Lower Level Coach

[Konrad]

She got on the train after I did. In fact, she got on over a thousand miles after I did, but I don't think that's a good guage by which to decide who should be moved.

Aloha

But Since you were there first and met the requirement for lower level seating, I fail to understand why you were being aske, or forced to relocate.

Eric

All of the above just gets back to my main beef with Amtrak - why don't they issue tickets with car AND seat numbers :angry: . It just isn't that hard.

Because I'd go into their headquarters and find the person who came up with that idea and beat them to a pulp. Who wants assigned seats? I sure don't. Being stuck next to a nasty person for a 3 hour plane ride is bad enough. For 3 days on the Eagle? Huh-uh.

That's why I take a sleeper .

...which if you think about it, is an assigned seat.

Not to many sleepers available on a CHI - WAS - NYP routing. And that's Amtrak's preferred routing from LAX.

It all ends up in a seat scramble (from a low level platform with international baggage) at WAS (as there is no, or minimal, baggage service on the NEC).

And just what is it with WAS, CHI and NYP with corralling passengers prior to boarding. LAX and EMY (and most of the rest of the world) have open access to the platforms where passengers can board at leisure.

Why don't you people revolt? Didn't stop you in 1776 h34r: . You seem to have turned into the most compliant and manipulated populace on earth.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Why don't you people revolt? Didn't stop you in 1776 h34r: . You seem to have turned into the most compliant and manipulated populace on earth.

Konrad, you hit the nail on the head. You're right. We have become compliant and, in a round-about way, manipulated. We have become accustomed to getting service that is at best mediocre and do not expect anything better. Service has been cut down to bare bones and expecting less than minimum is the norm.

 

[AlanB]

Why don't you people revolt? Didn't stop you in 1776 h34r: . You seem to have turned into the most compliant and manipulated populace on earth.

Konrad, you hit the nail on the head. You're right. We have become compliant and, in a round-about way, manipulated. We have become accustomed to getting service that is at best mediocre and do not expect anything better. Service has been cut down to bare bones and expecting less than minimum is the norm.

Actually I think that it's a bit more complicated than that. First off, while you're right much of the rest of the world does have open access to train platforms, the rest of the world doesn't allow that for airplanes. We all do that without much thought when we ride a plane.

Second, in DC they claim that it's being done for security reasons. I'm not 100% sure that I believe that, but that is part of the reason.

Third, in NYP, DC, Boston, & Chicago part of the reason it's being done is because Amtrak has had far too many people board the wrong train. This causes considerable extra expense on Amtrak's part to get them where they needed to go.

Fourth in Chicago, Amtrak has had theft problems on the trains which is one reason that they are more restrictive.

Fifth, in LA you are supposed to line up and be corralled.

Sixth, in NY it is possible to get to the trains without waiting in line.

Seventh, there are other stations that also restrict access to the platform, like New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, and St. Louis to name a few off the top of my head.

Now all that said, there is no reason that the employees can't be pleasant and polite about it. In many places they are, Chicago seems to have the worst reputation.