Well, yes, they do, but unless you have a good cafe attendant, the burger will just be thrown in the microwave, bun and all, and be nuked into a cheesy mess. There are cafe attendants who go the extra mile and remove the burger from the package, nuke it, then toast the bun and assemble the properly reheated burger. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing in advance what kind of cafe car attendant you're going to get.
Craziest Drama on Amtrak you've seen?
- Thread starter Adrouault
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
20th Century Rider
Engineer
They have a smaller pre-packaged burger that can be quickly nuked. No where near the quality or taste of the angus burger served in the dining car.
You mean the microwaved cheeseburger? Sure. But it's nowhere near the quality of the dining car one
I may as well throw in another bit of on-board drama since many others have done so. Listening to my scanner aboard the EB one night after passing Wisconsin Dells enroute to Tomah, we heard the SSL’s attendant/bartender call for “a uniformed conductor”. We shortly “just happened to wander by” and found the car jammed with college-age riders (it was spring break). A conductor was saying to a young lady “I’m telling you- go over there, sit down, dont bother anyone else and nobody’s gonna get kicked off this train”, trying to be polite but firm. Back in our roomette, we heard the radio saying “Ahh, Amtrak 7, prepare to take track 2 at Tomah, an unruly passenger would like to meet the Tomah police!” Suddenly realizing that we’d need “tip change”for the morning, we entered the SSL and found the youngster sobbing quietly into her phone. The attendant had stopped serving her but her “little buddies” had kept buying booze for her, and she had flipped open her laptop and was playing a PORN MOVIE to entertain the growing crowd. That turned out to be the Magic Deed. 3 officers came aboard and had a quiet talk with her. One gestured toward the door and took her arm to lead her out BUT she jerked her arm back (=resisting arrest). With incredible speed she was then bent forward while zip ties went on her wrists and she was hauled off that train at warp speed.
I tell people we’ll remember that trip fondly for a long time. This young lady will too, but for very different reasons.
I tell people we’ll remember that trip fondly for a long time. This young lady will too, but for very different reasons.
I've been on quite a few of trains where a passenger was invited to stay in some small town by the conductor and local law enforcement, but I never got to personally witness the last act of the drama.
20th Century Rider
Engineer
Just before boarding the CZ at Emeryville I noticed someone who appeared drunk or mentally incapacitated... he was running on and off the tracks until an agent told him to stand on the platform. Then after boarding and the train started moving, he appeared to be running up and down the sleeping cars banging on all the doors.
He remained on the train all the way to Reno... and again and again he'd bang on the doors. Finally saw him ushered off the train by two conductors... brought him into the station there where apparently the police were waiting.
Point is that there seem to be a lot of folks who are either tipsy or on some kind of drugs... on the train.
Whoa's be! What's the world coming to???
He remained on the train all the way to Reno... and again and again he'd bang on the doors. Finally saw him ushered off the train by two conductors... brought him into the station there where apparently the police were waiting.
Point is that there seem to be a lot of folks who are either tipsy or on some kind of drugs... on the train.
Whoa's be! What's the world coming to???
Someone parked their cars too close to the tracks. We did not hit them, but we were delayed about two hours on the Southwest Chief. The conductor had to call them to have them towed. I did not care, because I was asleep, and it meant more time on the train the next day. I like to build a 24 hour "buffer" into all my Amtrak trips.
Yep. I once fell asleep on train 14 after Oakland, I woke up in Chico, 4 hours late.
Honestly not sure what happened. What I have been told happened was that a person was escorted off the train, and then climbed on to the side of the train and fell. It might have just been a trespasser on the tracks, I don't know.
But we had missed our slot and were stopped for four hours at Klamath Falls because UP was doing track work. Ended up having dinner close to Chemult, and we got into Seattle before 5 AM.
20th Century Rider
Engineer
Yes, I am!
Hard to figure how he got by with those shenanigans for 6-7hours. Should have made Truckee his final destination.
Or Sacramento
I’m thinking he would have received a ruder reception in Truckee
True. But would have knocked some hours off door banging.
20th Century Rider
Engineer
I was madder than h"""... and wanted to complain to the conductor... who was having a siesta somewhere. But I'm glad I didn't have a fist confrontation with the little dork... I might have been thrown off too!!!
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
After the police declined why not lock it away and inform corporate that security needs to take custody at the terminus? If the substance was caustic or explosive I get it but delaying everyone over drugs seems excessive.
I enjoy burgers but the precooked angus meat puck was nothing to get excited about. Better than flex meals though.
What?
It was drugs, that was clear from the radio chatter. All the police agencies agreed it needed to be picked up, and it eventually was. It was just no one wanted to do it. I think Richmond finally sent someone, but Martinez PD was present on the platform from the get go
As I said, a lot of the information was not broadcast, less as the situation went on. The conductor clearly wanted that suitcase off his train and out of his responsibility. Plus Martinez PD was there, and didn't want to release the train until it was resolved, even if they did not want to take possession.
It was apparently quite a pile of whatever it was. It wasn't a case of simple personal possession.
As I said, a lot of the information was not broadcast, less as the situation went on. The conductor clearly wanted that suitcase off his train and out of his responsibility. Plus Martinez PD was there, and didn't want to release the train until it was resolved, even if they did not want to take possession.
It was apparently quite a pile of whatever it was. It wasn't a case of simple personal possession.
Didn't you mean, the P.A.? OBS personnel do not have radio's...
Who fell flat on their face? The passenger or the Federal agent?
Years ago I was on the Texas Eagle from Lax-Chi. Anything that could go wrong on this trip,did. People smoking marijuana in the lounge car who were evicted,Incredible freight traffic,an inebriated group who also were escorted off the train. We were twelve hours late into SAS,missing our connection with 22. Only upside was getting a free hotel in SAS,a food voucher and I was upgraded to a bedroom on the next days train
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2019
- Messages
- 5
We were on the Surfrider heading towards Van Nuys. We stopped in Chatsworth (stop before Van Nuys) and it seemed we were there for awhile. We had our luggage with us as we were getting ready to get off, when the attendant told us that everyone would need to get off the train for a bit. So we took all our luggage, and then we were told to cross the street. That's when we saw a huge number of LEOs pull up. Apparently there was a man threatening people on the train. May have had a gun. We waited for a bit, and our friends came and got us. Apparently the train sat at the station for quite awhile before they left.
This was on the southwest chief, where the rail fan window was in coach. He was just being verbally abusive to me and a family member every time I walked by. He left after Kansas City. I did not want to make a big deal about it.
Last edited:
