# Amtrak resold my room



## Uncle Gabby (Apr 6, 2010)

NEVER AGAIN WILL I RIDE AMTRAK! BUNCH OF ****IN' RIP OFF ARTISTS!! I PAID $315.00 SEVEN MONTHS AGO FOR A CONFIRMED RESERVATION INCLUDING A ROOMETTE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO WEST PALM BEACH ON THE SILVER METEOR AND WHEN I BOARDED THE TRAIN YESTERDAY I FOUND THAT SOME A-HOLE AMTRAK EMPLOYEE HAD RESOLD MY ROOMETTE IN NEW YORK BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT HAD NOT BE SOLD AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE WHEN I DEMANDED THAT I BE GIVEN MY ROOM I WAS TOLD NO BECAUSE THEY PERSON THEY UPGRADED HAD PAID $489 JUST FOR THE ROOMETTE OVER THE $189 THAT I PAID. BUNCH OF ****IN' CROOKS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIRE JOSEPH BOARDMAN AND THE AMTRAK BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PUT SOME WHO IS COMPETENT IN CHARGE OF AMTRAK!!


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## Ryan (Apr 6, 2010)

Unpossible.

Lower the heat, drop the profanity and provide some more details.


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## MrEd (Apr 6, 2010)

wow, thats a bad, normally they know which rooms are available.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 6, 2010)

This can be worked out pardner!  Call Amtrak Customer relations (1-800-USA-Rail, ask Julie for an agent, then ask for Customer Relations when you are connected!) have all your info/ticket stubs etc. ready! Sounds like a screw up by ONE

agent, not Amtrak! You will probably be given a nice voucher for future travel, along with a sincere apology! Mistakes much worse happen daily, try getting stranded in an Airport in a third world country, next flight who knows when??? 

Dont blame you for being upset but profanity is frustration mixed with anger with a dash of juvenile angst mixed in! There is an old saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, give them a chance, theyll make it good! 

If youre determinded not to ever ride again it's your right and your loss sir!


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## MrFSS (Apr 6, 2010)

Here again we have a Guest giving us one side of a story. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Amtrak's side of the story before we jump to conclusions?


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## amamba (Apr 6, 2010)

I would love to hear more from the guest, including some follow-up if they contact Customer Relations.


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## caravanman (Apr 6, 2010)

I think the opposite to most persons on this board.. It seems that each time a customer gets annoyed with poor service, most of us act like they are just stirring up trouble. Lets start by accepting that they have a grievance with Amtrak. After all it's not us they are upset with. Most of us have had things go wrong in our dealings with Amtrak, so given the massive number of passengers, it is quite believable that stuff hits the (non train!) fan now and again.

Cheers,

Eddie.


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## the_traveler (Apr 6, 2010)

While that may be true Ed, many times "guest"s post here with a complaint about Amtrak, and "... all Amtrak is bad ..." - sometimes because they could not find a seat in the Sightseer, or that someone took "their" seat in the Sightseer when they went to the cafe! Many a "guest" post here once, and then they are never seen or heard from again.

I think every story has 2 sides, and I would sometimes like to hear the other side before I make a decision!


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## greatcats (Apr 6, 2010)

caravanman said:


> I think the opposite to most persons on this board.. It seems that each time a customer gets annoyed with poor service, most of us act like they are just stirring up trouble. Lets start by accepting that they have a grievance with Amtrak. After all it's not us they are upset with. Most of us have had things go wrong in our dealings with Amtrak, so given the massive number of passengers, it is quite believable that stuff hits the (non train!) fan now and again.
> Cheers,
> 
> Eddie.


So your room was sold from under you. Not good. But how was it handled? Were you made to ride coach or were you not permitted on the train? And how did you respond to the personnel on the train, whose fault was probably not theirs. I blew up at a motel desk clerk a few years ago when the room I reserved was not available. I really was furious. What made me angry was that she just kept repeating " I don't know " and did not offer to assist me. I got a hotel room down the street, at a much higher price. I felt bad at how I had popped off at her and walked back to the other motel and apologized and gave her $5. A few days later I called the owner to complain about this poor customer service. He admitted that it was his fault , not the girl who was a substitute, and that he had misplaced my online reservation. He offered me a free night at his motel next time, but I haven't had occasion to need to stay in Kanab, Utah. Now if I board the Southwest Chief tomorrow morning here in Flagstaff enroute to Washington, DC, which, in fact, I am doing, and my sleeping car room is not in order, I will not be a happy camper, but will endeavor to be civil.


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## MrFSS (Apr 6, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> While that may be true Ed, many times "guest"s post here with a complaint about Amtrak, and "... all Amtrak is bad ..." - sometimes because they could not find a seat in the Sightseer, or that someone took "their" seat in the Sightseer when they went to the café! Many a "guest" post here once, and then they are never seen or heard from again.
> I think every story has 2 sides, and I would sometimes like to hear the other side before I make a decision!



And further along this line, many times a guest thinks *WE* are Amtrak, not realizing we are just a private forum.

Thoughts that come to mind when I read what was originally said include, did Guest get on the train the wrong day? I have a ticket - why can't I ride today mentality. Did guest have proof of the room being his? If so, I can't imagine Amtrak doing what he says they did, at least without hearing Amtrak's side of the story.

I'm a retired claim adjuster, for over 40 years. I can tell you, there are always at least two sides to every story and situation.


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## PerRock (Apr 6, 2010)

MrFSS said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > While that may be true Ed, many times "guest"s post here with a complaint about Amtrak, and "... all Amtrak is bad ..." - sometimes because they could not find a seat in the Sightseer, or that someone took "their" seat in the Sightseer when they went to the café! Many a "guest" post here once, and then they are never seen or heard from again.
> ...


Maybe we could get a small message at the top of the boards (you could even have it go away when you have an acc't) that emphasizes that we are not affiliated with Amtrak.

peter

Edit: There atually might already be something there; I'm never looking at the board as a guest....


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## Ryan (Apr 6, 2010)

Guest or not, it says so at the bottom of every page.


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## sunchaser (Apr 6, 2010)

Uncle Gabby,

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

Make sure you contact Customer Relations by phone with this issue. They will take care of it for you.

I have called them myself, & they were quite apologetic & took care of the issue for me.

You may not realize that this is a discussion board about Amtrak, but not part of Amtrak, so we can't fix issues for you here.

You will find overall lots of suggestions & questions answered here about Amtrak.

I hope you call them soon, make sure you have your ticket, reservation #, dates, names etc., when you call!


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## rrdude (Apr 6, 2010)

Maybe he didn't board at Philly or maybe he was ticketed at NYP but then decided to board at Philly, and they SOLD the room because of that?

In any case, I gave up my room once, and went back to the crew dorm when I happened upon a situation like this on the Chief. I was an LSA, and had a "Bank" and everyone on board (except the conductor, who was extemly grateful) tried to talk me out of it. But I put myself in the PAX shoes, and figured one night (they were not going all the way to Cali) in the dorm wouldn't kill me.........

Now, they don't have as many crew dorms, so that might not have even been an option, and I only "happened upon it", no one asked me to do so.........


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## tp49 (Apr 6, 2010)

MrFSS said:


> Here again we have a Guest giving us one side of a story. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Amtrak's side of the story before we jump to conclusions?


Honestly though do you reasonably expect to hear Amtrak's side of the story here? While it would be nice to have more of the story or even additional information from the OP this is information we are likely not to get. Threads like these always line up with the "Am-apologists" on one side and the OP on the other. Sometimes people come here to vent from the tone of the original post that seems to be the case here. I also understand there are two (actually three) sides to every story; however, sometimes you have to base conclusions on the information presented.


