Funniest thing that ever happened on an Amtrak trip?

[LookingGlassTie]

What's the funniest and/or weirdest thing that has happened to you (or to another passenger on your train)?

 

[reefgeek]

On one of the first Amtrak trips I took (1980 maybe), I was approached by a seatmate with a sad story about how she had been robbed of all her money, didn't have a buck to her name etc. I gave her $20, which was half the money I had. Later I felt I had been scammed. Years later, maybe 2002, I sat next to yet another young lady who told me an almost identical story, with the implied request for funds. I offered to buy her a hot dog.

 

[SarahZ]

While on the eastbound CZ, I was in a room next to a young couple who were traveling back to their home in Kentucky. They were loads of fun, just really easy-going types who get along with everyone. They had this DIY "mini bar" and had it stocked with little bottles of liquor, mixers, cherries/olives/onions, and (I kid you not) plastic swords and paper umbrellas.

Every time we got close to a fresh air stop, they'd grab a bag and race downstairs. I lost them the first couple of times, but at the third stop, I noticed what they were doing. They'd brought horse masks and a selfie stick with them.



Whenever we'd get to a long stop, they'd run to a cool place for a picture (near the station, next to the Amtrak sign, near a conductor, whatever), throw the masks on, take a selfie, and then whip the masks off and put them and the selfie stick back in the bag so they could smoke a quick cigarette before getting back on the train.

After a couple of stops, I offered to take their picture for them in order to save time. I wish I had asked them to text one to me. Some of them were pretty hilarious.

 

[RSG]

That's a great story Sarah...sounds like you were the perfect person to have as their 'audience', as well! Considering all the Bitter Bettys and Doug & Wendy Whiners that often ride the rails, it's always a plus to encounter someone who doesn't take things too seriously and thinks life should be fun, no matter what you're doing.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I don't really have any funny or weird stories from adulthood. However, as a child Amtrak was a completely different experience back in the day. I would find other kids and we would walk the train exploring every nook and cranny we could find on our own. We'd even make secret forts out of bags we found in the luggage areas. Nobody seemed to care that nobody knew where anyone was back then. The only serious rule from our sleeping parents was that we were not allowed to get off the train or bother anyone else. Other than that we could do whatever we wanted. Most of the time I followed these rules as expected, but there was one time I didn't. On one trip as a little boy I had this random thought to wake a stranger up in the middle of the night. I wasn't trying to be bad or annoying but for some inexplicable reason I was convinced I was supposed to do this. At first it was just a passing thought but it gained momentum over time. Eventually I became absolutely positive that I was supposed to wake up this one particular person. In fact I was convinced this stranger had asked me to do this earlier in the trip. In reality we'd never spoken and I had no idea why she had to be awake or what I'd do when she woke up but those details didn't seem to matter for some reason. This person had to be woken up and that was that.

At one point we were heading for her part of the train and I let the other kids run off ahead. I slowly entered the coach car and looked around. Everyone appeared to be sleeping soundly as the door slid shut behind me. I began to quietly walk down the aisle as I approached her row. When I got there I stopped and looked around to carefully survey the situation. Everyone was still soundly asleep and nobody was aware of my presence. I steadied myself, eyes wide and heart pounding. I swallowed subconsciously and slowly moved my hand to nudge her awake. I was just about to reach her shoulder when out of nowhere an old grandmother seated next to her woke up and snapped at me. I was shocked to see this old lady suddenly spring to life with agitated vigor and it scared the sh!t out of me. She seemed really feisty and I wondered if she was going to throw me off the train or something. I tried to explain that the other passenger had asked me to wake her but the old lady wasn't having any of it and shushed me away.

Is that funny and/or weird enough for ya? :lol:

 

[gswager]

At a station stop, I saw a dog was humping on other dog on a platform. Expecting a reaction from one of passengers in front of me, a senior lady was saying to get seatmate (being a excellent loop reader), "Oh my goodness!"

In s sleeper class from Loss Angeles to Seattle, one of my friend, being a first time riding Amtrak, was asking his sleeper car attendant to pose for a picture. She was looking at my friend's camera. Then she was starting to confused that the camera wasn't real. She got wet with a camera that squirt water, like water gun. She was laughing about it.

