do you drag all your valuables to the dining car or leave them in the

[seat38a]

thanks for all the replies.... some suggested leaving the laptop under pillows or blankets.... but how trustworthy are the sleeping car attendants? (for example, compared to TSA agents...)

Put it this way. I doubt they are going to jump ship at the next stop and bolt with your computer while your enjoying your meal in the dinning car. Its not like SCA can just disappear with your computer.

 

[caravanman]

I guess most employees are as honest as any cross section of society. My items feel more safe aboard a train than in most public places. Things can and do go missing I am sure, but in many thousands of Amtrak miles, many in coach, I have never seen or heard of anyone having anything stolen...

Luck plays a large part in any trip, just exercise common sense, you can take a small bag to the dinner if you place it between your feet on the floor...

Ed

 

[NorthShore]

Lock valuables (which you can't reasonably carry in your pocket or a small bag) in one (or more) pieces of luggage. If someone really wants something they will either have to steal the entire bag and hop off at the next stop or damage the bag. Most people have a good reason not to do either and risk the consequences of being seen or getting caught, so probably won't.

 

[xyzzy]

It also depends on where you are. Passing through urban areas with frequent stops? I'd be more theft-conscious. Are there 2+ hours to the next stop and the train is in the middle of nowhere? I'd be less theft-conscious. But I agree with the other posts that small high-value items are easy to carry on one's person.

 

[JoeBas]

It also depends on where you are. Passing through urban areas with frequent stops? I'd be more theft-conscious. Are there 2+ hours to the next stop and the train is in the middle of nowhere? I'd be less theft-conscious. But I agree with the other posts that small high-value items are easy to carry on one's person.

This... one "Safety Strategy" I use is to try and schedule diner seatings for shortly AFTER we make a stop, when I should be back to my room before the next. That way, a quick check when I get back can make sure everything is still kosher between an intervening stop...

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Being in such a closed environment as a train is, for someone to steal anything of value seems idiotic to me. A report to the Conductor would cause an immediate investigation, I would think, before the train arrived at the next station. And, if not resolved, involve the police at that stop, possibly.

In my experience if someone reports something stolen while on the train no police are going to be meeting the train at the next stop and nobody is going to comb through the belongings of other passengers trying to find your stolen objects. Preventing your belongings from being stolen in the first place is the owners responsibility. Counting on anyone else to help after your belongings are already gone is unlikely to get them back.

Which would be fine if Amtrak hadn't designed the compartment doors in such a way that they can't be locked when you're away. They can't even be fully closed from the outside. You can push them shut but without any latch to engage the next time the train accelerates or decelerates the door is open again. You can Velcro the curtains closed and sometimes that may be enough but I've seen folks open the Velcro anyway, either because they were curious or they were confused as to who's room they were entering.

For whatever combination of reasons it's relatively rare that stuff is reported stolen on Amtrak, and that's a good thing, but I'd still feel a lot better if I could lock my room (and my downstairs luggage) when I was away from my stuff. Unfortunately even Amtrak's newest rolling stock still offers no solution to this problem four decades later.

 

[jis]

On the VIA Ren Sleeper I was given a key card to access my room. Wish Amtrak could do the same for sleeper rooms.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

There was an old joke told by Ben Franklin that started out with a generally straight woman, in the middle suggested having *** with the perfect guy for a million bucks, and ended with the punch line, "We have established what you are, we are just negotiating the price."

In the right circumstance anybody can be tempted to steal. If I glanced in a roomette and found an IWC Grand Complication (it's a watch that retails for about $400k- I once charged a guy $25k to do a total break down service on one) sitting out in the open, I'd be tempted. And I am, by all accounts of everybody who knows me, an exceedingly honest guy. But with enough temptation, under the right circumstances, a low chance of being caught... You get the idea.

 

[crescent2]

Oh, GML! Now I'll worry the next time I leave my $400,000 watch in my luggage. You've burst my bubble and spoiled the Amtrak experience forever.

 

[jis]

Yep. The first line of defense is always not to tempt. Someone is unlikely to looks for such a watch in a tattered smelly backpack than in a Gucci bag.

 

[NorthShore]

I find it interesting that this discussion centers around leaving things in a compartment rather than coach, where the openness of objects and greater population would seem to offer an even greater possibility of theft. Would not at least the semi privacy and isolation of the sleeper cars at least provide a greater semblance of security, generally?

 

[Guest]

I leave my wife, short-barreled shotgun cradled in her lap, in the room when I go off to dinner.

Actually . . .I leave my laptop, camera bag and DSLRs and lenses in my roomette or bedroom, hidden behind clothes and pillows, and pull the curtains and close the door when out of the room. And I take my passport, credit cards and cash on me, as well as my iPhone, to the lounge or diner. Never a problem. None of the people we have met on our two or three Western trips a year over the last 20 years have ever complained about theft from sleeping rooms.

Not that it doesn't happen . . . but it's probably very rare.

All the same, I do wish Amtrak used thiose VISA keycards!

 

[jis]

I find it interesting that this discussion centers around leaving things in a compartment rather than coach, where the openness of objects and greater population would seem to offer an even greater possibility of theft. Would not at least the semi privacy and isolation of the sleeper cars at least provide a greater semblance of security, generally?

