Dining Car experience

[zepherdude]

One has to remember community seating in the Diner is by no means new to railroads or a unique situation for Amtrak-just look at North by Northwest - community seating in the Big Diner on the 20th Century is crucial to the plotline

Eve Kendall: I tipped the steward five dollars to seat you here if you should come in.

Roger Thornhill: Is that a proposition?

Eve Kendall: I never discuss love on an empty stomach.

Roger Thornhill: You've already eaten!

Eve Kendall: But you haven't.

Its on TV now, I love that scene! The trout is a little trouty!

 

[PRR 60]

One has to remember community seating in the Diner is by no means new to railroads or a unique situation for Amtrak-just look at North by Northwest - community seating in the Big Diner on the 20th Century is crucial to the plotline

Eve Kendall: I tipped the steward five dollars to seat you here if you should come in.

Roger Thornhill: Is that a proposition?

Eve Kendall: I never discuss love on an empty stomach.

Roger Thornhill: You've already eaten!

Eve Kendall: But you haven't.

Its on TV now, I love that scene! The trout is a little trouty!

A little trivia: Eve's original line was. "I never make love on an empty stomach." The word "discuss" was substituted in the final editing after the studio suits freaked out. Things were a little more sensitive in 1959.

 

[dlagrua]

Also, this may come as a shock to you, but some people "don't" want to be with other people in a dining experience. Do we deny their choice to appease the LSAs. The resort I worked at did community seating as we drew from all around the Middle Atlantic/New England area and for dining staff efficiency and social interaction seated (4) to a table, but NEVER refused people who wanted to dine alone. Not everone is a "social animal" and smart food operators learn that from the get go.
NAVYBLUE

As I said before if ones inclination is to be an anti-social hermit, then travel in a sleeper and have your meals brought there. You have a choice. Normal people usually want to share their dining experience with others. It is the hermit who eats alone.

Since sleeper passengers pay more for their accomodations, (and that's who is in the dining car),it is also safe to say that class of passenger is typically highly educated, cultured, genteel and wears a Rolex watch.

 

[TimePeace]

Since sleeper passengers pay more for their accomodations, (and that's who is in the dining car),

As noted in my earlier post, not entirely true.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I'm highly educated, cultured, genteel and wear a Timex watch. Nobody's perfect.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

As far as for community seating, I think its a fun way to meet new people and share the experiences of dining on the rails. I have had some fun and enlightening convos in the diner. I realize that not everyone may be open and social, but most of the time, people will open up and engage in friendly discussion. If they dont, then I let them eat in peace, and I dont force anyone into convo. Its comes down to how well you can adapt to the situation. Some people can adapt easier, and some cant.

The story of the woman who didnt get her way and drug her husband from the dining car is an example of someone who cant adapt, and expects the world to cater to them.

 

[pennyk]

Since sleeper passengers pay more for their accomodations, (and that's who is in the dining car),it is also safe to say that class of passenger is typically highly educated, cultured, genteel and wears a Rolex watch.

I'm highly educated, cultured, genteel and wear a Timex watch. Nobody's perfect.

I am a sleeper passenger and am highly educated (not so sure about cultured and genteel), but I also wear a timex watch. :giggle:

 

[PRR 60]

Since sleeper passengers pay more for their accomodations, (and that's who is in the dining car),it is also safe to say that class of passenger is typically highly educated, cultured, genteel and wears a Rolex watch.

I'm highly educated, cultured, genteel and wear a Timex watch. Nobody's perfect.

I am a sleeper passenger and am highly educated (not so sure about cultured and genteel), but I also wear a timex watch. :giggle:

A Timex Triathlon, in my case. Why pay $10,000 for a watch when a $50 watch works just fine?

I also guess I'm an abnormal hermit by his standards since my wife and I prefer to dine without strangers at the table. I really love how some people can so easily label others as being weird solely based on the fact that they have different social preferences.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And we see the same behavior with the Pacific Parlour Car on the Coast Starlight. The folks who are more outgoing and enjoy meeting other people seem to be the ones who spend most of their time in there and it doesn't take long for just about everyone in there to become friendly and form a community-the Parlour Car Gang as I like to call it And on the other hand you'll see several Sleeper pax fly through there like a turpentined cat on their way to and from the Diner wanting to get fed and back into their little hidey holes ASAP.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

I would love to experience the PPC on the Starlight, I hear its pretty nice.

