Finding a seat on 162

[Mystic River Dragon]

I will be traveling on Sunday on 162 from Trenton to Mystic. I have usually gone BC on that train but am going coach this time. I did that because I did not want to end up next to someone unmasked eating or on the phone the whole time and not be able to change seats.

Because I board in NJ, the train will be crowded til NYP and I am afraid of not getting a seat.

I would like the quiet car but assume that will be full.

I have never boarded at the front and am wondering if the car closest to the engine might have more free seats.

I made a mistake traveling this weekend—I didn’t think people would travel now because they would be waiting til Thanksgiving—but the train is 90% full.

I will wear double masks, have sanitizer, and will not take my masks off until Mystic. I have had the two shots of Pfizer and the booster. But I am concerned about several hours of not being able to social distance, especially the hour in NJ where it will be walk-to-wall people til NYP.

If anyone has been on this train recently and has boarding tips, I would be very grateful—thanks.

 

[JoshP]

You should had booked in BC and it has the 1x2 seating thing, you could just sit in the 1 section, you'll be fine.

Or if you want make it better, call Amtrak and switch to train 66 and it has BC with less people or you can get a bedroom (roomette) so you can sit/relax and be worry free. This what I would do.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thank you—both nice ideas, but 162 has 2x2 seating in BC, and 66 would be lovely but is not possible for me to get from where I board — it arrives in the middle of the night and there is no way for me to get there.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I usually board trains near the front because it’s easier to see if a seat is empty as I walk towards the back. I would think the first cars would be less crowded because it’s furthest from the gate in DC and probably at most stations people are standing in the middle of the platform.

 

[MARC Rider]

I usually board trains near the front because it’s easier to see if a seat is empty as I walk towards the back. I would think the first cars would be less crowded because it’s furthest from the gate in DC and probably at most stations people are standing in the middle of the platform.

That's my usual strategy for northbound coach seats when getting on at Baltimore. It doesn't always work if the train is crowded, but if a train is that crowded, finding any seat is more important, and even if you can't find an empty seat pair, there are more likely to be seats in the first car.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I usually board trains near the front because it’s easier to see if a seat is empty as I walk towards the back. I would think the first cars would be less crowded because it’s furthest from the gate in DC and probably at most stations people are standing in the middle of the platform.

Thank you, Betty—all good points and excellent advice. I remember now that at TRE, the elevator and stairs are closest to the rear of the train, and the escalator is no farther up than the middle.

You’re right—most people don’t gravitate to the front of the train, so I will board there and hope for the best.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

That's my usual strategy for northbound coach seats when getting on at Baltimore. It doesn't always work if the train is crowded, but if a train is that crowded, finding any seat is more important, and even if you can't find an empty seat pair, there are more likely to be seats in the first car.

Thank you—you and Betty are two experts, so front of the train it is!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Patty, I remember you telling me you would be on the first car when we met up to go to Baltimore. I think it was then that I started to board towards the front.

 

[BalmyZephyr]

I always boarded (in PHL) at the Cafe car on the NEC, and sat in the Cafe car the whole way, supporting Amtrak by eating meals and snacks and drinking coffee. Best view, workspace, and potential conversation. But that was before Covid. Now they may not allow it or it may be maxed. Remember if you don't like your seat before NYC, there's plenty of time after the train empties in NYP before they let new passengers on, when you can switch seats (if not in BC, to your point).

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I always boarded (in PHL). Remember if you don't like your seat before NYC, there's plenty of time after the train empties in NYP before they let new passengers on, when you can switch seats (if not in BC, to your point).

That’s an excellent point. I will switch to two empty seats at NYP if there’s still someone sitting next to me when we get there and hope for the best. I will have to move fast, though—for some reason, the last time I was on that train, the people had barely gotten off before they let the new crowd on.

If you used to board at PHL, you know that between PHL and NYP it is very crowded. It does get slightly better after NYP.

But since I live in NJ, I get stuck in the middle of the PHL-NYP sandwich!

