# am I the only one bothered by pajamas in dining car?



## ToniCounter (Aug 18, 2016)

I recently had the "pleasure" of sitting across from a couple and their young kid in the dining car. The mom, dad and kid were all in their cute pajamas. The Amtrak employee didn't say a word, but she rolled her eyes when they sat down.

I just kind of pretended not to notice and carried on a casual normal chit-chat with strangers in the dining car.

Am I the only one who is bothered by people wearing their pajamas in the dining car? I was in a my black polo shirt and khaki shorts. (not dressed for fine dining, but I consider that to be appropriate and comfortable for train travel) 

This is not limited to just trains.... last year, I was on a flight from Honolulu back to LA. Two older teenage kids were in their pajamas and carried big pillows. They were in front of me during boarding. Imagine the horror I found them in the window & middle seats next to me.  Fortunately, the flight had a few empty rows and I moved there ASAP.


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## Dave Van (Aug 18, 2016)

SOP today.........

I see kids and 'ladies' in their PJ's at WalMart or the grocery store every time I go.

Some with less than appropriate verbiage on the butt......

Today's world.....


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## greatcats (Aug 18, 2016)

I have been guilty of this. Some years ago I boarded a plane in Minneapolis bound for Newark in rather skimpy bright orange jogging shorts. Nobody said anything to me on the plane, but when I reached my railroad office back in Hoboken, at least two lady co-workers read me the riot act. Of course, these days I'm the model of modesty and decorum. (??)


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 18, 2016)

Good LSAs would tell anyone, not just females or kids, that night clothing is not appropriate for the Diner! Casual is fine,ie Shorts or jeans and a T-Shirt or Polo.Night clothes, Curlers and Fuzzy Slippers are Not!

I too see people out in Public in PJs Lounging Clothes and even Underwear! ,(especially in Wal-Mart and Fast Food joints),and unfortunately it seems like this is becoming the Norm!

Probably a generational thing, we used to dress up to go to the store,to travel and church, now people show up in anything!


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Aug 18, 2016)

I wouldn't do it but I don't see a problem with it. It doesn't hurt anyone else. One of Amtrak´s selling points is comfort, and I don't think we should change that by making people change into formal clothes.


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## XHRTSP (Aug 18, 2016)

I've sat next to people on long haul flights who were in their pajamas. In the cockpit...


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## Sproutis (Aug 18, 2016)

For little ones (the under 10-set) at breakfast, it doesn't bother me at all. I think that pajama breakfast is one of lifes great joys and we have so few years where we can really get away with enjoying it.

That having been said, for other meals I agree that street clothes are more appropriate.


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## Triley (Aug 18, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> Good LSAs would tell anyone, not just females or kids, that night clothing is not appropriate for the Diner! Casual is fine,ie Shorts or jeans and a T-Shirt or Polo.Night clothes, Curlers and Fuzzy Slippers are Not!
> 
> I too see people out in Public in PJs Lounging Clothes and even Underwear! ,(especially in Wal-Mart and Fast Food joints),and unfortunately it seems like this is becoming the Norm!
> 
> Probably a generational thing, we used to dress up to go to the store,to travel and church, now people show up in anything!


Although I agree there should be some sort of dress up for the diner, there isn't one published. Sooo...a good LSA wouldn't say anything, and risk their job!

And yes, although I am young, I still agree with dressing up a bit for travel, eating out, etc. You won't see me in a full suit, but you will see me in business casual. As a matter of fact...95% of my leisure wardrobe would actually be considered business casual.


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## norfolkwesternhenry (Aug 18, 2016)

I really don't mind, I sleep in casual clothes on the train, but what is the huge deal? I don't even own pajamas anymore, but if you are on vacation, you will want to relax, so why change clothes untill you have to?


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## Acela150 (Aug 18, 2016)

Dave Van said:


> SOP today.........
> 
> I see kids and 'ladies' in their PJ's at WalMart or the grocery store every time I go.
> 
> ...


You've clearly never seen peopleofwalmart.com

I never spend a cent or dollar of my money at Walmart. I'm a target guy. Always have been.

As for the topic. I'm willing to let it slide for kids under 10. That's it though. There isn't much wrong with a T-shirt and jeans or khakis. In February on the CL a man in his late 50's early 60's was in a sleeper and the entire trip wore a very very pricey suit. Something you'd normally see on Acela here in the NEC. He also had the attitude of I HAVE to be first on the train, first off. That trip I ended up bussed from PGH to WAS and he had to be first on the bus and the first off. I'll be honest just to mess with him I got up and took my sweet time getting my bag out of the overhead of the bus. He was pissed as all hell. He was booked on 91 and thought 91 would hold for him. We arrived in DC at 330. By the time he was off the bus it was 345 and it was long gone. I ended up in the lounge where he was bitching about Amtrak not holding the train. But in Amtrak's defense, he was dumb enough to book 30 and 91 on separate ressys. So he's flipping on the staff who handled it well but we're getting frustrated he wasn't listening. So when I explained his mistake and I guess had to guts to say he was stupid for booking separate ressys he shut up. He rebooked on 97.


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## crescent-zephyr (Aug 18, 2016)

When I rode the Canadian, there was an older gentleman who wore his bath robe to breakfast each morning. Rather than judging him I was happy to sit with him cause I figured he was an interesting guy. He was extremely nice to chat with.


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## Dave Van (Aug 18, 2016)

Acela150 said:


> Dave Van said:
> 
> 
> > SOP today.........
> ...


I am not a fan of WM or Target (stolen acct info ring a bell?)

WM is a 50 minute drive and Traget is 2.5 hours.....I love rural life but choice is slim at times.

Maybe you read my post wrong.....'peopleofWM' is what I see EVERY time I go!!!

As for on topic.....I have had much worse fellow passengers than PJ wearers....but it's still a odd choice on a train.


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## A Voice (Aug 18, 2016)

brianpmcdonnell17 said:


> I wouldn't do it but I don't see a problem with it. It doesn't hurt anyone else. One of Amtrak´s selling points is comfort, and I don't think we should change that by making people change into formal clothes.


On the contrary, we indeed do harm - or at least a lack of courtesy and respect - to those around us when we engage in inappropriate or offensive behavior. Or as Ecclesiastes 9:18 puts it "one sinner destroyeth much good". There are standards of dress and decorum in public for a reason; If it truly doesn't hurt anyone else, then why do restaurants and other establishments have dress codes at all? Would a fancy restaurant not lose something of its appeal if everyone but one guy were wearing coat & tie or dress, but this one fellow "not hurting anyone else" were in threadbare cutoff shorts and t-shirt?

There is a *huge* difference between formal attire (which isn't being suggested) and merely requiring better clothing than pajamas. You can be completely comfortable without appearing as though you just crawled out of bed. People shouldn't be slobs in public; It reflects very poorly on both themselves and the establishment which has apparently stooped to their level. Much like one incidence of graffiti or a broken window leading to more if not corrected, poor standards of dress and behavior tend to spread and standards decline further. If pajamas are acceptable, what's next - dining in your undies? But if we merely require "casual attire" these problems go away while neither offending anyone nor placing an undue burden on those seeking comfort while travelling.


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## unitedstatesfan (Aug 18, 2016)

Good post A Voice: for small children under say five, pajamas may be acceptable in the dining car; for everyone else, no!


