# Introvert traveling most all the West - Boredom?



## MyLongTravels (Jun 8, 2017)

On a whim last year I got the idea to take Amtrak somewhere...that soon turned into a project. Who knew taking several trains to several locations in a series of 10 days would be so complicated!

In any case, here is my route:
Zephyr from Denver - Emeryville
Coast Starlight from EMY - Eugene, Or
Cascades from EUG - Seattle, Wa
Empire from SEA - Chicago
Zephyr from CHI - Denver

My only seat during this trip is on the Cascades route, all the rest are roomettes.

Did I mention I'm going solo?

All that in mind, I am surely going to have plenty of downtime & am looking for ways to not get bored but, not get overwhelmed socially either (I loathe small talk, the more I have to do, the more exhausted it makes me).

So far I plan on, at the very least, writing & taking photos as much as I can. I'll be bringing my laptop with me so I can write quickly.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions of things I must do or can do while on the train?


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 8, 2017)

Take walks through the whole train. Since you're in a sleeper you can do that. Coach pax can only walk through the coach cars & the lounge.

I take an eReader with me loaded with two books - because I rarely read since I'm looking out the window all the time.


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## the_traveler (Jun 8, 2017)

I too am an introvert. I enjoy train travel immensely! 

While much of my time I'm in my room (looking at the beautiful scenery), I also visit the SSL (and on the CS the PPC) and have meals in the Dining Car. I have met and talked to people from around theUS and Canada - and from many other countries too.

The train becomes like it's own community. You'll be surprised how easy it will be to talk to others - they may even start the conversation, (Who knows, they may be introverts themselves!)

Get out of your room from time to time. Most importantly, enjoy your trip!


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## KmH (Jun 8, 2017)

I travel on Amtrak by myself, though I'm not an introvert.

Before a trip I study the route so I'm aware of interesting sites and sights along the route, what rivers the route follows/crosses, etc.

I look at topo maps, Google maps, railroad maps, Wikipedia, Railroad subdivision maps, etc.

I also monitor/record my GPS so I can see where we are, the altitude, and the speed of the train.

I've been as high as Amtrak goes, at the Moffat Tunnel in the Colorado Rockies - 9,239 feet above sea level and the lowest any Amtrak train goes, on the east side of the Salton Sea - 215 feet _below_ sea level at Salt Creek 1/2 way between Ferrum and Durmid, CA. 

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/62723-towns-the-cz-goes-through/?hl=%2Btowns+%2Bthe

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/62808-sights-on-the-cz-route/?hl=%2Bglenwood+%2Bcanyon


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## Mimi2 (Jun 8, 2017)

Try starting a travel blog before you go. Tell how you planned, why, or problems you anticipate and you might solve. Then write each day your experiences, pics etc. Post on your social media so friends can read if interested


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## Johanna (Jun 8, 2017)

Fellow small-talk-hating introvert here. On long-distance trains, when I travel solo (which is most of the time) I am happy to keep myself shut up in my roomette with the door latched and the curtains drawn, except for meals in the dining car and fresh air breaks. During the most scenic portions, I just keep my eyes and my camera pointed out the window. During the less scenic portions, I'll read, do a craft (I'm a crocheter), or take a nap. (On my most recent trip on the Empire Builder, I kept my room in the nighttime configuration the whole time, because I knew I'd probably want to doze through parts of eastern Montana, and I didn't want to have to track down my car attendant to put down the bed in the middle of the afternoon. If you don't mind sitting cross-legged on the bed during your waking hours, this works well.)

If you opt to take your meals in the dining car, you'll be seated at a table with strangers (unless you're traveling on a very empty train). Because the tables seat 4, the most likely situation is that you'll be seated with a part of 2 and another party of 1. Usually, I find that at least two of my tablemates are outgoing enough to keep the conversation going amongst themselves, and I can get away with just eating, smiling, nodding, and contributing to the conversation when I actually have something to say.


