrected in the original. Thanks.


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## jebr (May 31, 2021)

I received the same email two hours before my trip. Not really sure if it'll do much good but I filled it out anyways. There was a checkmark for Amtrak employees to use if they were filling it out for a passenger. I haven't heard any announcements on board regarding the form, though.


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## River in Sight (May 31, 2021)

I did a round trip ALX-NPN over the weekend. Before my outbound trip I received an email to complete the survey, and I did it. Before the inbound trip I did not receive an email and had already forgotten about it, so I didn’t do it. The conductor did make an announcement that the survey should be completed. My ticket scanned without issue. My return train today was at 90% full and all passengers were wearing masks.


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## railiner (May 31, 2021)

lizpackslight said:


> You are the second person who has reported people hitting them up for money in Coach. I would be unspeakably uncomfortable if that happened to me!  It happens on the subway, but I didn't expect that on Amtrak.
> 
> I'm riding the southbound Crescent later today and it is supposedly at 90% capacity. I'll let y'all know how the Covid precautions are.


If that happens to you on Amtrak, politely decline. If the person persists, immediately inform a crewmember, and also ask to be reseated away from that person, perferably in another car. No one should have to tolerate that sort of behavior aboard Amtrak...


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## lizpackslight (Jun 1, 2021)

I boarded the Crescent at Birmingham yesterday and rode to New Orleans. The train was completely sold out and the staff did a great job of assigning seats in coach and getting us loaded quickly. They were well prepared for full capacity in that respect. I had not received the email with the COVID questions, but no one said anything when we boarded. The conductor was very clear about the mask policy, including saying that there would be one warning for noncompliance, then you would be put off the train if you still refused to comply. Most people wore masks, although some took them off when the attendant wasn’t around. If you are concerned about germy surfaces, bring your own wipes. There were LOTS of kids in our coach, and kids don’t keep masks on. It is what it is. I would not ride if I was not vaccinated.

We changed conductors in Meridian, and the new conductor came through and made everyone fill out the COVID questions. Called us out individually if we had not done it. It took me a minute, but I managed to find it in the app and submit it. By this time we had all been on the full train for hours, so I’m not sure what good it would do if anyone answered any of the questions affirmatively.

I’ll talk about food (ha) in the dining discussion.

We arrived in NO an hour and 10 minutes late. For a $50 fare, it was fine. The taxi situation in NO is ridiculous, but I don’t guess that is Amtrak’s fault.


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## PaTrainFan (Jun 1, 2021)

railiner said:


> If that happens to you on Amtrak, politely decline. If the person persists, immediately inform a crewmember, and also ask to be reseated away from that person, perferably in another car. No one should have to tolerate that sort of behavior aboard Amtrak...



On my trip Sunday, a panhandler found his way into Business Class during boarding on the Pennsylvanian in NY. Some woman gave him some. It was annoying.


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## railiner (Jun 1, 2021)

PaTrainFan said:


> On my trip Sunday, a panhandler found his way into Business Class during boarding on the Pennsylvanian in NY. Some woman gave him some. It was annoying.


When I used to ride the LIRR from New York, there were some slick panhandler's that "worked" the train for the few minutes it was boarding passenger's, and would then get off before departure, to "work" another one. Was this the case for you, or was he an actual passenger that rode the train? Just curious....


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## Tlcooper93 (Jun 1, 2021)

Are there consequences for failing to complete this pre-trip covid check? Has Amtrak considered them?
Does anyone retain a database of who has and hasn't completed it?

I will say American Airlines has not implemented anything of the sort yet, as per my flight last week.


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## John Santos (Jun 1, 2021)

lizpackslight said:


> The taxi situation in NO is ridiculous, but I don’t guess that is Amtrak’s fault.


It has been many years since I was in NO, but as I recall, the NO taxis were the nicest I've ever experienced. I think that most or all the cab drivers owned their own cabs, and took great pride in the upkeep, cleanliness and knowing the best routes. They were all very friendly and helpful to tourists and travelers. (I was there on business attending a computer convention both times, so it was a mix of business with a few days off for being a tourist.)
Has the taxi situation deteriorated, or was there just a lack of cabs at the train station?


