Best of the Lounge Lizards

[Peggy]

Well crap. I dunno how to label myself.

A holier than thou sleeper person or a lowly coacher..... :unsure:

My first LD trip is in a couple of weeks and I have a sleeper for the two 24 hours legs and am coaching it on the two 16 hour ones.

As a lowly bookseller, I've saved up to afford the sleepers partly for privacy and partly for some rest.

For the coach part, I plan on bringing my eye mask and ear plugs.

I guess I can pretend to be Elizabeth Taylor from Fort worth to Chicago and Elly Mae Clampett from Chicago to Albany.

:giggle:

I'll tell you what you'll be. An Amtrak passenger who has paid (with $ or points) to ride the train, just like everyone else on the train (excluding the crew).

That's pretty much my thinkin' on it!!!

 

[Braniff747SP]

Agreed that it'd be nice if Amtrak had cheaper sleeping accommodations (a la Europe, maybe, rooms being shared with four?).

On the topic, I can't see how sleeping in the SSL can be more comfortable than the coach seats, but I'm not using the car at 2AM, so I could care less.

Curiously, on the Starlight, I have seen people in sleeping bags sleeping in the arcade. Not a bad idea if you come prepared with a sleeping bad and mat.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

During the Chicago Town Hall meeting, Mr. Boardman did have a talk about rules, and not been a big fan of more rules. It was a few years back, and we (the town) were talking about some other pax issue.

Personal I don't hang out in the lounge, just not my thing. On my last trip LSL + TE never made it to the lounge once.

I have see the homeless shelter on the City of New Orleans. The crew had a door open, so only half the lounge had sleepers. The other side near the open door had to much noise for them.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I just had my worst Amtrak experience ever. I got on the CS at MTZ and went to the SSL. I could not sleep so I started a conversation with the guy in the booth across from me. He knew a lot about trains. A woman sleeping on one of the 3 combo seats tells us to keep it down. I tell her this is the car designated for conversations and if she wants quiet to go to another car. She grumbled and my conversation partner decided to leave.
Later two other passengers were talking at a booth. At one point they asked me what I was doing. I said, "Sudoku" and held up the book. 5 minutes later the complainer starts ranting about how we are yelling across the car. I pointed out the two people who were talking were sitting in the same booth and I was quietly completing my puzzle. She continued to scream that we were the rudest people on earth, couldn't we see people were trying to sleep. I informed her the SSL is for conversation at night, if she wanted quiet she should sleep in a quiet car which is any car on the train but the SSL. I refused to be bullied into silence. The other passengers sleeping there started to yell "shut up" and "If you don't shut up I will come over there and beat you." One of the people who was talking left and thing went quiet.

My first conversation partner returned. I asked him to sit with me so we could talk. He did but he also whispered so I could not hear him over the train noise. He kept glancing nervously at the complainer and after he figured out there was no way to have a quiet conversation he left again.

An hour after the outburst an Amtrak employee walked through I complained. He quietly announced, "The SSL is for convesation," and walked away. This was the same employee that the first time I slept in the SSL woke everyone up when he came on and 20 minutes before each stop to ask their destination.

The threat of assault triggered my PTSD. I find this situation totally unacceptable. Something needs to be done!

I've also found an increasing amount of arrogant passengers on Amtrak. Some don't believe me, but now you see what I'm talking about. Ranting, degrading, and other outrageous behaviour done by passenger.

 

[gmushial]

We were on the CZ last week and the lounge car attendant has to repeatedly announce that the "Amtrak Slumber Party was over" and if you'd like to continue sleeping, please go back to your seat. That didn't stop people from sleeping there all day.

Almost sounds like the behavior varies per the crowd. I was on the CZ #5 (19th). Luck of the draw, or maybe just how the crew runs the show. I have nothing but good to say about the Chicago crew we had: friendly, useful, got stuff done, never MIA, and ran a tight ship (so it seems).

 

[benjibear]

I just had my worst Amtrak experience ever. I got on the CS at MTZ and went to the SSL. I could not sleep so I started a conversation with the guy in the booth across from me. He knew a lot about trains. A woman sleeping on one of the 3 combo seats tells us to keep it down. I tell her this is the car designated for conversations and if she wants quiet to go to another car. She grumbled and my conversation partner decided to leave.
Later two other passengers were talking at a booth. At one point they asked me what I was doing. I said, "Sudoku" and held up the book. 5 minutes later the complainer starts ranting about how we are yelling across the car. I pointed out the two people who were talking were sitting in the same booth and I was quietly completing my puzzle. She continued to scream that we were the rudest people on earth, couldn't we see people were trying to sleep. I informed her the SSL is for conversation at night, if she wanted quiet she should sleep in a quiet car which is any car on the train but the SSL. I refused to be bullied into silence. The other passengers sleeping there started to yell "shut up" and "If you don't shut up I will come over there and beat you." One of the people who was talking left and thing went quiet.