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## Manny T (Jun 8, 2017)

I think music is the best option. I have an ipod nanno which is tiny, but you can fill it with hundreds of hours of your favorite music. Upload stuff you like to listen to over and over. Plus when you have ear buds in your ears, no one is likely to start a conversation.

For the introvert, meal times in the diner can be a problem. You want the break from your roomette, and everyone likes to view the scenery through the windows, but you are forced to sit with others (strangers), and the small talk at the table can be horrific. Lots of people say they like this a lot. Others don't. Introverts won't. Good luck!


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 8, 2017)

Manny T said:


> For the introvert, meal times in the diner can be a problem. You want the break from your roomette, and everyone likes to view the scenery through the windows, but you are forced to sit with others (strangers), and the small talk at the table can be horrific. Lots of people say they like this a lot. Others don't. Introverts won't.


Sometimes I'm an introvert and sometimes I'm an extrovert. Just depends on my mood and circumstances of a given situation. So I can see things from both sides in some sense. What I have never understood are the introverts who force themselves into a social situation they cannot stand and are ill equipped to handle smoothly. If you can't stand small talk and/or cannot hold up your end of the conversation then why force that confusion and awkwardness onto random strangers? I'm genuinely perplexed by whatever line of reasoning brings truly antisocial people into the most social area of the entire train. If it's something you're honestly trying to address or improve then by all means come on down and join in, but if you're just there to eat and couldn't care less about forcing others to juggle the unknowable needs of your various neuroses then isn't that kind of selfish? This is an honest question directed at anyone who is willing to reply.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 8, 2017)

You will have your laptop to take notes and load and title photos which will occupy you some. The scenery outside DEN - EMY, EMY - SEA, SEA through Glacier plus sites like crossing the Mississippi will be scenic enough to occupy you with so many photo ops. During the other times, I have my iPAD loaded with music (for me this is very relaxing in my room and in the SSL) and books loaded on the iPad for evening and the non scenic periods, though I find I just enjoy seeing the changes in the seasons, in the communities, etc. In the DC, I find eating Breakfast at 6:30AM gets me a table by myself. Lunch and Dinner is always with others, but after introductions or greetings, a couple usually talks to each other, except if they have a legitimate question which may be asked of the entire table. I do find some people interesting to talk with, like a couple who were from Australia and loved train travel, so I inquired about travel in the sleepers from Sydney to Perth.


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 8, 2017)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Manny T said:
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> 
> > For the introvert, meal times in the diner can be a problem. You want the break from your roomette, and everyone likes to view the scenery through the windows, but you are forced to sit with others (strangers), and the small talk at the table can be horrific. Lots of people say they like this a lot. Others don't. Introverts won't.
> ...


Hmm, why should an introvert be denied eating at a table and made to eat in the confines of their room (yes, I know there's a tiny table in the room) because you're uncomfortable with them. It's Amtrak forcing the uncomfortable socialization on both of you.I'm not saying Amtrak should change the seating policy because I fully understand why they have it.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 8, 2017)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
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> > Manny T said:
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I never claimed (or intended to claim) that anyone should be denied. Nor am I aware of a situation where such a denial has ever occurred. If it has then I'm categorically against it. I simply asked why some people choose to bring their antisocial needs into an inherently social situation? Sometimes I'm not feeling very sociable and on those occasions I either let the meal pass or have it delivered to my room. That seems like a perfectly reasonable solution that benefits everyone. Unless I'm mistaken communal eating on long distance trains has been around longer than most of us have been alive, so I'm not sure that it's Amtrak's _responsibility_ to change where and how they seat people at this point. That being said, I do think it would be welcoming and wise for Amtrak to make an effort to accommodate antisocial diners either by allowing people to make special solitary eating reservations on the edge of a meal window and/or by implementing a bar seating area that allows but does not create the expectation of interaction between those seated next to each other.


