Masks now required even in private room with door closed.

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They are not enforcing people not wearing masks in their private rooms. They just can’t say you don’t have to. As long as you wear the mask in public areas of the train you won’t get flack. I actually had a fun trip the other day - I didn’t wear my mask in my room and no one said a word - I took my meal in the diner and spent a couple hours there chatting with some other passengers (socially distanced everyone at separate tables) and had a couple drinks.
 
What if the other person ( or persons) in the Car is Positive for COVID???? 🤔 😷
Isn't this kind of disregard offensive! Too much of people being inconsiderate and not caring. They just see things the way they want to see them for their own convenience.

Thank you Jim for helping all of us on the forum make sure people are getting the message.

The reason a mask must be worn in the presence of others is to prevent the spread of the disease!!!

Please everyone... do the responsible thing for the good of all! 🤠
 
I have several itineraries involving primarily rail that I can't wait to enjoy. Both Amtrak and VIA. But for me, socialization on board is a big part of the attraction. So I'm saving my $$$ until Covid is in the rear view mirror and it's safe to be social again.
You're not alone in maintaining patience and waiting until the experience can be all that it should be! 😇
 
The Supreme Court has ruled that Amtrak is a government entity, so there are due process considerations that do not apply to private companies. And before you argue that there are minimal due process rights for the TSA do not fly list, remember that this list was a creation of The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001. An Amtrak private list would not be. In other words, TSA is able to do what they do in large part because they have special statutory authority that Amtrak lacks.
Amtrak was created as a quasi-governmental entity and the courts have chosen to interpret this shared domain in different ways at different times. There is no guarantee Amtrak will be added to the No Fly List, and doing so may require an act of Congress and/or survival against a court challenge, but it's a rational goal and I would imagine that moves toward this goal are being planned or acted upon in light of recent events. No telling where it goes from here.
 
Amtrak was created as a quasi-governmental entity and the courts have chosen to interpret this shared domain in different ways at different times.
The Supreme Court has ruled 9-0 that Amtrak is a government entity. Once the Supreme Court has made that determination, thanks to stare decisis, it doesn't matter how a lower court has ruled. A government entity is subject to due process rights - full stop.
 
They are not enforcing people not wearing masks in their private rooms. They just can’t say you don’t have to. As long as you wear the mask in public areas of the train you won’t get flack. I actually had a fun trip the other day - I didn’t wear my mask in my room and no one said a word - I took my meal in the diner and spent a couple hours there chatting with some other passengers (socially distanced everyone at separate tables) and had a couple drinks.

Just curious - which train were you on?
 
Just curious - which train were you on?
97. I was also fortunate enough to be in the Viewliner 2 car. I did request car #12 to try to get assigned to it. The VL2 dining car is great for socializing and is the one single nice thing about the flex dining program is the ability to lounge there after meals without getting the boot - I hope they will keep them on both the silvers when service returns to daily and hopefully they’ll return to 19/20 too. And if they reform F&B and bring back traditional dining more widely I hope they’d consider opening up the diner as a lounge space after meal times.
 
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The no fly list could be a topic on it's own, but that would stray so far from trains as to not belong on the site at all. While I thought the creation of the do not fly list was a good idea, and it has for the most part achieved it's goal, there have been quite a few interesting stories out there about people who find themselves on the list, are never told they are on the list until they arrive at an airport, and don't know why they are on the list. There also (from what I have read) is no formal appeals process to get off the list if there has been a mistake. So there is little if any due process involved.

I have a couple of issues with Amtrak being part of this list. First would be, as someone else mentioned, it was created as part of an aviation security act, and Amtrak is not involved in aviation. I suppose there could be some sort of amendment, but one has to wonder to what end? Is there some chance that anyone could hijack a train and take it off track and into a building? The purpose of the list does not seem to jive with the mission of a railroad. Second of course would be list criteria, which is still a state secret, but if you would be added to a list of terrorists because you didn't wear a mask in public, then we have already gone too far down that slippery slope. Third, while preventing movement of terrorists is a noble effort, the primary transportation method used by people in this country is still automobiles. Adding a railroad to the no fly list does nothing to stop a road trip of epic proportions and I would say that a car bomb is a much more prevalent threat than a train bomb, which I have never even heard of.