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## BCL (Aug 18, 2016)

There's the issue of what's appropriate for the venue. I wouldn't consider PJs appropriate for any restaurant environment. It's just tacky. A t-shirt and board shorts (anyone remember Pulp Fiction?) may be informal, but not inappropriate for the dining car. A fellow passenger attired in a t-shirt and running shorts sat next to me and I didn't find it odd.

Still - I remember an advice column where the columnist said that business style attire should be expected when traveling. I found that to be someone anachronistic. The TV show Pan Am showed an era where even kids dressed up to fly.


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## Dave Van (Aug 18, 2016)

I have been tempted to travel on one of my cross country trips as if it's 1939. Dress like a first class traveler would....no computer no cell phone.....newspapers and paper books/magazines only.

I'd probably get laughed off the train!

PJ's in the dinning car or grocery store is just plain lazy....nothing more or less.


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## Lazy Z (Aug 18, 2016)

I dont know why, but it grosses me out!!


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## Trainmans daughter (Aug 18, 2016)

This topic brings back memories of "Teddi Girl". Anybody else remember her? It was about 7 years ago here on this forum.


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## Hal (Aug 18, 2016)

Fashion changes. In ten years we could all be wearing pajamas as everyday casual wear. I have seen people wearing pajamas as street wear. The athletic wear that seems to be catching in is sort of pajama like. Pajamas are a trend that may or may not catch on. It doesn't bother me. As far as pajamas in the dining car it does not matter, as long as they are wearing shoes and don't smell bad about all crew can do is roll their eyes. Probably not a good idea to do that.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## pennyk (Aug 18, 2016)

Trainmans daughter said:


> This topic brings back memories of "Teddi Girl". Anybody else remember her? It was about 7 years ago here on this forum.


who could forget her?


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## Montreal Ltd (Aug 18, 2016)

I remember as a 7 yo kid getting dressed up for an airplane flight...that was in 1954.


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## Montreal Ltd (Aug 18, 2016)

Of course more and more people wear scrubs nowadays.


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## KmH (Aug 18, 2016)

Couth.

No couth.

However, societal standards have changed and today casual attire is acceptable in more places.

However, as an old guy, I miss the days of 'putting on the dog' (to make things extra special or dress formally for a special event.)

What makes pajamas, pajamas?

Pajamas are loose-fitting, _two-piece_ garments worn chiefly for sleeping, but sometimes also for lounging.

Pajamas may refer to several garments, for both day wear and night wear, derived from traditional pajamas and involving variations of style and material.


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## Ryan (Aug 18, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> Good LSAs would tell anyone, not just females or kids, that night clothing is not appropriate for the Diner!


Absolutely not. Their job is to serve food, not enforce a nonexistent dress code.

I couldn't possibly care less what other people where in the diner or anywhere else. As most that have met me will attest, I'm a jeans and collared shirt kind of guy, but your personal standards of dress are exactly that - "yours" and "personal". None of my damn business what you wear out in public.



A Voice said:


> On the contrary, we indeed do harm - or at least a lack of courtesy and respect - to those around us when we engage in inappropriate or offensive behavior. Or as Ecclesiastes 9:18 puts it "one sinner destroyeth much good".


I'm pretty sure there's a "judge not, lest ye be judged" in there somewhere as well.


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## MattW (Aug 18, 2016)

I'm one of those people that: "I get up, I get dressed." And similar to a previous poster, my general wardrobe would hit the lower border of business casual, has for years. My standard wear is jeans, brown boots, and collared shirt. The only difference between that and when I wear jeans to work is at work I tuck my shirt in. Other work days, same shirts, same boots, but generally brown slacks. As for the train, breakfast doesn't bother me, as long as they are covered and wearing shoes, I don't care (really, I don't care about the shoes, but Amtrak does, and many people may not realize the hazards). Lunch and dinner though I do expect at least the absence of obvious nightwear regardless of how casual the rest is.



Trainmans daughter said:


> This topic brings back memories of "Teddi Girl". Anybody else remember her? It was about 7 years ago here on this forum.


That was 7 years ago???


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 18, 2016)

It's apparent that we all have differing points of view on this matter which is good!

I have been on several LD Trains in the Diner for Breakfast where the LSA has told people to go dress appropriately and they will be seated and served.( Guess they are in the wrong Legally but I thought they did an Outstanding job!)

With my own eyes I've seen women in their PJs with their hair in curlers and wearing fuzzy slippers and people sent back for wearing pajamas, wife beater t-shirts ( aka tank tops), underwear and being barefoot or flip flops!

I know times are changing, but I don't care to sit with people @ Breakfast who dress like this in public, there is plenty of comfortable,casual clothing to wear as has been mentioned in this thread!

YMMV


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## tommylicious (Aug 18, 2016)

Well when they're serving Boardman powdered eggs (no actual egg content) and Boardman microwave extra nitrite bacon (first cooked in Shenzen China), served in a cardboard box, it's hard to ask someone to dress up.


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## SarahZ (Aug 18, 2016)

They have yet to invent the machine that is capable of measuring how much I don't care about this issue.

If someone has been sitting in coach all night or dragged themselves out of their roomette at an ungodly hour, thanks to that interminable PA that starts yammering about donut holes and coffee at zero-dark-thirty, then they can show up in pajamas or sweats or whatever they please.

(A full-on peignoir set would be a bit unreal, but at the same time, it would be rather amusing and would make 6:30 a.m. way more entertaining. And hey... I'd have a great story to tell. Bonus.)

I, personally, would feel uncomfortable if I didn't put on jeans and a shirt, but that's me. I WISH I could head in there wearing my Yummy Sushi pajamas, but it feels like a restaurant, and I'd feel weird going to a restaurant in pajamas, so no pajamas for me.

Anyway, I'm just there to shove eggs into my face and drink a gallon of tea before I shuffle back to my room to take a nap, so as long as the people sitting with me don't expect abundant enthusiasm and witty repartee, they can show up in a Cookie Monster costume for all I care.


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## SP&S (Aug 18, 2016)

I prefer people to be more appropriately dressed, but one sees PJ attired folks in more and more situations and it really doesn't hurt anything. After all, *other people are not put on this earth to live up to my expectations*.


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## SarahZ (Aug 18, 2016)

SP&S said:


> After all, *other people are not put on this earth to live up to my expectations*.


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## FormerOBS (Aug 18, 2016)

Unless the rules have changed in the past two years (I doubt it), there's not much the OBS staff can do.

Bare feet are out because they are covered by the rules about proper footwear. Slippers, flip-flops, etc. are potentially dangerous, but are a bit harder to regulate. Indecent, overly revealing, and/or suggestive attire is not allowed, but this, too, can be interpreted subjectively, so it can be dangerous territory for the OBS crew to address. A passenger with obvious cleanliness, sanitation, and odor issues, can be dealt with if necessary. This is rare, but we always made sure to get the backing of the Conductor before doing anything about it.

In the situation described by the OP, the best thing I can say is that these passengers are potentially making their fellow passengers uncomfortable, and possibly putting the crew in the middle of a no-win situation. I never had a problem with a small kid in PJ's at a very early breakfast or a very late dinner, but I think most adults can and should know that PJ's in a sit-down restaurant are not appropriate for them. I never expected my passengers to "dress" for dinner (although some did); but I always expected them to be clean, modestly dressed, and presentable. This is simple courtesy, and I think most grownups know the difference --- or should. If they don't, then educating them is probably not something the OBS crew can accomplish.

