Cardinal (and other trains) Cafe Lounge - or Employee Lounge?

[Dakota 400]

Had you given the SCA a nice tip on the 1st trip? That might have had an effect.

Good question and I hope we learn the answer to that question.

 

[daybeers]

Had you given the SCA a nice tip on the 1st trip? That might have had an effect.

It shouldn't have any effect.

 

[IndyLions]

Had you given the SCA a nice tip on the 1st trip? That might have had an effect.

Yes. For me personally $20 would be typical, and $30 for exceptional service. I have certainly given $10 before for a trip where the effort was completely lacking and they weren’t obviously overloaded.

 

[zephyr17]

Yes. For me personally $20 would be typical, and $30 for exceptional service. I have certainly given $10 before for a trip where the effort was completely lacking and they weren’t obviously overloaded.

Personally, I tip $10/night for average service, up to $20/night for exceptional service. I tend to tip on a 2 night basis for the Starlight since it is a long ride for a 1 night train.

If service doesn't meet average, the tip is bupkis. You have to get a "C" to get a tip from me.

 

[jis]

Personally, I tip $10/night for average service, up to $20/night for exceptional service. I tend to tip on a 2 night basis for the Starlight since it is a long ride for a 1 night train.

If service doesn't meet average, the tip is bupkis. You have to get a "C" to get a tip from me.

More or less likewise for me too.

 

[joelkfla]

It shouldn't have any effect.

It shouldn't, but she remembered him from the first trip, and people are only human.

 

[IndyLions]

It’s funny - it was recommended (by someone) I tip $10 per night when I took my first sleeper trip in 1992. Sounds like that’s still a pretty typical tipping level.

Not everything goes up with inflation equally

 

[zephyr17]

Well, I was still tipping $5/night in 1992, so my $10/night is inflation adjusted

 

[bratkinson]

This past Tuesday, aboard 448 ALB-SPG, my friend and I enjoyed free 'dinner in the diner', albeit the 6 table-end of the cafe/business class car to Boston. We could choose off the regular cafe menu and it was free as I figured the $100 price was worth it, as my friend had never been in a sleeper before.

The problem was that out of the 6 tables, four (4) were occupied by crew members, 1 per table! Of course, the conductors put their bags on the tables to ensure that nobody would seat themselves at 'their' table while they were performing conductor duties. Of course, the cafe attendant took their 'usual' table closest to the kitchen on the same side, and spread a bunch of Amtrak forms on the table to 'reserve' it.

I guess if there's any 'good' about the experience, at least Amtrak removed the bicycle racks that took up the space of 2 tables a couple years ago! I posted a picture here of that unpleasant experience as the crew had 'taken over' all but one table! All the way to Chicago on that trip? So much for coach passengers in on 48/448/49/449 enjoying(?) a meal in the cafe car since they can't use the diner.

 

[Palmland]

Very sad, it’s enough to make you believe Amtrak operates for the convenience of the crew, not the passengers. If new LD cars are ever constructed I hope they will be designed for adequate crew space to work/relax with the dining and lounge areas reserved for passengers.

 

[IndyLions]

Very sad, it’s enough to make you believe Amtrak operates for the convenience of the crew, not the passengers. If new LD cars are ever constructed I hope they will be designed for adequate crew space to work/relax with the dining and lounge areas reserved for passengers.

That won’t help. A lot of the café lounge cars have a dedicated office for the conductor. Basically, they store their luggage in it instead.

 

[BalmyZephyr]

This has been outrageous behavior for a long time. Maybe it's time to complain directly to them about it, instead of meekly padding back to our sleepers and missing out on half the reason we travel by train, to chat with strangers over a beer or coffee, and look out the larger windows. If a lot of people challenge them on it, maybe they'll realize we exist and that the cafe car is one of our already-paid-for amenities.

 

[joelkfla]

This has been outrageous behavior for a long time. Maybe it's time to complain directly to them about it, instead of meekly padding back to our sleepers and missing out on half the reason we travel by train, to chat with strangers over a beer or coffee, and look out the larger windows. If a lot of people challenge them on it, maybe they'll realize we exist and that the cafe car is one of our already-paid-for amenities.

Challenge the conductor at your own peril.

 

[MARC Rider]

....and look out the larger windows.

Actually, I think the sleepers have larger windows than the Amfleet cafe car on the Cardinal.

I'm not sure arguing with a conductor is a good idea, given their almost absolute authority to kick you off the train, but this should be brought up with Amtrak management, and keep complaining until something gets done about it. Of course, one of the features of riding a train, especially for a long trip, is the ability to get out of your seat, walk around, and hang out in a public place, all the while moving along to your destination.

 

[BalmyZephyr]

Actually, I think the sleepers have larger windows than the Amfleet cafe car on the Cardinal.