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## me_little_me (Jun 8, 2017)

"Would you like the introvert or the extrovert section?"

Four introverts sitting together at a table. Do they call that the Quiet Car?

Something for introverts: Bring a GPS and see where you are and compare it to what the GPS says. Ooh! That road is US29! Wow! Don't laugh. I'm not an introvert but on one trip to NOL from ATL, I spent much of the time with my phone with the Gas Buddy app and the phone's GPS on. Every gas station I could see the prices, I would enter it into Gas Buddy.

I always look forward to dining not so much for the food (it never changes) but for the conversation. Beats staring at my phone to enter gas prices!


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## Johanna (Jun 8, 2017)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Manny T said:
> 
> 
> > For the introvert, meal times in the diner can be a problem. You want the break from your roomette, and everyone likes to view the scenery through the windows, but you are forced to sit with others (strangers), and the small talk at the table can be horrific. Lots of people say they like this a lot. Others don't. Introverts won't.
> ...


Isn't it kind of selfish for you to demand that other people oblige your need for a constant running conversation? If you find it awkward and uncomfortable to be in a space with someone without talking with them nonstop, that's for you to deal with, not your tablemates.

I'll do my best to hold up my end of a conversation when I have to, but I'm not very good at it, and I'm fine with that. Once at an early breakfast, I was seated at a table with just one other person. I tried to keep up a little light chit chat, but halfway through the meal he insulted my conversation skills. So I stopped talking to him altogether. I don't know if he found that confusing or uncomfortable, but I kind of hope he did.

But usually there are four people at the table, and as I said above, usually at least two of them are chatty enough to keep up the constant chatter. But if you really want to be guaranteed to avoid the offensive situation of being stuck at a table with nothing but quiet people, _you _could always have the meal in _your_ room.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 8, 2017)

Johanna said:


> Isn't it kind of selfish for you to demand that other people oblige your need for a constant running conversation? If you find it awkward and uncomfortable to be in a space with someone without talking with them nonstop, that's for you to deal with, not your tablemates.


I never demanded anything. I simply _asked_ why people who cannot stand small talk would choose to force themselves into a position where they are almost certain to be bombarded with social interaction they do not want and risk making things confusing and uncomfortable for others. Is asking honest questions selfish?



Johanna said:


> I'll do my best to hold up my end of a conversation when I have to, but I'm not very good at it, and I'm fine with that. Once at an early breakfast, I was seated at a table with just one other person. I tried to keep up a little light chit chat, but halfway through the meal he insulted my conversation skills. So I stopped talking to him altogether. I don't know if he found that confusing or uncomfortable, but I kind of hope he did.


You hope you made someone else feel uncomfortable because they made a negative comment about social skills you admit are lacking? I'm not entirely sure what to make of that to be perfectly honest. Did you gain anything from visiting the dining car _besides_ the enjoyment of getting back at someone and making them feel uncomfortable?


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## dogbert617 (Jun 9, 2017)

Johanna said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
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> > Manny T said:
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I thought that was an option, for dining car meals if you got a sleeper for whatever long distance train you ride on. Though I wasn't sure about that. Probably could ask the sleeping car attendant to deliver the food directly to one's sleeper, if one was that dreading the thought of talking to others? I'm introverted myself, but I don't mind conversations with others myself as long as they respect the fact that I don't talk to the degree others do. Including when it comes to the communal tables you get, on Amtrak dining cars.

Like the others said, bring things like a tablet/e-reader, portable video game system, physical book(or more), laptop, or other electronic devices to keep yourself occupied during the lulls of scenery or the nighttime travel parts. At the longer station/fresh air/smoking stops(and this especially goes if you're struggling to fall asleep), I always found it fun to go inside the station houses to get a very brief look and a pic, IF you have enough time to do so. Toledo, OH surprised me the most(when I rode Lake Shore Limited, and Capitol Limited also goes here), in this regard! If it was a regular looking station like an 'Amshack', I wouldn't bother photographing the inside.  Of course if you go through a historic looking downtown and the train stops there, I always found it fun to get a brief picture of the downtown to the degree I can.