Tom


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## zepherdude (Aug 18, 2016)

It matters little to me, I would never wear jammies to the diner. To each their own. I always dressed for First Class when I flew. No one dresses to travel anymore. I would never up for the train. Let people be people.

I do stand by NO SHOES, NO SHIRTS, NO SERVICE.


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## desertflyer (Aug 18, 2016)

zepherdude said:


> I do stand by NO SHOES, NO SHIRTS, NO SERVICE.


I wish this saying would also address pants, as I feel they are an equally important part of restaurant attire.


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## Manny T (Aug 19, 2016)

Not sure this has been taken into account--in the diner we are forced to sit with complete strangers, whoever is assigned to our table by the luck of the draw. We have no choice, or very little choice, if you have ever tried to get up and move once seated in the diner.

Now if I'm led to a table where an individual or individuals are clothed in unsuitable attire, e.g. pajamas, I suppose I can balk, ask to be seated someplace else, or decide at that moment to have my meal at my seat or in my compartment. But if I'm already seated and perhaps have ordered, and along comes a person or person dressed in pajamas who are to be seated at my table--this is beyond the pale, obnoxious in the extreme.

These pajama clad persons should have the decency to eat in their rooms or at their seats. It should not fall upon Amtrak personnel to remedy the situation.

Nor should I be subjected to their slept-in garments while I am trying to eat. I don't even want to think about it. This is not the society I signed up to live in.


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## Thirdrail7 (Aug 19, 2016)

Where is Devil's Advocate when you need him? Since he's unavailable, I will do my best to pinch hit.



Manny T said:


> These pajama clad persons should have the decency to eat in their rooms or at their seats. It should not fall upon Amtrak personnel to remedy the situation.
> 
> Nor should I be subjected to their slept-in garments while I am trying to eat. I don't even want to think about it. This is not the society I signed up to live in.


Playing Devil's Advocate makes me ask...what is the difference between sitting with someone in proper pj's or someone who slept in their jeans and shirt in coach....for a day and a half?


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## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

Thirdrail7 said:


> Where is Devil's Advocate when you need him? Since he's unavailable, I will do my best to pinch hit.
> 
> Playing Devil's Advocate makes me ask...what is the difference between sitting with someone in proper pj's or someone who slept in their jeans and shirt in coach....for a day and a half?


Let met take it a step further...

Someone mentioned that verifying passenger's attire is not part of the official duty of Amtrak dining car employees.

What if a passenger decided to show up in a bikini, speedo, or just plain birthday suit?


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## Asher (Aug 19, 2016)

Well, a couple of things are not clear to me about this subject. First of all, are we talking Breakfast only. And, another thing that comes to mind before I render my take on this somewhat disgusting ritual some folks have, their has to be a limit for how long this person or persons has been wearing this garb. I mean, were they wearing them when they got on the train, have they slept in them for over a week. I'm cutting them slack if its just one night. Otherwise #*#**


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 19, 2016)

Thirdrail7 said:


> Where is Devil's Advocate when you need him?


Sleeping off a late night freak show thousands of miles away from home. Anyway, here are some thoughts ...

Naturally I wear whatever the hell I want at home. If that happens to be Hello Kitty jammys or Incredible Hulk Underoos then so be it. But when I'm out in public I try to wear something a bit more socially acceptable. Mainly because I consider myself a functioning adult who was raised to see what I do in my own private home and what I do when I'm out and about in public as two distinct situations with different rules. Also, today's grungy American social etiquette is already so lax and vague that it's super easy to meet or exceed such limited expectations. Or at least it should be. To me wearing pajamas in public isn't a problem in and of itself.

For me the bigger issue is that the dividing line between private and public behavior seems like it's being blurred unnecessarily, almost into oblivion in some cases. Seeing teens walk through airports in sleepwear hugging oversized pillows is weird to me but it's not something I typically worry about. When the jammy family sits next to me on a plane or train it's not the clothing that concerns me. It's their dirty shoes on the furniture and walls, their blaring electronic toys, their immature behavior and poor social manners, and their indifference to body language feedback from those around them. In many ways the world is a much more casual place today than in previous generations, and in some ways that's a positive thing, but it still shouldn't mean the dining car or aircraft cabin has suddenly morphed into your own private living room.

Everyone is going to have their own specific view of what precisely crosses the line, and that's perfectly natural and normal, but displaying a little extra class doesn't require much effort and can go a long way to making others feel comfortable and relaxed around you. If wearing PJs in public brings you immense happiness you can't get any other way then by all means rock the look which makes your life worth living. On the other hand, if it's just a matter of being lazy or indifferent to the feelings of others then perhaps you should consider spending that social capitol elsewhere.

I travel to other countries fairly often and I'm sure I make all kinds of social mistakes I never even notice, especially when I'm visiting an area that itself attracts dozens of other widely varying cultures. That being said I do make a genuine effort to error on the side of caution and keep an eye out for feedback from those around me. That way I can save all the really offensive stuff for the one place it truly belongs. Here on the Internet!


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 19, 2016)

In reading thru all of this, what comes to my mind is, are we all insisting that sleeper passengers "dress up" whenever they leave their accommodations (room, compartment)?

Do we what to enforce different rules for dress, depending on the time-of-day?

Do we want to enforce different rules for dress, depending on the distance one is from their accommodations?

If one is on a Viewliner II or a Superliner, it is OK to walk to the bathroom or shower in your PJ's, but no further? Its OK, but only in the morning? What hours are "morning"? I mean, I am a morning person. To me, by around 9am, I've been up for hours and its well into my day. Matter of fact, by 9am, I am starting to get hungry and looking for my 2nd meal. 

If its OK to wander around in your PJ's in the morning, why the artificial limit of to/from the bathroom is OK, but not to/from the dining car? I mean, come on, *no one here has ever eaten breakfast while still wearing their PJ's*, especially on days where there is no work or school?


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 19, 2016)

If people are in their pajamas at breakfast, it implies they haven't washed yet. I do not want to eat at a table with people who have not washed yet.

I think DA's post (#38) was excellent and covered just about everything.

I would add that, ever since the late '60s, we have gone through periods in our country when people looked disgusting and had no manners. The difference is that, in those days, rudeness and grunginess were done on purpose to annoy others, but today, many people don't realize that they look awful and that there is such a thing as manners--they have not been taught that.

On the other hand, even I have been known to walk down to the coffee machine in my sleeper car in (decent) nightwear. Usually, the SCA sees me right away and tells me they'll bring me my coffee!


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

Manny T said:


> These pajama clad persons should have the decency to eat in their rooms or at their seats. It should not fall upon Amtrak personnel to remedy the situation.
> 
> Nor should I be subjected to their slept-in garments while I am trying to eat. I don't even want to think about it. This is not the society I signed up to live in.


Amtrak is Public Transportation. That, by definition, means dealing with the public, in all of their increasingly "gross" (IYO) glory.

Don't like it? Private Varnish, brah.


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> If people are in their pajamas at breakfast, it implies they haven't washed yet. I do not want to eat at a table with people who have not washed yet.


I can guarantee you that you've eaten at lunch, and at dinner, in people dressed in normal clothes, who haven't washed. In, like, a week. This *IS* Amtrak we're talking about here!