 

[BalmyZephyr]

That’s an excellent point. I will switch to two empty seats at NYP if there’s still someone sitting next to me when we get there and hope for the best. I will have to move fast, though—for some reason, the last time I was on that train, the people had barely gotten off before they let the new crowd on.

If you used to board at PHL, you know that between PHL and NYP it is very crowded. It does get slightly better after NYP.

But since I live in NJ, I get stuck in the middle of the PHL-NYP sandwich!

All true! Maybe it is only the Cafe car where it takes awhile for the NYP rush, because the Cafe is closed during that period and who just wants to sit there? (Me.) I should tell you my PHL-KIN story of March 13, 2020. Picture that, March 13, pretty much the day people freaked out and poured out of NYC. But hardly anyone was on the regional PHL-NYP. Felt very safe. Lots of surface-cleaning, no masks yet. There were like 3 of us in the Cafe. The train stopped a mile below NYP and we were told an engine part was broken and they had to bring a new engine. As I recall we sat for about an hour. Then it moved, we came into the station, and they made us all get off and switch to another train. Packed! Packed station, standing room only on the other train! One (1) person wearing a mask in our car. We didn't know it was airborne at the time. I quarantined in RI after that and nobody caught it, but geez, that was a little scary.

 

[OBS]

I just looked at the schedule....you are talking about 9AM on a Sunday morning? Historically speaking, Sunday AM trains don't start to get busy til 10AM or so....Can't speak to post Covid, but the time of day should work in your favor....

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I just looked at the schedule....you are talking about 9AM on a Sunday morning? Historically speaking, Sunday AM trains don't start to get busy til 10AM or so....Can't speak to post Covid, but the time of day should work in your favor....

Yes, that’s what I was thinking—I thought I had it planned so well! But it says 90% full til NYP, then 80% full the rest of the way.

The only other train that goes to Mystic during the day—a few hours later—is 100% full.

 

[Acela150]

One benefit of BC these days, is the assigned seating. If you use the Amtrak App, you can see if anyone is going to be next to you and if you feel the need to, change seats all in the app.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

One benefit of BC these days, is the assigned seating. If you use the Amtrak App, you can see if anyone is going to be next to you and if you feel the need to, change seats all in the app.

That’s a good point, Steve. I was assuming BC would be full (it often seems to be when I travel on that train) and I’d be more able to move around in coach (not realizing how full the whole train would be).

I do like the assigned seating, though. I have traveled in BC a couple of times with a friend, and it was really nice to be able to choose our seats.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thank you all so much for the advice and comments.

I just finished packing and am all set.

One more question—I haven’t received the questionnaire yet asking me the travel safety questions. I don’t have the app set up, so I’m assuming they will email it to me?

After all this planning, it would be awful to board at TRE and then get thrown off at the next station and never get out of NJ, all because I didn’t answer a questionnaire I didn’t receive!

By the way, I realize that, for someone who has done this trip for years, I sound like a Nervous Nellie. So I will explain that the reason for the trip is a getaway to relax after three weeks of: a Yellowjacket nest outside the house (exterminated), followed by hornets coming in the window, followed by wasps walking around on the floor—probably not happy about exterminator dust outside. I am highly allergic to all three, and one false step and that would have been that.

We have had a few nights of lovely freezing temperatures, and they are gone, but you can see why I’ve been a bit edgy.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The email is sent about 24 hours before your trip. Did you check your spam/junk folder?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

The email is sent about 24 hours before your trip. Did you check your spam/junk folder?

Oh of course—that makes sense.
Yes, I did check the spam folder—nothing there.
It will probably be in my email sometime tomorrow.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

The travel safety questionnaire didn’t show up in my email, so I used the time-honored tradition of Amtrak passengers—when Amtrak makes a rule, figure out the details yourself.

