Attire in the Dining Car...

[PetalumaLoco]

Would you rather spend dinner talking to adolf hitler in his formal **** uniform or John the Baptist in his camel hair clothes?

My German is terrible

Your Aramaic is better?

 

[Donctor]

Would you rather spend dinner talking to adolf hitler in his formal **** uniform or John the Baptist in his camel hair clothes?

My German is terrible

Your Aramaic is better?

Yes

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Would you rather spend dinner talking to adolf hitler in his formal **** uniform or John the Baptist in his camel hair clothes?

My German is terrible

Your Aramaic is better?

Yes

Good shot!

 

[Trainmans daughter]

With the exeption of "Teddi Girl" who showed up here a few months ago, I really don't care what anyone wears. When traveling, you've got to be comfortable. My only problem is with passengers don't have a personal relationship with soap and deodorant!

 

[PetalumaLoco]

With the exeption of "Teddi Girl" who showed up here a few months ago, I really don't care what anyone wears. When traveling, you've got to be comfortable. My only problem is with passengers don't have a personal relationship with soap and deodorant!

Yes!!!

 

[Donctor]

With the exeption of "Teddi Girl" who showed up here a few months ago, I really don't care what anyone wears. When traveling, you've got to be comfortable. My only problem is with passengers don't have a personal relationship with soap and deodorant!

It really bothers me when someone comes to the diner for breakfast without brushing their teeth. If said person (or people, which has happened to me before) talk non-stop, it is unbearable.

 

[JayPea]

With the exeption of "Teddi Girl" who showed up here a few months ago, I really don't care what anyone wears. When traveling, you've got to be comfortable. My only problem is with passengers don't have a personal relationship with soap and deodorant!

I agree 100%. At my best, I may look like I dressed in front of an airplane propeller but soap, deodorant, and toothpaste and a toothbrush are a definite must. Fortunately in my travels I can't recall meeting anyone in a dining car that hadn't partaken of any of the three.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

With the exeption of "Teddi Girl" who showed up here a few months ago, I really don't care what anyone wears. When traveling, you've got to be comfortable. My only problem is with passengers don't have a personal relationship with soap and deodorant!

I agree 100%. At my best, I may look like I dressed in front of an airplane propeller but soap, deodorant, and toothpaste and a toothbrush are a definite must. Fortunately in my travels I can't recall meeting anyone in a dining car that hadn't partaken of any of the three.

One of my favorite phrases when I meet my morning table-mates; "Pardon me if I look like I slept on a train".

I may be a little rumpled, but I am clean and fresh.

Most get a kick out of it, good way to break the ice.

 

[railiner]

And please leave any backwards-facing baseball or other hats at your seat.

 

[ScottC4746]

I tend to be more formal than others. My attire consists of:

Day: polo type shirt and shorts (summer) Jeans (winter), socks and athletic shoes

Night: polot type shirt, no shorts but I do wear Jeans, socks, and athletic shoes

Overnight: sleepwear so if there is an emergency and we need to disembark, I am ready.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I wonder if kilts are allowed. h34r:

 

[haolerider]

The way you dress is a reflection of who you are!! When you are in public, you should be well dressed.It doesn't take much effort to put on a clean shirt, pressed pants and proper shoes.

It also helps if you comb your hair and have a smile on your face!!

Happy Traveling.

And who I am is someone that does not wish to know someone who ignores me simply because I sometimes come across as a slob. Right now, as dressed for national train day, I am wearing a two-tone Amtrak shirt (of the kind they were selling on the webstore a few years back), a pair of dark blue sweats bleach stained in a few places, a pair of long gym sox, a brown pair of DeWalt composite-toed safety boots, and an Omega Seamaster wrist watch on a black nylon NATO-style strap. (and briefs, if anyone is interested- I hope you aren't! )

I dress for comfort. T-shirts, loose ones in particular, are not confining. I don't like jeans- they are too stiff and abrasive. Sweat pants are not. When I'm working in my shop, I wear coveralls or overalls, because I need the protection of the tougher material, but otherwise its sweats. I wear the boots for the same reason.