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## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> I can guarantee you that you've eaten at lunch, and at dinner, in people dressed in normal clothes, who haven't washed. In, like, a week. This *IS* Amtrak we're talking about here!



That may be fine for coach passengers, but I've also met sleeping car passengers

who don't take showers. Their excuse was that they hate train showers and they

wanted to wait until checking into a hotel.


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

So it's fine for coach passengers to be unwashed, but not sleeper passengers? :huh:


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## MikefromCrete (Aug 19, 2016)

A five-year-old kid wearing pijamas in a public place? Fine. Anybody older? I don't think so. Use some common sense people. As far as people not taking showers on the train, before the advent of the Superliners and Viewliners, there were no showers on trains. Somehow, people survived.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

MikefromCrete said:


> A five-year-old kid wearing pijamas in a public place? Fine. Anybody older? I don't think so. Use some common sense people. As far as people not taking showers on the train, before the advent of the Superliners and Viewliners, there were no showers on trains. Somehow, people survived.


probably totally unrelated, but how did people go to the bathroom on trains back in the late 19th century?


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> So it's fine for coach passengers to be unwashed, but not sleeper passengers? :huh:


Interesting thought. We shall refer to the coach class now as the "unwashed class"?


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 19, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> probably totally unrelated, but how did people go to the bathroom on trains back in the late 19th century?


Men or women?

A man could go wherever. A proper woman would hold it in, until they got home.

When they "invented" public rest rooms, they had a very difficult time with women because they refused to use them (and continue to hold it in until they got home, the way their mother taught them).


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> MikefromCrete said:
> 
> 
> > A five-year-old kid wearing pijamas in a public place? Fine. Anybody older? I don't think so. Use some common sense people. As far as people not taking showers on the train, before the advent of the Superliners and Viewliners, there were no showers on trains. Somehow, people survived.
> ...


Ever see the old signs "Don't flush while in the station"? That should give you a hint...


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## John Bredin (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> So it's fine for coach passengers to be unwashed, but not sleeper passengers? :huh:


Sure. You can't blame, or look down on, a person for not doing what they cannot do. A coach passenger cannot shower, a sleeper passenger can.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> Ever see the old signs "Don't flush while in the station"? That should give you a hint...


oh boy... I must be OLD! I have seen those train toilets in action when I was a kid.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 19, 2016)

Those of us old enough to remember the toilets that flushed directly onto the tracks also remember the "Ladies" Lounges on the Train and in Stations that were, according to my mom and grandmother,pretty fancy in some cases!


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## CCC1007 (Aug 19, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> JoeBas said:
> 
> 
> > Ever see the old signs "Don't flush while in the station"? That should give you a hint...
> ...


That is supposedly how some European trains do it even today!


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## jis (Aug 19, 2016)

Speaking of showering on trains, I seldom take a shower on a two day train ride. Why bother? A little sponging down and change of clothes works just fine. If it gets longer than that then I do partake.


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

John Bredin said:


> JoeBas said:
> 
> 
> > So it's fine for coach passengers to be unwashed, but not sleeper passengers? :huh:
> ...


But... that makes no sense. Like, seriously. If it's okay for the goose, why isn't it for the gander?


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## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

jis said:


> Speaking of showering on trains, I seldom take a shower on a two day train ride. Why bother? A little sponging down and change of clothes works just fine. If it gets longer than that then I do partake.


Yup, I find a fresh set of clothes for the next day is fine for a one night trip. It's not like I'm doing P90X in my roomette...


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## TylerP42 (Aug 19, 2016)

I personally dress up when I'm on the train. Shanghai can attest to that. I like to remember rail travel like it was, an event, a special event. I don't mind how others dress, but I'll wear a nice button up (I've worn a vest with a tie and such before) and a nice pair of khakis or dress pants.


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## Manny T (Aug 19, 2016)

These questions are purely rhetorical: Would you (an adult) be admitted to a movie or a Broadway theater if you showed up wearing your pajamas? Church? A government office? A lawyer's office? A department store? A golf course? A ball park? A political rally? The Olympics in Rio?A fine dining restaurant? A casual restaurant? A neighborhood ethnic restaurant?

If the answer to ANY of the above is no, why would you wear pajamas in an Amtrak dining car?

As JoeBas said, "Amtrak is Public Transportation." Public. 

I agree with everything DA wrote except this line, "If wearing PJs in public brings you immense happiness you can't get any other way then by all means rock the look which makes your life worth living." 

In my opinion, it's fine to rock YOUR boat but it's not fine for you to rock MINE.


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## TylerP42 (Aug 19, 2016)

I think for breakfast it's OK. Everyone is waking up. I eat breakfast in my pajamas (well, I don't have any and don't sleep with pajamas, but I won't elaborate)... if they wish to do that, so be it. They paid the money to have the luxury. It's not like it's revealing or disgusting or dirty


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## TylerP42 (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> John Bredin said:
> 
> 
> > JoeBas said:
> ...


How does that make no sense? Sleeping passengers have access to showers. Coach do not.


----------



## crescent-zephyr (Aug 19, 2016)

Yes, you would be permitted to dine, in your pajamas, at any number of places. Denny's, ihop, panera bread, Starbucks, etc

And as I said, the Steward had no issue with a man wearing his pajamas and bathrobe to breakfast on VIA rail....


----------



## JoeBas (Aug 19, 2016)

TylerP42 said:


> JoeBas said:
> 
> 
> > John Bredin said:
> ...


If it's not okay, it's not okay for everyone. If it's okay for some, it's okay for all.

That's like saying it's okay not to drive a Mercedes if you can't afford one. But if you *CAN* afford one, it's not okay not to.


----------



## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

JoeBas said:


> If it's not okay, it's not okay for everyone. If it's okay for some, it's okay for all.
> 
> That's like saying it's okay not to drive a Mercedes if you can't afford one. But if you *CAN* afford one, it's not okay not to.


You just lost me there.... I can afford a Mercedes, but I choose to buy a Volvo or Audi. Does that make me a bad person? I prefer understated luxury and not flaunt money.


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## KmH (Aug 19, 2016)

John Bredin said:


> . . . A coach passenger cannot shower . . .


Overnight or long distance Coach passengers can, at the least, take a sponge bath, which is what I do.

I use packaged, pre-moistened, disposable, 8" x 8" washcloths.


----------



## ToniCounter (Aug 19, 2016)

KmH said:


> Overnight or long distance Coach passengers can, at the least, take a sponge bath, which is what I do.
> 
> I use packaged, pre-moistened, disposable, 8" x 8" washcloths.


Do the directions say that the sponge bath must be performed by the hot nurse on the front of the packaging? If so, I'm all for it!


----------



## John Bredin (Aug 19, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Overnight or long distance Coach passengers can, at the least, take a sponge bath, which is what I do.
> ...


"Serving suggestion," like the tin of cold beans with a picture of a bowl of piping hot beans topped with shredded cheese. :giggle:


----------



## JayPea (Aug 19, 2016)

I'm currently in the gate area at Spokane's airport, awaiting a flight to Seattle where tomorrow my uncle and I begin a 10 day, 6 train Amtrak trip across the US from Seattle and back (with two nights and a day in New Orleans thrown in). No pajamas to be seen anywhere. I guess airline passengers are higher class than Amtrak's are. :lol:


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## Manny T (Aug 19, 2016)

JayPea, please report what you see on your 10 day, 6 train Amtrak trip, in terms of pajamas and animals, particularly chihuahuas, in the dining car. Thank you.


