2 Millionth AGR Member Promotion

[BlueJeanGirl]

Yes, that was me! I'm glad you chased me down to hand me your ticket :lol:

I love what I do. Can you tell?

Travel light!

~BJG

My own ride was IRV-SNA and the conductor (or whatever the actual title is; LSA?) asked if I was riding to get the bonus today. I said yes and she commented that I was the fourth person that day riding only one stop to get the bonus.She was pretty friendly and having a good time.

Wandered around the Santa Ana station which I hadn't been inside of for about 15 years for awhile. Then I hopped a Metrolink back to my car. Had the 785 been on time; I might have taken the 784 back, but I missed it.

Looks like chuljin and I were on the same train; just at different stations.

 

[mucomix]

We just got home from our points run KC to Hermann MO and back. Some good wine to be had in Hermann. I think we brought back 14 bottles.

You got MY VOTE for the BEST AGR POINTS RUN of the day!

If Hermann MO and I bet Washington MO had good ground transport it would be a good day overnight trip for us in the KC & St Louis region. It would not take much for the wineries just out of walking range to have a call up shuttle. One could spend a good day at the Stone hill winery it's self. Not to short change others in town. A operation the size of Stone hill has some one with time to run a van to town a few times a day.

In short not a bad train run you could fill out your turn around time and have a good afternoon close the the Amtrak stop. Be ready to walk if you want to see more. With a little effort on part of the town/CC Hermann MO could be turned in to a great stop. but it is not there at this time.

The AGR point's run was a good excuse for a short recon trip. We will run over in the car for a good look around.

 

[mucomix]

And by the way I made a pest of myself asking if anyone was on a point run. The term AGR was enough to draw a blank stare. I hold out hopes for big points (In my dreams the NEC will eat them up).

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well the ride on a train is the main thing of course,and as Mark Twain said: "Theres three kinds of lies: lies,damn lies and STATISTICS!" The wine run sounds cool,my little trip was a repeat but I still got to eat @ a great diner(not on a train but better food!),tour the rail museum in the old Santa Fe depot and be back home before dark,the points and the bonus points were nice(LOL),whatever shows up in OCT will be gravy,but I havent seen a post yet regretting that they took a trip on the train!!Sour grapes are just that,to each his own etc. but a ride on a train is like what Bob Dylan said: "..it can cure the soul,can make it whole.."

 

[Cascadia]

Took 148 from MET to NRO. Had about 70 % load. I know at least one more person was on board in BC from NYP to NRO taking advantage of the promo.

This makes ZERO mathematical sense. The NYP-NRO trip costs at lest $20. You can buy points for about 40/$1. (550 for $13.75 currently.) The ride back from NRO to NYP wasn't free, so increase the trip cost. And a very good estimate of points for this promotion is 200, 300 tops. So those (say) 300 points could be purchased for about $8. Why pay over $20, and endure the hassle of a round trip to nowhere, to "take part in the promotion" when you could get more points for less money by doing nothing?

Do some people really think they'll get thousands of points from yesterday's trip? The mathematical ineptitude of many Americans is astounding (in a sad way).

I don't think "mathematical ineptitude" enters into it at all. For me, I did it for FUN. It was something to do on a beautiful day, an excuse to look at beautiful scenery and I had the added thrill of riding the new service coming from Vancouver BC for the first time.

I also gambled on even being able to catch the return train, which was waiting for us to pass at the stop where I got off the train. So it was just a silly thing to do for me. I have done the math you did, in the past, and realized that wanting an excuse to ride the train down and back one stop for a cost of 18.00 wasn't a good value even for double points. Thursday I said the hell with it. I wanted to get out of the house.

So there. Are you European? What do you do for fun when you want to go see some scenery and some people and get out of the house? I don't drive so I can't go for a joyride in my car. I walk everywhere for transportation and am on my feet at work all day so going for a walk isn't as recreational as it sounds sometimes.

You know what else? I kind of wanted to do this because the other members here were doing it! Kind of silly but here we all are talking about it. That's kind of neat.

 

[alanh]

Another vote for "fun". This gave me an excuse to go down to Tucson. I had a nice dinner and enjoyed the block party the city was having downtown. I got on the SL, had a beer in the lounge while riding to Maricopa. I realize that with the gas and ticket it's not a financial win, but it was a fairly cheap night out.

 

[NJCoastExp]

Yes, instead of sitting in front of TV, I went on a trip that was just for pleasure of riding and only cheap AMTRAK option for where I am located and available timing (after work). $50 I spent on Amtrak, parking and return commuter tickets is worth the ride to me.