 

[JayPea]

My first trip on the Texas Eagle had any number of oddities, but the highlight was a family that got on in Ft. Worth, headed to Ontario, CA. They came running out onto the platform, with enough luggage to service an army of Cossacks for a month, just as the train was pulling out. And the train was stopped to let them on. This family consisted of a ditsy blonde, a young boy about 9, a few months old baby, a man with whom the blonde was on verrrry good terms with, and a Chihuahua. This woman turned out to be the stereotypical dumb blonde. She had no clue how to open the doors between cars, apparently not understanding the concept of the Push to Open sign on the car doors. On another occasion, she waited at a smoke stop until it was time to board to go down and smoke, then complained about all the people going up the stairs when she was trying to go down, and then bitched because she didn't get to smoke. And in the dining car, her baby was crying and she yelled at it to shut up. The baby couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 months old. The capper was at Ontario, when she detrained. She was in the warm embrace of a different man than the one she was in a warm embrace with at Ft. Worth. Talk about moving fast!

 

[the_traveler]

I was traveling from PDX east via the EB and Cardinal. In WV, the Cardinal was stopped (along with all other traffic) due to a freight train derailment up the line. During that delay, because the line was shut down, passengers were allowed to get off and walk around if they wanted.

After one of my walks outside, when I reboarded and was heading back to my room, my traveling companion was talking to another passenger in the sleeper. As I passed them, he said "You may know this guy". He was a member of AU!

The ironic part was that he was also returning from out west, and came via the EB! Which means we've been on the SAME trains for the past 4 days and didn't even know it. Even more ironic was that we had 3 meals AT THE SAME TABLE with him on the Cardinal!

The last ironic part was that we were bustituted from Prince, WV to Charlottesville. I arrived into CVS "on time" at 2:47. The only thing was that it was 2:47 AM, not the 2:47 PM on the schedule.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Funny or weird? Traveling with fellow AUers. Enough said. :giggle:

No, that wasn't me on the_travelers trains.

 

[Bob Dylan]

While it didn't happen on am Amtrak Train, during an AU Gathering while we were riding local transportation, Penny offered Yoga Lessons to AUers, but Jeb was the only one Brave enough to accept!

 

[oregon pioneer]

While it didn't happen on am Amtrak Train, during an AU Gathering while we were riding local transportation, Penny offered Yoga Lessons to AUers, but Jeb was the only one Brave enough to accept!

Well, that's an offer I will accept, if I am ever lucky enough to be on a train with Penny!

I don't know if this is the *funniest* thing that ever happened to me on an Amtrak train -- but I used to run an annual solar fair event here in Oregon. It was a relatively small event, but had a widespread following due to its specialized nature. At least twice (in Nevada and Texas), I have had people sitting across from me in the diner look at my t-shirt and say they had been to that event. Not really funny, but very nice!

 

[BCL]

I remember one time both conductors were on the PA trading barbs. One was a 49ers fan while the other was a Raiders fan and they were throwing petty insults at each other about their team loyalties.

 

[user 6862]

You have to remember I'm a London boy born and bred so there's a small excuse before I tell this, and have to say it is slightly crude but genuine.

In February on the Zephyr climbing up from Denver, the folk from the dining car and the sight seeing lounge are pretty amenable with many talking to each other up and down the lounge. On the right hand side of the car a small herd of deer appear through the windows and something spooks them and they are off. The lady next to us (we had already met and know she runs a ranch and goes hunting) addresses her party and mentions something like "did you see that buck!"

I turned to look at her quite startled as to how on earth did she know that? is that what owning a ranch can do for you?. We are travelling at 20 - 25 mph and the deer were off like a shot as we got alongside, so what sort of eyesight did she have to be able to see between the deers legs so quickly and tell the sex of a particular animal, so that's what I asked her.

With pained expression and in a voice loud enough that most of the lounge could hear she said "it's antlers?" The entire car erupted with laughter

 

[SarahZ]

You have to remember I'm a London boy born and bred so there's a small excuse before I tell this, and have to say it is slightly crude but genuine.

In February on the Zephyr climbing up from Denver, the folk from the dining car and the sight seeing lounge are pretty amenable with many talking to each other up and down the lounge. On the right hand side of the car a small herd of deer appear through the windows and something spooks them and they are off. The lady next to us (we had already met and know she runs a ranch and goes hunting) addresses her party and mentions something like "did you see that buck!"

I turned to look at her quite startled as to how on earth did she know that? is that what owning a ranch can do for you?. We are travelling at 20 - 25 mph and the deer were off like a shot as we got alongside, so what sort of eyesight did she have to be able to see between the deers legs so quickly and tell the sex of a particular animal, so that's what I asked her.