I actually intended to aim for nicer pants this morning, as in unstained. I find the attire comfortable. I don't wear tight shirts, I'm aware that I don't look pleasant in them. While, on the one hand, I am kind hearted enough to not subject people to things they'd really not want to see, I also am not looking to impress people with the way I dress.

In fact, I tend to distinctly attempt to avoid it. Why? I don't suffer fools gladly, and I REALLY don't suffer people I consider shallow gladly. If my looking like a slob means that what I say is less valuable to you, I'd rather not hold the conversation.

Beyond that... I wear XXL or XXXL shirts. I can buy perfectly acceptable t-shirts at Foot Locker, 3 for $10. Or I could buy Polo-type shirts, at Frank's Big & Tall, for $15 a piece. If I need twelve shirts for my daily rotation... $40 vs. $180. $140 I can spend on myself for things I like... such as a 82.3% of a round trip ticket from New York to Chicago.

Pants even more so, 2XL and 52". I can buy 2 pairs of Champion (a name brand, and decent quality) for $10 at BJ's. Or I can buy one pair of Khaki's or Jeans at Frank's- $50. If I need twelve pairs of pants, its $60 vs. $600. Which buys me the other 17.7% of my round trip fare, Audrey's round trip fare ($170), and roomette accommodations both ways ($376), with some money left over to cover tips.

What gives me more utility? Impressing people impressed by my spending money on clothing or taking a enjoyable trip to Chicago in sleeper with my girlfriend? Gee, I wonder!

I really don't care what you wear, but you cannot be very healthy carrying that much weight and girth. It is none of my business (and I know you will tell me so, in your own caustic way), but having been through a number of weight related health issues I would encourage you to lose some of that extra weight you are lugging around. A comment meant in all seriousness, not "picking on you".

 

[Palmland]

It seems to me that how we dress has more to do about our opinion of ourselves than any notion of comfort.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I really don't care what you wear, but you cannot be very healthy carrying that much weight and girth. It is none of my business (and I know you will tell me so, in your own caustic way), but having been through a number of weight related health issues I would encourage you to lose some of that extra weight you are lugging around. A comment meant in all seriousness, not "picking on you".

Well, yes, it is none of your business- obviously. I do work towards losing weight, but the issue is where it is distributed these days. From playing far too much football, I have a 22" neck. That, in general, tends to dictate large shirts. Not saying I don't have size on top of that, but its a factor.

I'm generally healthy, I just happen to be overweight. I walk several miles a day, do general workouts, and in my own way I'm cutting back what I eat a bit.

And Palmland, it varies from person to person, I would think.

 

[had8ley]

The walk plates in between cars do have a tendency to bite, sandals and flip flops especially. When this happens it can cause MAJOR DISTRESS to the passenger and crew.The crew now has to make a decision. Do they call an ambulance or a to(e)w truck?

:lol:

Maybe that's why AAA gives a discount on Amtrak :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Pastor Dave]

The way you dress is a reflection of who you are!! When you are in public, you should be well dressed.It doesn't take much effort to put on a clean shirt, pressed pants and proper shoes.

It also helps if you comb your hair and have a smile on your face!!

Happy Traveling.

Greetings All!

Great thread.

I think the most important thing is to have a smile on your face. I've been seated with folks in suit and tie, and jeans and a t-shirt. But personality always seems to matter most. Some of the most "proper" in dress have been the most surley in attitude and some of the sloppier have been the nicest folks I've ever met.

I still keep in touch with a guy I met on the Crescent over 10 years ago. He had a scraggly beard, wore a leather vest, and would have never made the cover of GQ. But he had a personality that won you over. Wear a smile, be genuinely interested in your tablemates, and the clothing won't make that much of a difference.

Dave

 

[lthanlon]

Then there was young couple across the table from me on a CZ trip last year who actually removed items of clothing as they groped and felt their way through dinner while feeding each other tasty morsels as if they were in some Fellini movie. Sheesh! Ask the conductor for a room upgrade!

 

[Montanan]

Mark me firmly in the flip-flops category ... I've ridden just about all of Amtrak's long-distance network by now, some trains multiple times, and nearly always in flip-flops. No problems with them at all, and never a second glance from crew.