 

[TVRM610]

My last trip on the cardinal I was seated with just 1 lady for breakfast, we were across from each other and had the breakfast table to ourselves. I had breakfast to myself last time I rode the Capitol, and last time I rode the Cresecent I was seated across from one man for dinner. These were all in the past month. So don't act like LSA's always cram 4 into a booth just for fun... When the space is available in a slower season they don't. Most of the time they need to in order to seat an entire train full.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

One has to remember community seating in the Diner is by no means new to railroads or a unique situation for Amtrak-just look at North by Northwest - community seating in the Big Diner on the 20th Century is crucial to the plotline

Eve Kendall: I tipped the steward five dollars to seat you here if you should come in.

Roger Thornhill: Is that a proposition?

Eve Kendall: I never discuss love on an empty stomach.

Roger Thornhill: You've already eaten!

Eve Kendall: But you haven't.

Oh yeah, great movie! Community seating is obviously an old railroad tradition.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

I've only been on a few long-distance trips, totaling maybe 20 or so meals in the dining car. Sometimes by myself, but usually with my wife (especially for lunch and dinner). As much as people claim to like community seating, and meeting new people in the diner, the simple fact is that the overwhelming majority of people don't want to eat with strangers. This can be demonstrated by the fact that of the 579,012 restaurants in the United States, the percentage of restaurants that offer community seating is in the neighborhood of zero point zero zero percent.

Also, as the OP said, many people would like sandwiches or salads, or other, lighter fare for meals.

So, I have a brilliant idea: food service "To Go."

Leave the community seating & old-style food for those who like it. However, Amtrak could also offer bagged meals that passengers could take back to their seats. SCAs, instead of taking seating times, could take To Go order cards. You'd then go to the dining car at your assigned time, pick up your dinner, & return to your sleeper, coach car, Sightseer, or whatever.

Some meals, like steaks, would not do well bagged, but many meals (burgers, sandwiches, etc.) would do fine.

I think it would save Amtrak on costs too. Fewer servers would be needed, and if it gained traction you'd need less seating (dining car tables could be turned into seats & sold as revenue).

If given the option of eating a diner-style meal community seating, or a nice bagged Chipotle/Five Guys / Panera Bread style meal in the Sightseer lounge or in my sleeper, I'd take the To Go meal almost every time.

 

[guest in the west]

I've only been on a few long-distance trips, totaling maybe 20 or so meals in the dining car. Sometimes by myself, but usually with my wife (especially for lunch and dinner). As much as people claim to like community seating, and meeting new people in the diner, the simple fact is that the overwhelming majority of people don't want to eat with strangers. This can be demonstrated by the fact that of the 579,012 restaurants in the United States, the percentage of restaurants that offer community seating is in the neighborhood of zero point zero zero percent.

Also, as the OP said, many people would like sandwiches or salads, or other, lighter fare for meals.

So, I have a brilliant idea: food service "To Go."

Leave the community seating & old-style food for those who like it. However, Amtrak could also offer bagged meals that passengers could take back to their seats. SCAs, instead of taking seating times, could take To Go order cards. You'd then go to the dining car at your assigned time, pick up your dinner, & return to your sleeper, coach car, Sightseer, or whatever.

Some meals, like steaks, would not do well bagged, but many meals (burgers, sandwiches, etc.) would do fine.

I think it would save Amtrak on costs too. Fewer servers would be needed, and if it gained traction you'd need less seating (dining car tables could be turned into seats & sold as revenue).

If given the option of eating a diner-style meal community seating, or a nice bagged Chipotle/Five Guys / Panera Bread style meal in the Sightseer lounge or in my sleeper, I'd take the To Go meal almost every time.

You're on to something so logical and practical that it will never happen with Amtrak! :wacko:

 

[AlanB]

I was useing this example to show that community seating is for LSA convience.

Again, you continue to proceed from a false assumption. This is not for LSA's convenience. This is what Amtrak policy requires. These procedures are spelled out quite clearly in the service procedures manual.

An LSA seating only 2 people per table would actually be in violation of policy.

 

[manderson]

I really love how some people can so easily label others as being weird solely based on the fact that they have different social preferences.

Agree.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Not sure if it was previously mentioned, but one reason for seating people at the table in fours would be to eliminate having to sit down at a table where the occupants had already begun eating.

Most of our Dining Car attendants have been good about seating us with a group rather than putting us at a table where the occupants have already begun their main course. It is rather uncomfortable for those already eating to go on with their meal while the other side of the table has not yet ordered. Just kind of disrupts the flow of conversation.