----------



## JayPea (Aug 19, 2016)

Manny T said:


> JayPea, please report what you see on your 10 day, 6 train Amtrak trip, in terms of pajamas and animals, particularly chihuahuas, in the dining car. Thank you.


No joke, I planned to do just that for purposes of this topic. :lol:


----------



## crabby_appleton1950 (Aug 19, 2016)

Christmas Day 1995 my wife insisted we needed milk, so I went to the supermarket (San Diego) and there was a man (not me) in line at the cash register wearing his PJ's and slippers.

Everyone pretended not to notice.


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## crabby_appleton1950 (Aug 19, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> MikefromCrete said:
> 
> 
> > A five-year-old kid wearing pijamas in a public place? Fine. Anybody older? I don't think so. Use some common sense people. As far as people not taking showers on the train, before the advent of the Superliners and Viewliners, there were no showers on trains. Somehow, people survived.
> ...


Maybe the train had a form of 'outhouse' on board, depositing the waste on the tracks?


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## pennyk (Aug 19, 2016)

The topic relates to opinions regarding passengers wearing pajamas in Amtrak dining cars. Please try to keep your comments on topic. Comments way off topic or that add absolutely nothing to the conversation may be hidden. Thank you for your cooperation.


----------



## Hal (Aug 19, 2016)

crabby_appleton1950 said:


> ToniCounter said:
> 
> 
> > MikefromCrete said:
> ...


Had those well into the 20th century too. Then some congressman fishing on bridge got dumped on. Or something like that. Then Amtrak had to convert all those toilets to have retention tanks.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Ryan (Aug 19, 2016)

By "well into", at least 1994.

Also:


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 20, 2016)

I remember back when I was a little kid, totally confused over the one "toilet chair" in each NYC subway car. It was out there, amongst all the all seats in the cars; no privacy. Who would dare to use it?

Today, if such still existed, I think anyone would use it without a moment's thought, and the other passengers wouldn't care.


----------



## Ryan (Aug 20, 2016)

From a friend:




I'm still not sure how this is different than any other item of clothing.


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## Carolina Special (Aug 20, 2016)

How about the tail you can pull on?


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 20, 2016)

Sorry Ryan but this is not a good sight while having breakfast @ 7am in the Diner!


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## AmtrakBlue (Aug 20, 2016)

Carolina Special said:


> How about the tail you can pull on?


Maybe her chihuahua is attached to the other end.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Aug 20, 2016)

During the night I have no issue about wandering down to the Superliner Sleeper Toilet in my Resting Shorts and T-Shirt. But except for an emergency I wouldn't think of venturing into any other cars, especially the Diner, like that.


----------



## OlympianHiawatha (Aug 20, 2016)

Carolina Special said:


> How about the tail you can pull on?


Someone pulls my Tail and I am likely to growl and bite!


----------



## TylerP42 (Aug 20, 2016)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> I remember back when I was a little kid, totally confused over the one "toilet chair" in each NYC subway car. It was out there, amongst all the all seats in the cars; no privacy. Who would dare to use it?
> 
> Today, if such still existed, I think anyone would use it without a moment's thought, and the other passengers wouldn't care.


I've never heard of that or seen any pictures of a toilet chair in a subway car.


----------



## tp49 (Aug 20, 2016)

Only if the pajamas are appropriately Amtrak branded. :giggle: 

-------------------



TylerP42 said:


> Cho Cho Charlie said:
> 
> 
> > I remember back when I was a little kid, totally confused over the one "toilet chair" in each NYC subway car. It was out there, amongst all the all seats in the cars; no privacy. Who would dare to use it?
> ...


When I lived in China it was sadly not uncommon to see people use the small gaps between the cars (as the train was one open one end to the other like what they're proposing in NYC) as toilets and this wasn't some late night drunk train thing it was during more regular hours. Sadly, I'd see it at least twice a week.


----------



## ToniCounter (Aug 20, 2016)

tp49 said:


> When I lived in China it was sadly not uncommon to see people use the small gaps between the cars (as the train was one open one end to the other like what they're proposing in NYC) as toilets and this wasn't some late night drunk train thing it was during more regular hours. Sadly, I'd see it at least twice a week.


I was driving from DC to Detroit last year. Somewhere in PA and OH, I saw people pulling over on the shoulder of the interstate and go into the woods to relief themselves.(or were they there to dump bodies? I don't know... I just saw them stopping and go into the woods) I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go... no matter what country you're in?  Same can be said about Manhattan on Saturday night at 2AM?


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## Thirdrail7 (Aug 20, 2016)

JayPea said:


> Manny T said:
> 
> 
> > JayPea, please report what you see on your 10 day, 6 train Amtrak trip, in terms of pajamas and animals, particularly chihuahuas, in the dining car. Thank you.
> ...



If that is the plan, please send me your itinerary. I'll do my best to make sure your trains resemble the Cardinal, Lake Shore and Silver Star and this conversation will be moot!

(and cue the "PJs in the cafe car" thread in 6...5...4...)


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## JayPea (Aug 20, 2016)

Just back from dinner on #11 and happy to report no pajamas, speedos, bikinis, birthday suits, or chihuahuas. :lol:


----------



## Manny T (Aug 20, 2016)

^ This is very reassuring to most/many of us, I am sure.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 20, 2016)

JayPea said:


> Just back from dinner on #11 and happy to report no pajamas, speedos, bikinis, birthday suits, or chihuahuas. :lol:


thanks for the report... but did anyone play footsie?


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## Asher (Aug 21, 2016)

How many wearing hats,caps,sombreros or turbines?

Pardon.....I meant Turban but choo cho Charlie got it right with the propeller cap.


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## Reno89502 (Aug 21, 2016)

When I was growing up, my parents always taught me to "Dress Up" when traveling. For my first flight (Back in 1986 when I was 13), my step-dad wore slacks and a button down shirt, and my mom wore something sensible, and this was only for a flight from Kansas City to Tulsa!! When I am in my sleeping car room, I will either be in Shorts or jogging pants. But when it is time to head for the dining car, out come the Khakis and a Polo shirt. If it is a trip to the lounge, it is Jeans and a Polo. If I am on Acela in First Class, it is ALWAYS Slacks, button down shirt, and a Jacket.


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## JayPea (Aug 21, 2016)

anumberone said:


> How many wearing hats,caps,sombreros or turbines?


A few caps and that's it. Wearing a turbine might be a bit unwieldy. :lol:


----------



## Ryan (Aug 21, 2016)

This guy pulls it off!


----------



## Bob Dylan (Aug 21, 2016)

Makes me think of Whooz and his infamous Fez at the Gatherings!


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## ToniCounter (Aug 21, 2016)

now that I think about it, I've sat across from a real Amish couple in the dining car a year or two ago.

they were real nice and dressed in the traditional impeccable Amish clothes. not much was said because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to engage in small talk with them. They were travelling in coach. I did notice them leaving a rather large tip when paying the bill. IIRC, it was a $5 bill and 2 or 3 $1 bills.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 21, 2016)

The Amish are usually very friendly on the Trains and IINM pay for everything in Cash!??


