# Sleeping Car Etiquette



## John King (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi all. Do lower lever sleeping pax get first crack, for example, in the showers? When accessing the baggage area and rest rooms down below - any heightened considerations the norm? I wonder are bedroom pax more exclusive, if you will, of expected or hoped for personal courtesies and professional attention? Is it OK to walk around in sleeping attire?


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 17, 2011)

John King said:


> Hi all. Do lower lever sleeping pax get first crack, for example, in the showers? When accessing the baggage area and rest rooms down below - any heightened considerations the norm? I wonder are bedroom pax more exclusive, if you will, of expected or hoped for personal courtesies and professional attention? Is it OK to walk around in sleeping attire?


I'm not aware of any service-related division between upper and lower level passengers. It's first come, first served when it comes to in-car amenities such as storage and showers. Generally less able bodied folks will be on the first level whenever possible and have their meals brought to them. Most Amtrak passengers will be dressed rather casually, but I still wouldn't walk around in sleeping attire when the sun is up or when visiting other cars.


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## yarrow (Feb 17, 2011)

the only difference in "first class" treatment i have noticed is between different sleeping cars and is dependent, i think,on your sca. i have seen the sca in one car pass out cider, champagne and little soap/shampoo bags while the sca in another sleeper does not. let alone that the sca may or may not be available for problems/questions depending on their view of their role as sca. i haven't walked around the sleeping car in pj's but as long as you had proper footwear i don't see a problem with taking your clothes to the shower and chaging there.


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## Tony (Feb 17, 2011)

yarrow said:


> i have seen the sca in one car pass out cider, champagne and little soap/shampoo bags ...


I guess I have always missed that amenity. :blink:


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## Steve4031 (Feb 17, 2011)

Its generally first come first serve. If you use the shower, be aware that the attendant might not be around to clean up after every use. Be considerate of the next passenger. If the shower area is a mess, then one of the other passengers may not have been that considerate. When you use the shower, try to keep the curtain fastened. Even so, water may escape and end up on the floor. So make sure anything you want to keep dry is not on the floor. After toweling off, I use the towel to wipe up water from the floor.


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm more special than others!






Seriously, there is no one more exclusive than anybody else. Showers and restrooms are first come / first served. But with 1 rest room upstairs and 3 more downstairs on Superliners, I very rarely find them all occupied, and I very rarely find the shower occupied. (I think the longest "line" for the shower that I have seen is 1 person!)

I personally do not walk around the car in PJ's (because I sleep in my clothes and change the next day), but I have seen others go to the rest room or showers in them. I keep my clothes in my luggage downstairs on Superliiners, and just grab them on the way to the shower, then put them back in my bag after the shower.

The most important thing is to wear appropriate footwear when walking on the train - especially between cars! Getting your toes caught between the plates is no picnic!


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 17, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> The most important thing is to wear appropriate footwear when walking on the train - especially between cars! Getting your toes caught between the plates is no picnic!


The Traveler makes a great point here. Proper footwear is important for several reasons, including potential injuries when crossing car couplings _and_ in consideration of the unknown cleanliness of the floors. Keep in mind that while the floor may _look_ clean it may be far dirtier than you first realize. Different passengers will have vastly different levels of hygiene and bathroom etiquette and even hallway floors may have been contaminated with untreated human sewage after toilet system failures. Trust me on this; I've seen it happen. Wearing proper footwear is one of the few things I've seen OBS make a big deal about and it's definitely worth the effort to put your shoes on whenever you're up and about.


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## Pastor Dave (Feb 17, 2011)

I've been lucky enough in recent years to travel by bedroom, so the communal shower thing hasn't been an issue with me. I do know a few folks who, when riding in a roomette, will choose non-traditional times for their shower. But, in the end, it is first come, first served. I think it is good to be considerate of the next user and try not to leave to much of a mess.

Not sure what to think on the pajamas issue. I personally don't wander in public areas in PJ's but I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Maybe inappropriate for the dining car. As has been said elsewhere, good footwear is a must.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Feb 17, 2011)

I always do my best to leave the public shower and restroom in as good if not better shape then when I found it. It doesn't take a few extra seconds to dry down the shower stall and floor, throw away your soap bar and stash your dirty linens in the bag.