Not cumulatively. In a cafe car, you have a half-a-car row of windows, out both sides of the train. It's a much better view. Fabulous in the NER in Connecticut, water view both sides. The longer side is much better than the short side we were forced to use on the Cardinal in December, but the short side was still better for the Gorge than our roomette, which wasn't bad but only one-sided.

Challenge the conductor at your own peril.

Yeah you're right. How about a pathetic, sad, "Do you mind if we sit here" when they have one of those Reserved signs on it but no one is sitting there. When they say no, you just kind of stand there with your food tray, looking sad and confused. Add (politely, sadly) "Oh, we wanted to look out the windows, it's much better here." If enough people do this maybe someday there will be more awareness of what they're doing to their passengers. And yes, complain to management when you're safely off the train.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Yeah you're right. How about a pathetic, sad, "Do you mind if we sit here" when they have one of those Reserved signs on it but no one is sitting there.

The couple of times I’ve been in a similar situation, I said (and this is completely truthful):

“Would you mind if I sit here? My balance isn’t very good on a train and I’m afraid I’ll drop things all over the floor if I don’t sit down soon.”

Worked like a charm. The last thing they want is an extra mess to clean up.

I always finished with “Oh thank you so much—how very kind of you.”

Next time they saw me coming with a tray, they got up and offered me a seat.

 

[Cal]

Maybe write/type out a note and leave it there when the staff aren't there. If they don't know who did it they can't throw you off.

 

[zephyr17]

Yeah, challenging a conductor is never a good idea. I came close to getting kicked off the Adirondack because I wanted to move out of the MTL-NYP Amfleet I that was packed to the gills into one of the sparsely populated Amfleet IIs that made up the rest of the train, after the border. The cafe was positioned between the MTL-NYP car and the rest of the train. The conductor was in there and forbade it. I unwisely started to argue with him.

If a weekday during business hours Eastern time, calling Customer Relations is not a bad option.

 

[WWW]

You probably were easy to remember - passenger with bike.
Incidently how was the bike issue resolved ?
Bike thrown under the train bus ?
You made to ride your high horse ah er high bike off into the horizon baggage car ?
Disassemble into pieces and parts and stuffed in overhead of a roomette ?

 

[IndyLions]

You probably were easy to remember - passenger with bike.
Incidently how was the bike issue resolved ?
Bike thrown under the train bus ?
You made to ride your high horse ah er high bike off into the horizon baggage car ?
Disassemble into pieces and parts and stuffed in overhead of a roomette ?

Keep in mind it wasn’t an all out argument – it was a discussion where I quickly backed off.

The other conductors, especially the conductors who offloaded the bike at the planned stop – were supportive and apologetic of the Charlottesville conductor. They disagreed with him that there was any question that bicycles are supported at Crawfordsville. The bike was offloaded with a smile.

Also, while on the train I did send an email off to RPA asking them how we might help get the situation clarified better. Within a couple of days they put me in touch with one of their board members who was an avid cyclist. I anticipate hearing from him again soon.

 

[Steve4031]

I've pulled the poor balance move a few times. I would rather not get into it with a conductor.

 

[niemi24s]

I suspect the only meaningful way to put an end to this "crew hogging tables" malarkey is for somebody to take pictures of these offenses and send them to the proper authorities (whoever they may be). All this talk here is like pissin' up a rope!

 

[IndyLions]

I suspect the only meaningful way to put an end to this "crew hogging tables" malarkey is for somebody to take pictures of these offenses and send them to the proper authorities (whoever they may be). All this talk here is like pissin' up a rope!

Undoubtedly. Now as to who the “proper authorities“ are, that’s another question.

The bigger question is, should we bother at all with this issue? Or on trains like the Cardinal - should we be pushing to get a mothballed VLII Diner added to the consist as a lounge for sleeping car passengers? They don’t even need to man it as far as I’m concerned. (I’m sure someone will inform me there is a FRA rule prohibiting an unmanned passenger lounge).

As many have stated here, just having a place to escape your room, view scenery out of both sides of the train, and potentially interact with other passengers would make the trip a lot nicer.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Undoubtedly. Now as to who the “proper authorities“ are, that’s another question.

The bigger question is, should we bother at all with this issue? Or on trains like the Cardinal - should we be pushing to get a mothballed VLII Diner added to the consist as a lounge for sleeping car passengers? They don’t even need to man it as far as I’m concerned. (I’m sure someone will inform me there is a FRA rule prohibiting an unmanned passenger lounge).

As many have stated here, just having a place to escape your room, view scenery out of both sides of the train, and potentially interact with other passengers would make the trip a lot nicer.

The City of New Orleans runs an unmanned Sightseer Lounge, so there's no rule against it!

 

[zephyr17]

The City of New Orleans runs an unmanned Sightseer Lounge, so there's no rule against it!

The Capitol did, too, before they pulled it. The lounge attendant worked out of the lounge end of the diner lounge. The upstairs of the Sightseer was open, the downstairs closed.