That being said, wife and I have nearly always enjoyed meeting new people on the train in the diner and with a few exceptions those we have met seemed to have had a mutual interest in us as well. We did have one guy who placed his newspaper between his face and the table and refused to talk. And the lady from Palm Beach who let it be known she was used to eating in a "more formal setting" with her houseguests :giggle: . We asked her if she had ever tried Grits--she was not amused :giggle:

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Coming back from Los Anegeles on the Sunset my friend and I were seated across from a college student who said he was returning to Tucson and it took just a couple seconds to figure out he was majorly hung over and borderline tossing up a weekend's worth and then some. Obviously he wasn't very talkative as anyone who knows what being hung over is all about can understand and I eased off trying to coax conversation from him. My biggest fear was I was on the inside next to the window and if he turned loose, I was going to be trapped in the line of fire with no escape When the food came he took about 2 bites and suddenly got up and bailed, never to return. The Server joked with us about chasing him off and for one time I was now relieved to have open seating across the table.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Coming back from Los Anegeles on the Sunset my friend and I were seated across from a college student who said he was returning to Tucson and it took just a couple seconds to figure out he was majorly hung over and borderline tossing up a weekend's worth and then some. Obviously he wasn't very talkative as anyone who knows what being hung over is all about can understand and I eased off trying to coax conversation from him. My biggest fear was I was on the inside next to the window and if he turned loose, I was going to be trapped in the line of fire with no escape When the food came he took about 2 bites and suddenly got up and bailed, never to return. The Server joked with us about chasing him off and for one time I was now relieved to have open seating across the table.

Woah now! That would have been BAD! I wonder if he was even old enough to drink.

 

[SarahZ]

I also guess I'm an abnormal hermit by his standards since my wife and I prefer to dine without strangers at the table. I really love how some people can so easily label others as being weird solely based on the fact that they have different social preferences.

Ditto.

We're both very shy, and I get queasy sitting there trying to make small talk. My boyfriend will not open his mouth, so I have to do ALL of the talking, and I'm a wreck by the time we get out of there. We braved it for this trip, both directions, but we're seriously considering asking the SCA to bring our meals next time. We'll happily tip $10-15 per meal if it means not having to fake our way through small talk. It does not make for a good dining experience for us, even though we did meet some very nice people. It was just so awkward for us. I hate being put on the spot. :unsure: I left half of my lunch today because I was so shaky.

 

[NAVYBLUE]

I was useing this example to show that community seating is for LSA convience.

Again, you continue to proceed from a false assumption. This is not for LSA's convenience. This is what Amtrak policy requires. These procedures are spelled out quite clearly in the service procedures manual.

An LSA seating only 2 people per table would actually be in violation of policy.

Thanks for clarifying that as that was not indicated in your #14 post and since I don't have a AMTRAK Procedures Manual I wouldn't have know that.

NAVYBLUE

 

[NAVYBLUE]

I was useing this example to show that community seating is for LSA convience.

Again, you continue to proceed from a false assumption. This is not for LSA's convenience. This is what Amtrak policy requires. These procedures are spelled out quite clearly in the service procedures manual.

An LSA seating only 2 people per table would actually be in violation of policy.

Thanks for clarifying that as that was not indicated in your #14 post and since I don't have a AMTRAK Procedures Manuak I wouldn't have know that.

NAVYBLUE

And they consistently violated that policy on the SWC/CL for all (3) meals from LAX-CHI-WAS last 12/11

NAVYBLUE

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I also guess I'm an abnormal hermit by his standards since my wife and I prefer to dine without strangers at the table. I really love how some people can so easily label others as being weird solely based on the fact that they have different social preferences.

Ditto.

We're both very shy, and I get queasy sitting there trying to make small talk. My boyfriend will not open his mouth, so I have to do ALL of the talking, and I'm a wreck by the time we get out of there. We braved it for this trip, both directions, but we're seriously considering asking the SCA to bring our meals next time. We'll happily tip $10-15 per meal if it means not having to fake our way through small talk. It does not make for a good dining experience for us, even though we did meet some very nice people. It was just so awkward for us. I hate being put on the spot. :unsure: I left half of my lunch today because I was so shaky.

How did you ever meet your boyfriend if he never opens his mouth in the presence of strangers? I'm not trying to be funny; I'm genuinely curious. My personality can run the gamut from shy to extroverted depending on the situation, but I don't think I've ever experienced the level of social anxiety you seem to be describing.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Does anyone have any suggestions for "ice breakers"? Where are you going, are you on vacation, where are you from. That's about all I can come up with.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

For an ice breaker, I just usually say Hi, Im Anthony, if they respond postively, then convo just sorta springs from there. If they just stare at me, or look away, then I just read the menu until the server comes.

95 percent of the people I meet in the diner are open to conversation though.

On the Crescent, I basically had all of my meals alone at the table. Even breakfast the next morning, which I found kind of weird, but then again, maybe its just a Crescent thing. I did meet a guy who was in the first sleeper, and he actually invited me to sit at his table so we could chat while having breakfast. That was a new experience for me, being invited to another table to chat.