I logged into my account, clicked on the “Travel safely” blurb, and found the questionnaire there. I answered it in about two seconds, took a screenshot of the page saying I’ve answered it successfully (just on the off-chance a conductor wants proof—I can’t imagine they would ask, but you never know), and now I am all set.

You can also find the same thing by googling “Amtrak COVID questionnaire” or a similar phrase, and it will come up with that same “Travel safely” blurb.

Hope this helps anyone else who has been trying to figure out where the questionnaire is.

And I just got the email from Amtrak about it. Very kindly, they said I could ignore it if I’d already filled it out. They must be used to their passengers being a couple of steps ahead of them!

 

[Triley]

The travel safety questionnaire didn’t show up in my email, so I used the time-honored tradition of Amtrak passengers—when Amtrak makes a rule, figure out the details yourself.

I logged into my account, clicked on the “Travel safely” blurb, and found the questionnaire there. I answered it in about two seconds, took a screenshot of the page saying I’ve answered it successfully (just on the off-chance a conductor wants proof—I can’t imagine they would ask, but you never know), and now I am all set.

You can also find the same thing by googling “Amtrak COVID questionnaire” or a similar phrase, and it will come up with that same “Travel safely” blurb.

Hope this helps anyone else who has been trying to figure out where the questionnaire is.

And I just got the email from Amtrak about it. Very kindly, they said I could ignore it if I’d already filled it out. They must be used to their passengers being a couple of steps ahead of them!

Good on you for being proactive.

For what it’s worth, the conductor’s device shows if the questionnaire has been completed or not, so you would be good.

 

[JRR]

Patty: You didn’t mention the kind of mask you are using. Rather than double masking with an ordinary mask, use an N95. You can obtain them in the paint section of Home Depot or Lowe’s. They actually do some good and if you try double masking with them, I don’t think you could last even an hour!
Hope you had a great weekend and a good trip home.

All is well with us here.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Rather than double masking with an ordinary mask, use an N95. You can obtain them in the paint section of Home Depot or Lowe’s.

All is well with us here.

Thanks, Jim! That’s a great idea—I will look for them in there. For this trip, I wore a surgical mask with a cloth mask over it, everything fitting tightly with no air pockets.

I’m glad everything is well with you and Susan. I often think about how nice that Florida mini-gathering was!

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Here I am in Mystic, settled in my inn and looking at the river!

After the way the trip started this morning, finding a seat was the last thing I ended up worrying about.

I checked that train 162 was on time for its arrival at TRE and it was.

To get to TRE, I need to take a light rail—a trip of barely over 10 minutes. But it is the weakest link in the chain. Usually things go fine, but if there’s a problem, it will be on a day you really don’t want one.

So to make sure it would be okay, I went into the website, where it said trains were running on time and there was good service and showed the regular schedule working.

Apparently on time and trains running and good service is light rail speak for we are doing maintenance this weekend that we didn’t bother to tell you about and we will be busing you into TRE and good luck with getting train 162.

The bus driver was wonderful—fast but careful— and he saved us from an accident when a car came at us on a ramp going the wrong way—it was heading right for the “wrong way” sign before heading toward us.

We got to TRE in one piece and 10 minutes before 162 was to arrive.

Then I went down to the platform and saw that 162 had been updated to 10 minutes late—so I was 20 minutes early!

After a surprise bus ride, not knowing if I would make the train, and a potential accident, worrying about a seat seemed silly.

I boarded the first car—there was one seat left in it—and the man next to me wore a mask (and correctly)—so did everyone else in the car.

At NYP, most of the passengers got off, and the car was about half full the rest of the way, and I had the seat pair to myself.

At Mystic, I treated myself to Second Breakfast at the depot restaurant, then checked into my room and have just been winding down after so much early excitement!

 

[PVD]

Should you get an N-95in a "home store" be careful not to buy one with an exhalation valve. They are geared toward protecting the user from dust or particles in the air during industrial, construction, or renovation, while making it easier to breathe. But the fact that exhalation is unfiltered and with force, they are not appropriate for covid.