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## tonys96 (Aug 21, 2016)

zepherdude said:


> It matters little to me, I would never wear jammies to the diner. To each their own. I always dressed for First Class when I flew. No one dresses to travel anymore. I would never up for the train. Let people be people.
> 
> I do stand by NO SHOES, NO SHIRTS, NO SERVICE.


An old neighborhood bar I used to frequent had a sign simply stating

" Shirt and shoes required, bra and panties optional"


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## ToniCounter (Aug 21, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> The Amish are usually very friendly on the Trains and IINM pay for everything in Cash!??


I wish I know more about the Amish. I know they don't/can't drive cars. But I've seen them on trains and airplanes(Delta Airlines). I'm not really sure how that works.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Aug 21, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > The Amish are usually very friendly on the Trains and IINM pay for everything in Cash!??
> ...


There are different sects of the Amish. Some are ok with technology, some are not.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 21, 2016)

AmtrakBlue said:


> There are different sects of the Amish. Some are ok with technology, some are not.


You're not suggesting that they have Facebook account... or even visit discuss.amtraktrains.com on a regular basis, are you?


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## AmtrakBlue (Aug 21, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> > There are different sects of the Amish. Some are ok with technology, some are not.
> ...


http://lancasteronline.com/news/amish-youth-hitchin-up-to-facebook/article_b36c1be0-4c14-57c7-adac-b9279f23f425.html


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## JayPea (Aug 21, 2016)

While Amish don't own cars, they have no problem using modern technology when needed. It would be just a bit inefficient to travel cross country in a horse and buggy.


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## SarahZ (Aug 21, 2016)

Also, not everyone in a hat/bonnet is Amish. Some are Mennonites:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/amish-who/


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## jis (Aug 21, 2016)

anumberone said:


> How many wearing hats,caps,sombreros or turbines?


Someone wearing a "turbine" should be quite a sight to behold. Maybe they could help power the train along. LOL!


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 21, 2016)

Ryan said:


> This guy pulls it off!





jis said:


> Someone wearing a "turbine" should be quite a sight to behold. Maybe they could help power the train along. LOL!


Not quite a turbine, but close.


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## Ganado (Aug 21, 2016)

They had cloths on. Shirt and pants..... so what is the problem?

Judge not lest you be judged


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## MattW (Aug 21, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > The Amish are usually very friendly on the Trains and IINM pay for everything in Cash!??
> ...


From a tour I took near Lancaster, PA a few years ago, it isn't so much the technology as much as it is the connection to the rest of society. Speaking from a very broad and probably overly general perspective, electricity from the grid is not allowed, but electricity from a generator would be. As for cars, I don't know, I can't remember what they said to that, but it was a fascinating, and much deeper perspective than simply the "no technology" stereotype.



jis said:


> anumberone said:
> 
> 
> > How many wearing hats,caps,sombreros or turbines?
> ...


Yea, but New York State would just botch the rebuild and send them to rust in a yard for years and years. *runs FAR away very quickly*


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## KauaiJohn (Aug 21, 2016)

Come on folks we've all seen the people of Wal-Mart. Some people have no pride. Remember the old song sung to the tune of Humaresque - Passengers will please refrain from flushing toilets when the train is in the station, darling I love you. When I was a kid I loved seeing the tracks when I flushed


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 21, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> not much was said because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to engage in small talk with them.


Talking to the Amish is easy and fun. Mennonites too. If anything it's the Suburbanites you should consider avoiding.


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## greatcats (Aug 22, 2016)

Kauai John- when I used to work for Erie Lackawanna, the old MU electric had very rudimentary and usually grubby toilets that were not flush, literally outhouses on rails. At speed it was said the air currents were like peeing into a hurricane. I distinctly recall getting spots on my glasses that way. ( Is this being censored? )


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## greatcats (Aug 22, 2016)

Devil's Adv. - I agree about the Amish on the trains. In 2014 I was on eastbound 6 from Utah into Colorado. Two young Amish men, Ray and Erwin, were on a western tour of the U. S. From either Indiana or Michigan. They had maps and guidebooks in front of them and we're having a fabulous time. They were farm boys who worked in construction. I had a delightful time with them and invited them to my home if they ever come to Flagstaff.


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## BCL (Aug 22, 2016)

Devil's Advocate said:


> ToniCounter said:
> 
> 
> > not much was said because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to engage in small talk with them.
> ...


Never done it myself. Seen plenty of "plain people". Saw a young girl walking through the coach car on the CS. Some fundamentalist Mormon sects dress similarly - at least the women (no bonnets though).

Still - I remember a radio segment where a reporter attended an Amish tool fair. They were selling technologies that minimized direct use of grid electricity. A lot of it was air powered, even though the pressurized air tanks had to be filled by someone else and delivered. The whole idea is filled with a lot of contradictions. As long as they can pass the buck, they can use power that indie fly comes from a power grid. They tried interviewing Amish customers and sellers, but almost nobody was willing to talk, except one. He was joking that unlike the other Amish there, it was hard to get him to shut up.

The use of technology seems to be individual to the individual community. It's not like a centralized bureaucracy. Some orders use tractors, although some are modified with metal wheels instead of tires. Some Amish have taken jobs that require the use of computers, especially with fewer jobs on the farm but still traditionally large families.


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## Asher (Aug 22, 2016)

I ate dinner with a couple on the Cardinal and the Mrs was a insurance rep who dealt with a lot of Amish and told me they own cars,just don't drive them their self.

Would like to add the Sikhs are the guys who wear the Turban. I see them around and they are kind of stylish looking. I think they feel the Turban is proper dinner wear.


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## tricia (Aug 22, 2016)

BCL said:


> The use of technology seems to be individual to the individual community. It's not like a centralized bureaucracy. Some orders use tractors, although some are modified with metal wheels instead of tires. Some Amish have taken jobs that require the use of computers, especially with fewer jobs on the farm but still traditionally large families.


My understanding is that Amish communities make explicit, intentional decisions about whether specific technologies are or are not good for their community and their way of life. They're not so much anti-technology (consider, for example, the elegant and elaborate horse-powered equipment they've developed) as proactive about deciding whether a specific technology takes them in a direction they do, or do not, want to go.

We're kind of off-topic here, though. I too have enjoyed talking with Amish families on trains, and have never seen any Amish wearing PJs in the dining car, with or without a chihuahua companion.


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## AFS1970 (Aug 24, 2016)

Not so much about the dining car, but on a recent overnight trip in business class, I finally gave in and wore sweatpants as I was going to spend much of the trip asleep. I did not like it one bit and my wife says I commented on it several times. It just did not feel right to be outdoors in what I normally consider indoor pants. I did make a couple of brief visits to the cafe car, but only for things to be brought back to my seat with me. I can not imagine wearing sweat pants, let alone pajamas to the dining car.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 24, 2016)

AFS1970 said:


> Not so much about the dining car, but on a recent overnight trip in business class, I finally gave in and wore sweatpants as I was going to spend much of the trip asleep. I did not like it one bit and my wife says I commented on it several times. It just did not feel right to be outdoors in what I normally consider indoor pants. I did make a couple of brief visits to the cafe car, but only for things to be brought back to my seat with me. I can not imagine wearing sweat pants, let alone pajamas to the dining car.


just imagine that you are a celebrity and you'll be fine.... they wear sweatpants everywhere, no?


