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How does Amtrak react to passengers who break out a brown bag on coach class?
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No problem at all. The only rules involve no use of microwave or refrigerator on train.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
If it is really good, the conductor may ask for some.
Its no problem, just no private alcohol in coach. Do keep in mind that the seatback tables are small and can be a bit wobbly. Also the Cafe Car tables are for AmFood only, but one can often get a cup of ice for free from the LSA working the cafe. I'll give them a small tip for it - like 50 cents - if I get one.
stntylr
OBS Chief
On the long distance trains you will often see families with a cooler full of food.
Just a thought -- if it's a long-distance train: once, I was eating my brown-bag lunch on the Sunset Limited, and a young child popped over the seat back in front of me, and asked if she could have some. Since I had not brought extra, and thinking her mother (who was asleep) would disapprove of her getting food from strangers, I told her to ask her mother. Not hearing anything more, I assumed the matter closed. Later, changing trains at LAX, I overheard someone say that a family on our train had come all the way from New Orleans with no food. I don't know if that was the family, but they sure did look relieved when they disembarked, and I've felt guilty ever since. I've also carried a few extra packaged Clif Bars and fruit snacks with me every time, "just in case." Did give one away once, to a similar case (wouldn't take more than one, but he was hungry). I've since found out that sometimes, charities will pay for a train ticket for a person to reach their family, but not for the food on the train (they're "on their own" for that).
It is up to you, if you want to bring enough to share. It is tragic that a family traveled that far without food. However, the other poster could not possibly know if the child was with that family. One should never give food to another person's child without permission from that mother. A child could have food allergies that you don't know about, or the parent could have certain dietary restrictions or eating philosophies that you don't know about.
If I was traveling, and was aware of someone in that kind of situation, I would gladly help out if I had the financial means to do so. But only after getting approval from an adult.
If I was traveling, and was aware of someone in that kind of situation, I would gladly help out if I had the financial means to do so. But only after getting approval from an adult.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
To me one of the enjoyable aspects of traveling Amtrak, be it Coach or even Sleeper is how often folks eagerly share and swap food and drink with fellow passengers. I have several times shared sealed candy bars or treats with nearby children after getting parent's approval, and often when I've left the Sleeper with surplus snacks, have deposited them at the coffee station if the train is continuing on.
If I remember correctly personal food is OK on the upper level (only) of superliner sightseer lounges (as it is separate from the Amtrak food service).
I would recommend having a personal water bottle and some emergency food as trains can on rare occasion become very late.
Devil's Advocate
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I would never ever give ANYTHING to a minor without the parent's explicit approval and supervision. Doesn't matter if it's sealed food or a gift card or a prepackaged toy. If you happen to come across a child that seems to need something and you want to help you're much better off getting the parents directly involved right from the start. If you can't find a parent or guardian then get the staff involved and offer to help the child THROUGH the staff instead. Once the staff is involved you can offer them your food or money or toys or whatever and let them decide what to do with it. That way everyone who wants to help is able to, everyone who needs help gets what they need, and nobody has to lose their freedom or their livelihood because somebody else misunderstood the situation. Feeling guilty for not helping may be a heavy burden to carry, but it's still nothing compared to the kind of trouble you might be burdened with if you give someone the wrong impression.
crescent2
Conductor
First, as both an elementary school teacher and a parent/grandparent, I must agree with those who've said not to give food to a child without the parents being involved! Some children have life-threatening food allergies, and of course parents might not want their child accepting food from a stranger anyway. You did the only safe thing by refusing the child. Others have made good suggestions about ways to help those in need on a train.
Re original post: If you are on a long distance train with a dining car, I would suggest you have at least one meal there. It will be a memorable part of your train trip! The prices aren't bad for some of the choices, and in my experience (Crescent), the food is comparable to similarly priced food elsewhere. It's a unique experience and a good way to meet fellow travelers, and not to be missed if you can.
I've never eaten in the cafe cars so can't speak to that. Bringing food in coach is ok to do, as others have already said.
Re original post: If you are on a long distance train with a dining car, I would suggest you have at least one meal there. It will be a memorable part of your train trip! The prices aren't bad for some of the choices, and in my experience (Crescent), the food is comparable to similarly priced food elsewhere. It's a unique experience and a good way to meet fellow travelers, and not to be missed if you can.
I've never eaten in the cafe cars so can't speak to that. Bringing food in coach is ok to do, as others have already said.
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Texan Eagle
Conductor
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You can carry any food and non-alcoholic drinks you like and consume them in your Coach seat (or even Sleeper). No problem. If you are traveling out west, you can also take your food to the Sightseer Lounge Car that has proper restaurant style "dining tables" where you can set up your own fine dining if you wish to.
the_traveler
Engineer
I agree with the above poster. Take at least 1 meal in the Dining Car. (I find breakfast to be the least cost and the most satisfying meal.)
The Dining Car experience is unique on trains, and is one of the most memorable. Yes, you may be seated with a grouch. But more times than not, some of the most interesting people I've met while traveling on trains are those I've met in the Dining Cars!
