# Amtrak Blankets to be Sealed for your Protection



## rickycourtney (Jan 24, 2015)

> *Amtrak Operations Service Advisory 15-03*
> 
> Starting January 20, 2015, Amtrak will begin a Pilot program to provide each Sleeping Car passenger with a fresh wrapped blanket for the following services.
> 
> ...


Fun and gross fact: Amtrak's blue blankets in the sleeping cars aren't washed after every trip. As a matter of fact, I believe that Amtrak only requires that blankets be replaced when they are soiled or when the car is stripped of all linens when it is sent into the shop for inspection (2-3 times a year). In other words it may have been months since the blanket you slept under was cleaned. Thats why beds are supposed to be made with a "sheet over the head of the blanket is to prevent a passenger from making contact with the blanket."

The upside of this program is that your blanket is guaranteed to be clean.

The downside of this program is that passengers will now need to finish making their beds and it makes the sleeping car attendant appear lazy (even if they normally aren't).





Note: phone numbers have been redacted from the attached document.


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## SteveSFL (Jan 24, 2015)

Hmmm. I'm leaving on a long distance trip tomorrow and I guess I never really thought about the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of the blankets. I wish I hadn't seen this until I got home. My trip does not include the pilot program trains.


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## Everydaymatters (Jan 24, 2015)

I have thought about this every time I have been in a room. Using dirty blankets is absolutely gross and disgusting. As much as I have tried to not touch the blanket, it is really impossible.

This needs to be a policy on every train. And hotel room.


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## George K (Jan 24, 2015)

Everydaymatters said:


> This needs to be a policy on every train. And hotel room.


I had a friend who was in the hotel business. He once said that "Hotels don't care about being clean; hotels care about _looking_ clean."


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## crabby_appleton1950 (Jan 24, 2015)

I'd prefer to have a clean blanket and need to 'finish' making my bed.


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## tonys96 (Jan 24, 2015)

IMHO, much ado about very little.


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## AKA (Jan 24, 2015)

I hope this becomes SOP on all trains.


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## Paulus (Jan 24, 2015)

Well that was a horrifying fact to learn.


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## SarahZ (Jan 24, 2015)

Paulus said:


> Well that was a horrifying fact to learn.


Yup, and most hotels only wash their bedspreads once per month.


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## SarahZ (Jan 24, 2015)

Side benefit to this: if a passenger is cold, they can use their blanket right away. It will also be nice for taking naps.


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## TVRM610 (Jan 24, 2015)

Welcome aboard Amtrak Sleeping Car service... here is your plastic wrapped blanket. ha.

It seems to me that simply washing the blankets as a practice would work fine... the plastic coating is a little much.


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## SubwayNut (Jan 24, 2015)

The airlines always plastic wrap there blankets. I think it's standard in all classes.


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## Orangesaint (Jan 24, 2015)

SarahZ said:


> Paulus said:
> 
> 
> > Well that was a horrifying fact to learn.
> ...


Since this is an article about blankets and so there's no confusion, Sarah (presumably) references the bed cover, not an actual blanket on the hotel bed. Many hotels are going away from bed covers anyway for just this very reason. Although any bed cover that is seen to be unusually dirty will indeed be washed right away. Another similar item in this category is your shower curtain.

If Sarah is referencing an actual blanket, I suggest she look into another hotel.


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## Ryan (Jan 24, 2015)

tonys96 said:


> IMHO, much ado about very little.


Agreed. I've never had an issue.


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## SarahZ (Jan 24, 2015)

Orangesaint said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > Paulus said:
> ...


No, I would have said "blanket".

I meant the bedspread/comforter/duvet/quilt/bed cover/thing-that-lays-on-top-of-the-sheets-and-blanket.


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## Everydaymatters (Jan 24, 2015)

Why would anyone want to sleep on a bed with blankets that have been used multiple times by who knows how many people?

Maybe I have higher standards for cleanliness. I honestly thought that no one would want to stay in a room with dirty blankets.


