Long article about long distance trains

[crescent2]

Interesting, but the reporter seems a bit nosy. I've never encountered anyone on the train who shared so many details of their personal life. Most that I met just seemed like average, friendly people who were traveling, but then, I don't know their life stories.

 

[A.J.]

haha nosy? that's kind of the point of being a reporter, isn't it? the article was meant, as far as I can see, as a human interest story about the different types of people you might find on any given LD train. without interviewing passengers what would you have?

I've encountered plenty of people on trains who will happily share their stories, often without being prompted. it's something i have always enjoyed, for there are people I remember well, even if I don't remember their names. their stories and their faces stick with me.

I found it to be an enjoyable article, as it was not meant to be a traditional travelogue. I can't help but wonder about some of the passengers and hope they are doing well in their lives.

 

[SarahZ]

I like reading about people, so I enjoyed the article.

This, however:

After 2 a.m., the Rodriguez and Escamilla families boarded. There were eight of them — aunts, uncles, cousins and great-grandparents of a boy who was celebrating his 1st birthday in Phoenix. After the child’s party, they planned to head straight to Las Vegas to gamble. They chatted loudly, laughing, oblivious or indifferent to the fact that Sincere was writhing exhaustedly in his mother’s lap and Matthew Carr was trying to find the position in which he could sleep with minimal pain.

is why we don't travel in Coach anymore. I have never been able to sleep in Coach because people can't seem to shut up.

 

[MiRider]

I like reading about people, so I enjoyed the article.
This, however:

After 2 a.m., the Rodriguez and Escamilla families boarded. There were eight of them — aunts, uncles, cousins and great-grandparents of a boy who was celebrating his 1st birthday in Phoenix. After the child’s party, they planned to head straight to Las Vegas to gamble. They chatted loudly, laughing, oblivious or indifferent to the fact that Sincere was writhing exhaustedly in his mother’s lap and Matthew Carr was trying to find the position in which he could sleep with minimal pain.

is why we don't travel in Coach anymore. I have never been able to sleep in Coach because people can't seem to shut up.

Also, it's because of lazy crews not enforcing the rules.

I've had really good crews but, my last trip on the TE was out of control (tons of smoking, rowdy punks in the SSL with their feet in the aisle making comments about what you bought in the cafe, etc.) because of the lack of enforcement.

I complained to the conductor and got it taken care of but why should I have to do anything?

Like you, I'm hanging in the sleeper now but I'll wind up taking coach on the LSL, and a couple of other trips because of the high cost of roomettes.

 

[SarahZ]

Part of it is lazy crews, and part of it is simply that I don't feel like getting up every ten minutes to tell them about yet another person who doesn't understand the meaning of "quiet hours". Even if the CA is really good, there's no way they can possibly patrol the car every five minutes to hush people, even though I wish they would.

 

[Ted Bell]

Part of it is lazy crews, and part of it is simply that I don't feel like getting up every ten minutes to tell them about yet another person who doesn't understand the meaning of "quiet hours". Even if the CA is really good, there's no way they can possibly patrol the car every five minutes to hush people, even though I wish they would.

And if they were patrolling the car every five minutes, the doors opening and closing that often would drive you crazy.

Sadly, some people just don't give a damn about people around them. I appreciate it when someone notifies the conductor of excessively noisy people during quiet hours.

 

[SarahZ]

Part of it is lazy crews, and part of it is simply that I don't feel like getting up every ten minutes to tell them about yet another person who doesn't understand the meaning of "quiet hours". Even if the CA is really good, there's no way they can possibly patrol the car every five minutes to hush people, even though I wish they would.

And if they were patrolling the car every five minutes, the doors opening and closing that often would drive you crazy.

Sadly, some people just don't give a damn about people around them. I appreciate it when someone notifies the conductor of excessively noisy people during quiet hours.

That's a good point. I was thinking more along the lines of the CA actually sitting in a seat and wandering the aisle every few minutes, like a schoolteacher during a test. They'd need a CA for every car, though.

I'll notify someone if a group is exceptionally noisy, but not for the people who chat randomly throughout the night. I'd be up every two minutes.

 

[TimePeace]

I agree about the noisy people. I will observe, it has not been a problem for me on Western LD trains, only on the LSL in the East. On that train, in coach, I have been kept awake a few times, and I have complained with mixed results. I have found that getting up and moving, if there is a vacant seat somewhere else, is sometimes the best option.

Back to the article... I too went back and read the comments on the Times website. It seems that the majority of them are from people remembering how much they enjoyed the train ride two or three decades ago. A lot of them are people complaining about subsidies, some with responses from other commenters reminding them that roads and airlines get hefty subsidies, albeit less visible, as well.

To the poster here that said they doubt there will be another article for 5 years... maybe you don't read that paper that often, but I can think of at least two articles in the Times this past year about Amtrak travel: One about the quiet car in the Northeast Corridor, another feature about the Zephyr with some nice photos.

Let's face it, we Amtrak riders are a very small minority. One of the commenters in the Times quoted a car attendant that told them (I paraphrase here) "For every 10 people who ride for the first time, 9 of them will never ride again, and the other one will never travel again any other way!"

Best to you all.

 

[mfastx]

I really enjoyed the read. On a side and somewhat unrelated note, that new platform in Beaumont look really nice! Wish Houston had a nice new platform like that, lol.

 

[AlanB]

That's a good point. I was thinking more along the lines of the CA actually sitting in a seat and wandering the aisle every few minutes, like a schoolteacher during a test. They'd need a CA for every car, though.

Never going to happen, if for no other reason than each Amtrak OBS crew member is guaranteed a room by contract for them to sleep in. Short of maybe doubling their salary, Amtrak will never convince anyone with a room that they can sleep in to go sleep in coach instead.

Heck, I don't even work for Amtrak and you couldn't pay me double my salary to get me to sleep in coach.

 

[SarahZ]

That's a good point. I was thinking more along the lines of the CA actually sitting in a seat and wandering the aisle every few minutes, like a schoolteacher during a test. They'd need a CA for every car, though.

Never going to happen, if for no other reason than each Amtrak OBS crew member is guaranteed a room by contract for them to sleep in. Short of maybe doubling their salary, Amtrak will never convince anyone with a room that they can sleep in to go sleep in coach instead.

Heck, I don't even work for Amtrak and you couldn't pay me double my salary to get me to sleep in coach.

Oh, this was just a pipe dream. The CA wouldn't be sleeping anyway. They'd be the night shift monitor of the coach car and would then sleep in their room during the day. I realize Amtrak shifts don't work that way, but again - pipe dream.