Now can Amtrak come up with reasonable mask rules, sure if they want to. Just like the restaurant rules that recognize you can't easily eat with a mask on and have adapted. Although I find that adaptation to be unscientific no matter which side of the mask debate you come down on, it is still an adaptation made for a specific purpose. Amtrak could do the same if they wanted to. I suspect that whoever at DOT wrote the rule for trains, may never have been on one, and may not know there are private rooms. This is an area where passenger advocates could get involved in advising the railroad.
 
97. I was also fortunate enough to be in the Viewliner 2 car. I did request car #12 to try to get assigned to it. The VL2 dining car is great for socializing and is the one single nice thing about the flex dining program is the ability to lounge there after meals without getting the boot - I hope they will keep them on both the silvers when service returns to daily and hopefully they’ll return to 19/20 too. And if they reform F&B and bring back traditional dining more widely I hope they’d consider opening up the diner as a lounge space after meal times.

Good to hear. My wife & I will be on 97 & 98 late next month. We’ll probably spend nearly all of our time in the room, but spending some time in the Diner / Lounge will be good at less busy times.

We got the 12 sleeper on the way back, but it is currently full on the way down. I’ll keep calling and hopefully there will be a cancellation at some point...
 
Such a waste of those dining cars on the Eastern trains. Hopefully May 22 is the date full service dining returns on the Western trains. That's the date I booked a long trip. I am hoping. As far as the Eastern trains go,do you think we are stuck with "flexible dining" forever?
 
The no fly list could be a topic on it's own, but that would stray so far from trains as to not belong on the site at all. While I thought the creation of the do not fly list was a good idea, and it has for the most part achieved it's goal, there have been quite a few interesting stories out there about people who find themselves on the list, are never told they are on the list until they arrive at an airport, and don't know why they are on the list. There also (from what I have read) is no formal appeals process to get off the list if there has been a mistake. So there is little if any due process involved.
Sorry to respond to this off topic, but there indeed is a process, as it happened to me, account I have a very common name.
Here it is...
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support/travel-redress-program
 
Such a waste of those dining cars on the Eastern trains. Hopefully May 22 is the date full service dining returns on the Western trains. That's the date I booked a long trip. I am hoping. As far as the Eastern trains go,do you think we are stuck with "flexible dining" forever?
Actually, no I don't... due to its almost universal unpopularity and the endless criticisms and disappoints expressed... and perhaps congressional mandate to make improvements / more funding. There are several predictions I would make.

Prediction I - a revamping of food inclusion... of some sort.

Prediction II - a modification of the pre-pared meals with fresher food and higher quality.

Prediction III - expanded cafe service with sleeping car passengers being able to order from the full menu or pre-set menu.

Prediction IV - return to a modified full service dining.

Prediction V - total exclusion of food service for sleeper passengers... as is the policy on most European trains. I do predict this is highly likely and that Amtrak will offer food for sale on longer distance trains.

No! I don't know what the future holds! But this forum is a great place to weigh in on the dining situation... based upon what you know, who you've talked to, and your gut instincts.

So, what do you think??? Certainly plenty of speculation / factual info / probability-speculation, etc etc etc: :oops:

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45942/7
Yes... this was published 8 years ago... but issues haven't changed:

https://www.amtrakoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/oig-a-2014-001.pdf
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/State-rules-out-food-service-restoration-on-13736228.php
 
Such a waste of those dining cars on the Eastern trains. Hopefully May 22 is the date full service dining returns on the Western trains. That's the date I booked a long trip. I am hoping. As far as the Eastern trains go,do you think we are stuck with "flexible dining" forever?
I think the future is the return of traditional dining car/lounge service in the west and a single food service car in the East that would prepare meals for all and have lounge seating exclusively for sleeper passengers. I think people could accept it if they, as part of it, revamped the sleeper meals into something more like what they did with the cross country cafe concept.
 
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