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## Todd (Jan 24, 2015)

My god... something new to whine/worry about. You'll live through the occasionally-washed blanket. Or pillow. Or seldom-scrubbed hotel room.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 24, 2015)

Wonder if this is as a result of a health and safety inspection like the ice policy? And what the bean counter brigade @60 Mass think about the cost involved?

This topic brings to mind the TV Reality Show " Hotel Impossible". Imagine what that bald headed old task master would think if he did his show aboard an Amtrak Hotel, ie a LD Train??!!!

I have had no problem with the Blue Blankets currently used in the Sleepers ( but do think they are too thin and worn and I miss the old Pullman style blankets from the old days)

Most hotels are now placing notices in the rooms to the effect of "In order to save water if you do not want your towels, linens etc. exchanged daily please hang this notice on your door" etc. I've always known the duvet/bedspread/comforter was not changed out between guests and also that the Amtrak Blankets weren't exchanged too often!

People are different, some change their bath towels/wash rags daily, some even change their bed linens daily!

Personally I don't fancy the idea of "hot sheeting" where the sheets/pillow cases and towels aren't exchanged between guests like in hot bed joints and I think SCAs should exchange All linens when preparing rooms for the next psssenger ! YMMV


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jan 24, 2015)

This will make the Attendant's job easier and that is fine with me as I know a fresh blanket is there ready to go. Have you tried getting into the military fashion bunks the way they are made up now; you end up having to rip the blanket off to get under the sheets.

If you look in the Service Standards Manual, Attendants are currently instructed to deploy the blanket far enough back from the top sheet so it does not make direct contact with the occupant when he or she is in the bunk. Scary.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jan 24, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> Personally I don't fancy the idea of "hot sheeting" where the sheets/pillow cases and towels aren't exchanged between guests like in hot bed joints and I think SCAs should exchange All linens when preparing rooms for the next psssenger ! YMMV


Have you been running around on Harry Hines in Dallas?  :lol:


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 24, 2015)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Personally I don't fancy the idea of "hot sheeting" where the sheets/pillow cases and towels aren't exchanged between guests like in hot bed joints and I think SCAs should exchange All linens when preparing rooms for the next psssenger ! YMMV
> ...


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## Railroad Bill (Jan 24, 2015)

We just returned on #29 and there was a sealed blanket on the bed in our bedroom. Was not sure why until now. I thought perhaps the attendants did not have time to finish making the beds  Glad they are doing this. Nice to know the blanket has not been "used" by another previous guest. :blink:

We usually stay at Hampton Inns for their great beds and the fact they change the duvets after each stay. A big plus in our opinion.


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## boxcarsyix (Jan 24, 2015)

Having fresh blankets is great but, I would prefer to have the SCA open it and make the bed. Especially true when I get on the Starlight at mindignt 1:00 in SAC.


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## jis (Jan 24, 2015)

SarahZ said:


> Paulus said:
> 
> 
> > Well that was a horrifying fact to learn.
> ...


All the hotels that I stay at actually do change the duvet covers and bedspreads between guests. Many major chains do so. So the term "most" is probably an exaggeration. But yes, there are many hotels, specially low end ones, that do as little as they can get away with.


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## crabby_appleton1950 (Jan 24, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> People are different, some change their bath towels/wash rags daily, *some even change their bed linens daily!*


I once worked with a woman who ssid she only used a towel one time before tossing it into the laundry hamper, so she always had loads of towels to wash.


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## SarahZ (Jan 24, 2015)

jis said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > Paulus said:
> ...


I'm referencing an article I read several years ago, so I admit this practice has probably changed, especially in the major chains and boutique hotels.


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## seat38a (Jan 24, 2015)

Really didn't want to know that the blankets were not washed after each turn.  Hopefully this program turns out well and gets rolled out nationwide before my trip on the CS and EB in mid May. I just assumed they were washed after each passenger use. Ignorance is bliss in this case.