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## RRrich (Feb 17, 2011)

The most_ first class passengers _are the ones that are lucky enough to have GUL as their SCA.

Amtrak provides OJ and Champgne for EB passengers - some sca don't even bother to distribute the bubbly but Gul does (as he should) then he combines the two and distributes Mimosas. Just one example of his going beyond the normal service.


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## chandj (Feb 17, 2011)

daxomni said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > The most important thing is to wear appropriate footwear when walking on the train - especially between cars! Getting your toes caught between the plates is no picnic!
> ...


There is a footwear rule in the dining car even for non-walking passengers! On the EB I brought my 8 month old from our bedroom to the dining car in his socks and we were made to put shoes on him before service. At the time I was a bit annoyed, but later I decided that the attendant had no way of knowing whether or not the baby could stand or walk. It's a good rule for all above PP reasons to just keep shoes on outside your room.


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## AlanB (Feb 17, 2011)

daxomni said:


> Wearing proper footwear is one of the few things I've seen OBS make a big deal about and it's definitely worth the effort to put your shoes on whenever you're up and about.


Actually within my assigned car I'm just as likely to be walking around in a pair of travel slippers, especially when headed to the shower, but even to the bathroom or to get a cup of coffee.

However, I never leave the car without my shoes being on. And I personally would never wear a pair of flip-flops as my shoes, way too dangerous when walking between cars.


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## Tumbleweed (Feb 17, 2011)

I have found that jogging pants and a t-shirt make for good traveling attire.....and when on board, I wear a pair of moccasins for footwear....easy to take on and off....a good time to shower is around 5am, then it's breakfast time.....


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## Greg (Feb 17, 2011)

I've always wondered about this. Does everyone throw away their soap bar after use?



OlympianHiawatha said:


> I always do my best to leave the public shower and restroom in as good if not better shape then when I found it. It doesn't take a few extra seconds to dry down the shower stall and floor, throw away your soap bar and stash your dirty linens in the bag.


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## FunNut (Feb 17, 2011)

Regarding requiring "babes in arms" to be wearing shoes in the dining car. This is an utterly ridiculous rule. I didn't even have shoes for my child until she was walking at 11 months. Is this, indeed, a regulation for Amtrak travel?

I've only been on one long-distance Amtrak trip, on the SW Chief and Capitol Ltd. I worried about availability of the shower, but it turned out to be no problem at all. There was never a line, and I showered twice daily as I do at home.

What did surprise me was the vast difference in the size and design of the shower. The shower room on the Chief was very modern, spacious, and the shower had a glass door and the dressing area was very nice. I was shocked at the very old-fashioned restroom and shower facilities on the Capitol Ltd. They were 1970-era airline design. The shower was tiny, as was the dressing room. I had a really hard time managing the shower curtain. I really don't know how a "person of size" would manage in the old shower facility. I hadn't realized there could be such a disparity in restrooms and showers on Superliners.


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2011)

Tumbleweed said:


> and when on board, I wear a pair of moccasins for footwear....easy to take on and off


Hopefully you do not wear the moccasins when passing between cars. Those shifting and bouncing plates don't care what kind of shoes you have! They'll bite anything!



I'll take my chances with a (semi) hard toe shoe!


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## Tumbleweed (Feb 17, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Tumbleweed said:
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> > and when on board, I wear a pair of moccasins for footwear....easy to take on and off
> ...


They do have rubber soles.....I am not stealthy at all.... :lol: ....and I try not to step on the crack between the plates....


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2011)

Tumbleweed said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > Tumbleweed said:
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Maybe they do have rubber soles and maybe you "*TRY*", but what if the train jerks and you hit a wall, or jerks when you step between cars?



Are the rubber soles going to protect the front of, or top of, your foot?


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## oldtimer (Feb 17, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Tumbleweed said:
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> > the_traveler said:
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If passengers that have "soft" footwear get their feet injured of the walk plates between the cars then the conductor has to make a decision. Ambulance or tow truck?

:help: :blush: :help:


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## Bierboy (Feb 17, 2011)

oldtimer2 said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > Tumbleweed said:
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Bazinga!!


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## AlanB (Feb 17, 2011)

Greg said:


> OlympianHiawatha said:
> 
> 
> > I always do my best to leave the public shower and restroom in as good if not better shape then when I found it. It doesn't take a few extra seconds to dry down the shower stall and floor, throw away your soap bar and stash your dirty linens in the bag.
> ...


I always do. I'll even take out bars of soap left behind by others. And like Steve, the last thing that I do with my towel is to mop up any water on the floor.


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## AlanB (Feb 17, 2011)

FunNut said:


> What did surprise me was the vast difference in the size and design of the shower. The shower room on the Chief was very modern, spacious, and the shower had a glass door and the dressing area was very nice. I was shocked at the very old-fashioned restroom and shower facilities on the Capitol Ltd. They were 1970-era airline design. The shower was tiny, as was the dressing room. I had a really hard time managing the shower curtain. I really don't know how a "person of size" would manage in the old shower facility. I hadn't realized there could be such a disparity in restrooms and showers on Superliners.


You clearly had one of the Refurbished sleepers on the Chief, while an original on the Capitol. And yet they both actually occupy the same amount of space within the car, it's simply the wonder of smaller parts and better design that provide the extra room you found in the shower on the Chief.

The same is also true of the restrooms, they still occupy the same amount of space within the car.


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## zephyr17 (Feb 17, 2011)

AlanB said:


> Greg said:
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> > OlympianHiawatha said:
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I bring my own liquid soap. Not a comment on Amtrak, just like the soap, and usually carry it. I mop up the floor as the last thing, too. And dump the towel in the dirty laundry duffle.


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## had8ley (Feb 17, 2011)

daxomni said:


> the_traveler said:
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> 
> > The most important thing is to wear appropriate footwear when walking on the train - especially between cars! Getting your toes caught between the plates is no picnic!
> ...


Amtrak makes a big deal out of this and rightly so~ safety first and there really is no excuse for bare feet or flip flops versus plate steel at 79 mph !!! :help:


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## roomette (Feb 17, 2011)

If you can get the toes on ice they can sew them on back on pretty easily.


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## D T Nelson (Feb 17, 2011)

roomette said:


> If you can get the toes on ice they can sew them on back on pretty easily.


IF they are neatly severed. Crushed to the consistency of yogurt, much harder.


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2011)

D T Nelson said:


> roomette said:
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> > If you can get the toes on ice they can sew them on back on pretty easily.
> ...


And it would happen in the middle of nowhere, where the nearest hospital is 3 hours away!


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## roomette (Feb 17, 2011)

SCA's are supposed to have a first aid kit.


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## deimos (Feb 17, 2011)

AlanB said:


> Greg said:
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> 
> > OlympianHiawatha said:
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Ditto.... I'll do what I can to clean up after I use the shower.... using towel to mop up, etc. I try to think about the next user....and how they would feel if I left a mess.


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## ThayerATM (Feb 17, 2011)

roomette said:


> SCA's are supposed to have a first aid kit.


They *DO* have first aid kits. But a severed toe, or a crushed toe is going to take a lot more than simple first aid. It'll take second and third aid, and surgery to fix. <_< You don't want that happening in the middle of nowhere, three hours from the nearest hospital.

Just wear shoes that protect your feet when you walk around your car, and stronger shoes when you change cars. It's only defensive walking.  :lol:


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2011)

The thing I hate about the showers is that most SCA's put the clean towels on the shelf and the used towel bag on the seat. With these there, you don't really have any shelf space and no where (easily) to sit and get dressed!



I have noticed a (*VERY*) few SCA's who put them both in the luggage rack - where you take a towel with you on the way in and then put the used towel in the bag on your way out!





I like this *MUCH* more as it gives you more shelf space *AND* a seat to sit on!