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## wayman (Apr 6, 2010)

rrdude said:


> Maybe he didn't board at Philly or maybe he was ticketed at NYP but then decided to board at Philly, and they SOLD the room because of that?


That was my first thought as well, since Amtrak does put "no-show" sleeping car rooms and roomettes into the available pool at some point. If the room was booked from NYP and still empty by, say, Trenton, and someone asked the conductor for an on-board upgrade, I could see the upgrade happening, the transaction being complete by the time the train gets to PHL, and the original poster boarding to find his room was re-sold.

IIIIFFFF that's what happened, then unfortunately the original poster goofed by not informing Amtrak of his intention to board at PHL instead of NYP (or by not just re-ticketing for PHL).

But we don't know if that's what happened! There are lots of possibilities, and we will never really understand the situation without a lot more facts.


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## dlagrua (Apr 6, 2010)

> Here again we have a Guest giving us one side of a story. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Amtrak's side of the story before we jump to conclusions?


You got the story. The man purchased the train/room ticket 8 months out. What is there not to understand?

What scares me about allowing the onboard crew to sell the rooms is exactly what the poster has mentioned. A train leaves from say Washington DC going to Chicago. Passengers are picked up all along the way. A person gets on at Cumberland MD or boards in Pittsburgh at midnight (about five hours into the trip) Will the room that he booked be there for him when he boards or will the conductor sell it? What system do they work with? I'd be very upset if after booking a room 8 months in advance I find out that it was sold. I'd demand that the employee responsible for this be fired.


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## TVRM610 (Apr 6, 2010)

dlagrua said:


> > Here again we have a Guest giving us one side of a story. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Amtrak's side of the story before we jump to conclusions?
> 
> 
> You got the story. The man purchased the train/room ticket 8 months out. What is there not to understand?


What's not to understand is was the ticket in fact from Philadelphia PA? (The OP does say this, but not as clear as I would like to know), what was the outcome of the train ride experience? Did he ride in coach? Was he offered another room but declined it? Was he offered anything on board at all? Did he even get on the train?

We also don't know who he spoke to, the Conductor? Assistant Conductor? Sleeping Attendant? Did he not try to call Amtrak from the train itself?

So there are many many things to not understand!


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## Ryan (Apr 6, 2010)

tp49 said:


> Threads like these always line up with the "Am-apologists" on one side and the OP on the other.


I wouldn't call people that want to hear more of the facts before breaking out the jump to conclusions mat "Am-apologists".
If you want to vent your spleen, get a MySpace account or something. This is a place for reasonable discussion about all things Amtrak, and posts such as the OP's don't facilitate that goal.


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## Tony (Apr 6, 2010)

dlagrua said:


> You got the story. The man purchased the train/room ticket 8 months out. What is there not to understand?


We don't have the full story. As mentioned, the OP could have been a "no show" at his departing station. The OP could have shown up on the wrong day. The OP could have made reservations on the Silver Star, but showed up for the Silver Meteor (or the other way around). We don't know for sure.

However, I have to add my own experience. If the train's schedule changes, you may not have a reservation on the new train! Yes, this almost happen to me. I made my reservations 6 months in advance and fully paid for them. Good thing I am paranoid enough to have checked my reservations a few days before my trip. I found my reservation *CANCELLED*.

Train 91's schedule had changed, and for what ever reason, it was considered two different trains (91 old schedule vs. 91 new schedule). Now, as mentioned, I just happened to catch this, and I called into Amtrak. They were able to transfer my cancelled reservation on the old schedule 91 over to the new schedule 91. I did get a new reservation number, too.

No one from Amtrak attempted to call me about this. No one from Amtrak automatically moved my reservation over to the new schedule 91. And if I didn't happen to check my reservation, I would not have had a reservation on the new schedule 91.


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## goodnightjohnwayne (Apr 6, 2010)

The guest poster doesn't really offer any details, such as who he spoke to, or the circumstances of the supposed event described. I get the impression that this person isn't really asking a question, but simply venting. From the sparse details of the account, I'm not exactly sure what might have occurred?


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## PaulM (Apr 6, 2010)

tp49 said:


> Threads like these always line up with the "Am-apologists" on one side and the OP on the other. Sometimes people come here to vent from the tone of the original post that seems to be the case here. I also understand there are two (actually three) sides to every story; however, sometimes you have to base conclusions on the information presented.


I know the threads you are talking about. Something happens and traveler complains. Then everybody lines up on one side or another.

But this one could be different. The gutter language, immaturity (s/he could be 80 years old for all I know), and emotionalism makes me wonder if the poster made a big mistake, not Amtrak.


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## AlanB (Apr 6, 2010)

If the numbers quoted by the Guest are indeed correct, then this was not an onboard upgrade. The room had to have been sold by a regular ticket agent to get a price of $489. An onboard upgrade would have been around $180 give or take.


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## RRrich (Apr 6, 2010)

Well I certainly agree that Joseph Boardman should be fired over this.

  :huh:  :angry:


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## Green Maned Lion (Apr 7, 2010)

$489 my butt. They'd charge the low bucket price for an on-board upgrade, period.



caravanman said:


> I think the opposite to most persons on this board.. It seems that each time a customer gets annoyed with poor service, most of us act like they are just stirring up trouble. Lets start by accepting that they have a grievance with Amtrak. After all it's not us they are upset with. Most of us have had things go wrong in our dealings with Amtrak, so given the massive number of passengers, it is quite believable that stuff hits the (non train!) fan now and again.
> Cheers,
> 
> Eddie.


I don't know their side of the story, but I don't like how they tell it. "I WILL GIVE NO REAL DETAILS BUT THEY TREATED ME LIKE **** I HATE THEM ALL THE BASTARDS! I HATE THEM THEY SHOULD ALL BE FIRED KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM!"

Sounds like any number of junior high school kids out on the playground complaining they couldn't get on the freakin' jungle gym. If the person came in here and gave a solid and detailed account of the problem, explained everything the conductor said, the full monty, and then asked us for help, or for advice on what to do, or how to get in contact with Amtrak, or anything else that was consistent with a person complaining and looking for help, I'd place more value on their story.

But they don't. They just come in here, tell us how bad Amtrak is in a way that sounds almost as if they are insulting us for being stupid enough to like and ride Amtrak trains. They don't register, they don't pose any questions, they don't ask for help. They just rant like a 5-year-old child.

I'm a cynic, I admit it. But I just see a sign that says "I'M A TROLL TALKING OUT MY ARSE!".


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## amtrakwolverine (Apr 7, 2010)

looks like a troll. has not been back no real info. how many threads are like this "never ever ever will i take amtrak again after what they did etc" but don't give details. these kinds of threads should just be deleted from the start. these guests never return to defend themselves.


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## Steve4031 (Apr 7, 2010)

They have a lot of these on cruise critic, a website that is similar to ours but related to cruising.


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## DivMiler (Apr 7, 2010)

Once again, I wonder why Guest postings are allowed here. If somebody wants to post something, s/he should take the time to register. I suppose taking the time to register indicates some true interest, and might even make someone more likely to come back to post again.


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## Tony (Apr 7, 2010)

amtrakwolverine said:


> looks like a troll. has not been back no real info. how many threads are like this "never ever ever will i take amtrak again after what they did etc" but don't give details. these kinds of threads should just be deleted from the start. these guests never return to defend themselves.


I am not sure it was a troll, but rather as *goodnightjohnwayne* mentioned, someone was just venting to a convenient audience (google searched and found us).

Yea, some of the details might have been "embellished" a bit, but as in my own example I posted above, I could very well see this happening to a passenger. All it takes is for the Silver's schedule to change after a reservation has been made and BINGO.