ALWAYS of course ask an Amtrak employee how long the station stop will be before getting off, so that the train doesn't leave you behind. Just be aware that you won't hear the announcements for train stops between 10pm to 7am, hence why it's EXTRA important to ask this to an Amtrak employee for the overnight stops if the length of the stop isn't spelled out in your Amtrak train's timetable. I was never worried I'd be left behind in Toledo(since the timetable for LSL spells out that it is a 20 minute stop), but for the shorter ones that might be a smoking/fresh air stop I wouldn't step off the train for very long(i.e. Buffalo, NY). Heh, I remember there when I was taking a pic outside the train, I surprised an Amtrak employee when I explained I was taking a brief pic outside each of the 'fresh air' stops! In hindsight looking back had I known Buffalo would be an 'Amshack' like station, I may've skipped taking a pic there. It's too bad when I looked up the original station for Buffalo, that the trains don't board and depart from the original pre-Amshack station a little outside of the current Buffalo-Depew station. At least I've heard the historic Buffalo station is opened up for occasional tours, and that some parts of the inside have been restored.


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## ehbowen (Jun 9, 2017)

dogbert617 said:


> Like the others said, bring things like a tablet/e-reader, portable video game system, physical book(or more), laptop, or other electronic devices to keep yourself occupied during the lulls of scenery or the nighttime travel parts. At the longer station/fresh air/smoking stops(and this especially goes if you're struggling to fall asleep), I always found it fun to go inside the station houses to get a very brief look and a pic, IF you have enough time to do so. Toledo, OH surprised me the most(when I rode Lake Shore Limited, and Capitol Limited also goes here), in this regard! If it was a regular looking station like an 'Amshack', I wouldn't bother photographing the inside.  Of course if you go through a historic looking downtown and the train stops there, I always found it fun to get a brief picture of the downtown to the degree I can.
> 
> ALWAYS of course ask an Amtrak employee how long the station stop will be before getting off, so that the train doesn't leave you behind. Just be aware that you won't hear the announcements for train stops between 10pm to 7am, hence why it's EXTRA important to ask this to an Amtrak employee for the overnight stops if the length of the stop isn't spelled out in your Amtrak train's timetable. I was never worried I'd be left behind in Toledo(since the timetable for LSL spells out that it is a 20 minute stop), but for the shorter ones that might be a smoking/fresh air stop I wouldn't step off the train for very long(i.e. Buffalo, NY). Heh, I remember there when I was taking a pic outside the train, I surprised an Amtrak employee when I explained I was taking a brief pic outside each of the 'fresh air' stops! In hindsight looking back had I known Buffalo would be an 'Amshack' like station, I may've skipped taking a pic there. It's too bad when I looked up the original station for Buffalo, that the trains don't board and depart from the original pre-Amshack station a little outside of the current Buffalo-Depew station. At least I've heard the historic Buffalo station is opened up for occasional tours, and that some parts of the inside have been restored.


The train will not leave a station before the time published in the timetable (with certain very limited exceptions, such as stops coded D or L), but it may not stay in the station for the full published dwell time if it is already running behind schedule. If the _Lake Shore Limited_ is running late, that 20 minute stop at Toledo might very well be shaved to 7 or even 5 minutes, possibly even shorter. My own practice when the train is running behind is to never leave the platform, even if the crew has indicated that the train will be there long enough to take a fresh air break.


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## Johanna (Jun 9, 2017)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Johanna said:
> 
> 
> > Isn't it kind of selfish for you to demand that other people oblige your need for a constant running conversation? If you find it awkward and uncomfortable to be in a space with someone without talking with them nonstop, that's for you to deal with, not your tablemates.
> ...


Your question is based on the presumption that a lull in the conversation is objectively "confusing and uncomfortable." It's not.



