Covid Mask Mandate for Transportation

[flitcraft]

I have a couple of types of Tom Bihn multi-layer cloth masks I've been wearing that have a built-in neck strap, which is handy for dining. The flannel outer layered one was great last winter and will likely be my primary choice for the upcoming season as well when outdoors.

I love my Tom Bihn masks--the neck lanyard is genius, and the flannel one is the one I wear for walks outside. With the easy-on-and-off neck lanyard, it's simple to slip the mask up whenever I see someone coming my way! And it's so soft and warm when the weather outside is chilly. It's a great company generally--they donate a lot to charities, including making and donating tens of thousands of masks for first responders early on in the pandemic when they were in short supply. They manufacture all their stuff in Seattle, and their workers are paid a living wage with good benefits. Are their products cheap? No, but I'm willing to pay to support a company committed to being a good citizen. Recently Seattle parks had a problem with beavers cutting down trees and they wanted to 're-home' them to the countryside where they would have room to make their lodges. So they asked Tom Bihn to design a 'beaver trap' out of ballistic nylon that would safely contain the beavers for their trip out of Seattle, and be reusable. Happy ending for beavers and for park-lovers!

 

[dwebarts]

I love my Tom Bihn masks--the neck lanyard is genius, and the flannel one is the one I wear for walks outside. With the easy-on-and-off neck lanyard, it's simple to slip the mask up whenever I see someone coming my way! And it's so soft and warm when the weather outside is chilly.

Since the DC area is pretty humid in summer, I switched out to the V6 for the season. It's pretty big looking, to be sure, but it gets the job done nicely. The flannel one is comfy-cozy when it's not steamy outside.

 

[neroden]

Masking does two things -- source control (exhalation) and filtration (inhalation). Apparently even basic cloth masks are very efficient at source control, so if everyone used them, especially in places with a lot of people, the transmission of the virus would be greatly reduced.

This, this, this. If everyone was engaging in source control most of the time, we could probably actually get control over the spread rate.

People who are infected but don't know they're infected, breathing huge clouds of aerosols which spread out 12+ feet and hang around for hours, will keep on spreading the disease even in a fully vaccinated population (95% effectiveness for vaccines == not effective for 1 out of 20 people -- and those clouds of aerosols will touch so many people that they'll find that target). And we don't have a fully vaccinated population yet, nowhere close. But source control everywhere could clamp transmission way down, if people would actually do it.

As the health experts have been constantly telling us, the pandemic can only be controlled by doing several things simultaneously: Social distancing, masking, getting vaccinated, and improving ventilation/air circulation of indoor spaces. If we don't do all of these at the same time, then we can't expect the pandemic to end.

 

[Oreius]

I’m hoping the Mandate will be allowed to expire in January. My next trip is not until late February/early March 2022. I’m coming home from Kissimmee on the Meteor. I have a comfortable Amtrak mask, and it is nice to be able to take your mask off in your room. I understand rules are rules, but it would be nice to fly down without masking.

 

[UserNameRequired]

We booked a roomette for part of our trip instead of what we really wanted coach to reduce mask wearing hours…. Now I read the seats are less comfortable for some in roomette. Bedroom for the overnight.

 

[dlagrua]

If anyone is bothered wearing a mask aboard Amtrak, I would suggest the masks made of cotton fabric. They are much softer on the face than the std paper fiber masks.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Once vaccines are fully approved for children I hope that inoculated people can finally return to normal life. Let the rebels remain masked and tested.

 

[neroden]

Once vaccines are fully approved for children I hope that inoculated people can finally return to normal life. Let the rebels remain masked and tested.

Even if every child over 5 gets vaccinated within the first couple of weeks of authorization, we won't have them vaccinated until mid-January. We need some safety margin. It's simply too early to remove the mask mandate in mid-January; maybe in February.