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## PRR 60 (Apr 7, 2010)

I experienced a double-booking with a Roomette reservation on the Zephyr a couple of years ago. I got the room because I got there first (I'm pretty quick when I have to be). The other party was accommodated in the Trans Dorm. They were lucky there was a room open.

Stuff like that does happen.


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## Shanghai (Apr 7, 2010)

This happened to me on the LSL, however, the other person was in the correct roomette number but in the wrong car!! We laughed and he moved to the

proper car.

Incidents like Gabby described do happen occasionally. The same logical situation happends on airplanes too. I'm sorry if Gabby had to ride coach if

no other sleepers were available.

Personally, I think the person who paid the upgrade should have been refunded and asked to return to coach and Gabby should have had his roomette.


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## Tony (Apr 7, 2010)

PRR 60 said:


> I got the room because I got there first (I'm pretty quick whan I have to be).


Oh, that brings to mind another interesting possibility!

What if in the case of the OP, it was the other passenger who was wrong, but just happen to get to the room first? The other passenger could have been on the wrong Silver. There on the wrong day (overnight trips have two dates and someone might get confused). Etc. I could understand a conductor following the "*first there*" rule, regardless of the underlining cause and circumstances. Even though, most of us acting like a jury here, now, would award the room to the passenger with *oldest reservation*, it might not always work that way at that moment in time when the conductor makes a split second decision.


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## AlanB (Apr 7, 2010)

I just love the circular logic here. 

A guest makes a negative post and gets called a troll and other things in less than 24 hours. Then despite the negative posts, it's concluded that they obviously were a troll since they don't return to follow-up on their original post.

Who would return to make another post under those circumstances? They've just been insulted and essentially called a liar. They may well have just come here to vent, but there is also the real possibility that they came looking for help or at least some sympathy. Instead, they get insulted. And then their failure to resurface in light of those insults somehow convinces many that they must have been a troll.

They aren't coming back because they've been insulted! Not because they aren't necessarily telling the truth or because they are trolling.

Let me remind everyone of another such post a year or two ago where a women came here to tell us her sad tale of a luggage problem in Birmingham. The very same thing happened back then. Many did not believe her story. Except that the story didn't end there.

Amtrak did do an investigation of that incident and employees were disciplined for their failures that day. Put another way, while perhaps she over-embellished her tale some, nonetheless she was telling the truth! Amtrak did compensate her for that incident; or at least they tried. I don't know if she actually accepted whatever she was offered.

So I ask all to remember that some of the posters were dead wrong that time and to at least wait a few days before calling people out. Give the OP a chance to come back with more details and to answer questions that have been posed, before condemning them. Because once the first insult hits, there is little to no chance that they ever will come back after that. Who wants to keep getting insulted? Especially when they already feel like they've been wronged by Amtrak.


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## CNW (Apr 7, 2010)

I don't think anyone wants to believe that on departure day you could actually be making your way to your accomodations only to find that they had been sold to someone else and that may color some people's reactions. Apparently it can happen. I think Ryan nailed it in the first reply to the OP-lower the heat. Actually, Gabby could learn from the people's reaction that this is not the way to present his case. The reaction on the board could be a signal for him to change strategies. Lets invite him back and promise to listen to him fully and not insult him and perhaps we could all learn something.


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## rrdude (Apr 7, 2010)

amtrakwolverine said:


> looks like a troll. has not been back no real info. how many threads are like this "never ever ever will i take amtrak again after what they did etc" but don't give details. these kinds of threads should just be deleted from the start. these guests never return to defend themselves.


YES! Let's silence EVERYONE who's post we don't like! And only allow those posters who write good things about Amtrak. "AU posters are all equal, but some AU posters are more equal than others.............."

Death to all guests!. T.I.C.


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## CNW (Apr 7, 2010)

Guests might do well to "test the waters" a bit first. You can't expect to go someplace where people of similar mind are gathered--say for example a health club and try convince the members to change their diets to include candy, soda, and potato chips and not expect some reactions. I haven't been on this board that long but most posters seem sincere and polite. Don't guests want an honest reaction to their issues? I remember reading about Jerry Seinfeld who as an aspiring comedian sought people to criticize his routines so he could make them better. That's courage and determination. If you only want an "atta boy" go to your mother...


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## ThayerATM (Apr 7, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> $489 my butt. They'd charge the low bucket price for an on-board upgrade, period.
> 
> 
> caravanman said:
> ...


Well said!!!!

Do you think we'll ever hear from Uncle Gabby again? :unsure:


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## Ryan (Apr 7, 2010)

rrdude said:


> amtrakwolverine said:
> 
> 
> > looks like a troll. has not been back no real info. how many threads are like this "never ever ever will i take amtrak again after what they did etc" but don't give details. these kinds of threads should just be deleted from the start. these guests never return to defend themselves.
> ...


That's not it at all - there's a right way and a wrong way to go about stating your case, and the OP's is a classic example of how not to get a sympathetic ear. If he reacted to the train crewmembers the way he posted here, then it isn't surprising that they said "screw you buddy, you're not getting the room".

Speak ill of Amtrak all you want, but do so in a reasonable answer to allow folks to help you, not dismiss you as a troll.


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## Chatter163 (Apr 7, 2010)




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## dlagrua (Apr 7, 2010)

In fairness then we should now ask this poster to come forward join the forum and present his case in detail. Date and booking details. Until then we cannot judge either way. It is possible that Amtrak could have sold his room but the info provided was sketchy. It sounds like a ticket agent sold a room that was accounted for as you would not pay $489 for an onboard upgrade but who knows? Mistakes can happen.

Notice that in all the follow up posts, the person (guest) has remained silent which leads me to believe that he may be one of a small group of people online that derive a perverse satisfaction from stirring up arguments.


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## RRrich (Apr 7, 2010)

BASIC RULE

If you come out swinging, people will swing back at you

If you come out talking reasonably, people will talk reasonably to you


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## Chatter163 (Apr 7, 2010)

This is why I do not like the fact that guests can post, without registering.


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## Tumbleweed (Apr 7, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> I can tell you, there are always at least two sides to every story and situation.


There are three sides to all stories.....Yours, mine, and the truth..... :lol:


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## chandj (Apr 7, 2010)

I'm just totally bummed out thinking how I would feel if I showed up all excited to get to my private little accomodation on the train only to discover I was out of luck. I would have been anticipating it for months so I can just imagine how disappointed I would be. Sorry it ruined the whole Amtrak experience forever for the OP, but each to their own.


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## RRrich (Apr 7, 2010)

chandj said:


> I'm just totally bummed out thinking how I would feel if I showed up all excited to get to my private little accomodation on the train only to discover I was out of luck. I would have been anticipating it for months so I can just imagine how disappointed I would be. Sorry it ruined the whole Amtrak experience forever for the OP, but each to their own.


I do so understand you!!

My question is What would you do in that situation?

Would you say to the first Amtrak person you saw (SCA, AC, C) "Listen M****F****er get that A##H#### out of my room" Or would you say "Hey dude, I got a problem, help me" ???

In a perfect world it wouldn't matter. Where can I get a ticket to the perfect world??


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## CNW (Apr 7, 2010)

I too have thought how totally devastating it would be to have this happen. Besides numerous well anticipated trips I have taken alone I have also taken my adult son on three springtime trips to very distant destinations. When I think of the preparation and excitment that has gone into these trips and try to imagine being turned away it is disturbing. However, I do try to maintain enough optimism to believe that if you were "working with the powers onboard" surely there would be a solution. It does seem hard to believe that if you held in your hand a paid for a ticket that you could be "turned away" under any circumstances.... Has this ever been documented?