> Johanna said:
> 
> 
> > I'll do my best to hold up my end of a conversation when I have to, but I'm not very good at it, and I'm fine with that. Once at an early breakfast, I was seated at a table with just one other person. I tried to keep up a little light chit chat, but halfway through the meal he insulted my conversation skills. So I stopped talking to him altogether. I don't know if he found that confusing or uncomfortable, but I kind of hope he did.
> ...


He said I must not deserve my college degree because I repeated myself when trying to come up with a response to some inane comment he made about the landscape. Yes, I kind of hope he felt uncomfortable after that.



> Did you gain anything from visiting the dining car _besides_ the enjoyment of getting back at someone and making them feel uncomfortable?


Er...yes? I gained a delicious breakfast. Isn't that what the dining car is for?


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## snvboy (Jun 9, 2017)

I'm a pretty introverted guy as well, and took my first long-distance Amtrak trip on a whim in 1999. I had a week of "use it or loose it" vacation left at the end of the year, so I figured a train from DC to Seattle would be a good way to kill it. I brought several LONG books with me thinking I would do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. I didn't even crack the cover on any of the books. Even in a place you might think is going to be utterly boring, like North Dakota, becomes endlessly mesmerizing seen through the window of the train.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 9, 2017)

Johanna said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
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> > Johanna said:
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I did not refer to the usual pauses or lulls as would typically occur in any conversation among strangers. Instead I specifically referred to people who find social interaction difficult or uncomfortable enough to dread it, which is something I've read on here several times. I'm just wondering why these people keep visiting the diner despite their repulsion to it.



Johanna said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
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> 
> > Did you gain anything from visiting the dining car _besides_ the enjoyment of getting back at someone and making them feel uncomfortable?
> ...


Did you gain anything from choosing to sit with strangers over simply getting your food and leaving (coach) or having it delivered (sleeper) to eat in solitude where there was little or no risk of being expected to respond to questions or engage in smalltalk? In other words what is the upside of putting yourself in a social situation with little or no intention of being sociable yourself?


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## SarahZ (Jun 9, 2017)

I'm an introvert, but sometimes I crave the company of people (without actually talking to anyone). When I'm on long-distance trips by myself, I'll sometimes go to the lounge car and bring my earbuds with me. I try to sit as far from people as possible. That way, I can sit and enjoy the scenery without feeling so alone, but I don't get roped into small talk. The earbuds are key.

I have a love/hate relationship with the diner. It really depends on who you're seated with. I find it's worth the gamble since I enjoy eating in the diner. You get to people-watch, for one thing, and there's something really neat about eating in a restaurant that's traveling 79 mph.

For what it's worth, breakfast is my favorite meal on Amtrak. The food is good, the portions are huge, and people tend to be more subdued/quiet. The conversation is usually pleasant and hushed rather than, "SO WHO'D YA VOTE FOR? OBUMMER? LOLZ". (This is one of the reasons I always order wine with dinner.)


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 9, 2017)

Many Breakfasts I get to sit by myself because I get there when it opens. If I am lucky I get to see a sunrise or maybe the sun cresting the trees. I get good service from the staff since few people are in the Diner. Sometimes as I am sitting with my coffee after eating there are many people coming so someone is seated with me, they generally say good morning, I respond to them, smile, maybe even state I have really been enjoying the sunrise. This gets them looking out the window so I can continue sipping my coffee watching the scenery pass by the window. Soon, it is time for me to relinquish my seat, but many times the server has asked if I was going the SSL, if so they bring me a coffee to go. Breakfast as you can tell is my favorite time in the DC. Dinner is second, and Lunch is my least favorite. I am not a talkative person, but I do introduce myself because this is how I found the couple from Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, etc. These folks were so interesting as they talked about their home countries, which I found very interesting. So I suggest all passengers able to go to the DC try it, especially breakfast. Dinner may be with boring conversations, but there will be times you are so glad you met this passenger.