True that. But the OP's question was about Sleeper, hence I suppose the discussion has focused on that.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I find it interesting that this discussion centers around leaving things in a compartment rather than coach, where the openness of objects and greater population would seem to offer an even greater possibility of theft. Would not at least the semi privacy and isolation of the sleeper cars at least provide a greater semblance of security, generally?

The lack of privacy is a double edged sword. It exposes your goods, but also exposes the thief. If you leave your bag on your seat, and people have a vague memory of you, the thief has a good chance of being caught searching the wrong bag. Too much chance of being seen doing it. A sleeper under the right circumstances offers the privacy- and the lower suspicion- to allow it.

The truth is, a train is a terrible place to stage a theft. And most thieves who can afford a train ticket know that.

 

[picnic42]

I have never had any problems with leaving things at a coach seat (above the seat and in backpacks) and/or a bedroom.

However... the last time we were on the CZ we had some problems in the sleeper car. The "D" room was vacant for a time... and the occupants of "E" took their liberty to spread out into the "D" room. The SCA found one of them sleeping in "D" and quickly removed him back to his own room. A stop or two later the SCA found 3 guys sitting in "D" and enjoying the ride! He quickly escorted them out. The SCA changed linens both times! So... people do take liberties... and things happen.

Later towards the end of our trip I went for a walk to stretch my legs... went downstairs and checked on my luggage... Part of my bag was unzipped! I zip tied my wife's bag but forgot to zip tie mine. Nothing was in it but clothes... nothing was missing and nothing was even messed up with, just unzipped on one compartment. It was the compartment on the outside normally used for small items in pockets.

When going to dinner... we kept everything in our back packs and left them in the room. I kept the gps on the window at all times... nobody bothered it. We did not have a full laptop. We took our tablets with us anywhere we went.

Generally I feel very secure on the train... but there are times! In the sleeper cars I feel much more secure with items left in the room... especially if the SCA is often present or very nearby.

 

[SarahZ]

Yep. The first line of defense is always not to tempt. Someone is unlikely to looks for such a watch in a tattered smelly backpack than in a Gucci bag.

Which is why I hide our chargers in addition to the laptop, etc. If someone sees a MacAir plug, they're going to know I have a laptop in there somewhere.

We talk about this at work sometimes. People hide their GPS in their glove box or console, but the thieves see the bracket/holder and know they have one. If it's a window mount, the suction cup can still leave a telltale ring.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I leave my GPS in plain sight. It's like... 2 years old? I know I've put 110k miles on it, but it was never in my truck, since I never took that off a beaten path I knew.

Anyway, what are they going to do, break through a Sekurit glass window, set off a really loud alarm, over an outdated GPS that they can get $30-40 for?

 

[jis]

Yeah, I don't try too hard to hide my GPS. For one things they'd have to take a considerable part of the dashboard along with them to steal it.

 

[SarahZ]

I leave my GPS in plain sight. It's like... 2 years old? I know I've put 110k miles on it, but it was never in my truck, since I never took that off a beaten path I knew.

Anyway, what are they going to do, break through a Sekurit glass window, set off a really loud alarm, over an outdated GPS that they can get $30-40 for?

Maybe not in your case, obviously, but keep in mind I mostly handle claims in the Detroit area. Additionally, Garmin Nuvis retail for around $150-$160.

So, it's not a rule of thumb. I was just citing an example of why I don't leave laptop cords in plain view. Seems pretty pointless to hide the laptop if you're going to leave a trail of bread crumbs. That's all I meant.

Don't take it too literally, guys. It was an analogy, that's all.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I think some thefts like GPS burglaries are likely to be strongly influenced by regional factors while high value high demand products such as Apple Macbooks are at high risk almost anywhere. Which is another way of saying I've never had to worry about leaving evidence of a GPS even though I've always taken great pains to keep my Macintosh products as close as possible.

 

[Eris]

I ride the Coast Starlight its full distance with my kids- we've gone in a roomette and (mostly) coach. We bring all manner of electronics (ipad, android tablets, three laptops, nintendo DS, etc), and use them along the way. We've mostly left these things at our seats trying to remember to tuck them under a blanket or pillow, at least, but don't always manage it (yes, I realize we're idiots, whatever), and have never had anything touched- things do go missing in coach, though somehow it seems to usually be from someone who is not entirely full-witted at the time.

Anyway, last year I bought one of these bags:

http://www.kyssbags.com/

on the advice of disboards cruise regulars. It's worked very well for my own peace of mind on the train (also at parks and stuff with the kids)- it's obviously not perfect and impenetrable, but it feels better and unless I was being directly and specifically targeted it's got to be easier to grab the backpack from the overhead behind my seat than break through my bag or try to break its chain.

 

[the_traveler]

I sometimes even keep the curtains and door of my room shut even if I'm in the room. (I know it's anti-social.) Even if someone was looking, they can't readily tell if someone is in the room or not.

One time when i went coach overnight, i did leave my computer plugged in and on my tray when i went to eat. I asked my seatmate if he would watch it until I got back. I had no problems!

 

[MrFSS]

Regarding the room doors that easily slide open and closed from train movements - masking tape!

I place a very small piece of it on the top of the door frame and the door (enough to hold the door secure) and it really doesn't show to the the average person walking down the hall, but it keeps the door shut when the train slows or starts upand you aren't in the room.

 

[the_traveler]

Masking tape not duct tape? You're banned from Amtrak trains!

 

[MrFSS]

Masking tape not duct tape? You're banned from Amtrak trains!

But GG-1 says we shouldn't use duct tape!