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 7, 2010)

Whether this was a real happening or not :unsure: , it's another good reminder to ALWAYS recheck/reconfirm your reservations before the last minute!  As other posters have said, stuff happens, machines and people make mistakes (remember garbage in/garbage out! )! I said in my first post that we all can understand frustration/disappointment and anger of getting on the train and finding no room @ the inn! Cursing,threatning and generally being a jerk doesnt help, in fact I think all people would tend to say to themselves "so that's how it's gonna be buddy, enjoy the ride in the lounge or next train in two hours or two days!  I dont have anything against guests posting but as the admins have said, I think all guest posts should be read/edited before posting, perhaps even denied if of dubious content !(remember the infamous girl in the teddy early April fool post! ) :lol: We all know that most people on this site will gladly help anyone with advice but as Tom and others have said there's more than one side to every story, even made up ones! (I think of the old saying in the Navy, there's the right way, the wrong way,the Navy way, your way and my way! ) :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## ALC Rail Writer (Apr 7, 2010)

AlanB said:


> I just love the circular logic here.
> A guest makes a negative post and gets called a troll and other things in less than 24 hours. Then despite the negative posts, it's concluded that they obviously were a troll since they don't return to follow-up on their original post.
> 
> Who would return to make another post under those circumstances? They've just been insulted and essentially called a liar. They may well have just come here to vent, but there is also the real possibility that they came looking for help or at least some sympathy. Instead, they get insulted. And then their failure to resurface in light of those insults somehow convinces many that they must have been a troll.
> ...


It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, happens all the time...


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## CNW (Apr 7, 2010)

Actually this particular OP does not seem like a shy shrinking violet who if he was indeed insulted is so hurt and humiliated that he can't bear to face this awful bunch of railroad buffs. He comes on as being able to sling insults with the best of them. If people are so fragile they can not tolerate honest discourse they need to stay out of the kitchen or in this case away from the railroad tracks. I too have a feeling some of these types of posters are manipulating us.....


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## CNW (Apr 7, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Whether this was a real happening or not :unsure: , it's another good reminder to ALWAYS recheck/reconfirm your reservations before the last minute!  As other posters have said, stuff happens, machines and people make mistakes (remember garbage in/garbage out! )! I said in my first post that we all can understand frustration/disappointment and anger of getting on the train and finding no room @ the inn! Cursing,threatning and generally being a jerk doesnt help, in fact I think all people would tend to say to themselves "so that's how it's gonna be buddy, enjoy the ride in the lounge or next train in two hours or two days!  I dont have anything against guests posting but as the admins have said, I think all guest posts should be read/edited before posting, perhaps even denied if of dubious content !(remember the infamous girl in the teddy early April fool post! ) :lol: We all know that most people on this site will gladly help anyone with advice but as Tom and others have said there's more than one side to every story, even made up ones! (I think of the old saying in the Navy, there's the right way, the wrong way,the Navy way, your way and my way! ) :lol: :lol: :lol:


I understand about double checking on your reservations, but how could this really help if it is able to be sold again.....


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## Tony (Apr 7, 2010)

Chatter163 said:


> This is why I do not like the fact that guests can post, without registering.


I wonder if I should take that personally? :blink:


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## oldtimer (Apr 7, 2010)

I can tell you that a family member of mine had a roomette on the CZ booked from end to end and when they boarded in Chicago they found the roomette occupied. After much discussion between both "occupants of Room 6", the SCA, and the Conductor, My family members were accommodated in Room B until Denver. This was the other occupants destination and B was vacant until Denver.

The Conductor and SCA found what seemed to be a possible cause as the other occupants of room 6 had a handwritten ticket from a travel agency in Western Illinois. The Conductor believed that the travel agent was at fault as this has happened to him in the past at least 3 times. After the first time he and his trainmaster investigated the situation to confirm his actions and found out that the travel agent was at fault. Each subsequent time one of the conflicting tickets was handwritten by a travel agent.


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## Tony (Apr 7, 2010)

CNW said:


> I understand about double checking on your reservations, but how could this really help if it is able to be sold again.....


At least in my case, double checking a 6-month old reservation showed me it was cancelled, and I had enough time (days) to get that corrected. If my original reservation was cancelled (in Amtrak's records), I would suspect it is eligible to be sold again if a new buyer came along.

There is a difference with realistic expectations, between giving Amtrak days to fix such a reservation problem, and expecting Amtrak to fix the problem as the train is leaving the station.

BTW, I am putting a lot of weight on AlanB's comment that based on the price paid, the room was (re-) sold before boarding (website, "800", or station). To me, that puts the problem on the reservation system, and not on to a dumb/careless conductor.


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## jis (Apr 7, 2010)

PRR 60 said:


> I experienced a double-booking with a Roomette reservation on the Zephyr a couple of years ago. I got the room because I got there first (I'm pretty quick when I have to be). The other party was accommodated in the Trans Dorm. They were lucky there was a room open.
> Stuff like that does happen.


Well, if this was the Denver incident, I believe the other party was holding tickets and reservation for a wrong date. I suspect that you'd have gotten your accommodation either way since you had the tickets and reservation for the right day.


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## Tony (Apr 7, 2010)

oldtimer2 said:


> The Conductor and SCA found what seemed to be a possible cause as the other occupants of room 6 had a handwritten ticket from a travel agency in Western Illinois. The Conductor believed that the travel agent was at fault as this has happened to him in the past at least 3 times. After the first time he and his trainmaster investigated the situation to confirm his actions and found out that the travel agent was at fault. Each subsequent time one of the conflicting tickets was handwritten by a travel agent.


So the "*first there*" rule prevailed?

The passenger with the hand-written ticket from some travel agent got to keep the room since they were there first, and the passenger (your family member) with the official Amtrak printed ticket lost out?

Honestly, I am a bit upset to learn that a Conductor and SCA both thought that was the right thing to do.


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## Ryan (Apr 7, 2010)

If by lost out, you mean "upgraded to a bedroom for a portion of the trip", I suppose?


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## RRrich (Apr 7, 2010)

Dang Ryan you beat me to it!


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## Ryan (Apr 7, 2010)

I can see where the having to move in the middle of the trip back into a roomette is kind of a pain in the neck, so it could be a matter of personal preference.

I'd certainly take the room for part of the trip and then pack up and move down the hall.


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## ThayerATM (Apr 7, 2010)

AlanB said:


> I just love the circular logic here.
> A guest makes a negative post and gets called a troll and other things in less than 24 hours. Then despite the negative posts, it's concluded that they obviously were a troll since they don't return to follow-up on their original post.
> 
> Who would return to make another post under those circumstances? They've just been insulted and essentially called a liar. They may well have just come here to vent, but there is also the real possibility that they came looking for help or at least some sympathy. Instead, they get insulted. And then their failure to resurface in light of those insults somehow convinces many that they must have been a troll.
> ...


Well Alan, while I agree generally with all that you're saying, the OP really set the "mood" of the thread in the original tirade. Amtrak, if not the posters on this board, were not really being asked to be congenial. :unsure: I can bend the rules at the counter, and I've done that many times, but never when confronted initially by having been called a ****in' thief.


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## PRR 60 (Apr 7, 2010)

jis said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > I experienced a double-booking with a Roomette reservation on the Zephyr a couple of years ago. I got the room because I got there first (I'm pretty quick when I have to be). The other party was accommodated in the Trans Dorm. They were lucky there was a room open.
> ...


Yes, it is that incident. And, yes, I'm sure I would have been accommodated given the circumstances, especially since the problem was found before either party boarded.