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## roomette (Feb 17, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> The thing I hate about the showers is that most SCA's put the clean towels on the shelf and the used towel bag on the seat. With these there, you don't really have any shelf space and no where (easily) to sit and get dressed!
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I couldn't agree more. In fact, I take them both to the rack *MYSELF* before I shower if they are in the shower room! And, leave them there!


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## Pat Harper (Feb 18, 2011)

I'd like to add my comments about the shower. On the return trip on the Sunset Limited, I used the toilet in the shower room twice. The first time, all was well, but the second time someone had been there before me and left water all over the floor! Not fun! Since there were a lot of juveniles on that trip, I had a feeling that it was one of them who left it in such a state, but you never know.

So PLEASE, make sure you clean up after yourself!


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## train person (Feb 18, 2011)

So given that the frequent announcements about suitable foot wear on the train, and the rather near hysterical excitement from some posters on here, how often do people get bare feet caught in the intercar connection?

Never heard any other railway get so excited about such a thing, or is is that Americans shed their footwear at the soonest possible moment?


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## jmbgeg (Feb 18, 2011)

John King said:


> Hi all. Do lower lever sleeping pax get first crack, for example, in the showers? When accessing the baggage area and rest rooms down below - any heightened considerations the norm? I wonder are bedroom pax more exclusive, if you will, of expected or hoped for personal courtesies and professional attention? Is it OK to walk around in sleeping attire?


Showers are first come first served on access and towels. If I am in a roomette or the family bedroom I always try to shower early to beat the rush.


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## Pat Harper (Feb 18, 2011)

In a roomette, sometimes you might find towels and soap on the shelf above the hangers. There were there on both trips we were on, but we didn't need to use them.


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## dlagrua (Feb 18, 2011)

We always carry a spray can of Lysol with us to disinfect the shower before using it. Spray the entire shower including the walls and the shower floor, wait a few minutes, spray again and you shouldn't have any problems.

Lysol kills 99.9% of all harmful germs. We make it a point to also never go barefoot in the bedrooms; a good idea in the roomettes as well. This year we will also carry bedbug spray with us and do the beds before retiring. We will use this in the rooms as well.


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2011)

Somehow I don't think that wantonly spraying down spaces that other people are going to use with chemicals is a very good idea.


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## guest (Feb 18, 2011)

ThayerATM said:


> roomette said:
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> > SCA's are supposed to have a first aid kit.
> ...


This is a joke.


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## the_traveler (Feb 18, 2011)

Pat Harper said:


> I'd like to add my comments about the shower. On the return trip on the Sunset Limited, I used the toilet in the shower room twice. The first time, all was well, but the second time someone had been there before me and left water all over the floor! Not fun! Since there were a lot of juveniles on that trip, I had a feeling that it was one of them who left it in such a state, but you never know.
> 
> So PLEASE, make sure you clean up after yourself!














I have never seen a toilet in the shower room - except in the bedrooms!



(I have seen some showers that looked like toilets after they were used!



) And how would anyone get into your room to use the shower/bathroom combo?


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## Cristobal (Feb 18, 2011)

dlagrua said:


> We always carry a spray can of Lysol with us to disinfect the shower before using it. Spray the entire shower including the walls and the shower floor, wait a few minutes, spray again and you shouldn't have any problems.
> 
> Lysol kills 99.9% of all harmful germs. We make it a point to also never go barefoot in the bedrooms; a good idea in the roomettes as well. This year we will also carry bedbug spray with us and do the beds before retiring. We will use this in the rooms as well.


Wow. Your posts never cease to amaze me.


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## Tony (Feb 18, 2011)

I always wear my "flip flops" when I goto/use the common showers. And I continue to wear them while taking my shower.

However, when I wander between cars, I always wear my street shoes.


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## the_traveler (Feb 18, 2011)

guest said:


> ThayerATM said:
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> > roomette said:
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If you think it's a joke, walk between cars, get your toes caught - and then come back and tell us it's a joke!


