Laptop in Café car

[Abe26]

So I'm sitting in the café car using a laptop, by the crew change, the new crew attendant says I can't use my laptop in the café car, it's against the policy.
If someone can please confirm, and if not true what should I do.

 

[oregon pioneer]

What train are you on? Is the café car crowded? They are within their rights to ask you to move, if the café is crowded and you are not consuming any purchased items.

Otherwise, I think they must be making up policy again. I've sat with a cup of purchased tea and my laptop, many times (on EB, LSL, and others)! If there is a "new" policy, perhaps someone else will weigh in and let us know.

 

[Abe26]

I'm on the Vermonter, it's empty the Cafe Car

 

[crescent-zephyr]

As usual, please report the crew member to Amtrak. This is a made up policy.

The cafe car is also the lounge car, nobody has to purchase food or drink to enjoy the lounge car.

Was this the cafe attendant or conductor?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

They are within their rights to ask you to move, if the café is crowded and you are not consuming any purchased items.

I’m not sure if this is policy or not but I 100% disagree if it is. If I don’t get a window seat I enjoy riding in the cafe car / Lounge car for extended periods of time.

 

[Rail Freak]

Sounds like the Ole Power Trip used by many Amtrak employees, no matter what position!

 

[Acela150]

I’m not sure if this is policy or not

It's not. How many Trains within the NEC have you ridden and seen the cafe car full of people on their laptops?

 

[Abe26]

So I spoke to the conductor, I told I use it all the time in the cafe car, never had any issue, so he was like other employees are not following rules , he does't want to get fired blah blah blah.

he also said I can't sit in the cafe car the entire trip when it clearly says on Amtrak website you can
http://blog.amtrak.com/2016/03/amtrak-basics-12-things-you-might-not-know/

so I asked him if I can contact his boss, he said they are on vacation today... and no way to email.

he says he asked multiple times for amtrak to sell seats on the cafe car, but its a no go.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

You should also contact the state of Vermont since they are paying for that cafe car to be on the train.

Also, make a twitter post.

 

[Palmland]

Here is the link to the Amtrak timetable effective Jan. 2 2020 for the Vermonter and it’s cafe car it says in part:

“The Café features roomy tables and comfortable seating for having a bite, taking in the view, playing cards or a board game, or just sharing time with friends, family and new acquaintances.”

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/meals-dining/cafe-car.html

The conductor needs some retraining but he is in charge of the train and you should do as instructed. Then strongly complain to Customer Relations at Amtrak. That assumes of course you haven’t been disruptive or disrespectful to passengers or crew.

 

[RichieRich]

So I'm sitting in the café car using a laptop....

I remember when that was the only place you could get WiFi!

 

[Acela150]

So I spoke to the conductor, I told I use it all the time in the cafe car, never had any issue, so he was like other employees are not following rules , he does't want to get fired blah blah blah.

he also said I can't sit in the cafe car the entire trip when it clearly says on Amtrak website you can
http://blog.amtrak.com/2016/03/amtrak-basics-12-things-you-might-not-know/

so I asked him if I can contact his boss, he said they are on vacation today... and no way to email.

he says he asked multiple times for amtrak to sell seats on the cafe car, but its a no go.

Well, he's clearly lying and going on a power trip. No Conductor would be taken out of service or fired for allowing passengers to use Laptops in the cafe. Saying that Passengers can't is a perhaps a different story. But I would let Amtrak know by calling and talking to Customer Relations.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've seen LSA's tell passengers they couldn't have smaller 12" laptops on the table, even though it didn't seem to be impacting anyone. I've also seen them ignore humongous 17" gamer style laptops that seemed genuinely disruptive to other passengers. I'm tempted to say Amtrak should be more consistent, but then I worry Anderson will simply standardize on the greater of two evils and I'd long for inconsistency again.

 

[fairviewroad]

So I'm sitting in the café car using a laptop, by the crew change, the new crew attendant says I can't use my laptop in the café car, it's against the policy.