With pained expression and in a voice loud enough that most of the lounge could hear she said "it's antlers?" The entire car erupted with laughter

Michigan born and raised. I started laughing when I got to this bit. That's hilarious and really rather adorable. ^_^

 

[Steve4031]

That's a classic. "Antlers".

I was in New Orleans boarding 58. I had already boarded and was back standing on the platform chatting with the sca. I saw a man and a woman with a tight dress and high heels coming down the platform. The man was struggling with luggage for both of them. They stopped at the door to the sleeper and checked in with the sca. They were going to Memphis. The man struggled aboard with the luggage and the woman remained on the platform.

The woman asked if she could buy 7 up on the train. The sca stated, "only Pepsi products. You can buy 7up in the station from the machine in the station." The lady started back into the station. I looked at my watch. 7 minutes until departure. This did not look possible. The man came to the door and asked where the woman was and sca pointed towards the station. He took off.

I got on because it was hot. I sat down in my room which overlooked the platform. I turned on my scanner and continued to look out the windy first the woman hoping for one more view of her in that dress. "High ball amtrak 58." No man and definitely no woman in high heels on board. But there luggage was. The guy (an ex police officer) traveling with me surmised that she might have been a prostitute who was trying to ditch a client and keep the money.

 

[wdscott]

You have to remember I'm a London boy born and bred so there's a small excuse before I tell this, and have to say it is slightly crude but genuine.

In February on the Zephyr climbing up from Denver, the folk from the dining car and the sight seeing lounge are pretty amenable with many talking to each other up and down the lounge. On the right hand side of the car a small herd of deer appear through the windows and something spooks them and they are off. The lady next to us (we had already met and know she runs a ranch and goes hunting) addresses her party and mentions something like "did you see that buck!"

I turned to look at her quite startled as to how on earth did she know that? is that what owning a ranch can do for you?. We are travelling at 20 - 25 mph and the deer were off like a shot as we got alongside, so what sort of eyesight did she have to be able to see between the deers legs so quickly and tell the sex of a particular animal, so that's what I asked her.

With pained expression and in a voice loud enough that most of the lounge could hear she said "it's antlers?" The entire car erupted with laughter

Shall I tell the story, nah, not train related, of being at my grandparents house and smelling moth balls?

 

[Acela150]

I was on an Acela train about 4 years ago. I was completely beat. The AU gang met up in DC for NTD. I took 131 Saturday morning to DC. 66 to Boston. And 2253 home to Philly. I'm sitting probably in the middle of the car. Across the way is a 4 top table in First Class. I guess one of the passengers from that 4 top went for a walk. They come back and I guess bumped into someone they knew on the train. This person is from the Business Class section of the train. But I don't care. They know each other and aren't making a big deal. They're quiet. All of a sudden the Biz Class passenger says to a girl at the 4 top, "I like your eyebrows". I almost did a spit take laughing. The person with the "nice eyebrows" looked like they were sharpied on her face. I had to go to the bathroom to laugh.

 

[user 6862]

Oh go on wd, we're bursting to know now

 

[ehbowen]

In July of 2010 I decided to take my two nephews, then aged 10 and 15, on a trip with a short two-night stay in the Big Bend region via Alpine, TX and an overnight coach trip on the Sunset Limited over the July 4th holiday. In the morning of our outbound trip the three of us were sitting down for breakfast in the diner as the train was passing through Del Rio when another solo gentleman was seated with us. We introduced ourselves and began making conversation, in the course of which he asked where we were traveling. I told him that we were headed to Alpine. "I'm going to Alpine, too," he replied, "for one minute!"

At first I didn't fathom what he meant and asked him to explain. "Well, I live in Lake Charles. I've never traveled Amtrak before but I've always wanted to. I saw that the westbound train (by the then-current timetable) gets into Alpine at 1:24 p.m. and the eastbound train leaves one minute later at 1:25 p.m. The website wouldn't sell me a round-trip ticket, for some reason...but I was able to book it as two separate one-way tickets for the same price!"

By then my jaw was visibly hanging open. He went on, "I've been wondering, though...could that be cutting it kind of close? Maybe I should get off in Sanderson, instead?" By that time we were well out of the Del Rio station. I recovered sufficiently to tell him that, yes, he really should get off in Sanderson but, more than that, he needed to go to the conductor Right Now and tell him the whole story, as Sanderson was (is) a flag stop and the train(s) would not stop there at all unless the crew knew that a passenger was planning to detrain/board there. The eastbound train would have to be notified as well.