My first conversation partner returned. I asked him to sit with me so we could talk. He did but he also whispered so I could not hear him over the train noise. He kept glancing nervously at the complainer and after he figured out there was no way to have a quiet conversation he left again.

An hour after the outburst an Amtrak employee walked through I complained. He quietly announced, "The SSL is for convesation," and walked away. This was the same employee that the first time I slept in the SSL woke everyone up when he came on and 20 minutes before each stop to ask their destination.

The threat of assault triggered my PTSD. I find this situation totally unacceptable. Something needs to be done!

I've also found an increasing amount of arrogant passengers on Amtrak. Some don't believe me, but now you see what I'm talking about. Ranting, degrading, and other outrageous behaviour done by passenger.

I think you can say that about everywhere and everything.

 

[gmushial]

I just had my worst Amtrak experience ever. I got on the CS at MTZ and went to the SSL. I could not sleep so I started a conversation with the guy in the booth across from me. He knew a lot about trains. A woman sleeping on one of the 3 combo seats tells us to keep it down. I tell her this is the car designated for conversations and if she wants quiet to go to another car. She grumbled and my conversation partner decided to leave.
Later two other passengers were talking at a booth. At one point they asked me what I was doing. I said, "Sudoku" and held up the book. 5 minutes later the complainer starts ranting about how we are yelling across the car. I pointed out the two people who were talking were sitting in the same booth and I was quietly completing my puzzle. She continued to scream that we were the rudest people on earth, couldn't we see people were trying to sleep. I informed her the SSL is for conversation at night, if she wanted quiet she should sleep in a quiet car which is any car on the train but the SSL. I refused to be bullied into silence. The other passengers sleeping there started to yell "shut up" and "If you don't shut up I will come over there and beat you." One of the people who was talking left and thing went quiet.

My first conversation partner returned. I asked him to sit with me so we could talk. He did but he also whispered so I could not hear him over the train noise. He kept glancing nervously at the complainer and after he figured out there was no way to have a quiet conversation he left again.

An hour after the outburst an Amtrak employee walked through I complained. He quietly announced, "The SSL is for convesation," and walked away. This was the same employee that the first time I slept in the SSL woke everyone up when he came on and 20 minutes before each stop to ask their destination.

The threat of assault triggered my PTSD. I find this situation totally unacceptable. Something needs to be done!

I've also found an increasing amount of arrogant passengers on Amtrak. Some don't believe me, but now you see what I'm talking about. Ranting, degrading, and other outrageous behaviour done by passenger.

Maybe related to the time of the year, ie, during the summer one gets the "take Amtrak because it's cheaper crowd," but the rest of the year one finds more serious train people. That would more or less match what I saw in May on the CZ, vs this last week - the crowd in May was a delight; last week there were too many "bozos on this bus."

 

[JayPea]

Well crap. I dunno how to label myself.

A holier than thou sleeper person or a lowly coacher..... :unsure:

My first LD trip is in a couple of weeks and I have a sleeper for the two 24 hours legs and am coaching it on the two 16 hour ones.

As a lowly bookseller, I've saved up to afford the sleepers partly for privacy and partly for some rest.

For the coach part, I plan on bringing my eye mask and ear plugs.

I guess I can pretend to be Elizabeth Taylor from Fort worth to Chicago and Elly Mae Clampett from Chicago to Albany.

:giggle:

I'll tell you what you'll be. An Amtrak passenger who has paid (with $ or points) to ride the train, just like everyone else on the train (excluding the crew).

EX-ACT-LY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't for the life of me figure out why we have to label folks from either coaches OR sleepers. I realize most of the antagonism toward sleeper passengers is in response to a few misguided individuals who seem to think all coach riders are scum-sucking slimeballs, which to me is repugnant. Still, why label anyone anything? As for me, I travel both. I'm not going to pay for a sleeper from my "home" station, Spokane, when I'm only traveling to Portland, Seattle, or Glacier Park. On the other hand, I'm not going to ride in coach on a long-distance train, if I can help it. I had to one time when a long-distance trip on the CZ from Chicago to Sacramento was cancelled, and the only alternative was coach to Los Angeles on the SWC and bedroom to Sacramento (and eventually Seattle). I survived, and the experience really wasn't bad, but I prefer the privacy and comfort of a sleeper. And NOT because I'm some stuck-up hoity-toity. My sleeper trips are courtesy of AGR. Since I travel coach for day trips and sleeper on overnight (or several overnights) I guess that makes me a flip-flopper, hypocrite, or a syncophant. I really think we ought to be able to travel on Amtrak in our preferred accomodations without the busybodies minding our business for us. :angry:

Oh, and as for the lounge issue: I, like Just-Thinking, don't really use the lounge car much. Not even the PPC on the Coast Starlight, really. I'm too antisocial for that. I prefer the solitude of my room in a sleeper, or my seat in coach, though make an exception for that in the diner, where I really enjoy getting to meet people from all walks of life and from other countries

 

[henryj]

I always travel in a sleeper so I haven't encountered these types as by the time they drift to the lounge car I am asleep in my nice private room. As for the slumber coach people.........the superliners and viewliners roomettes are better than a slumber coach. They are actually upper and lower berths with a door instead of a curtain. The luxury accommodations are the bedrooms. If you want slumber coach prices then plan to share your roomette with a stranger as they do in Europe.

 

[Peggy]

Well crap. I dunno how to label myself.

A holier than thou sleeper person or a lowly coacher..... :unsure:

My first LD trip is in a couple of weeks and I have a sleeper for the two 24 hours legs and am coaching it on the two 16 hour ones.

As a lowly bookseller, I've saved up to afford the sleepers partly for privacy and partly for some rest.

For the coach part, I plan on bringing my eye mask and ear plugs.

I guess I can pretend to be Elizabeth Taylor from Fort worth to Chicago and Elly Mae Clampett from Chicago to Albany.

:giggle:

I'll tell you what you'll be. An Amtrak passenger who has paid (with $ or points) to ride the train, just like everyone else on the train (excluding the crew).

EX-ACT-LY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't for the life of me figure out why we have to label folks from either coaches OR sleepers. I realize most of the antagonism toward sleeper passengers is in response to a few misguided individuals who seem to think all coach riders are scum-sucking slimeballs, which to me is repugnant. Still, why label anyone anything? As for me, I travel both. I'm not going to pay for a sleeper from my "home" station, Spokane, when I'm only traveling to Portland, Seattle, or Glacier Park. On the other hand, I'm not going to ride in coach on a long-distance train, if I can help it. I had to one time when a long-distance trip on the CZ from Chicago to Sacramento was cancelled, and the only alternative was coach to Los Angeles on the SWC and bedroom to Sacramento (and eventually Seattle). I survived, and the experience really wasn't bad, but I prefer the privacy and comfort of a sleeper. And NOT because I'm some stuck-up hoity-toity. My sleeper trips are courtesy of AGR. Since I travel coach for day trips and sleeper on overnight (or several overnights) I guess that makes me a flip-flopper, hypocrite, or a syncophant. I really think we ought to be able to travel on Amtrak in our preferred accomodations without the busybodies minding our business for us. :angry:

Oh, and as for the lounge issue: I, like Just-Thinking, don't really use the lounge car much. Not even the PPC on the Coast Starlight, really. I'm too antisocial for that. I prefer the solitude of my room in a sleeper, or my seat in coach, though make an exception for that in the diner, where I really enjoy getting to meet people from all walks of life and from other countries

Yep. Some of us are loners, or even shy maybe in some cases. I've traveled a zillion miles alone on 4 and 2 wheels, don't feel much different about on rails.

Plus I work retail and I've had about all of the public I can stand, I don't want to spend too much of my vacation with it!!

The people who trash the bathrooms on trains are the same ones who trash my bookstore

 

[roomette]

Curiously, on the Starlight, I have seen people in sleeping bags sleeping in the arcade. Not a bad idea if you come prepared with a sleeping bad and mat.

Nice tip! Much larger than a roomette or bedroom and a much cheaper upgrade. $0.00!

 

[Ryan]

If you want slumber coach prices then plan to share your roomette with a stranger as they do in Europe.

Easier said than done...

 

[rrdude]

If you want slumber coach prices then plan to share your roomette with a stranger as they do in Europe.

Easier said than done...

However, the "Ride-Sharing" thread, or maybe it was just a comment, makes sense. I logged on to the site, and plugged in all future trips I had booked on Amtrak, (Even the one that Davy Crockett was kind enough to share with me, hey, if I had to roll him under the bus, err, train, I would in a heartbeat, sorry Davy) and I got NO TAKERS.