The date error on the other party's ticket was Amtrak's fault. They had a long standing reservation for that train on that day, but a last minute change was fouled-up by Amtrak reservations, and they were unknowingly re-booked into the wrong day. They picked up the new tickets that morning at Denver and no one noticed the wrong date. Even the conductor lifting the tickets at the podium in the station did not notice the problem until I checked in with the same car and room. Oops.

The resolution inside the station was to "sort it out at train-side". Oops, again. Given that, I made sure I got the room I wanted (my room) by all but running to the train when boarding started and taking possession first. I did not want the Trans Dorm and I did not want Room 10 or a downstairs room. No passengers or crew members were harmed during my dash to the train. I got my room, and the other couple got a room, albeit, in the Trans Dorm located at the opposite end of the train from the rest of the sleepers.

All's well that ends well.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Apr 7, 2010)

RRrich said:


> BASIC RULE
> If you come out swinging, people will swing back at you
> 
> If you come out talking reasonably, people will talk reasonably to you


Honestly, the OP was "swinging" at Amtrak, not you (or anyone here).

What was needed was for someone to quickly examine the dispute, and resolve it fairly. If the OP had a valid and earlier reservation, the OP should have been given the room, period.


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## AlanB (Apr 7, 2010)

Years ago I had a mixup on the Twilight Shoreliner. I was supposed to have boarded at South Station, however my north bound Acela was running late that night. As it turned out, I would have made the connection at South, although just barely. But I wasn't willing to risk that, so I bailed off the Acela at Back Bay. As I boarded the sleeper and the attendant looked at my ticket, he immediately realized that he had a problem. Someone was already in my room. 

I never did find out what the issue was, although I know that I had the correct ticket for the right train on the right day. However, it clearly wasn't a case of my no showing at South Station and the conductor having done an onboard upgrade, as it only takes 5 minutes to go from South to Back Bay.

The attendant solved the problem however, by moving the attendant in training that he was teaching on that run out of a roomette and giving that room over to me.


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## AlanB (Apr 7, 2010)

I forgot to address this in my earlier post, so I'll make a separate one now regarding guest postings.

The owner of Amtrak Unlimited, Anthony, started AU many years ago to fill a major void that existed at that time; that being a lack of any useful information on the net by Amtrak regarding its services. Initially it was a static site only. Then a forum was added and gradually over the years the static site all but disappeared while the forum became the mainstay of AU.

But when the forum was added, the main idea was that this could be a place where anyone could come to ask questions that they couldn't find answers to elsewhere. And at the time the internet was still very new to most people and many were afraid to register anything online. Additionally, many people have no intention of returning once they get the answer that they are looking for, so they don't want to register.

Over the years many railfans and/or Amtrak fans have of course signed up here too. Some came to ask a question and stayed, others just came for the ability to talk about their passion. Not only do we need you here, as you guys & gals are often the best people to provide answers and we thank you for that, but we of course also enjoy chatting about trains with you all.

However, we've also never forgotten where we got our start; that being trying to help people who have questions about Amtrak, and that includes both good & bad questions. Hence even though it does sometimes pose problems for the staff, like our recent triangle poster(s), we continue to maintain the guest's ability to post here. The staff has had to jump through some hoops over the years to maintain that ability, but it's something that we believe is worth our effort.

I hope that this helps everyone to understand why we continue to allow for guest postings. 

Ps. Tony, all that said, you're such a regular here that you really would benefit from joining.  I'm not trying to pressure you, but there are some benefits associated with joining. Should you wish to discuss it with me, you can email me by putting my user name in front of our "amtraktrains.com" address and again, I promise no pressure I'd just like to tell you what you would gain.


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## jis (Apr 7, 2010)

PRR 60 said:


> The resolution inside the station was to "sort it out at train-side". Oops, again. Given that, I made sure I got the room I wanted (my room) by all but running to the train when boarding started and taking possession first. I did not want the Trans Dorm and I did not want Room 10 or a downstairs room. No passengers or crew members were harmed during my dash to the train. I got my room, and the other couple got a room, albeit, in the Trans Dorm located at the opposite end of the train from the rest of the sleepers.


Yes, I remember that. If you recall I was the guy right behind you in the checkin line in front of the Conductor in the station.


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## MrEd (Apr 7, 2010)

thanks alan, this is a great resource.


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## Green Maned Lion (Apr 7, 2010)

AlanB said:


> I forgot to address this in my earlier post, so I'll make a separate one now regarding guest postings.
> [include all the rest of the post]


Alan, I will happily help anybody who comes in here and politely asks a question, or even showing a semblence of interest in my response, writes a questing post rudely.

But this guy came in here, spouted profanely, rudely, and non-questingly, in all caps, a vective of no purpose other than ranting.

I agree with helping people who come here, but I disagree with a need to be polite to jerk-offs like this fellow.


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## rosemary (Apr 7, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > I forgot to address this in my earlier post, so I'll make a separate one now regarding guest postings.
> ...


oh dear, now u have got me all worried now, would u advise me to reconfirm our booking that we made on line many many months ago, we are travellig in a roomette on the CZ end of september, booked it the day it went on sale, is the best way to email Amtrak with our reference no, rather not phone as we are in the UK


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2010)

Fear not: if you have a room and car number listed on your ticket, and you board at the station listed on your ticket, you will get your room. Especially in late September. The initial post smells of falsehood to this Amtrak employee...


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## rosemary (Apr 7, 2010)

Guest said:


> Fear not: if you have a room and car number listed on your ticket, and you board at the station listed on your ticket, you will get your room. Especially in late September. The initial post smells of falsehood to this Amtrak employee...


thanks a million


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## Chris J. (Apr 7, 2010)

rosemary said:


> oh dear, now u have got me all worried now, would u advise me to reconfirm our booking that we made on line many many months ago, we are travellig in a roomette on the CZ end of september, booked it the day it went on sale, is the best way to email Amtrak with our reference no, rather not phone as we are in the UK


If you booked online you can log back into the Amtrak site and look there.


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## amtrakwolverine (Apr 7, 2010)

AlanB like GML said. we will help anyone if they come on here polity give us the facts etc. but if they come on here cussing up a storm like screw Amtrak screw everyone who works for Amtrak all Amtrak employees should be fired or shot etc etc why should we help them. yes i would be upset too if my room was taken but we don't know the facts. did the conductor or sleeping attendant just ignore him by saying your rooms sold get lost etc we don't know. he has not been back. he came on here cussing and yelling but did not give us details. its hard to take those people seriously. allot of guests come on here scream yell and never return.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Apr 7, 2010)

Um... The guest never implied or suggested that people should be shot or harmed in anyway. Can we at least dispell that rhetoric?


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## AlanB (Apr 7, 2010)

amtrakwolverine said:


> AlanB like GML said. we will help anyone if they come on here polity give us the facts etc. but if they come on here cussing up a storm like screw Amtrak screw everyone who works for Amtrak all Amtrak employees should be fired or shot etc etc why should we help them. yes i would be upset too if my room was taken but we don't know the facts. did the conductor or sleeping attendant just ignore him by saying your rooms sold get lost etc we don't know. he has not been back. he came on here cussing and yelling but did not give us details. its hard to take those people seriously. allot of guests come on here scream yell and never return.


While I would agree that this guest was indeed somewhat over the top; that doesn't change the fact that you waited 13 hours before calling him a troll. I suspect that he probably wouldn't have come back regardless, but if he did come back the very next day, I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't bother to post now that you and other's have insulted him. And that was my point earlier today, we never gave this person a chance to come back and explain things before insulting him. If people had given him 2 or 3 days before saying something, who knows what might have happened?