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## TiredAutistic (Jun 10, 2017)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Johanna said:
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> > Devil's Advocate said:
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See... *sigh*

Attitudes like this are the main reason I avoid putting myself into social situations with strangers.

I'm autistic. I have a difficult time with conversation, I have a difficult time with eye contact, I have a tendency to have a somewhat "upset" facial expression even when I'm at my most relaxed, etc., etc., etc. Guess I should just hide myself away in my little autism cave to avoid causing neurotypicals any confusion or discomfort. It's like, I'm sorry I exist - I know lots of people would rather that I and people like me didn't. But I do. *waves from my autism cave*

Why would I, a certified Antisocial™, want to go to the dining car? Because the experience of the dining car is more than just food+socializing. There's atmosphere, there's history. I want to get to look at and sit in the interior of that car (lacking in much surface-level beauty as it may be) and think about how it relates to the dining cars that are a part of my cultural memory. I also enjoy the experience of eating in a (slightly) more formal environment. It's atmospheric for me, and it gives me a lot to think about. And I am gladly willing to try my best to socialize in order to gain that experience because that's part of it.

I am respectful. I am kind. I am also awkward and anxious. I frequently do hide myself away, so, honestly, for someone to ask why I don't just stay out of social spaces altogether (when it very likely is one of the few times I've actually gotten up the nerve to go into a social situation in the first place)? Yeah... Autistic people exist. People with social anxiety exist. Etc. And we ought to be able to have the types of experiences which people can only have if they put themselves into social situations without people resenting and questioning our mere presence. It would be nice to be able to go out into public without people wishing that I hadn't/wondering why I did. But I am determined to have a life and to gain experiences, so I will continue to put myself into social situations when I am able to. Sorry.


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## SarahZ (Jun 10, 2017)

Don't let DA get to you. He has that username for a reason.

I would be happy to share a table with you, and I wouldn't pressure you to talk if I could tell you were uncomfortable.


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## pennyk (Jun 10, 2017)

SarahZ said:


> Don't let DA get to you. He has that username for a reason.
> 
> I would be happy to share a table with you, and I wouldn't pressure you to talk if I could tell you were uncomfortable.


ditto


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 11, 2017)

TiredAutistic said:


> See... *sigh* Attitudes like this are the main reason I avoid putting myself into social situations with strangers. I'm autistic. I have a difficult time with conversation, I have a difficult time with eye contact, I have a tendency to have a somewhat "upset" facial expression even when I'm at my most relaxed, etc., etc., etc. Guess I should just hide myself away in my little autism cave to avoid causing neurotypicals any confusion or discomfort. It's like, I'm sorry I exist - I know lots of people would rather that I and people like me didn't. But I do. *waves from my autism cave*


You know that lots of people would rather you didn't exist simply because you're autistic? You don't think that's a little melodramatic for a question about communal dining? To be perfectly honest my primary reaction to your post wasn't about the autistic or introverted aspects so much as a prevailing undertone of chronic depression.



TiredAutistic said:


> Why would I, a certified Antisocial,[/size] want to go to the dining car? Because the experience of the dining car is more than just food+socializing. There's atmosphere, there's history. I want to get to look at and sit in the interior of that car (lacking in much surface-level beauty as it may be) and think about how it relates to the dining cars that are a part of my cultural memory. I also enjoy the experience of eating in a (slightly) more formal environment. It's atmospheric for me, and it gives me a lot to think about. And I am gladly willing to try my best to socialize in order to gain that experience because that's part of it.


This is what I was looking for. In your case you still try to join and participate on some minimal level. I have no problem with that whatsoever. It's the people who struggle to even say hello, the people who spend their meal staring at a phone/tablet/laptop/console/book, and those who simply pretend like they're seated alone that are a total enigma to me. Whatever atmosphere or scenery is around them doesn't seem to even register.