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 18, 2011)

dlagrua said:


> We always carry a spray can of Lysol with us to disinfect the shower before using it. Spray the entire shower including the walls and the shower floor, wait a few minutes, spray again and you shouldn't have any problems. Lysol kills 99.9% of all harmful germs. We make it a point to also never go barefoot in the bedrooms; a good idea in the roomettes as well. This year we will also carry bedbug spray with us and do the beds before retiring. We will use this in the rooms as well.


There are some good points to be made for wearing shoes, but I see no reason to hose down everything with carcinogenic pesticides. In fact I'm tempted to suggest you go see a professional about your extreme overreaction to such a simple issue. Not to mention that the 99.9% claim comes from a very specific type of laboratory test you're not even close to reproducing in your post. What Lysol _does_ leave behind are germs that can't be easily killed and are thus far _worse_ to come into contact with. A better way to avoid getting sick is to eat well and exercise. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle then a few germs here and there won't cause you any trouble.


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## LA Resident (Feb 18, 2011)

dlagrua said:


> We always carry a spray can of Lysol with us to disinfect the shower before using it. Spray the entire shower including the walls and the shower floor, wait a few minutes, spray again and you shouldn't have any problems.
> 
> Lysol kills 99.9% of all harmful germs. We make it a point to also never go barefoot in the bedrooms; a good idea in the roomettes as well. This year we will also carry bedbug spray with us and do the beds before retiring. We will use this in the rooms as well.


Just do what the crazed billionaire Howard Hughes did as he got more and more eccentric: wear Kleenex boxes on your feet wherever you walk, use a handkerchief so your hands never directly touch any doors, faucets, phones, chair backs, dining car menus and ketchup bottles check signature pens and silverware and so forth, and wear a surgical mask at all times! Perhaps you'll live to a ripe old age so that maybe you'll have a day or two when you will actually enjoy life! :wacko:


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## Wildcat (Feb 18, 2011)

dlagrua said:


> We always carry a spray can of Lysol with us to disinfect the shower before using it. Spray the entire shower including the walls and the shower floor, wait a few minutes, spray again and you shouldn't have any problems.
> 
> Lysol kills 99.9% of all harmful germs. We make it a point to also never go barefoot in the bedrooms; a good idea in the roomettes as well. This year we will also carry bedbug spray with us and do the beds before retiring. We will use this in the rooms as well.


Please go back into the basement and wrap your head in tinfoil. That's just nuts to do all that. You must have been fun in gym class in high school. Amtrak facilities are no better or worse than other public ones and there's no particular need to be paranoid. As for the bedbugs, there are no more-than-average reports of them but don't forget, they're in your HOUSE too!


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## Tumbleweed (Feb 18, 2011)

This thread is getting....... hboy: ............. :lol:


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## D T Nelson (Feb 18, 2011)

Tony said:


> I always wear my "flip flops" when I goto/use the common showers. And I continue to wear them while taking my shower.
> 
> However, when I wander between cars, I always wear my street shoes.


Same here. Flip flops to, in, and from the shower. But that's the only time I wear them.


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## D T Nelson (Feb 18, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Pat Harper said:
> 
> 
> > I'd like to add my comments about the shower. On the return trip on the Sunset Limited, I used the toilet in the shower room twice. The first time, all was well, but the second time someone had been there before me and left water all over the floor! Not fun! Since there were a lot of juveniles on that trip, I had a feeling that it was one of them who left it in such a state, but you never know.
> ...


The one time I rode in the transdorm, the toilet, sink, and shower were in a single room, on the upper level next to the door on the aft end of the car. The shower had a heavy curtain which had snaps at the sides to hold it in place. I could see how a person who did not snap the curtain in place could get water all over the floor. Perhaps Pat Harper was using this kind of facility.


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## the_traveler (Feb 18, 2011)

OK, I admit defeat!



Only once was I in the transdorm, and it was only from CHI-STL so I didn't use the shower.


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## zephyr17 (Feb 18, 2011)

D T Nelson said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > Pat Harper said:
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The shower with the curtain and snaps (which frequently no longer line up)is on many of the unrefurbished sleepers, although without a toilet outside the transdorms. And they do tend to wind up sloshing quite a bit of water on the floor.