Additionally my post about why guests were allowed to post here was in response to a few people who had asked why guests were allowed to post. I wasn't trying to suggest that the guest who started this topic wanted help. But there is a difference between deciding that you don't believe the story and simply refusing to help vs. calling the guest names. If you don't believe them and don't want to help, simply don't respond. There is no need for calling someone a troll, especially within hours of their first post.


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## ThayerATM (Apr 7, 2010)

AlanB said:


> amtrakwolverine said:
> 
> 
> > AlanB like GML said. we will help anyone if they come on here polity give us the facts etc. but if they come on here cussing up a storm like screw Amtrak screw everyone who works for Amtrak all Amtrak employees should be fired or shot etc etc why should we help them. yes i would be upset too if my room was taken but we don't know the facts. did the conductor or sleeping attendant just ignore him by saying your rooms sold get lost etc we don't know. he has not been back. he came on here cussing and yelling but did not give us details. its hard to take those people seriously. allot of guests come on here scream yell and never return.
> ...


OK Alan, I'm willing to let this one shine-on-by, and chalk it up to a "learning experience." Is there a particular reason for letting this thread continue? :unsure:


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## Green Maned Lion (Apr 8, 2010)

AlanB said:


> There is no need for calling someone a troll, especially within hours of their first post.


Sure there is. Its called honesty, integrity, and being realistic.


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## Dan O (Apr 8, 2010)

AlanB said:


> While I would agree that this guest was indeed somewhat over the top; that doesn't change the fact that you waited 13 hours before calling him a troll. I suspect that he probably wouldn't have come back regardless, but if he did come back the very next day, I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't bother to post now that you and other's have insulted him.


I have been here on and off for a while but may have missed much. I have seen a few similar posts but the original poster never has come back. Do they ever come back in similar situations to explain more details?

Dan


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## mercedeslove (Apr 8, 2010)




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## caravanman (Apr 8, 2010)

In a cross section of any society, such as this forum, there will be rude, disturbed or aggressive self centered members (me having a psychotherapist as a girlfriend did pay off!) just as much as in the real world.. No amount of rational explanation from moderators will benefit some people, they seem beyond amateur levels of help.

Me? The guys in white coats don't know I have left the building yet...

Eddie


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## amtrakwolverine (Apr 8, 2010)

its not its the first time theres been a post like this. each and every time there's a post about a trip from hell or whatever they post once and never return. we speak from past experience. if i was new to this forum and lets say signed on as a guest and posted something in all caps along the lines of Amtrak sucks and anyone who works for Amtrak should be fired or jailed for what happened on my first and last amtrak trip etc etc are you going to take me seriously sense i didn't post any details.


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## Tony (Apr 8, 2010)

But is the almost-automatic response claiming Amtrak is perfect, and never ever makes a mistake, therefore, the guest's post must be false, a troll, simply a drunken madness, the best response we can make to it?


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## rrdude (Apr 8, 2010)

rosemary said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > Fear not: if you have a room and car number listed on your ticket, and you board at the station listed on your ticket, you will get your room. Especially in late September. The initial post smells of falsehood to this Amtrak employee...
> ...


HOWEVER, I think most would agree, there is certainly NO HARM in confirming just a day or two before the scheduled departure date. It TOTALLY takes the stress off of thinking, "will I get my room/seat". If overseas, perhaps you have a friend/confidant domestically that you trust, and could send your details to via email, and they could "call" Amtrak for you, then email you back the "good news" that all is A-OK?


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## Tony (Apr 8, 2010)

AlanB said:


> Ps. Tony, all that said, you're such a regular here that you really would benefit from joining.  I'm not trying to pressure you, but there are some benefits associated with joining. Should you wish to discuss it with me, you can email me by putting my user name in front of our "amtraktrains.com" address and again, I promise no pressure I'd just like to tell you what you would gain.


Honestly, my original plan was to just ask a few questions before my trip, and possibly answer a few after I came back. Then just drift away. Not because I stopped liking Amtrak, but life goes on, and my interests change (I go on a cruise, and suddenly, I am active in a cruise forum for a period of time).

Something keeps drawing me back here. Though I will admit, I always feel that every post I make, will be my last and therefore there is no reason to join.

The one BIG exception of late, is this one thread. Somehow, I feel a strong need to be the one guest to stand up and defend all guests. I am getting strong vibe that somehow guests and their opinions or stories are unwelcome and bothersome (AlanB being the exception). Is it easier to label guests as liars because they are nameless, then to accept that just possibly, Amtrak did something really bad to them? Is that the message?

The troubling theme I am getting there is,

how dare a guest just pop in here, and say something bad about Amtrak. How dare they!
Why do you need to know the true identity of the guest? So that you can take them out behind the roundhouse and beat the crap out of them?


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## rrdude (Apr 8, 2010)

amtrakwolverine said:


> AlanB like GML said. we will help anyone if they come on here polity give us the facts etc. but if they come on here cussing up a storm like screw Amtrak screw everyone who works for Amtrak all Amtrak employees should be fired or shot etc etc why should we help them. yes i would be upset too if my room was taken but we don't know the facts. did the conductor or sleeping attendant just ignore him by saying your rooms sold get lost etc we don't know. he has not been back. he came on here cussing and yelling but did not give us details. its hard to take those people seriously. allot of guests come on here *scream yell *and never return.


Lest we forget that many first-time, or occasional posters don't recognize the convention of ALL CAPS AS YELLING EITHER. It took several phone calls to one of my clients to politely inform him that his habit of ALWAYS using ALL CAPS was generating some blow back by other posters on our dealer board.

His explanation really opened my eyes, as he said he was trained by his employer years ago (Canadian Military) to ALWAYS USE ALL CAPS. He has since begun to follow the email/text/posting conventions, *but his initial intent was never to SCREAM..........*


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## CNW (Apr 8, 2010)

rrdude said:


> rosemary said:
> 
> 
> > Guest said:
> ...


Reconfiming is fine, and I do it all the time with motels etc but would it be fool proof in some of the cases that we have heard about, like the hand written ticket from the travel agency and possibly other scenarios as well, after all if it is a "mistake" then maybe it won't show up until train time. Can it be resolved over the phone. I had alot of faith in the reservation system and sort of wish I hadn't heard all these double booking stories. Truthfully I never book more than a week ahead so maybe that is why I don't worry.


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## rrdude (Apr 8, 2010)

Tony said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Ps. Tony, all that said, you're such a regular here that you really would benefit from joining.  I'm not trying to pressure you, but there are some benefits associated with joining. Should you wish to discuss it with me, you can email me by putting my user name in front of our "amtraktrains.com" address and again, I promise no pressure I'd just like to tell you what you would gain.
> ...


Tony, I don't think I would log so much time on this board if it wasn't for the fact that there ARE SO MANY GUESTS posters. I first came here for about the same reason, tho I do have an interest in rail travel, and as a kid worked for Amtrak.

But really, I'd just like my train trip to be as uneventful, (like on time) as possible, and for Amtrak, (or Via) to give me what they advertise and/or I pay for. I could care less about P-42's, or "dynamic braking" or a lot of rail fan stuff. I just like to ride trains, period.

I think guests are the LIFEBLOOD of this, and many forums. A touch of reality. A reminder that without the "general public" there would be no trains to ride.

Keep posting, stay a guest, and if you need help at the roundhouse, call me. I think I still have an old baseball bat somewhere........ :lol:


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## Ryan (Apr 8, 2010)

Tony said:


> But is the almost-automatic response claiming Amtrak is perfect, and never ever makes a mistake, therefore, the guest's post must be false, a troll, simply a drunken madness, the best response we can make to it?