TiredAutistic said:


> I am respectful. I am kind. I am also awkward and anxious. I frequently do hide myself away, so, honestly, for someone to ask why I don't just stay out of social spaces altogether (when it very likely is one of the few times I've actually gotten up the nerve to go into a social situation in the first place)? Yeah... Autistic people exist. People with social anxiety exist. Etc. And we ought to be able to have the types of experiences which people can only have if they put themselves into social situations without people resenting and questioning our mere presence. It would be nice to be able to go out into public without people wishing that I hadn't/wondering why I did. But I am determined to have a life and to gain experiences, so I will continue to put myself into social situations when I am able to. Sorry.


Not sure why you're acting like I wrote a manifesto on eradicating autistic people but I wish you'd drop the emotional guilt trip. Strong interest in hobbies like rail fanning is already associated with autism spectrum disorders, so even those of us who have never been diagnosed are likely to carry some autistic traits anyway. In other words, if there should ever be some sort of anti-autism movement it's irrational to think it would start or be welcomed in a place like this.


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## TiredAutistic (Jun 11, 2017)

If your discomfort is purely aimed at willful jerks and not at the introverted but well-intentioned, then I would agree that willful jerks are bad and make me uncomfortable too, but your previous posts fail to make that clear to me. (Also, someone who struggles to say hello could just be dealing with a lot of anxiety, someone who needs to stare at a phone/book could just be feeling overwhelmed, there are many non-jerk reasons someone could appear detached from their environment, and these people could all still be getting something out of the experience (they also might not be, but even if they're not they could still be trying to).) At any rate, it seemed to me that the OP and the posters you were responding to were coming more from the well-intentioned category than from the jerk category.

And no, I don't think a train forum is starting an anti-autism movement. I don't think you wrote a manifesto against anyone. I do think that certain prevalent attitudes make things worse for autistic people and for people with mental illnesses, that anyone can hold those attitudes regardless of where they are or aren't on the spectrum/regardless of whether have or don't have mental illness, and that something should be said to try to point out those attitudes when they are expressed. Things don't need to be on the level of a manifesto to be crumby and harmful.


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## JayPea (Jun 11, 2017)

Count me in as one of those amongst the very introverted crowd. The dining car, however, presents very little to no problems. My long distance trips have always been with my uncle and he is the type that never met a stranger. He engages with and talks to everyone he meets. I didn't inherit that tendency. So I can count on him carrying the conversation with me chiming in occasionally. On the coach trips when I've been on my own I still enjoy eating in the diner. I find myself able to join in and enjoy the conversation though it's not always easy. I do recall on one occasion while going to Seattle from Spokane when four of us, all solo travelers, were seated together at breakfast. And it was the most uncomfortable meal I've spent in the diner. One young man never said a word, a young gal spent all her time on her phone, and the third besides me was an elderly gentleman who carried on a rambling non-sequitur in which even the most seasoned coversationalist would have found impossible to follow. Add to that the food was horrible and the dining car crew a bunch of jackasses and it wasn't a good time, to say the least.

But my solo experiences in the diner have been by and large very positive. I look forward to the whole dining car experience. I do find Johanna's story very troubling. I mean, what kind of narcissistic jerk makes a remark like that??? I have enough trouble in social situations and remarks like that would make it worse. I recall an instance I college when I went to a get-together involving an interdenominational Christian fellowship I was involved with. I was much worse than I am now, stuck for an answer when someone would say hello to me.  The other members of this fellowship accepted me as is. This particular get-together however involved other groups and at the end of it one guy went up to me and said "It was sure nice TALKING to you!" He couldn't have been more sarcastic, more cutting. Some of my friends rushed to my defense, but I was put off enough to reply "If you want to be entertained, go hire a trained monkey!!"  That went over about as well as you would expect. :lol: I do enjoy the dining car and will do my best to be a part of the conversation but it won't work if I'm expected to carry it.


