This came to mind for no particular reason. I'm curious if anyone has ever witnessed a passenger missing a stop because of somehow not hearing announcements or misunderstanding directions from crew as to what door to use at stations were not all doors open. Can't imagine how horrifying that would be on one train a day routes.
Missing a stop
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The Virtual Railfan camera in Flagstaff recently showed a man, carrying a tray of takeout food running to catch the departing (as in moving) SWC #4. He jumped onto the dining car's step and hung on to the rungs dropping his food in the process. The train was stopped and he and his belongs were removed from the train by the Conductor with assistance of PD.
Once was returning from LA on the Desert Wind. Was seated at diner with a guy moving east. He happened to be in the coach seat behind me. After diner was the fresh air stop at Barstow. Next stop was Las Vegas another fresh air stop. After departing Barstow didn't really noticed he wasn't sitting behind me just thought he was spending time in the lounge car. So standing on the platform with some other passengers when the guy who had been seated with us a diner comes up to us out of breath. Turns out he had gone in to the station at Barstow to make a phone call and missed the train He told us he ended up renting a car driving very fast to the Las Vegas airport then hopping in to a cab getting to the station barely in time.
In travelling passenger rails for over 60 years now, my only first hand observation was in April 1993 on #2 eastbound from NOL on what I think was only the third trip since service was restored NOL-MIA. I was in the sleeper (last car on the train). Train arrived in station Tallahassee, stopped, and after a minute pulled ahead. Apparently there was a family of 4 to detrain the sleeper in TAL, but--for some unknown reason--it didn't happen. Train made a second stop about 4-5 car links off the platform and into the brush. After a delay, crew got permission from the dispatcher to back-up to the station platform, the family detrained, and, after a delay totaling about 45 minutes, train proceeded on. My guess is somewhat unfamiliar territory for the passengers and crew. Certainly not a big deal, but it was interesting.
I viewed this video recently. What do you suppose this passenger was thinking when he climbed aboard the outside of a moving train. I mean, he dropped his food purchase, and now he has nothing to eat when the train reaches speed? There is another Virtual Rail video from Ashland VA where a passenger climbs aboard a departing train and "beats" the door with his travel cup to "let him in"! I noticed the police came to Flagstaff; the incident in Ashland police were apparently NOT called. I understand the conductor put him off the train. Did he actually violate any law or statute?
Not exactly a missed stop, but one time I was going from Cleveland to Chicago on the LSL. There were a couple European 20-somethings that must not have realized there were two trains. The westbound train was a little late, but they just hopped on the first one that came to the station. The conductor scanned their tickets and said "Oh crap, you're on the wrong train. You are going to New York." So about a half hour outside of Cleveland, our train stopped. Then the eastbound train pulled up and stopped. The conductor sent them across to the other train and hopefully they got to where they were going.
GAT
GAT
That one is funny, but also very gratifying that the conductor was kind enough to find a solution for two foreign travelers whose vacation might otherwise have been ruined.
When I attended Queen's University in Kingston, ON from 1958 - 62, we students often went to Toronto or Montreal for weekends. Kingston was half-way between, and the eastbound and westbound CN trains always met in Kingston. One would be held just outside the station until the other one departed. The sequence was not always the same; it depended on which train arrived first. I remember a few occasions when more than one of us students, perhaps a few sheets to the wind, at the start of a party weekend, didn't listen to the announcements and boarded the wrong train. The good news is it really didn't matter that much to most of us.
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I don't believe that anyone said that he was charged with an offense. Being put off the train is not the same thing as being arrested. The former has a lower threshold than the latter.
True. Being charged with anything was never stated as far as I know.
However, this was more than just being put off a train. He jumped "aboard" a moving train. Not sure how that may, or may not, increase the seriousness.
He wasn't thinking. That was his problem.
Ha! That happened to me once when I lived in Texas. I was returning to my stop in Taylor from visiting my sister near Dallas. I got on the southbound Texas Eagle at Dallas station, and I went upstairs in the car and took a seat. The conductor came by, scanned my ticket, and placed my seat check with the letters "TAY" on it, indicating that I would be getting off the train at Taylor. I had a nice afternoon ride south. When we were approaching Taylor, I went downstairs and collected my suitcase and waited by the door. No one came to open it! When the train started moving, I ran upstairs and went looking for the conductor. I found him in the dining car and explained what happened. He asked if I had changed seats, and I said no. I showed him my seat with the seat check still attached. Apparently, he confused me with another group of ladies that got off at Taylor, and thought that that group was all of the ladies detraining at Taylor. OOPS! I traveled on to Austin Station where I waited for about an hour while they arranged a taxi ride for me back to Taylor where my car was parked. I cost Amtrak about $90, and me some time and a $20 tip. I was sure glad that the driver didn't mind a trip out to Taylor. We had a nice tour of Pfugerville, though.
bratkinson
Conductor
I've witnessed both passengers not getting off when intended as well as those not getting back on in time at a 'longer' stop.
In coach on LD trains, the conductor & assistants will place a seat check indicating the destination station with a standard 3 letter code for each occupied seat. On the NEC, blank seat checks may or may not have a corner torn off, partially folded, or placed at an angle or horizontal to indicate destination with vertical being the 'last stop'. Regardless, in addition to PA announcements, one of the train crew members will usually advise each passenger that their station is coming up in 5 minutes or whenever. It's up to the sleeping car attendants to ensure their passengers get off as intended.
