Ferroequinologist
Lead Service Attendant
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- Jan 18, 2016
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I'd be interested in any comments on recent LD trips.
Anyone been on LD trains recently?
- Thread starter Ferroequinologist
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I have taken three circle trips using every LD train since May. No problems. A sleeper is the safest way to travel. You have to wear a mask in the sightseer car,at your coach seat and whenever moving about. Only disappointment is the flexible dining. Other than those differences,traveling on Amtrak is still a great way to travel
Just did WIL-DEN on the Cardinal & CZ. Will be doing the reverse starting tonight. Sleepers all the way.
On the Cardinal we ate in our rooms since the “diner” is also the cafe car.
In the CZ, I had dinner in the diner - no community seating and tables used were zigzagged so no one was across from you or in front or back of you.
On the Cardinal we ate in our rooms since the “diner” is also the cafe car.
In the CZ, I had dinner in the diner - no community seating and tables used were zigzagged so no one was across from you or in front or back of you.
tricia
Conductor
Same table arrangement and no community seating in the diner on the Sunset Ltd earlier this week. The LSA gave us the option of getting something from the cafe car instead of the flex menu in the diner.
We spent nearly all of our time on the train in our roomette. Outside the roomette, masks were required. I was glad to have brought along a spray bottle of alcohol to sanitize handles etc in the rest room.
We spent nearly all of our time on the train in our roomette. Outside the roomette, masks were required. I was glad to have brought along a spray bottle of alcohol to sanitize handles etc in the rest room.
Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
I have to wonder just how common this is? Seems to me to be a pretty good choice to offer.
Ferroequinologist
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2016
- Messages
- 374
How was the room temp? Do you have an idea about what temperature? Also how busy were the sleepers?
vinceg723
Train Attendant
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- Jun 12, 2009
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I’m just wrapping up a week on the Cardinal, Zephyr, Coast Starlight and now Surfliner (one stop to go and I’m off). I was in coach all the way.
I have felt mostly safe. Masks seem to be adhered to 80-90 pct of the time. People are well spaced. Except for maybe lining up to get out of the car, I never felt in close proximity to anyone
The Starlight even had sanitizer everywhere for people to use. I am dreading it but will likely get a covid test tomorrow to be sure.
I have felt mostly safe. Masks seem to be adhered to 80-90 pct of the time. People are well spaced. Except for maybe lining up to get out of the car, I never felt in close proximity to anyone
The Starlight even had sanitizer everywhere for people to use. I am dreading it but will likely get a covid test tomorrow to be sure.
tricia
Conductor
On the SL this past week, it was goshawful hot in our roomette--but we were on the south-facing side of the train, going through some very hot desert.
Since we stayed mostly in our roomette, I'm unsure how full the train was. My impression was no more than half the sleeper rooms occupied. The roomette directly across from us was vacant the entire way from Lousiana to Tucson.
Ferroequinologist
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2016
- Messages
- 374
What was the AC problem? Just turned up too high? They couldn't adjust it?
tricia
Conductor
Perhaps just too much sun on my side of the train.
I didn't even try to take it up with our SCA, who was actively hostile from the get-go. First words of greeting when we were boarding: "You have too much stuff." Not accompanied by any help with getting our baggage on board. Most of what we brought we left on the rack downstairs for the entire trip--station where we boarded did not have checked baggage service.
crescent-zephyr
Engineer
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My favorite greeting ever was on the empire builder when boarding at St. Paul. The SCA looked at my ticket and said “huh, well now I have to go get that room ready. Just wait here.”
If I were running Amtrak, one change that wouldn't cost a penny: Require staff to greet passengers as they board with "Welcome aboard." How different crescent-zephyr's boarding would have felt if it started with "Welcome aboard. I'm afraid your room isn't ready, so if you could just wait here for a bit while I get it ready for you." Cost: zero, except for about three seconds of time. Benefit to Amtrak: Passenger feels welcomed and perhaps more likely to travel Amtrak again. Secondary benefit to SCA: Probability of tip increased.
Dakota 400
Engineer
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- Mar 5, 2014
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Some PR training for new hires and a mandatory refresher course every 6-12 months might help.
Charles785
Service Attendant
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- Nov 24, 2017
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But those sleeping car attendents are not children. They're supposed to be adult professionals. Why the heck don't they have the basic presence of mind to extend themselves, as flitcrat said, just welcome customers aboard.
Do they really need management to remind they that they are there to serve the customer? And even if they don't care about the customer has it occurred to them that their tips might be higher if their customers leave feeling grateful for the service and friendliness provided?
If they're not willing to do that, why on earth do they work in the customer service business? Is it possible they feel their labor union will protect them even if they're surly to customers?
Do they really need management to remind they that they are there to serve the customer? And even if they don't care about the customer has it occurred to them that their tips might be higher if their customers leave feeling grateful for the service and friendliness provided?
If they're not willing to do that, why on earth do they work in the customer service business? Is it possible they feel their labor union will protect them even if they're surly to customers?
Some people were raised in blunt, frank, unmannerly, and/or rough households and did not develop manners or the common sense that comes along with manners. Such people do need to be trained to be polite and friendly, crazy as it sounds, as they did not grow up with those habits. I know a lot of people from that background. Also, some of my very polite, kind Asian friends thought that saying "Please" and "thank you" were a waste of breath because the sentiment is often not really behind the phrase.
Please, It's not where you come from that creates good or bad habits.
I didn't say it was, but I did suggest that family has an influence and I'm sticking with that.
Actually our last trip on the LSL started just like that. Very pleasant SCA greeted us by name at the boarding door in Buffalo-Depew, apologized that our room had been occupied until then and would need to be made up. She suggested we could leave our bags in the room across the hall, followed by "I think they're still serving breakfast in the dining car." (2016 - real dining car, real bacon and eggs) When we returned our bags were neatly placed on the floor in front of the seats, the room was spotless and even smelled nice. Although an all-daytime trip, the cost of a roomette was only slightly more than coach and included 2 meals, which were actually worth having.
Dakota 400
Engineer
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- Mar 5, 2014
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I have worked with enough different families during my career so that I can support your statement. A dysfunctional family often produces dysfunctional children who lack the social graces that many of us learned. Those dysfunctional children sometimes are able to overcome that problem as they mature. Sometimes not.
I thought you were painting with a pretty broad brush. But hey, have a nice day.
Really? Then where are good or bad habits created?
You know, I think good habits help to form good habits, and I've also seen some really nice people come from really bad places.
MilwaukeeRoadLover
Train Attendant
We had something like this on the last segment of an eastbound return of the EB last week: from the CONDUCTOR. she greeted people at every stop, explained where things were on train, explained in detail when we ran into issues, and had the dining car and cafe car attendants indicate dining options. She was a far cry from the previous conductor who basically told began the journey with threats and warnings.
Our last trip was Cardinal PHL to CHI - EB CHI to WFH 8/9-8/11 then return same routes on 9/17-9/19. PHL lounge did have snacks and drinks. The CHI lounge was maybe 25% full and there were no snacks or drinks, not even water. We went for lunch during our layover at the Greek Island in Greektown and enjoyed indoor seating. Trains were about half full. No cafe car seating on the Card. On the EB they seated you in the dining car. On the EB it seemed that 50% of the passengers both ways were Amish or Hutterite who were unconcerned about Covid 19. We moved about the train freely just as usual. . The contemporary dining may be tolerable for one meal but for six it was sickening. All in all it was nice going to a part of the country where we enjoyed indoor dining and limited infringements on our movements. Glacier National Park was outstanding.