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## tonijustine (Jun 12, 2017)

I am an introvert as well. It's been a long time since my last Amtrak trip and it was my first in a roomette. Mostly, I like to relax, let my wander and watch the world as it passes my window. But in the event I am flirting with boredom, I also take: reading materials, music, writing material (laptop on my upcoming trip), a few games on my IPhone.

I also like audio books. That way you can listen to a story while still being able to watch the scenery. It would be especially cool to find a great book about the area of the country through which you are travelling.

My husband loves podcasts, but I haven't found one that I really like yet.


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## dogbert617 (Jun 15, 2017)

ehbowen said:


> dogbert617 said:
> 
> 
> > Like the others said, bring things like a tablet/e-reader, portable video game system, physical book(or more), laptop, or other electronic devices to keep yourself occupied during the lulls of scenery or the nighttime travel parts. At the longer station/fresh air/smoking stops(and this especially goes if you're struggling to fall asleep), I always found it fun to go inside the station houses to get a very brief look and a pic, IF you have enough time to do so. Toledo, OH surprised me the most(when I rode Lake Shore Limited, and Capitol Limited also goes here), in this regard! If it was a regular looking station like an 'Amshack', I wouldn't bother photographing the inside.  Of course if you go through a historic looking downtown and the train stops there, I always found it fun to get a brief picture of the downtown to the degree I can.
> ...


I know what you mean. The westbound LSL was on time in Toledo when I passed through that stop en route from NYC to Chicago, hence why I did go inside the station for a quick look. And since I knew it wouldn't leave before that departure time.

If the LSL was running late and the Toledo stop(then) was shortened to like 5 minutes, I probably wouldn't have run inside that station house for a quick look. But hey if you have enough time to do so, why not? It wasn't like I was running to a bar across the street from the Amtrak station, to drink. Now that'd be stupid as heck, and I wouldn't risk doing that! I'm amazed that I've heard some stories(thanks to this board and also other ones, of Amtrak trip reports), where a few people were stupid enough to do that. But you can't fix stupid....


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## ehbowen (Jun 15, 2017)

dogbert617 said:


> I know what you mean. The westbound LSL was on time in Toledo when I passed through that stop en route from NYC to Chicago, hence why I did go inside the station for a quick look. And since I knew it wouldn't leave before that departure time.
> 
> If the LSL was running late and the Toledo stop(then) was shortened to like 5 minutes, I probably wouldn't have run inside that station house for a quick look. But hey if you have enough time to do so, why not? It wasn't like I was running to a bar across the street from the Amtrak station, to drink. Now that'd be stupid as heck, and I wouldn't risk doing that! I'm amazed that I've heard some stories(thanks to this board and also other ones, of Amtrak trip reports), where a few people were stupid enough to do that. But you can't fix stupid....


Not directed at you at all; I've taken a walk through downtown Albuquerque myself when the _Southwest Chief_ was ahead of schedule. But many new riders see this forum, and when they see your remark about a 20 minute scheduled stop some might think that the stop will always be 20 minutes. I felt it appropriate to clarify.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 15, 2017)

The only thing you can depend on is the departure time on the schedule, so if the train arrives after that departure time, it will depart as quickly as possible, trying to make up time.


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## dogbert617 (Jun 27, 2017)

ehbowen said:


> dogbert617 said:
> 
> 
> > I know what you mean. The westbound LSL was on time in Toledo when I passed through that stop en route from NYC to Chicago, hence why I did go inside the station for a quick look. And since I knew it wouldn't leave before that departure time.
> ...


I understand what you mean, totally. That's cool if you want to clarify that, since yep for sure the stop length on the Cap and LSL won't always be 20 minutes at Toledo. Especially if the train were to be running late!

I was certainly thinking about whether it'd be possible to take a very quick walk, in downtown Albuquerque if I took the SWC. But I'd only do that if the train was on time, and that on the PA announcement they made it clear that it'd be this usual length, and not a shortened stop where I'd be reluctant to do that.


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