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## lizpackslight (Jun 1, 2021)

railiner said:


> When I used to ride the LIRR from New York, there were some slick panhandler's that "worked" the train for the few minutes it was boarding passenger's, and would then get off before departure, to "work" another one. Was this the case for you, or was he an actual passenger that rode the train? Just curious....





John Santos said:


> It has been many years since I was in NO, but as I recall, the NO taxis were the nicest I've ever experienced. I think that most or all the cab drivers owned their own cabs, and took great pride in the upkeep, cleanliness and knowing the best routes. They were all very friendly and helpful to tourists and travelers. (I was there on business attending a computer convention both times, so it was a mix of business with a few days off for being a tourist.)
> Has the taxi situation deteriorated, or was there just a lack of cabs at the train station?


There were few cabs and they were mixed in with Lyft and Uber and a bunch of guys with vans who just seemed to be freelancing. The guy who picked us up was honest, but there was no license, no meter, none of the things I’m used to in a cab. He only took cash. There is potential for some sketchy goings-on. But he got us where we needed to go. It’s a shame, because the area is not really walkable at night.


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## PaTrainFan (Jun 1, 2021)

railiner said:


> When I used to ride the LIRR from New York, there were some slick panhandler's that "worked" the train for the few minutes it was boarding passenger's, and would then get off before departure, to "work" another one. Was this the case for you, or was he an actual passenger that rode the train? Just curious....



Frankly, I couldn't understand him very well but I am pretty sure I heard him say he was going to Pittsburgh to see his son. But I didn't understand why he said he needed the money.


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## SP&S (Jun 1, 2021)

Tlcooper93 said:


> Are there consequences for failing to complete this pre-trip covid check? Has Amtrak considered them?
> Does anyone retain a database of who has and hasn't completed it?
> 
> I will say American Airlines has not implemented anything of the sort yet, as per my flight last week.


I just finished the questionnaire this morning for my trip tomorrow. I saw a checkbox saying something about an employee asking them. I suppose that the worst that would happen is to have to answer the questions on the spot while getting the evil eye from the conductor.


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## Keith1951 (Apr 25, 2022)

Are they still asking for the Covid checkin 24 hours before boarding?


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## zephyr17 (Apr 25, 2022)

Keith1951 said:


> Are they still asking for the Covid checkin 24 hours before boarding?


They did for my Thruway bus trip earlier this month.


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## Devil's Advocate (Apr 25, 2022)

Keith1951 said:


> Are they still asking for the Covid checkin 24 hours before boarding?





zephyr17 said:


> They did for my Thruway bus trip earlier this month.


I noticed there was an attestation included in the booking process too. I wonder if that is intended to replace or replicate the preboarding version.


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 25, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I noticed there was an attestation included in the booking process too. I wonder if that is intended to replace or replicate the preboarding version.


Was it the "have you been sick" questions or the "I know I have to wear a mask" check box?


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## Devil's Advocate (Apr 25, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Was it the "have you been sick" questions or the "I know I have to wear a mask" check box?




_Passengers must not travel if they are experiencing the following symptoms:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Passengers must not travel if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not yet met the public health criteria for ending isolation. Passengers must comply with all federal, state and local restrictions on international and domestic travel. Amtrak complies with all applicable city, state and federal ordinances in our stations_


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 25, 2022)

These 3 would keep me from riding or get me kicked off the train if they were strictly enforced.
I always carry tissues because of my sinuses and often get sinus drip coughs. And, hey, I'm getting old, so aches and pains are common 

Cough
Muscle or body aches
Runny nose


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## MARC Rider (Apr 26, 2022)

I have a real problem with "shortness of breath" after I've ran through the station and down a long platform wearing a mask to catch my train. 

And what do I do about the "muscle and body aches" I got after a night trying to sleep on the concrete mattress of a Viewliner Sleeper upper berth?


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