 

[Dan O]

I am looking forward to riding Amtrak again once they drop the mask mandate. I have been vaccinated.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I am looking forward to riding Amtrak again once they drop the mask mandate. I have been vaccinated.

I place more importance on getting the consists back up to par,Staffing the Trains adequately,Lower Buckets, On Time Performance and returning Tradutional Dining to ALL of the LD Trains, but to each their own.

 

[me_little_me]

Once vaccines are fully approved for children I hope that inoculated people can finally return to normal life. Let the rebels remain masked and tested.

Unfortunately, as news reports and arrests have demonstrated, many anti-vaxxers would steal or cheat to make it look like they have been vaccinated or just claim they have been if asked. Apparently, those micro-chips they claim are in the vaccine were actually put in the ballots they filled out for the last election. A city building where I volunteer and which has a city-imposed mask requirement has given me lots of evidence for this.
You cannot trust any statement or action by anyone on vaccination, honestly answering the medical questions or any "vaccine card". Only government-provided evidence of vaccination should be accepted and we'll never get that with all those who have been chip-installed by their Fearless Leader.

 

[yarrow]

my wife and i are booked in a roomette spk-chi rt leaving 12/1. i realize masks are required when out of our room except when dining but i couldn't find where the amtrak website addressed if masking in room was required. also, we have had our booster shots so i feel pretty good relative to risk of covid as long as we remember distancing and such. really want to eat in the dining car and not in the room. any advice much appreciated. thanks

 

[joelkfla]

my wife and i are booked in a roomette spk-chi rt leaving 12/1. i realize masks are required when out of our room except when dining but i couldn't find where the amtrak website addressed if masking in room was required. also, we have had our booster shots so i feel pretty good relative to risk of covid as long as we remember distancing and such. really want to eat in the dining car and not in the room. any advice much appreciated. thanks

I think officially they are still required to be worn in the room, but in reality I haven't heard of any SCA requiring them to be worn in the room with the door closed. On a recent trip on the Silver Meteor, my SCA said he didn't care whether I wore it in the room with door closed or open. I even forgot to put it on once or twice when going into the diner for a cup of coffee to go, and no one said a word.

If you get a stickler SCA, you can just close and lock the door and close the curtains on the aisle windows, and no one will know the difference. Just have it ready to whip on when there's a knock at the door.

I don't know how crowded the diner is on the EB with traditional dining. On the Meteor with Flex dining, there were always plenty of empty tables available.

 

[TinCan782]

On six trains last fall and three more again this past August we had no problem with mask off in our bedroom and the door open.
If someone would have said something (no one did) we would just close the curtains!
As stated in the above post , just have it ready just in case.

 

[me_little_me]

my wife and i are booked in a roomette spk-chi rt leaving 12/1. i realize masks are required when out of our room except when dining but i couldn't find where the amtrak website addressed if masking in room was required. also, we have had our booster shots so i feel pretty good relative to risk of covid as long as we remember distancing and such. really want to eat in the dining car and not in the room. any advice much appreciated. thanks

In the 4 train 3600 mile round trip I just ended on Sunday, conductors on all trains made it clear that masks in one's closed room were NOT required.

As to the dining room, any time you are out of your room and not in another enclosed room (e.g. shower room or restroom), masks are required and enforced (sometimes strictly). As to eating in the diner, it's like eating in a restaurant where masks are required. You can't stuff your face with a mask on so while eating, masks are not needed. As to when you are sitting there slowly and intermittently drinking the last of your coffee, some conductors are more stringent than others but I never saw a single Amtrak employee say anything to diner passengers at meals as long as they were sitting in their seats.

 

[west point]

Just be prepared for the unlikely event causing more restrictive mask mandates on your trip. Some variant could rear its ugly head maybe an off shoot of Delta-2. Unlikely but be prepared. Vaccination of course is best protection and booster if called for.

 

[Triley]

In the 4 train 3600 mile round trip I just ended on Sunday, conductors on all trains made it clear that masks in one's closed room were NOT required.

