But usually it's somebody I meet first!Why do I get the feeling that something similar has happened to the_traveler even when he wasn't on a train?(I have gone to sleep with an empty seat next to me, and woke up the following morning to find it occupied by somebody who boarded during the night. I have also been on the other side.)
On the Empire Builder the front part of each coach is usually reserved for parties of two or more traveling together, and I've seen coach attendants enforce it. For that matter, I've asked a singleton traveling in that part of the coach to move so that Mrs. Ispolkom and I could sit together.
Maybe this time that's simply not possible. Maybe this time they'll simply open a different door and put the family in another car. Problem solved and imaginary crisis averted. If I had the means and the will to buy every single seat and compartment on a given train should I not be able to travel on that train completely alone? Should I be forced to let in whoever shows up at the station looking for a ride even though I've already bought out the whole train? If not then why should I be forced to let them into my paid car, my paid row, or the single paid seat next to me?
Are you sure on that math? Wouldn't a coach/roomette be $255? <BR><BR>edited to add: I looked on the AMTRAK site -coach was $122, the roomette was an additional $233 - so that would be about what you quoted.
Correct. Accomodation fee was $233 on top of the $122.00 fare. Total would be $355 for a roomette opposed to $244 for two coach seats.
Many stops are just long enough to board passengers (like under 1 minute). Many times, by the time I put my luggage in the rack and get upstairs, the train is already moving. So the family gets upstairs and then finds that the only seats are on opposite ends of the car, and that YOU do not want to move - are they supposed to stop the train, call dispatch to get authorization to back up, have the Conductor position himself or herself at the back door, and then back up to the station - just so they can open another door?
Being seated alone for dinner is usually reserved only for premeire travelers, like the_traveler. We who reside with the hoi-polloi are usually seated with others....Many stops are just long enough to board passengers (like under 1 minute). Many times, by the time I put my luggage in the rack and get upstairs, the train is already moving. So the family gets upstairs and then finds that the only seats are on opposite ends of the car, and that YOU do not want to move - are they supposed to stop the train, call dispatch to get authorization to back up, have the Conductor position himself or herself at the back door, and then back up to the station - just so they can open another door?
Remember that you did not purchase 2 seats next to each other (unless you SPECIFICALLY requested seats #1 and #2), which Amtrak does not do! You only reserved 2 seats on that certain train, but there is nothing that says they must be together!Why should 1 person be allowed to take 2 seats next to other at the expense of a family that wants to sit together?
Part of traveling on Amtrak is meeting and taking to other people! I supposed you are one that also demands to be seated in the Dining Car booth alone - restricting 3 other passengers from having a meal?
Or, worse yet, our own relatives... (the_traveler - I hope you will take this as a compliment on your high status on the rails...)
Usually I take my meals in the penthouse suite, served by my staff!Being seated alone for dinner is usually reserved only for premeire travelers, like the_traveler. We who reside with the hoi-polloi are usually seated with others....
I stand corrected-and penitent for my assumptionUsually I take my meals in the penthouse suite, served by my staff!Being seated alone for dinner is usually reserved only for premeire travelers, like the_traveler. We who reside with the hoi-polloi are usually seated with others....
Maybe this mythical family shouldn't be riding the train if they can't even manage to make it to the next coach car. Or maybe it's time you dropped this contrived attempt to pit implausibly abusive single travelers against impossibly fragile families?
Wouldn't that point apply equally to your mythical fainting family as well?
It's funny you would say this since I tend to avoid the diner but if I was willing to buy four meals at once, sure, why not? :lol:
Good point about Supersized individuals. To add to that, I as a single passenger would be less than happy if the conductor or coach attendant directed me to take a seat next to such a person who had purchased two seats. You'd be ending up with half-a-seat, at best!
Whoever that is might want to start skipping desserts....I have heard of "a person of size" on some airline (I forget which) that was required to buy 2 seats. The airline assigned him something like seats 15-C and 23-D!
What on earth are you even talking about anymore? First you accuse single travelers of being antisocial by trying to avoid being paired up with other strangers. Then you turn around and accuse them of plotting to get closer to children. Or forcing children to be paired up with other strangers? It's hard to know what exactly you're worried about because it's utterly bizarre and incomprehensible as written. Nothing you've said explains how you ever developed these concerns or came to these conclusions. It's just mind boggling to see such a simple topic get twisted into such a confusing discussion for no obvious reason or benefit.
Maybe you just forgot the part where the obese person wasn't actually cut into two pieces and was instead allowed to sit in two adjoining seats regardless of what the reservation said?
You're making stuff up again, I've seen Dave say neither of these things. Stop constructing strawmen.
Train #8 and #28 do in fact operate as one train between Spokane and Chicago, but because of a limitation of Arrow (the computer reservation system), each "train" must be sold (and priced) separately! The only difference is #8 has 2-3 sleepers and comes from Seattle. and #28 has 1 sleeper and comes from Portland. So #8 has 2-3 times more rooms than #28, so usually the fares are lower on #8!
Thanks for the explanation, traveler. Seems then if two coach tickets were purchased, one could end up at a higher bucket price. Would the reserved seating be assigned to the specific cars in the same manner?Train #8 and #28 do in fact operate as one train between Spokane and Chicago, but because of a limitation of Arrow (the computer reservation system), each "train" must be sold (and priced) separately! The only difference is #8 has 2-3 sleepers and comes from Seattle. and #28 has 1 sleeper and comes from Portland. So #8 has 2-3 times more rooms than #28, so usually the fares are lower on #8!