I don't think that anyone here is claiming that Amtrak is perfect and never makes a mistake. I probably came the closest with my "Unpossible" comment, but as has been shown (there's no way that amount of money paid for an onboard upgrade), there's no way that the story went down the exact way that the OP described.


Tony said:


> I am getting strong vibe that somehow guests and their opinions or stories are unwelcome and bothersome (AlanB being the exception). Is it easier to label guests as liars because they are nameless, then to accept that just possibly, Amtrak did something really bad to them? Is that the message?


Not at all - posts like the OP's are equally unwelcome coming from a guest or a one-post registered user.


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## CNW (Apr 8, 2010)

The very meaning of the word "guest" implies politeness, do people go into someone's home and begin berating them. Why are these "guests" so fragile that they must be treated with kid gloves. They aren't treated any different than any member who would act in the same way. There seems an attempt to make sensible people feel guilty for reacting to rude tirades.


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## caravanman (Apr 8, 2010)

With reference to Rosemarys question, I have found this guy to be on the ball, he deals with overseas stuff daily:

Ron Stockunas

Amtrak International Sales

[email protected]

You can email him at [email protected] and he should be able to check your original booking. He is also the guy if you want to make advance reservations or book sleepers against a railpass and live overseas..

Cheers,

Eddie.


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## sunchaser (Apr 8, 2010)

Tony said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Ps. Tony, all that said, you're such a regular here that you really would benefit from joining.  I'm not trying to pressure you, but there are some benefits associated with joining. Should you wish to discuss it with me, you can email me by putting my user name in front of our "amtraktrains.com" address and again, I promise no pressure I'd just like to tell you what you would gain.
> ...


I honestly don't think that it matters if you post as a guest on this board.

I think the only thing is that some feel that some guests may be 'trolls' or just poking fun at what most are very serious about-trains, and feel they must defend their position.

I actually joined because I knew I was going to be asking a lot of questions & appreciate the info found here.

For someone who was totally clueless about Amtrak & trains, it has been extremely helpful.

I have never joined a discussion board before-so this has been an eye-opener.

There are many opinions on this board, I want to encourage all of you to express yourselves, but remember nobody can really tell from the printed word your exact intentions.

There have been many times when I have bit my tongue about certain comments-and considered not coming back.

I do enjoy this board, the people on it & the info.

I hope that Uncle Gabby does come back & let us know the final result after contacting Amtrak.

I also think it is important to assist 'guests' with info-even if the info may sound wrong.

Any company including Amtrak, can have major issues with just about anything.

Some of you may have had to deal with the VA or Social Security or IRS-these are also run by the government-need I say more?

On our last trip, when we arrived at our hotel, we were informed that there was a problem with our room. We had confirmed it a few days before leaving. They offered us another room with a 20% discount.


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## Tony (Apr 8, 2010)

Ryan said:


> I don't think that anyone here is claiming that Amtrak is perfect and never makes a mistake. I probably came the closest with my "Unpossible" comment, but as has been shown (there's no way that amount of money paid for an onboard upgrade), there's no way that the story went down the exact way that the OP described.


Does it really matter if it went down exactly as the guest described? And if there is even one minor tidbit that is wrong, we should focus on only that?

I look at it this way. The "meat" of the problem is that two different passengers were ticketed for the same resource; in this case a room. Does it really matter if the second passenger got their ticket just a few minutes earlier (thru an on-board upgrade), or a few hours earlier (thru a station upgrade), or even a few days earlier (thru Julie/"800" ). I see it as that there is a flaw somewhere in Amtrak's reservation system, or Amtrak's reservation procedures, allowing it to happen at all. I mean, from what I understand, even on-board, the Conductor first checks-in for availability and rate info (he doesn't just "wing it").

If I reported my train was 9 hours late, and one of you discovered it was "only" 8 hours and 53 minutes late, would you all call me a liar, and blow off the legitimacy of my complaint because of that 7 minute flaw? Would the answer to that depend at all, on if I was a register user or a guest?


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## alanh (Apr 8, 2010)

Amtrak does resell rooms for no-shows. This is more customer friendly than airlines' policy of overbooking, but it does mean that if someone boards at a later station than their reservation they may find their room gone.

Amtrak could not resell no-shows, but that would mean leaving revenue on the table and dissatisfying customers that don't get upgrades 99% of the time.

As for attitude, if you come in YELLING PROFANITY at me as the original poster did (I don't care if they **-ed it out), and I'm not even responsible for the situation, I'm going to take a negative attitude towards you, and I don't apologize for that.

That said it's quite possible Amtrak screwed up the reservation. How about this?



> I'm very disappointed with my recent trip on Amtrak. I booked a roomette from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach on the Silver Meteor, but when I boarded they had already resold my room to someone else. It wasn't a case of a me not showing up; I really did book it from Philadelphia. They wouldn't kick the other person out of the room so I had to spend the trip in coach. Obviously I'm going to get a refund on the sleeper fare; what other compensation should I ask for? Does this happen often?


No yelling, no swearing, no calling people crooks, no calling for people to be fired. Just a description of the problem and a question about what my rights are.


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## Ryan (Apr 8, 2010)

Tony said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think that anyone here is claiming that Amtrak is perfect and never makes a mistake. I probably came the closest with my "Unpossible" comment, but as has been shown (there's no way that amount of money paid for an onboard upgrade), there's no way that the story went down the exact way that the OP described.
> ...


It all depends on what's wrong - but you have to provide some details to just have a tiny little detail wrong. Right now all we have is a story with no detail and some inconsistancies that I'd like to see resolved before I go and throw Amtrak under the bus.


> Would the answer to that depend at all, on if I was a register user or a guest?


Absolutely not.


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## CNW (Apr 8, 2010)

I never once thought about someone else being in MY room first. I always felt secure in the knowledge that I was "booked". I usually make my reservations a few days in advance. Frankly all these double booking stories are scaring me. They are adding a new dimension of things to worry about.


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## oldtimer (Apr 8, 2010)

For those who want to take someone out behind the roundhouse I have a better suggestion. There are too many witnesses outside the roundhouse. Why don't we just corner them in the roundhouse!


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## amamba (Apr 8, 2010)

Hearing all of these stories where other users have been doublebooked make me think that it actually is a common occurrence on amtrak. I do wish the guest would have returned to give us more information. In my mind, the guest was never a troll, because trolls come to stir up arguments with no real purpose. This was more the situation of a disgruntled customer who just wanted to vent.


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## Steve4031 (Apr 8, 2010)

oldtimer2 said:


> For those who want to take someone out behind the roundhouse I have a better suggestion. There are too many witnesses outside the roundhouse. Why don't we just corner them in the roundhouse!




Well, first you would have to find a round house.

In regards to the double booking, I have never encountered it in about 20 years of booking my own travel. I remember having this happen in the 70's, but it was with hand written tickets that my parents had. Amtrak put us in similar accomodations.

Today, a hand written ticket would could create chaos. I have found most travel agents to be unaware of the details of Amtrak travel, so I could see mistakes happening with their hand written tickets.


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## MrFSS (Apr 8, 2010)

Steve4031 said:


> In regards to the double booking, I have never encountered it in about 20 years of booking my own travel. I remember having this happen in the 70's, but it was with hand written tickets that my parents had. Amtrak put us in similar accommodations.
> Today, a hand written ticket would could create chaos. I have found most travel agents to be unaware of the details of Amtrak travel, so I could see mistakes happening with their hand written tickets.


And that leads to the question, is an agent permitted to hand write a ticket? I bought one Amtrak ticket in my life from a travel agent and it was produced on Amtrak stock and looked just like a ticket from the ticket agent in the station.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 8, 2010)

MrFSS said:


> Steve4031 said:
> 
> 
> > In regards to the double booking, I have never encountered it in about 20 years of booking my own travel. I remember having this happen in the 70's, but it was with hand written tickets that my parents had. Amtrak put us in similar accommodations.
> ...