Shortly after we finished breakfast the conductor came on the PA and announced that we would be making a stop in Sanderson to let one passenger off. I wonder who?

The epilogue to the story is that the westbound Sunset Limited on that Saturday of July 3, 2010 was indeed on-time all the way up to the approach into Alpine. However, the eastbound train was early and had already occupied the station track; we had to wait at the passing siding until they finished their business and cleared. Our breakfast companion would have been Stuck Like Chuck for two days.

 

[dlagrua]

On a trip the last two years there was an announcement that smoking is not allowed anywhere on this trains. "If I catch you smoking I will put off the train at the next stop". This conductor meant business!

On a CZ trip last June, the SCA caught three stow-a ways in a bedroom around 10 PM. They were three middle age ladies who apparently would not move. Their was a commotion and the SCA called in the conductor. After a few minutes of arguing. they convinced them to move ( back to coach I presume) . About an hour later they returned to the bedroom and I don't know what happened after that but they may have upgraded their ticket.

 

[MattW]

Best one I have is this one time, the train was on-time.

 

[Dan O]

We rode the Southwest Chief from LA to Chicago in June 2008. I had an interesting person sit next to me. I was sitting in the window seat behind my two older teen aged kids. She appeared to be about age 50 and was able to get up and down the stairs on the train fine. The following occurred in the first evening:

* Before the train started, she asked me to open the CD player she bought. It came in hard, thick plastic but I was able to puncture the plastic with a key and give her the CD player. After I handed it to her, she made no move to take the plastic trash and instructions despite me holding them right in front of her for a minute or two. I placed the trash at our feet and one of the kids tossed it in the trash can a few minutes later.

* She treated me and all in the area to a serenade as she sung along to the CDs she was playing. This went on for a few hours. She was not very loud but she was mouthing the words loud enough for many to hear. I assume that was so because she had headphones on and could not hear herself singing aloud.

* She invaded my territory (seat) and used my leg as a table for her to place her purse while she was looking for something. I didn't mind but I thought she might ask before doing so. When she slept, she was pushed up against me.

* While I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom downstairs, she asked my daughter where the snack bar was. My daughter gave her the directions (we were in the last coach car). The woman asked if my daughter could take her to the snack bar. She did. When they got there, my daughter turned to go back to her seat. The woman said not to leave her as she was not sure she could find her way back to her seat. (Up the stairs and go to the last coach car....oh well.)

* She ate her snacks on the tray and fell asleep with some food on the tray. I had to use the restroom about 11:30 PM. My kids helped me lift her food off of the tray, fold up the tray and I stepped over her. I felt like Mr. Bean and my kids had a hard time not laughing their heads off at what happened. When I returned to my seat, we had to lower the tray and put her food back on it again. She woke up around midnight and offered me some of her food. "No thanks."

* A bit later that evening, she woke up my daughter to ask where the bathrooms were.

The next day--

The kids and I spent almost the entire day in the observation car

* When my daughter went back to the seat to get an item, the woman asked if she could bring her a fork from the snack bar. "Okay, but I don't plan on being back here for several hours." The woman said that was okay. (NOTE--she did not appear to have a disability or mobility issue.)

* As I said above, we spent most of the second day in the observation car. We got off at Albuquerque and walked around some. She ran into us near the train and said, "Oh my gosh I am glad you are here. I thought maybe I had missed my stop." NOTE--Her stop was Chicago, same as ours. It was also the last possible stop for the train. I would think even the most geographically challenged person may see that Albuquerque and it's dry, dusty appearance is NOT Chicago.

 

[user 6862]

Dan O, had tears in my eyes, brilliant!

 

[Asher]

The woman was a crack up or was cracked up. Exactly why I don't ride coach. But, I admire you and your family's Patience.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Dunno about the rest of the forum but I think Danno wins this thread. :lol:

I'm the total opposite of you when it comes to handling clingy strangers but the payoff was a great story.

The woman was a crack up or was cracked up. Exactly why I don't ride coach. But, I admire you and your family's Patience.

Amtrak's lack of an armrest or any privacy divider makes their coach experience even worse than it needs to be. Seems like such a simple and obvious fix but I guess if they haven't cared for this long they probably never will.