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## Metra Electric Rider (Aug 24, 2016)

SarahZ said:


> Anyway, I'm just there to shove eggs into my face and drink a gallon of tea before I shuffle back to my room to take a nap, so as long as the people sitting with me don't expect abundant enthusiasm and witty repartee, they can show up in a Cookie Monster costume for all I care.


Thanks Sarah, I'm picturing furries now..... That would be a scary, Krofftian, train ride.

There is a surprising variety of standards among American subgroups on "proper breakfast attire" even at home. One of my friends wife was appalled when their houseguests showed up to breakfast in pajamas - that was a no-no in her upbringing, you got dressed before breakfast, even with no company (I'll just say it reinforced her stereotypes about "white folk" being slobs).

A former coworker, a long time Eastern employee recounted the non-rev standard for Eastern, you had to be dressed for first class, i.e. coat and tie for gentlemen, dress for ladies. In San Juan you'd see the little girls in communion dresses waiting with their families vs the tourists in tropical attire. This was back in the era of dress for travel, ties for kids (we never flew, mom didn't like it, and I never owned a tie until I was an adult).

But more recently, in Hong Kong, a friend on a press trip was at a super posh hotel (the Shangri-La iirc) witnessed an Australian woman who showed up to breakfast in the hotel restaurant in the hotel supplied slippers and robe and was unceremoniously dispatched back to her room for proper attire.


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## SarahZ (Aug 24, 2016)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > Anyway, I'm just there to shove eggs into my face and drink a gallon of tea before I shuffle back to my room to take a nap, so as long as the people sitting with me don't expect abundant enthusiasm and witty repartee, they can show up in a Cookie Monster costume for all I care.
> ...


I wouldn't mind sitting with a furry, as long as they were a nice person. To me, it's more about the person than what they're wearing. And if it were a cool costume, I'd be sure to let them know. 

I definitely agree that pajamas are too casual for the dining car, but since it's not hurting me or affecting my life in any way, c'est la vie. There are just so many more important things to worry about and be bothered about, especially since breakfast is only one half-hour of my life. In the grand scheme of things, it just doesn't matter.

I would actually be pretty stoked if someone showed up in a Cookie Monster costume. I'd even ask if I could have a picture. I promise to post the picture if that ever happens.


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## The Journalist (Aug 24, 2016)

I'd absolutely wear pajamas in the diner at breakfast. Other meals, probably not, but if someone else was, at most I might give them a vague glance, go "huh," and move on. Reading some of the responses of this thread, I've probably irritated some people with my air and train travel ensembles, which tend to include sweatpants and easily removed shoes.


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## Manny T (Aug 25, 2016)

Sorry if I'm slow on the uptake. I don't understand the bifurcation--pajamas at breakfast OK, pajamas at lunch or dinner probably not OK.

If I'm going to the diner for breakfast, I get up 15 minutes before I want to eat, wash, shave, change out of my pajamas and DRESS appropriately, and head for the diner.

It can be done this way, I assure you. No need to wander in as if you just woke up.


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## JoeBas (Aug 25, 2016)

Wouldn't life be boring if we were all the same?


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## Chessie (Aug 25, 2016)

This thread is hilarious in that I am currently also doing research for a cruise on a cruise forum and people are discussing this exact same topic.

:lol:


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## dlagrua (Aug 25, 2016)

As for dress code; we can discuss rights and then arrive at the conclusion that anything goes but if you look at old videos in the golden days of rail travel , men, women and children were all well dressed. Men in suits and women in dresses. People looked like ladies and gentlemen not like animals. We often go to dinner at restaurants that maintain a dress code and it is comforting and refreshing to be well dressed and to sit among people who are well dressed. The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................


----------



## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 25, 2016)

dlagrua said:


> As for dress code; we can discuss rights and then arrive at the conclusion that anything goes but if you look at old videos in the golden days of rail travel , men, women and children were all well dressed. Men in suits and women in dresses. People looked like ladies and gentlemen not like animals. We often go to dinner at restaurants that maintain a dress code and it is comforting and refreshing to be well dressed and to sit among people who are well dressed. The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................


If you look at old pictures of baseball stadiums, you'll see men dressed in button down shirts, ties, and sport coats. All while sitting on open bleachers under the blazing afternoon sun.

Today, that would illustrate a mental condition. Personally, I wouldn't dress like that for a baseball game, even sitting in our air conditioned suite.


----------



## JayPea (Aug 25, 2016)

My mother can remember the days when she wore a dress and hose to travel on a plane and says if she had to do that today, she'd never travel. I agree; if I had to wear a dress and hose I'd never travel either. :lol:


----------



## JayPea (Aug 25, 2016)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> dlagrua said:
> 
> 
> > As for dress code; we can discuss rights and then arrive at the conclusion that anything goes but if you look at old videos in the golden days of rail travel , men, women and children were all well dressed. Men in suits and women in dresses. People looked like ladies and gentlemen not like animals. We often go to dinner at restaurants that maintain a dress code and it is comforting and refreshing to be well dressed and to sit among people who are well dressed. The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................
> ...


And fedoras too. No way would I dress up like that today to go to a baseball game. The Seattle Mariners are the closest team to where I live and I'd go to Seattle if I went anywhere to see a game. It's a lock that every time I see the Mariners play they lose. I want to be comfortable watching them lose. :lol:


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## AmtrakBlue (Aug 25, 2016)

dlagrua said:


> As for dress code; we can discuss rights and then arrive at the conclusion that anything goes but if you look at old videos in the golden days of rail travel , men, women and children were all well dressed. Men in suits and women in dresses. People looked like ladies and gentlemen not like animals. We often go to dinner at restaurants that maintain a dress code and it is comforting and refreshing to be well dressed and to sit among people who are well dressed. The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................


Dress elegant I'm going to think you're a CEO getting rich off your low paying worker bees. You'd get no respect from me.It's not how you dress, look, etc. It's how you treat others that I respect.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

dlagrua said:


> The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................


I agree... but not sure I will apply that to people at nudist resorts...


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## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

AmtrakBlue said:


> dlagrua said:
> 
> 
> > As for dress code; we can discuss rights and then arrive at the conclusion that anything goes but if you look at old videos in the golden days of rail travel , men, women and children were all well dressed. Men in suits and women in dresses. People looked like ladies and gentlemen not like animals. We often go to dinner at restaurants that maintain a dress code and it is comforting and refreshing to be well dressed and to sit among people who are well dressed. The way you dress is a measure of who you are and illustrates your pride and self esteem or lack of it.. Dress elegant and you are respected, dress like a scrub and.................
> ...


Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, and other Apple executives?


----------



## jis (Aug 25, 2016)

The culture has changed and evolved. Some can choose to live in the past. But no reason to force others to do so. A comfortable pair of jeans or shorts and a comfortable shirt or T shirt is just fine as far as I am concerned. If someone chooses to wear something different I would possibly glance strangely at them and then again I might not. In a society with increased diversity one has to allow greater variance in what is acceptable attire.


----------



## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

jis said:


> The culture has changed and evolved. Some can choose to live in the past. But no reason to force others to do so. A comfortable pair of jeans or shorts and a comfortable shirt or T shirt is just fine as far as I am concerned. If someone chooses to wear something different I would possibly glance strangely at them and then again I might not. In a society with increased diversity one has to allow greater variance what is acceptable attire.


it does make me wonder... it is now legal for women to walk around *topless*

(i.e. showing their breasts) in New York City.

does that apply to women who choose to board Amtrak trains at Penn Station?