Which is why my last act in the shower room is use my towel to wipe up the floor so the next passenger isn't wandering into a swamp.


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## had8ley (Feb 18, 2011)

train person said:


> So given that the frequent announcements about suitable foot wear on the train, and the rather near hysterical excitement from some posters on here, how often do people get bare feet caught in the intercar connection?
> 
> Never heard any other railway get so excited about such a thing, or is is that Americans shed their footwear at the soonest possible moment?


I don't think you can classify it as hysteria~ just a common sense application of brain cells :blush: BTW, would you want to be the first to find out what exactly happens when your toes are ripped off at 79 mph and report back after you get out of intensive care ??? :help:

P.S. On a more somber note we had a brakeman who got coupled up~ his body was crushed by two knuckles. He lived three days and died of internal bleeding from his bones. Point~ you don't get a second chance playing on a train !


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

I have no problem wearing flip flops from car to car but I always wear steel towed shoes in the shower after I saturate them with New Lysol Train Strength now with Radionuclide!


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## train person (Feb 18, 2011)

had8ley said:


> train person said:
> 
> 
> > So given that the frequent announcements about suitable foot wear on the train, and the rather near hysterical excitement from some posters on here, how often do people get bare feet caught in the intercar connection?
> ...


So how ofter does this terrible on train maiming actually happen? Has it actually really truly happened?

Why do railroads in other places not make excitable announcements about the wearing of shoes when moving around the train?

Given that most people would step across the connection between the cars, rather than right on the join, I doubt it is much of an issue.

Feel free to offer proof that it has happened.


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## JayPea (Feb 18, 2011)

I always make sure to wipe down the shower floor and the floor and walls outside the shower as, no matter how careful I am about shutting the shower curtain, I always seem to get the floor and walls outside the shower soaking. I always keep my clean clothes in my suitcase downstairs, grab what I need there, and put my dirty clothes in a plastic bag that I keep in the suitcase. Always wear shoes, no matter where I am in the train. And after showering, I find it easier to finish dressing in the nearest available bathroom than in the shower room. For some reason, I can't bend my fat body around to put on socks and shoes in the shower room but can in the bathroom, where I am anyway to shave and brush my teeth. And my years of working graveyard shift come in handy when wanting to shower......no one is up at 2:30 to 3 AM, which is when I usually take my shower! :lol:


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## JayPea (Feb 18, 2011)

train person said:


> had8ley said:
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Just guessing here and have no proof, but one reason may be the sue-happy nature of some people. If any and all hazards are not completely spelled out in terms small children can understand, and if by some stroke of rotten luck someone DOES get their toe caught while passing between cars, there will be a lawsuit as sure as the world. Again, I'm merely speculating but Amtrak could make sure to announce this as a guard against possible litigation.


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

JayPea said:


> train person said:
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> > had8ley said:
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Oh, so there must be written documentation of that in your compartment and at your coach seat? Because there is ZERO consistency in on board announcements from train to train. Car to car for that matter!


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## JayPea (Feb 18, 2011)

Inconsistant announcements.....nothing new there. As I said, I was just speculating.


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

It's not bad speculation but if they want to avoid law suits they would need to be able to point to some kind of provable passenger notification of the danger. I've never seen anything in print.


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## Bierboy (Feb 18, 2011)

Tumbleweed said:


> This thread is getting....... hboy: ............. :lol:


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## OlympianHiawatha (Feb 18, 2011)

Just about every Amtrak train I have been on at some point the Conductor goes over the rules, and always makes a point about wearing shoes when moving about the train, especially between cars. Interestingly, on the _*Heartland Flyer*_, often the Lounge Attendant comes up, at least in that car and makes the announcement. There used to be one that was very firm about closing and latching the john doors when you came out, as her pet peeve was hearing those things slam back and forth.

I usually wear a hard sole pair of "mokkies" on board, ones that are just as solid as most tennis shoes. Face it, if you become careless and those striker plates mash down on you, unless you have heavy steel toe shoes, it doesn't matter what kind of shoes you have on. I grab the candy cane hand grab and pounce over them.