Everybody has their own fashion sense, and in a setting like a train I think that's fine. To me, for example, polyester stretch pants are the most disgusting things ever, but I've met people wearing them who were actually pretty nice, despite their awful fashion sense. You simply shouldn't judge people that way.

As for the dining car, though, I do have two requests: if you're going to sit next to me, put on some clean clothes first (whatever they are) and wash up. Nothing worse than being stuck next to someone who smells like they've been traveling in a coach for three days without bothering to clean up.

 

[roomette]

Mark me firmly in the flip-flops category ... I've ridden just about all of Amtrak's long-distance network by now, some trains multiple times, and nearly always in flip-flops. No problems with them at all, and never a second glance from crew.
Everybody has their own fashion sense, and in a setting like a train I think that's fine. To me, for example, polyester stretch pants are the most disgusting things ever, but I've met people wearing them who were actually pretty nice, despite their awful fashion sense. You simply shouldn't judge people that way.

As for the dining car, though, I do have two requests: if you're going to sit next to me, put on some clean clothes first (whatever they are) and wash up. Nothing worse than being stuck next to someone who smells like they've been traveling in a coach for three days without bothering to clean up.

And brush your teeth and gargle. But if your bad breath comes from way deep down, then please don't speak. I sat next to a guy on the EB the other day whose breath wilted the carnation and nearly set the table cloth ablaze. And he just kept talking! It was awful. Lotta eye rolling. From my table mates. I couldn't care less how he was dressed at that point.

 

[Donctor]

In terms of behavior, I don't actually mind that much when people don't talk. What I have encountered and do mind:

• People who see I'm of the "younger generation" and spend the entire meal talking about how much of a disappointment their child/grandchild is.
  
• The couple who spent the entire meal recounting their recent wedding, their honeymoon in Maui, discussing how beautiful their children will be, and how it's not really fair for the wife to spring something like that upon the husband in public. The silently crying wife was a particularly nice touch. It was horrible. One of my good friends now refuses to ride Amtrak.
  
• The David Sedaris-esque man we had the misfortune of being seated with on 49 in 2008. Complained about the Diner-Lite food for the entire meal, made audible jabs at the staff, and didn't tip despite being served food that wasn't even on the menu. Staff went way out of the way for him. Jerk.
  
• People who see that I'm tipping and assume I'm tipping for the entire table.
  

 

[PerRock]

General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.

Notwithstanding that, it might be a good idea to wear something that covers your private parts too . Typically a pair of pants or a skirt (or a kilt if you are Scottish) is recommended but I suppose a very long shirt could do the trick :lol:

Lol, I have actually been tempted to do that, in the past, go into a place where it said "no shoes, no shirt, no service", without pants on, and demand to be served. I'd almost be scared to do it today tho, as politically correct as everyone's gotten.

Have you heard about the group: Improv Everywhere in NYC? They do an annual no pants Subway ride on the NYCTA. Its gotten HUGE with probably hundreds of people riding the NYCTA without pants on that day. its even spread across the globe into other cities.

Their website: http://improveverywhere.com/

The Page on the No Pants Rides: http://improveverywhere.com/missions/the-n...ts-subway-ride/

peter

 

[Tumbleweed]

General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.

Notwithstanding that, it might be a good idea to wear something that covers your private parts too . Typically a pair of pants or a skirt (or a kilt if you are Scottish) is recommended but I suppose a very long shirt could do the trick :lol:

Lol, I have actually been tempted to do that, in the past, go into a place where it said "no shoes, no shirt, no service", without pants on, and demand to be served. I'd almost be scared to do it today tho, as politically correct as everyone's gotten.

Have you heard about the group: Improv Everywhere in NYC? They do an annual no pants Subway ride on the NYCTA. Its gotten HUGE with probably hundreds of people riding the NYCTA without pants on that day. its even spread across the globe into other cities.

Their website: http://improveverywhere.com/

The Page on the No Pants Rides: http://improveverywhere.com/missions/the-n...ts-subway-ride/

peter

Now that's just weird......