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## ciship (Jan 24, 2015)

YES YES YES!!! I am thrilled to hear this. The nasty blue blankets always creeped me out. I also bring my own fresh/cleaned pillow cases (in ziplock bags) to ensure I have my head laying on a clean pillowcase. I used to just get extras from the car attendant, but now they lock everything up.

I'm on the City of New Orleans in late June. Sure hope they are doing this by then on that train!


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## ciship (Jan 24, 2015)

crabby_appleton1950 said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > People are different, some change their bath towels/wash rags daily, *some even change their bed linens daily!*
> ...


I'm that woman. I keep a stack of fresh pillowcases by every bed in my house to be changed each night. Both my kids went through all their elementary school days (7 years) without a sick day. I also don't allow dish towels in my kitchen or hand towels in the bathroom. Paper towels only! Wasteful? YES.......but, does it keep my family healthy when others are sick all the time? You bet!


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## Ispolkom (Jan 24, 2015)

Why should I assume that now the blankets will be washed after every use, just because they are put in a plastic bag?


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## NorthShore (Jan 24, 2015)

I'm surprised they haven't come up with the concept of eliminating free blankets and encouraging passengers to purchase an overnight pack from the cafe car.


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## SarahZ (Jan 24, 2015)

Ispolkom said:


> Why should I assume that now the blankets will be washed after every use, just because they are put in a plastic bag?


Because they will likely be sealed by the laundry company. When I worked in restaurants, all of our linens arrived sealed in plastic bags. It's not a ziploc or tied bag. You actually have to rip open the bag.

Besides, it's pretty hard to seal a blanket into a bag without pressing it first. I doubt they'd have a laundry company press them without washing/drying them.

You can kind of see them here:


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## rickycourtney (Jan 24, 2015)

boxcarsyix said:


> Having fresh blankets is great but, I would prefer to have the SCA open it and make the bed. Especially true when I get on the Starlight at mindignt 1:00 in SAC.


Agreed.


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## fillyjonk (Jan 25, 2015)

Yeah, the last time I was on the TE, the blanket was kind of nasty, it looked like someone had been eating in the room and spilled on it. I tried not to think about it and just touch the sheets.

I know, I could have asked for a fresh one, I suppose, but it was late and I couldn't spot the SCA....so I just tried not to think about it.

But with stuff like the measles outbreak....yeah, that would creep me out a little.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jan 25, 2015)

Often the extra Linens are kept on the top rack of the Lower Level Luggage Storage and if the SCA is not around and I need an extra blanket, I'll grab one.


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## SteveSFL (Apr 17, 2015)

Reviving this topic from January -- the fresh blanket experiment should be wrapping up (haha) in a few days (90 days from Jan 20). I wonder how it's working out. I'm hoping they will expand to all of the LD trains sooner rather than later. They probably won't be ready for my trip in May, but hopefully by the time I go with Mom and Dad in July. I'll be sure not to mention it to them just in case we're getting "recycled blankets".

I wonder if they will stop the experiment to do their evaluation or if they will continue on the designated trains while they do the evaluation?


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## Acela150 (Apr 17, 2015)

I think it's a great idea. Although i'm with other posters, in the hopes that the SCA would unwrap the blanket and put it on the bed. More so when one is boarding late at night.


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## cirdan (Apr 17, 2015)

SubwayNut said:


> The airlines always plastic wrap there blankets. I think it's standard in all classes.


Do they even wash and re-use those.

Some of the fabric is so thin that it looks as if it would disintegrate after one washing. I think at least some of them are throw away blankets.


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## cirdan (Apr 17, 2015)

boxcarsyix said:


> Having fresh blankets is great but, I would prefer to have the SCA open it and make the bed. Especially true when I get on the Starlight at mindignt 1:00 in SAC.


Quite, this plastic wrapper thing seems to me to be more about making sure the customer knows the blanket is clean than it actually being clean.

I'm quite OK with the SCA making my bed and will trust that it is clean if they say so.


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## andersone (Apr 17, 2015)

Gee I survived all those unwashed blankets on all those LD trips ,,,,,

And we somehow made it through 3,000 generations without hand sanitizer


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## cirdan (Apr 17, 2015)

andersone said:


> Gee I survived all those unwashed blankets on all those LD trips ,,,,,
> 
> And we somehow made it through 3,000 generations without hand sanitizer


This.

A bit of dirt and germs is even supposed to be good for your immune system and reduce risks of allergies in kids.

I'm talking reasonable levels of course, not recommending unhygienic conditions


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## SteveSFL (Apr 17, 2015)

I've survived the multi-use blankets, too, and never really gave a thought about it until this thread started. But now it's kind of creepy to me. For the last two posts, would you be comfortable sleeping at a hotel if you knew they had not changed the sheets after the last guest?

I only change my sheets once a week at home, so if a hotel were to change them every other guest it should be ok, right? (Yuck!)


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## DryCreek (Apr 17, 2015)

SteveSTX said:


> I've survived the multi-use blankets, too, and never really gave a thought about it until this thread started. *But now it's kind of creepy to me*. For the last two posts, would you be comfortable sleeping at a hotel if you knew they had not changed the sheets after the last guest?
> 
> I only change my sheets once a week at home, so if a hotel were to change them every other guest it should be ok, right? (Yuck!)


With age comes wisdom.

As an adventurous young lad circumnavigating the globe in service of the United States Navy, I never gave a second thought about the bed linens in all of those bordellos I once romped through. Since I never contracted any strange rashes or brought any unwelcome bugs aboard, I would assume that no lesson was ever learned from those trysts. Yet, in my later years, I_ do_ tend to give consideration to the cleanliness of my lodging. I cannot pinpoint the year when I began to notice those things. Maybe it was after I got married and my wife trained me to be more observant about my environment.

Still, unless the blanket smells really funky or is crackly-stiff with sticky spots, I would have probably never given it a second thought until reading this post. I am not a germophobe for the most part. I wouldn't have been picking up calf poop just a few minutes ago and throwing it at a stray cat that wandered into the barn if I was.


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## keelhauled (Apr 17, 2015)

SteveSTX said:


> For the last two posts, would you be comfortable sleeping at a hotel if you knew they had not changed the sheets after the last guest?


I don't think anyone has claimed that Amtrak doesn't wash/replace sheets. Or for that matter hotels.


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## SteveSFL (Apr 18, 2015)

keelhauled said:


> SteveSTX said:
> 
> 
> > For the last two posts, would you be comfortable sleeping at a hotel if you knew they had not changed the sheets after the last guest?
> ...


No, but a couple of posters implied that dirt and germs in some bedding (blankets) are no problem and I wanted to see what their limits are.


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## DryCreek (Apr 18, 2015)

SteveSTX said:


> No, but a couple of posters implied that dirt and germs in some bedding (blankets) are no problem and I wanted to see what their limits are.


Well, I think that based on some responses so far - it kinda depends on what time they board. If they board early and wait for turndown service, they are far more picky than if they are boarding at 2 a.m. after having spent the past several hours on a cold, hard station bench waiting for a late arrival. So, it sounds to me like the limits could be a moving target.......


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## railiner (Apr 19, 2015)

Haven't been in a sleeper for a long time, but the fact that the blanket can be folded into the relatively small plastic bag shown in an earlier post makes me wonder how much warmth they can provide..... :unsure:

As for presenting the blanket in the bag to reassure passengers of cleanliness.....what's next....a paper strip around the bed reading "Sanitized For Your Protection"?


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## C&O RR (May 18, 2015)

So, the fact that the blankets are in a plastic bag means they are clean.