Good question Tom! Im retired but back in the day when the travel desk of the outfit I sometimes worked for!(its the Govt. :lol: )would book me on the Metro Liners and every ticket I ever got was an Amtrak ticket! I dont believe travel agents can hand write tickets, only Amtrak authorized employees

but I could be wrong! It was different with airlines but now of course you just print your boarding pass for paperless tickets and head for the third degree, er inspection @ the gulag, er airport!  :angry:


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## AAARGH! (Apr 8, 2010)

I don't mind guests posting here. The vast majority are normal polite comments or questions (including Tony). I answer them the same as I would any subscribed member. I agree with the rationale Alan gave about letting guests post.

However, in my opinion, the OP of this thread is a drive-by shouter. He/she was not looking for any answers, just shouting. And as usual, we get all worked up over it. Though the subsequent discussion has been pretty interesting.

I do notice that when there is a rude or pointed post, it is usually coming from a guest as they can hide behind their anonimity (not always though). It's because there is no accountability.


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## alanh (Apr 8, 2010)

An Amtrak ticket isn't any different than an airline paper ticket. A travel agent can book them through the same reservation systems (Amadeus, Sabre, Apollo, Worldspan, etc.) as they book airline tickets. Amtrak's code is 2V, like United Airlines is UA or Continental is CO. Amtrak has reference cards for booking tickets on those systems.

Although normally computer printed, it's still technically valid for an agent to handwrite the information on the ticket stock. But it's so unusual you will probably have trouble.


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## rosemary (Apr 8, 2010)

rrdude said:


> rosemary said:
> 
> 
> > Guest said:
> ...


just confirmed reservation with amtrak, so no probs, thank's for the input


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## CNW (Apr 8, 2010)

rosemary said:


> rrdude said:
> 
> 
> > rosemary said:
> ...


It sounds like it is a good idea to reconfirm a few days ahead of departure and it would surely take the pressure off wondering. Yet it sounds as if some of these double booking nightmares occur close to actual train time. I can only take comfort in the knowledge that they must surely be few and far between and we have just been hearing alot of things that have maybe only happened once or twice in the history of Amtrak.


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## rosemary (Apr 8, 2010)

caravanman said:


> With reference to Rosemarys question, I have found this guy to be on the ball, he deals with overseas stuff daily:
> Ron Stockunas
> 
> Amtrak International Sales
> ...


thanks for the info


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2010)

Amtrak has a policy to the effect of if a passenger does not occupy a sleeper within, I believe, 2 hours or 1 station after scheduled departure time from the origin on the ticket, it can be resold. I am not sure of the exact time and station limits.


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## MisterRick (Apr 8, 2010)

Guest said:


> The initial post smells of falsehood to this Amtrak employee...


I have to concur there is definitely something fishy and suspect about the initial posters claims.


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## Trogdor (Apr 8, 2010)

amamba said:


> Hearing all of these stories where other users have been doublebooked make me think that it actually is a common occurrence on amtrak.


Hold on a second. I think we need to take "all of these" (how many? Two? Three?) stories into context.

Double-booking a room is not a common occurrence. Arrow won't do it (intentionally). That's why it's very uncommon.

If a travel agent unfamiliar with Amtrak procedures screws something up, it might happen, but that's the travel agent's fault. Occasionally, someone on the Amtrak side may accidentally cancel a valid reservation, and that room can be reopened for booking. Again, this is extremely rare, but can happen.

What happens more often (by far) is someone showing up on the wrong day, and the conductor not noticing the date as they're going through collecting tickets.

The only reason you're reading "all of these" (two or three) stories is because this thread exists, and people are going back on their many years of experience traveling in a sleeper many times (and there are dozens of active members on this forum, and hundreds more occasional posters), and of the collective Amtrak experience of everyone on AU, you've read about a couple of examples of two people with tickets for the same room.


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## Green Maned Lion (Apr 8, 2010)

Tony said:


> But is the almost-automatic response claiming Amtrak is perfect, and never ever makes a mistake, therefore, the guest's post must be false, a troll, simply a drunken madness, the best response we can make to it?


Tony,

I do not think Amtrak is perfect, I know they make mistakes. I'm sure things similar to this happen. I also don't mind guests as a concept. What I do object to is people like the OP who came in here spouting vituperation and vitriol of such magnitude I was wishing I could reach through the internet, grab them, whack them upside the head with a newspaper, and clean their mouth out with soap like a teacher did to me in the first grade.

It is bozos like the OP that give guests as a whole a bad name around here, or at least what bad name they have.

Now, the poster could have come in here and said,



> Hi. I see you guys like Amtrak around here. Well, I was on a trip and it made me really wonder why you could EVER like Amtrak. Here's why:
> 
> 
> I paid $315 in advance for a roomette-based trip
> ...


And I would have answered them politely, and not thought them a troll. Do you see what I mean?


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## GAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Steve4031 said:


> oldtimer2 said:
> 
> 
> > For those who want to take someone out behind the roundhouse I have a better suggestion. There are too many witnesses outside the roundhouse. Why don't we just corner them in the roundhouse!
> ...


Oldtimer2, I love your irony. I guess nobody else got it..........."Why don't we just CORNER them in the roundhouse!" Very funny.......SERIOUSLY! :lol:


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## caravanman (Apr 9, 2010)

Don't worry George, you were not alone, some more of us got it too!

Ed


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## Chatter163 (Apr 9, 2010)

AlanB said:


> I forgot to address this in my earlier post, so I'll make a separate one now regarding guest postings.
> The owner of Amtrak Unlimited, Anthony, started AU many years ago to fill a major void that existed at that time; that being a lack of any useful information on the net by Amtrak regarding its services. Initially it was a static site only. Then a forum was added and gradually over the years the static site all but disappeared while the forum became the mainstay of AU.
> 
> But when the forum was added, the main idea was that this could be a place where anyone could come to ask questions that they couldn't find answers to elsewhere. And at the time the internet was still very new to most people and many were afraid to register anything online. Additionally, many people have no intention of returning once they get the answer that they are looking for, so they don't want to register.
> ...


Thank you, Alan, for your remarks along these lines. We appreciate the service that you and the others offer here. I occasionally tease you about your prepared replies to FAQ, especially about those sliding glass doors at Chicago Union Station (unless they've changed the entrance in the past few months), but that is all in good fun and I realize what a labor of love this board is, and the fine service you offer here. I also understand the reasons for the guest posting policy. Thanks again.


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## GAT (Apr 9, 2010)

George said:


> Steve4031 said:
> 
> 
> > oldtimer2 said:
> ...


And for finding a roundhouse, there's one in Vancouver. It houses the locomotive that pulled the first trans-Canada train into British Columbia back in the 1880's.


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## D T Nelson (Apr 9, 2010)

George said:


> George said:
> 
> 
> > Steve4031 said:
> ...


There is a roundhouse in the BNSF's Balmer Yard, in Seattle's Interbay neighborhood. You go past it on the Empire Builder, although from ground level you might not realize you are looking at a roundhouse. It's pretty obvious from overhead, though.


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## transit54 (Apr 9, 2010)

D T Nelson said:


> George said:
> 
> 
> > And for finding a roundhouse, there's one in Vancouver. It houses the locomotive that pulled the first trans-Canada train into British Columbia back in the 1880's.
> ...


We've got one here in Burlington, too. Much smaller, but nonetheless, it's there and in active use for the Vermont Rail System.


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