The Dining Car experience is unique on trains, and is one of the most memorable. Yes, you may be seated with a grouch. But more times than not, some of the most interesting people I've met while traveling on trains are those I've met in the Dining Cars!
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
For a good filling Diner Supper that is light on the billfold, go with the Roasted Half Chicken. You get a very generous portion of bird with all the trimmings and even for a Warrior Eater like me, it is a gut buster and you will likely have scraps left over for the cat
Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
Last I travelled, I'm pretty sure those arrogant bunch in my Sleeper would not share anything, since they barely socialize with anybody. Well, at least I was in a Sleeper so I didn't bring much food.
jis
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On the NEC these days, I usually brownbag, it specially if I am boarding from a station that has a more diverse choice of cuisine available than the fare available from the AmCafe. I guess a habit formed from domestic flights has now carried over to domestic rail journeis of similar temporal length.
Arrogant to keep what belongs to themselves? In all my riding, I've never seen this sort of sharing in the US. I understand that it's common on India Rail, even taking foreigners by suprise when they share sodas. I can see this happening in the US in coach without much strangeness, but I would NEVER expect to see it in the sleepers here - not because of arrogance, but because people have paid a price for privacy and their dining plan. Arrogant? That implies they OWE you and they refuse to even offer.
leemell
Conductor
When we travel in the Sleeper, we don't share because we're IN the Sleepers and don't see coach passengers. Sleeper passengers are not to our experience, arrogant, they use their room.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
I guess I've always been lucky and been in Sleepers where folks like to get out into the hall from time to time and mingle and get to know their neighbors. A good SCA like Stephanie or CoCo on the LSL can contribute to that atmosphere. I've often seen the Coffee Station looking more like the proverbial office water cooler.
And that's cool getting to know one another. However, I would be far from calling it arrogant if they chose not to offer me any of their cheese & wine.
zepherdude
OBS Chief
I do not know what sleepers you are riding, but, i was a single guy on the CS in a sleeper in September. One meal taken in the Diner where I was seated with a sleeper couple what kept their heads down and answered in one word remarks and would not give me the time of day. Arrogant was exactly the word I was thinking of. Next time, I requested not to sit with sleeper passengers. Life with coach folks was like night and day. We had wine and actually had a great dinner, like we were old friends. In my mind, sleeper passengers are not friendly and persons passing in the Parlor Car just ignore each other. Na sorry, I can not agree with a party atmosphere in sleeper cars.
leemell
Conductor
As a single example, that is certain to happen. On the other hand with 15,000 miles of rail travel, 95% in Sleepers, we have found that an exception. We have shared many meals with Sleeper passengers and had some of the most interesting conversations with them.
On our trip WIL - PRO last year, we had dinner with the couple across the hall from us on the CL the first night. At CUS, the wife shared her lunch with my daughter saying her husband had gotten too much. We happen to be in the same car and nearly across the hall from each other again on the CZ. For our 2nd night's dinner, we arranged to go to the diner together and sit together because we each had had some tablemates that we would prefer not to risk having again.
YMMV
YMMV
crescent2
Conductor
My husband and I always had pleasant experiences with other passengers. Some are more talkative than others, of course. I don't recall ever sharing food, or observing any need to share food, but that is not arrogance. We never asked if our table companions were traveling sleeper or coach. (Yeah, I know you can tell by whether they pay for their meals, but usually we did not leave the table at the same time or just didn't pay attention to that.) I also don't recall ever sharing food with anyone other than a family member or friend in a regular restaurant, or on a plane back when meals were served.
If I were sitting with someone and had extra wrapped snacks, I'd offer some, sure. But we always used the dining car and didn't bring our own food. I hope that doesn't make us arrogant!
Personalities of train passengers vary just as in the rest of life. Maybe we were just always lucky, but we never had a problem with anyone.
If I were sitting with someone and had extra wrapped snacks, I'd offer some, sure. But we always used the dining car and didn't bring our own food. I hope that doesn't make us arrogant!
Personalities of train passengers vary just as in the rest of life. Maybe we were just always lucky, but we never had a problem with anyone.
Texan Eagle
Conductor
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And this, my friends, is the Sleeper class snobbery that few others above have talked about and some have dismissed it as non-existent. Isn't the whole idea of community Diner supposed to be that you meet and eat with different types of co-passengers? Why pick and choose your own tablemates beforehand? If there was something seriously wrong with the previously encountered tablemates I am sure informing the train staff would have resulted in appropriate action upto and including them being evicted from the train. If they did not do anything that serious, and yet you do not want to risk seeing them again and choose your own tablemates, sorry but I have to say that's Sleeper class snobbery.
I have not had as many Am-meals as some of you folks, but in the few that I have had, as a coach passenger and Sleeper passenger with tablemates being Coach and Sleeper passengers too, I have had a few really memorable conversations ranging from two aged women on transcontinental vacation after their husbands' deaths to a lady whose husband was a drug peddler on Texas-Mexico border areas to a Japanese man who could not speak English but loved riding Amtrak to some folks who are just very quiet and would not initiate any conversation, just eat and go. I haven't been picky about whom do I want to sit with.
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