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## PaulM (Feb 18, 2011)

train person said:


> Why do railroads in other places not make excitable announcements about the wearing of shoes when moving around the train?


When you say other placed, I'm sure you mean other continents. The obvious answer is lawsuits. I was once talking with someone on the platform of Munichi's Hbf about the way doors close automatically; and they mentioned how someone broke their arm. In the US, a windfall for the "victim" would be generated. There probably all they would get for their troubles is a free lesson on how to board a train.


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## Cristobal (Feb 18, 2011)

roomette said:


> JayPea said:
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> > train person said:
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It seems to be completely over-stated here and I'm not really sure why that is. I was an Amtrak newbie a few years ago riding the CZ and asked my SCA point-blank if flip-flops were okay to wear about the train and he said "sure". I even came home with all 10 toes intact! 

However, I will say that I won't be doing that again but mostly for a different reason (I almost landed in someone's lap in the diner as I was walking through and the train lurched enough that I caught the edge of one flip-flop and lost my balance). 

Yes, open-toed shoes could be dangerous if one is not *very careful* when stepping between cars and thus are not recommended. That is all that really needs to be said.


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

I often, too, have heard the No High Heels announcement but they are so sexist about it and only direct it toward women.


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## Tumbleweed (Feb 18, 2011)

How about this to give you nightmares? http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=9411224013&view=all#!/photo.php?fbid=1371997422221&set=o.9411224013&theater


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

> So how ofter does this terrible on train maiming actually happen? Has it actually really truly happened?
> 
> Why do railroads in other places not make excitable announcements about the wearing of shoes when moving around the train?
> 
> ...


This is as close as I could find.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8347686


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## Peter KG6LSE (Feb 18, 2011)

If Iam in a sleeper I never wear shoes. coach I do but at night I take them off ...

If i go between cars	the shoes go back on .

I step OVER the plates from car to car . its a foot . not 2 miles ... for all I care there could be no plates at all. 

and I use the bottom KICK buttons instead of the top ones to use the door .

Peter...


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## roomette (Feb 18, 2011)

Peter KG6LSE said:


> and I use the bottom KICK buttons instead of the top ones to use the door .


Oh me too! Especially when I forget the Lysol!


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## Cristobal (Feb 18, 2011)

roomette said:


> Peter KG6LSE said:
> 
> 
> > I step OVER the plates from car to car . its a foot . not 2 miles ... for all I care there could be no plates at all.
> ...


I think I like you guys.


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## Bierboy (Feb 18, 2011)

Peter KG6LSE said:


> ...I step OVER the plates from car to car . its a foot . not 2 miles ... for all I care there could be no plates at all....


Yeah, come on here, folks. This is a ridiculous issue. There's no effort at all to stepping OVER these plates. If I'm traveling May through October, I'm wearing flip flops pretty much the entire trip....geesh....


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## Shanghai (Feb 19, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Pat Harper said:
> 
> 
> > I'd like to add my comments about the shower. On the return trip on the Sunset Limited, I used the toilet in the shower room twice. The first time, all was well, but the second time someone had been there before me and left water all over the floor! Not fun! Since there were a lot of juveniles on that trip, I had a feeling that it was one of them who left it in such a state, but you never know.
> ...


There are showers in the bathroom on some Transdorms. I was in a Transdorm on the Texas Eagle and the bathroom had a shower room

inside. It was most convenient.

I prefer the public shower even when we are in a bedroom. The public shower is a bit larger and more convenient. My wife prefers

the shower in the bedroom. I have found that after the shower, the shower head continues to drip, drip & drip!!


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## amtrakwolverine (Feb 19, 2011)

roomette said:


> I often, too, have heard the No High Heels announcement but they are so sexist about it and only direct it toward women.


Cause only women wear high heel shoes unless you're a cross dresser


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## amamba (Feb 19, 2011)

roomette said:


> I often, too, have heard the No High Heels announcement but they are so sexist about it and only direct it toward women.