(only asking about the legal aspect of it and only pertaining to boarding Amtrak trains)


----------



## SarahZ (Aug 25, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > The culture has changed and evolved. Some can choose to live in the past. But no reason to force others to do so. A comfortable pair of jeans or shorts and a comfortable shirt or T shirt is just fine as far as I am concerned. If someone chooses to wear something different I would possibly glance strangely at them and then again I might not. In a society with increased diversity one has to allow greater variance what is acceptable attire.
> ...


No. Amtrak follows state/federal laws.


----------



## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

SarahZ said:


> No. Amtrak follows state/federal laws.


I thought the ruling that allowed women to go topless in New York was issued by a New York state court?

If Amtrak follows state law, then it must follow this law as well, right? (Since Penn Station is located in the State of New York?)


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## Ryan (Aug 25, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> > dlagrua said:
> ...


That's a curious group of people to point out.

Can't say that I've ever seen any of them in the dining car.


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## SarahZ (Aug 25, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > No. Amtrak follows state/federal laws.
> ...


I stand corrected, thanks to a Google search.

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Amtrak would allow this.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

SarahZ said:


> I stand corrected, thanks to a Google search.
> 
> I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Amtrak would allow this.



Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think anybody(man AND woman) should not be allowed on Amtrak trains without at least a T-shirt.

That's the same reason I don't like Disney characters. They are the opposite.. never wearing any pants. (think Donald Duck, who walks around nude from the waist down, but puts on a bath towel to cover it up when he takes a shower)


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## Ryan (Aug 25, 2016)

You can't possibly be serious.

Well executed troll, though.


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## A Voice (Aug 25, 2016)

Ryan said:


> You can't possibly be serious.
> 
> Well executed troll, though.


Well, trolls don't wear pants either...


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## ToniCounter (Aug 25, 2016)

Ryan said:


> You can't possibly be serious.
> 
> Well executed troll, though.


the second part I was just being silly... (sorry  )

but I was serious when i asked whether or not Amtrak follows applicable state law or court ruling at their stations.


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## AFS1970 (Aug 26, 2016)

Longhai said:


> This thread is hilarious in that I am currently also doing research for a cruise on a cruise forum and people are discussing this exact same topic.


I am also on [that cruise forum site] and have participated in that discussion. My to my wife's dismay, I actually brought formalwear on my last cruise despite the traditional formal night now being elegant night and the dress codes now being a dress suggestion.



ToniCounter said:


> it does make me wonder... it is now legal for women to walk around *topless *(i.e. showing their breasts) in New York City. does that apply to women who choose to board Amtrak trains at Penn Station? (only asking about the legal aspect of it and only pertaining to boarding Amtrak trains)


Yes, but they have to cover up half way through the tunnel when the river becomes part of New Jersey.



A Voice said:


> Well, trolls don't wear pants either...


The civilized ones do.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 26, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think anybody(man AND woman) should not be allowed on Amtrak trains without at least a T-shirt.


I don't think I am old fashion, but agree that both men and woman should be wearing a top in most public places (except for the obvious exceptions like the beach, but you would expect such there). I can't imagine sharing a table in the dining car with a top-less guy, and having to deal with his chest hair shedding into my soup.


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## jis (Aug 26, 2016)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> ToniCounter said:
> 
> 
> > Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think anybody(man AND woman) should not be allowed on Amtrak trains without at least a T-shirt.
> ...


I would also prefer they wear a bottom of some sort. I wouldn't care to sit in an Amtrak Diner with peoples' junk hanging out, even though discretely hidden under the table while seated.  Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with that situation in a clothing optional resort or cruise or some such. But Amtrak Diner is probably not the right place for that dress code.


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## KauaiJohn (Aug 26, 2016)

I hear the chest hair soup is quite good on some routes!


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 26, 2016)

jis said:


> Cho Cho Charlie said:
> 
> 
> > ToniCounter said:
> ...


I believe the NY law allows men/women to be topless. Bottoms are still required.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 26, 2016)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> I believe the NY law allows men/women to be topless. Bottoms are still required.


I get why those women fought for their right to be topless, just like men.

However, my first thought when I read about that a few years ago was:

"Grandma? is that you!!!???" (me taking my glasses off and turning my head)


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## Thirdrail7 (Aug 26, 2016)

I never thought this thread would go the distance. I'm not sure why I thought that...but I did.



ToniCounter said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > No. Amtrak follows state/federal laws.
> ...


I believe the ruling was for women to go topless in public. Penn Station is not a public facility. It is a private facility and as such, it has a code of conduct which is posted at most if not all entrances from the streets. I don't really know if it is posted at the subways. .



KauaiJohn said:


> I hear the chest hair soup is quite good on some routes!


Yes....it is the the Chef's Special of the day on long distance trains that no longer have a full service dining car.


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## FormerOBS (Aug 27, 2016)

I've been off the site for a couple days and just flipped to the most recent page.

TALK ABOUT DRIFTING OFF TOPIC!

I'm done now. Please go back to what you were doing.

Tom


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## neroden (Aug 27, 2016)

Remember the "shirts and shoes required" signs at the entrances to restaurants? The same would certainly apply in an Amtrak dining car if they posted it.

The NY ruling was a civil rights ruling. Women can go topless anywhere men can go topless. It's still legal for owners of private property to require that everyone on their property wear shirts, you just can't discriminate about it. The state legislature *could* have passed a law requiring men and women to wear shirts in public at all times, but chose not to do so.


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## ToniCounter (Aug 27, 2016)

FormerOBS said:


> I've been off the site for a couple days and just flipped to the most recent page.
> 
> TALK ABOUT DRIFTING OFF TOPIC!
> 
> ...



well.. yes and now.... it's still about Amtrak... and it's not a far stretch from pajamas to the legality of topless at Amtrak Penn Station in NY?


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## zepherdude (Aug 27, 2016)

Since this has become so off topic, I will mention if men can wear their Joe Boxers to breakfast? Do you think anyone would notice? Would heads be glued to their RR French Toast? Ladies horrified? Speechless Amtrak staffers? Are they Boxers or PJs? Boxers and Board Shorts are very trendy these days. The only dress code on Amtrak is real shoes.


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## FormerOBS (Aug 27, 2016)

ToniCounter said:


> FormerOBS said:
> 
> 
> > I've been off the site for a couple days and just flipped to the most recent page.
> ...


Actually, you're absolutely right. After all, it's all in fun.

Tom


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 27, 2016)

neroden said:


> Remember the "shirts and shoes required" signs at the entrances to restaurants? The same would certainly apply in an Amtrak dining car if they posted it.





zepherdude said:


> The only dress code on Amtrak is real shoes.


I was going to mention about the shoes. I seem to recall reading a sign about shoes being required to go between cars, which would basically require them in the dining car. I mean, how would one get into the dining car without going between cars.


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## railbuck (Aug 27, 2016)

Yes, but after you are in the dining car, do the shoes need to remain on?

I suppose if removing shoes in the diner gets to be a thing, one would need to be cautious if the chef's special is filet of sole.


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## PRR 60 (Aug 27, 2016)

OK, this has drifted too far afield even for me. The pajamas in the diner topic has reached the last and final stop. Please check around for your personal belongings. This one is out of service.


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