 

[sechs]

as Mark Twain said: "Theres three kinds of lies: lies,damn lies and STATISTICS!"

You mean Benjamin Disraeli.

 

[Bob Dylan]

as Mark Twain said: "Theres three kinds of lies: lies,damn lies and STATISTICS!"

You mean Benjamin Disraeli.

I stand corrected sir, I believe that Mark Twain quoted Disraeli in his social commentary,my memory is not what it used to be since we helped Moses carry the tablets off the mountain so many,many years ago! :lol:

 

[Ispolkom]

as Mark Twain said: "Theres three kinds of lies: lies,damn lies and STATISTICS!"

You mean Benjamin Disraeli.

You mean Charles Wentworth Dilke. Or maybe Leonard Courtney.

 

[sechs]

In any case, a British guy, and not Twain....

 

[RTOlson]

I've posted some photos from my Thursday trip here.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I've posted some photos from my Thursday trip here.

Good pics,makes me think of the song "California Dreaming"!Bet it was a fun ride,some pretty nice old buildings and stations!Thanks for the post!

 

[rrdude]

Great photos, being from the East Coast now, I have not seen many interior shots of Cali Cars. I had to laff at the waste and recycle bins though. Personally I believe they are a VAST improvement over the "paper bags" Amtrak used in the late 70's early 80's.

To THIS DAY, I still can't open a paper grocery bag to be used for ANYthing (recycling, trash, or just to carry something) WITHOUT folding down the tops, "neatly and crisply" like they taught us at Amtrak training............. many, many, moons ago....

 

[RTOlson]

I thought the bins were kinda funny too. I think they are an interesting supplement to the receptacles scattered throughout the train.

 

[mucomix]

The Mrs and myself had a good afternoon together. In the long run that is worth more than any AGR point's we may get.

 

[mucomix]

In any case, a British guy, and not Twain....

This may not post right but it looks like you have a nice train out in CA. I enjoyed the pic's.

 

[alanh]

The regular points for my trip on the 20th just posted -- dated the 18th. D'oh. I suppose I'll have to try to get them to fix it. Ordinarily that wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a one day promotion....

 

[Ryan]

From the T&C of this promotion:

Northeast Regional travel must be a minimum of $35 per qualifying trip one-way or $70 per roundtrip.

You would get the 100 bonus for coach on the summer promotion for each ticket.

They obviously had people taking short trips in mind.

Crap, I never noticed that - I've been doing short trips last week and this week with the bigger bonus in mind. Still, 200 points for 12 or 18 bucks isn't that bad a gig, and the real point is to get over the top on select (I'm getting close!).

Interestingly enough, I just got the 200 bonus points posted for all of the BWI-WAS travel I did over the course of those two weeks, despite the T&C saying that I wouldn't.

Hopefully AGR won't realize the error.

My points for the 20th just posted for the correct day, so I've just got to wait for the bonus points and the 2MM points.

 

[jack615]

It didnt say anything about $35 one way or 70 rt for the 2 mil promotion anywhere, is that for another promotion?

 

[transit54]

It didnt say anything about $35 one way or 70 rt for the 2 mil promotion anywhere, is that for another promotion?

Yes, that's for bonus points for riding on the northeast corridor. Entirely different promotion. I bought a $7.50 ticket for the 2 million promo.

 

[rrdude]

Mine, well, ONE LEG of my trip, posted yesterday, but none of the bonus, or the return trip has.........

 

[IHC]

The regular points for my trip on the 20th just posted -- dated the 18th. D'oh. I suppose I'll have to try to get them to fix it. Ordinarily that wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a one day promotion....

Same here. I did a round trip and one way posted as the 20th and the return posted as the 21st. Can't they get anything right??? :angry:

 

[ScottC4746]

The regular points for my trip on the 20th just posted -- dated the 18th. D'oh. I suppose I'll have to try to get them to fix it. Ordinarily that wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a one day promotion....

Same here. I did a round trip and one way posted as the 20th and the return posted as the 21st. Can't they get anything right??? :angry:

There are two columns. A post date and a travel date...the travel date is towards the right hand side. It matters not what the post date shows, as long as the travel date is 8/20.

 

[Ryan]

The regular points for my trip on the 20th just posted -- dated the 18th. D'oh. I suppose I'll have to try to get them to fix it. Ordinarily that wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a one day promotion....

Same here. I did a round trip and one way posted as the 20th and the return posted as the 21st. Can't they get anything right??? :angry:

They got mine right