As to the dining room, any time you are out of your room and not in another enclosed room (e.g. shower room or restroom), masks are required and enforced (sometimes strictly). As to eating in the diner, it's like eating in a restaurant where masks are required. You can't stuff your face with a mask on so while eating, masks are not needed. As to when you are sitting there slowly and intermittently drinking the last of your coffee, some conductors are more stringent than others but I never saw a single Amtrak employee say anything to diner passengers at meals as long as they were sitting in their seats.

Technically the policy does require masks in rooms at all times, whether door/curtain is closed, and even when sleeping. In practicality…..

The way it was explained to us was that the TSA says a sleeper is still public transit, thus the mask mandate applies at all times. Good luck taking a shower!

 

[John Bredin]

Technically the policy does require masks in rooms at all times, whether door/curtain is closed, and even when sleeping. In practicality…..

The way it was explained to us was that the TSA says a sleeper is still public transit, thus the mask mandate applies at all times. Good luck taking a shower!

I should think the last sentence fragment of your first paragraph amply covers the last sentence of your second paragraph.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

We kept our masks off when in our room with the door closed. When the SCA stopped by with our meals, or, to make up the room, we masked up before opening the door. The SCA never scolded us or gave us a sharp look.

 

[Cal]

We kept our masks off when in our room with the door closed. When the SCA stopped by with our meals, or, to make up the room, we masked up before opening the door. The SCA never scolded us or gave us a sharp look.

Yep, as said before, the rules state it should be on at all times including in your rooms. But I am yet to meet or hear of any staff member to enforce it that way. My SCA on the Cardinal did say if you wanted your mask off in the room you had to close the curtain (and maybe the door too, dont' remember).

 

[Law638]

I think officially they are still required to be worn in the room, but in reality I haven't heard of any SCA requiring them to be worn in the room with the door closed. On a recent trip on the Silver Meteor, my SCA said he didn't care whether I wore it in the room with door closed or open. I even forgot to put it on once or twice when going into the diner for a cup of coffee to go, and no one said a word.

If you get a stickler SCA, you can just close and lock the door and close the curtains on the aisle windows, and no one will know the difference. Just have it ready to whip on when there's a knock at the door.

I don't know how crowded the diner is on the EB with traditional dining. On the Meteor with Flex dining, there were always plenty of empty tables available.

Same experience on the Star!

 

[JoshP]

When I was in the sleeper room, you are NOT required to wear mask. If your going to restroom/shower, you dont. Unless you are in Bedroom or ADA room, you dont need to take mask off. I never had problem when I rode twice recently. Amtrak website stated it clear you dont need mask in sleepers ONLY.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

When I was in the sleeper room, you are NOT required to wear mask. If your going to restroom/shower, you dont. Unless you are in Bedroom or ADA room, you dont need to take mask off. I never had problem when I rode twice recently. Amtrak website stated it clear you dont need mask in sleepers ONLY.

Please share a link to where the website says that.

 

[Steve4031]

My understanding and experience has been that you are ok not wearing a mask while in your room. Once leave it goes on. I forgot once or twice during a quick dash to the bathroom at night. But I suspect had I met the conductor I would have been reminded.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Please share a link to where the website says that.

Amtrak's media feed confirms there is no issue with taking masks off in your room, and there is no practical method to enforce mask rules inside bathrooms and lavatories, but I've seen no statement that it's okay outside private rooms.

Facial coverings can be removed when customers are in their private rooms.

https://media.amtrak.com/2020/05/amtrak-requires-facial-coverings-as-added-measure-of-protection/

Face masks can be removed on board when customers are in their private room and the door is closed.

https://media.amtrak.com/2021/01/private-rooms-on-amtrak-auto-train-now-available-for-as-low-as-99/
Personally I'm fine with people taking masks off in their rooms but hallways are public and people should be masked up when moving around. I also wish Amtrak had better air filtering on Superliner trains especially.