What about the sheets? They are not in plastic bags. :giggle:


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## Bob Dylan (May 18, 2015)

C&O RR said:


> So, the fact that the blankets are in a plastic bag means they are clean.
> 
> What about the sheets? They are not in plastic bags. :giggle:


The sheets, pillow cases and towels do come aboard in plastic wrap, but most SCAs take them out for storage when setting up their car for the trip.

You may have seen them in the downstairs luggage rack and the shower on Superliners?


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## Lonestar648 (May 18, 2015)

Why couldn't they just wrap a bundle of clean blankets in plastic like the sheets, pillow cases, and towels. If not, then we may see the next level will being a sleeper pack with your sheet, case, towel, and blanket. That way each passenger could know that their bedding is clean as they make up their own bed.


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## JSmith (May 18, 2015)

I wouldn't mind a freshly laundered blanket but this seems about on the same level as fretting about when your seat upholstery was last sanitized.

I find the in-room toilet in the Viewliners more icky even as I appreciate the convenience.


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## willem (May 18, 2015)

On a recent trip (Empire Builder), blankets were not wrapped on either leg, outbound and return. Even a spare blanket was not wrapped.


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## Lester (May 18, 2015)

What inconsistency on Amtrak? :giggle:


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## njulian (May 19, 2015)

I will tell you that these SUCK! HORRIBLE static on them and constant little shocks. Really poor decision.


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## C&O RR (May 19, 2015)

njulian said:


> I will tell you that these SUCK! HORRIBLE static on them and constant little shocks. Really poor decision.


Call me strange, but I like rubbing my hand across the blanket in a dark sleeper and watching the static electricity jump around.


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## Cina (May 20, 2015)

I think Amtrak started bagging the blankets purely for the shock value.

:lol:


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## Crescent ATN & TCL (May 20, 2015)

Considering the things that happen in bedding I'm glad they are being washed after each use, but plastic wrap is overkill to me.

The though of 80 mph club.... 110 on the NEC and blankets that are rarely washed...... not a good mental image to me.....


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## Palmetto (May 20, 2015)

Blanket and pillow comes plastic wrapped on American Airlines.


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## njulian (May 20, 2015)

C&O RR said:


> njulian said:
> 
> 
> > I will tell you that these SUCK! HORRIBLE static on them and constant little shocks. Really poor decision.
> ...


Emergency flashlight....


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## sodium (Feb 24, 2016)

Glad I didn't use the blankets in the sealed bags last night, I figured they weren't washed. I'm going to purchase the coach class comfort kit with a small blanket for my sleeper unit for the use of 2 more nights.

I also found a lot of different colored hair on the folding mattress pad sheet. Do they ever change that sheet? Luckily, no hairs on the actual bed up there. I wouldn't have slept up there if I found some.


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## zephyr17 (Feb 24, 2016)

My experience in December on the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief and the Empire Builder was that the beds were made traditionally with the blankets on the bed on the Starlight and the Southwest Chief. I got the blanket sealed in a bag on the Empire Builder.

Consistent Inconsistency.

I think the bagged blanket is stupid, BTW. When were you given a blanket in a sealed plastic bag in a hotel? Plus as many have pointed out, it is the sheets that really count. Anybody want to have a set of blankets and sheets sealed and waiting for you to make up the bed yourself? I am sure Amtrak would like it, they could destaff the sleeping cars.


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## Eric308 (Feb 25, 2016)

zephyr17 said:


> My experience in December on the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief and the Empire Builder was that the beds were made traditionally with the blankets on the bed on the Starlight and the Southwest Chief. I got the blanket sealed in a bag on the Empire Builder.
> 
> Consistent Inconsistency.
> 
> I think the bagged blanket is stupid, BTW. When were you given a blanket in a sealed plastic bag in a hotel? Plus as many have pointed out, it is the sheets that really count. Anybody want to have a set of blankets and sheets sealed and waiting for you to make up the bed yourself? I am sure Amtrak would like it, they could destaff the sleeping cars.


Thanks for the warning. Guess I'll pack my lightweight down sleeping bag and forego the bagged blankets next month on the EB.


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