Now, not a lot of people would be willing to share a bedroom, let alone a roomette, with strangers, but some would. After all, the only thing I do in the sleeper is, well, "sleep". Most (no, ALL, of my other time, I am taking up space as a charter member of the AU "SSL Lounge-Lizards-Club". (not applicable on Cardinal, LSL, Silvers, or ANY other LD route that doesn't have a "true" lounge)

 

[SarahZ]

Agreed that it'd be nice if Amtrak had cheaper sleeping accommodations (a la Europe, maybe, rooms being shared with four?).
On the topic, I can't see how sleeping in the SSL can be more comfortable than the coach seats, but I'm not using the car at 2AM, so I could care less.

Curiously, on the Starlight, I have seen people in sleeping bags sleeping in the arcade. Not a bad idea if you come prepared with a sleeping bad and mat.

Some people (like me) can't sleep on their backs and/or can't sleep in a reclined position, so they sack out on the floor in the SSL (there's enough space between the seats and the windows if you sleep on your side like me) or hope to get one of the seats at the front of the row so they can sleep on the floor.

I've never slept in the SSL because I simply cannot fall asleep around strangers, but I can see how it would be tempting.

 

[Ryan]

Hey, you look just like Sorcha!

 

[roomette]

 

[Phil S]

Back up a minute? Can we agree that leaving your belongings in a dome car for hours and hours w/o returning is unacceptable? This happened on CS a few months ago. I just pushed all the stuff onto the floor. We sat there for a while, Then I offered the spot to some other folks. I never did see the owners return far as I can tell. Should I have notified the crew?

As for sleepers, yes , I'm annoyed when I come into the dome car early ( say 7 AM) and there's no place to sit because of people sacked out in the chairs. Thoughts? .

 

[eblkheart]

I was on the CZ 14-15 From Denver to Chicago. I saw this a lot and my seat mate was one of them. Once he got to his seat, he stashed his backpack away and said he was going to find a spot in the lounge. I thought it was just going to be for an hour or two. Little did I know that I didn't expect it all night. In the middle of the night and in the middle of Nebraska (which there wasn't much to see anyways), I walked into the lounge, he was passed out and 3/4 of the seats were taken from people passed out. I didn't expect to see any of that. I know when we departed Denver, an employee notified the conductor that there was someone that was going to do crash out in the lounge due to "some old ladies" that wouldn't give them the room to sit in his seat. She sighed and walked off. Not sure what happened but it sounded like this was a common occurrence. That being said, it kinda disturbed me that this was going on. I'm not sure what it was like on the way back earlier this week. I never had a seat mate due to the seat was having issues I was assigned so he let me have the other and made sure no one had the other seat. I never ventured to the the lounge since I didn't need to. Sidenote: Over all, the trips weren't bad. Had an issue with the handicap bathroom on the first part of the trip on how bad it was and notified the conductor. It was resolved rather quickly. Oh, I did get the comfy pack. I used the eye shade and brought my own ear plugs. Slept okay, but not great. My 2 cents. /side note.

 

[user 1215]

Back up a minute? Can we agree that leaving your belongings in a dome car for hours and hours w/o returning is unacceptable? This happened on CS a few months ago. I just pushed all the stuff onto the floor. We sat there for a while, Then I offered the spot to some other folks. I never did see the owners return far as I can tell. Should I have notified the crew?
As for sleepers, yes , I'm annoyed when I come into the dome car early ( say 7 AM) and there's no place to sit because of people sacked out in the chairs. Thoughts? .

See Something, Say Something! It's on all the literature...

 

[user 1215]

The Comfort Pack should include Breath Rite Nasal Strips - maybe it would curb snoring.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

However, the "Ride-Sharing" thread, or maybe it was just a comment, makes sense. I logged on to the site, and plugged in all future trips I had booked on Amtrak, (Even the one that Davy Crockett was kind enough to share with me, hey, if I had to roll him under the bus, err, train, I would in a heartbeat, sorry Davy) and I got NO TAKERS.

Now THAT'S going to make me sleep better.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I'm envious of overnight coach passengers. I'm old and have a bad back and so must fork over big bucks for a sleeper room instead of enjoying a bargain coach seat or flaking out in the lounge car. You young and healthy guys and gals just don't know how good you've got it. :giggle:

 

[SarahZ]

Hey, you look just like Sorcha!

h34r:

Decided to change my name so it doesn't get weird at the Gathering. I'm sure some people will call me Sorcha anyway, but I'd prefer to go by Sarah. Otherwise, I might not acknowledge them (out of confusion).

"Sarah" was already taken.

 

[calwatch]

The other place for crashing is the old lower level bar car, used for luggage stashing.

 

[Meat Puppet]

Although they are highly elusive creatures I managed to capture a lounge lizard pic at LAUS in the early am. I think they were planning to take over starlight lounge later that day. Note that the seats have the triple wood barrier between seats to keep the lizards from using more than one seat.