This is why I schlep around my desktop computer, so I'm not violating the "no laptop" policy.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I was thinking this situation looked awfully familiar and a search reveals why:

The Amtrak's Standard Policy to prohibit the use of electronic devices shows the southbound Vermonter had these leaflets, barring electronic devices.

Many years ago, the cafe was strictly for use by passengers that purchased items from the cafe car. Since the Vermonter no longer has special items provided by the state, I wouldn't think that would be an issue.

There is either something in the water up there making these crews think there is a policy that doesn't exist or perhaps this is an actual policy that we don't know about. I say this while admitting that there may be an update to the Service Standards Manual that has gone unnoticed.

 

[Steve4031]

I was told by a snack car attendant on the CZ that I could not read my kindle in the lower level of the lounge car unless I was eating food purchased there. I had a breakfast sandwich, Doritos and a can a pop that I purchased from him moments before. He was mad because I asked him to turn off his music. I did that because he was rude when I went down there to order my food. He was subsequently reported for playing the music and telling me to leave.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I was told by a snack car attendant on the CZ that I could not read my kindle in the lower level of the lounge car unless I was eating food purchased there. I had a breakfast sandwich, Doritos and a can a pop that I purchased from him moments before. He was mad because I asked him to turn off his music. I did that because he was rude when I went down there to order my food. He was subsequently reported for playing the music and telling me to leave.

Oh yeah, any excuse they can think of to kick passengers out of their personal hang out space. I’ve seen that many times.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Not to defend that grinch, but spending 16 Hours a day down there in the dungeon is enough to turn Mr. Rogers into Scrooge!

Worst OBS job on a LD Superliner!

 

[PerRock]

so I asked him if I can contact his boss, he said they are on vacation today... and no way to email.

There's always a manager upstream. I find it highly unlikely that everyone at Amtrak above the conductor level was on vacation at the same time & without any way of contacting them.

I say this while admitting that there may be an update to the Service Standards Manual that has gone unnoticed.

Some just needs to FOIA it, it's how we've gotten them in the past.

peter

 

[oregon pioneer]

I’m not sure if this is policy or not but I 100% disagree if it is. If I don’t get a window seat I enjoy riding in the cafe car / Lounge car for extended periods of time.

The OP did not initially state what train they were on. I have only heard that policy announced on Superliner trains, where there are two levels in the SSL. The announcement I heard on a western train (can't remember if it was CZ or SL) made clear that the "policy" only applied to the lower level, and people could occupy tables or seats in the upper level as long as they wanted, eat their own food, use their devices etc. The SA also asked people to be considerate with their devices, and not try to hog seats by leaving stuff on them if they were not occupying the seats. Even if these were made-up "policies", they seemed quite reasonable as the train was crowded. I don't remember if occupying downstairs tables only if you purchased food was phrased as "official policy", or more asking for consideration.

 

[MARC Rider]

Oh yeah, any excuse they can think of to kick passengers out of their personal hang out space. I’ve seen that many times.

Hmm, and they wonder why food and beverage service on LD trains isn't making any money.

 

[Abe26]

So I sent in a complain to Amtrak, will see were it goes from there.

on the way back I took the train from Plattsburgh NY , no issues whatsoever, the views are much nicer then Vermonter , it travels on the side of a lake for a long time.

one interesting think, is that they don't offer business class, I wonder why.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Some just needs to FOIA it, it's how we've gotten them in the past.

That still doesn't cover all of the supplements/addendums that come out between publications.

So I sent in a complain to Amtrak, will see were it goes from there.

Keep us informed. By the way, there are multiple crews on this train. Where does this occur?

on the way back I took the train from Plattsburgh NY , no issues whatsoever, the views are much nicer then Vermonter , it travels on the side of a lake for a long time.

one interesting think, is that they don't offer business class, I wonder why.

They are both state-supported trains. NYS doesn't want a business class car on the Adirondack.

 

[Shortline]

Perhaps someone should tell Amtrak about this Amtrak policy on electronic devices. Their website people don’t seem to know much about it.....

 

[the_traveler]

Maybe it’s only allowed if you are using a Mac AND if you are wearing a white shirt and tie!