A person who wears high heels all the time generally has pretty good balance in them. I wear shoes like that fairly often and would feel much more comfortable on the train in high heels vs flip flops. This whole thread has certainly taken an interesting turn! :giggle:


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## Pat Harper (Feb 19, 2011)

D T Nelson said:


> The one time I rode in the transdorm, the toilet, sink, and shower were in a single room, on the upper level next to the door on the aft end of the car. The shower had a heavy curtain which had snaps at the sides to hold it in place. I could see how a person who did not snap the curtain in place could get water all over the floor. Perhaps Pat Harper was using this kind of facility.


No, when we rode in the transdorm, the toilet I used was next to our roomette (#18). The shower room was on the regular sleeper on our return trip. And it was most like an unrefurbished sleeper, as it had a curtain with snaps.


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 19, 2011)

When I rode the CZ in August we were in a refubished TransDorm. Had a coffee/snack room (old crew/conductor office),new AC, looked brand new, and the bathroom across from out room on the passenger end of the car had the shower inside the toliet which was convienient. Did not get to go into the crews area passed the curtain/crew only sign to check out their shower/bathroom but there was a bathroom right by the stairs that had a crew only sign on it but the conductor and our SCA told us we could use that when "our" bathroom was in use!  Our SCA also had a coach on the train, she was on her last run before pregancy leave, but was an excellent attendant, Amtrak was notified!


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## Lazy Z (Sep 3, 2011)

ENTERTAINING!! LOL








Tumbleweed said:


> This thread is getting....... hboy: ............. :lol:


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## PaulM (Sep 3, 2011)

train person said:


> Why do railroads in other places not make excitable announcements about the wearing of shoes when moving around the train?


I just got back from multiple train rides on a variety of train sets in Austria and Germany. You are right, they don't make announcement about shoes. But then I don't remember seeing any sliding metal plates between the cars.

Come to think of it, they don't make any announcements, excitable or otherwise, except the next stop and explaining delays.

I also suspect that if someone did get their toes caught, about all they would get out of it is a free lesson on how to ride trains.


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## jdcnosse (Sep 4, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> The most important thing is to wear appropriate footwear when walking on the train - especially between cars! Getting your toes caught between the plates is no picnic!


What consists of appropriate/proper footwear? The last two times I took the SWC, it was in early spring and so I didn't wear my tennis shoes all the time but had these slippers that had a cloth bottom and looked like mini coopers (the cafe car attendant got a laugh out of them). I assume that it would be anything that covers your feet to keep them clean and safe, but I didn't know if it was close-toed or just basically wearing something.


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## Devil's Advocate (Sep 4, 2011)

PaulM said:


> Come to think of it, they don't make any announcements, excitable or otherwise, except the next stop and explaining delays.


Sounds like heaven. :wub:



jdcnosse said:


> What consists of appropriate/proper footwear?


If all you want to do is keep undesirable substances off your feet then any rubber soled shoe should work. If you want to keep all your toes attached in the unlikely event that you happen to be carelessly shuffling between cars right as their trucks hit a bump or something then you'd probably need steel toed boots. Then again I've never worn anything like that while riding Amtrak and I still have all my original toes. Personally I think you'd have to be pretty unlucky to be harmed while traveling between cars, especially in an area of continuously welded rail.


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## jdcnosse (Sep 4, 2011)

Peter KG6LSE said:


> and I use the bottom KICK buttons instead of the top ones to use the door .
> 
> Peter...


On my last voyage on the SWC (I'm pretty sure it was, and not the Pere Marquette) the top button actually didn't work on the next car over (we were in the last car) so we sitting up in the front had to remind everyone to use the kick buttons. There was a small note on the door but it was below the window and definitely easily missed. I pretty much always use the kick buttons because it's just easier to swing my foot out and hit it before I actually get to the door.



Texas Sunset said:


> jdcnosse said:
> 
> 
> > What consists of appropriate/proper footwear?
> ...


 

Even more of a reason to add the rubber sole to the bottom of my slippers. For some reason, when I had them made, I specifically told the lady that I wanted rubber soles, but she never put them on. Just a cloth bottom.


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