Maybe 40 years ago already, I was on the eastbound Broadway Ltd having just left Harrisburg and walking from the diner back to my roomette when a seated passenger started yelling he had to get off now as he slept through Harrisburg. The conductor told him he'd have to ride to the next station and make his own way back to Harrisburg. These days, the app on the conductors' smartphones indicates how many should get off and on at each stop. If it's a small number (under 20 or so?), he'd keep count and know that someone that is on the train failed to get off at that stop. I've heard announcements to the effect 2 or 3 times in the past 8-10 years.
Passengers getting too far away from the train at an intermediate stop are always prone to missing it. That's especially true for 'smoke stops' that are scheduled for about 15 minutes but if the train is running late, it's shorter. These days, the pre arrival announcements always indicate to stay near the train. But it doesn't always happen. Maybe 15 years ago, a passenger didn't get back on after a crew change/refuel/watering stop at Havre MT. I heard on my scanner about 5 minutes after we departed that so-and-so was still at the depot and that the crew should take his belongings and leave them at the next station stop. What Mr X did after that, I have no idea.
In short, if someone misses their stop, too bad. Amtrak can't put them off in the middle of nowhere so they have no choice but to take them to the next station. Although, as an aside, I have witnessed multiple occurances of the train stopping at a grade crossing with local police removing one or more unruly passengers.
In coach on LD trains, the conductor & assistants will place a seat check indicating the destination station with a standard 3 letter code for each occupied seat. On the NEC, blank seat checks may or may not have a corner torn off, partially folded, or placed at an angle or horizontal to indicate destination with vertical being the 'last stop'. Regardless, in addition to PA announcements, one of the train crew members will usually advise each passenger that their station is coming up in 5 minutes or whenever. It's up to the sleeping car attendants to ensure their passengers get off as intended.
Maybe 40 years ago already, I was on the eastbound Broadway Ltd having just left Harrisburg and walking from the diner back to my roomette when a seated passenger started yelling he had to get off now as he slept through Harrisburg. The conductor told him he'd have to ride to the next station and make his own way back to Harrisburg. These days, the app on the conductors' smartphones indicates how many should get off and on at each stop. If it's a small number (under 20 or so?), he'd keep count and know that someone that is on the train failed to get off at that stop. I've heard announcements to the effect 2 or 3 times in the past 8-10 years.
Passengers getting too far away from the train at an intermediate stop are always prone to missing it. That's especially true for 'smoke stops' that are scheduled for about 15 minutes but if the train is running late, it's shorter. These days, the pre arrival announcements always indicate to stay near the train. But it doesn't always happen. Maybe 15 years ago, a passenger didn't get back on after a crew change/refuel/watering stop at Havre MT. I heard on my scanner about 5 minutes after we departed that so-and-so was still at the depot and that the crew should take his belongings and leave them at the next station stop. What Mr X did after that, I have no idea.
In short, if someone misses their stop, too bad. Amtrak can't put them off in the middle of nowhere so they have no choice but to take them to the next station. Although, as an aside, I have witnessed multiple occurances of the train stopping at a grade crossing with local police removing one or more unruly passengers.
I guess now is the time for a bad joke, courtesy of my late uncle.
A passenger on the old Lakeshore Limited tells his Pullman porter to be sure he's up and off the train at Toldeo. When the passenger wakes up, he finds that the train is pulling out of Elkhart. Naturally, he's more than a little peeved and lets the porter know it in no uncertain terms.
Afterwards, the conductor is chatting with the porter and says, "Holy cow, that guy who missed his stop is sure mad at you."
The porter replies, "Not half as mad as the guy I put off the train in Toledo!"
A passenger on the old Lakeshore Limited tells his Pullman porter to be sure he's up and off the train at Toldeo. When the passenger wakes up, he finds that the train is pulling out of Elkhart. Naturally, he's more than a little peeved and lets the porter know it in no uncertain terms.
Afterwards, the conductor is chatting with the porter and says, "Holy cow, that guy who missed his stop is sure mad at you."
The porter replies, "Not half as mad as the guy I put off the train in Toledo!"
For us, there was that time the conductor came banging on our roomette door as the train was already slowing for Topeka... whoever was supposed to give us 20 minutes to wake up and collect our things failed to do their job. We made it off the train, but a hat was left in the roomette.
Now that we have digital devices to set alarms on, this does not happen. Last winter approaching Winnemucca on the CZ (~5am), I was already eating my granola and drinking tea when the conductor came to tell me it was time to get up.
Now that we have digital devices to set alarms on, this does not happen. Last winter approaching Winnemucca on the CZ (~5am), I was already eating my granola and drinking tea when the conductor came to tell me it was time to get up.
The northbound CS stopped in K-Falls for its 10-15 minute stop for refueling and engineer change. Someone in coach ticketed to KFS didn't know we were in KFS. The train made an unscheduled stop in Chiloquin and they had a taxi waiting for him at a crossing.
This just happened in Business Class on Train 11 (of August 5). A passenger from SEA to RDD moved in the night from lower to the upper level "to be able to sleep better." (The low point of Business Class ridership on 11/14 is usually between KFS and SAC.) The crew didn't find her in the night until SAC. Plans were made to put her on the afternoon Thruway trip back to RDD.
Now the rest of the story -- as she was seated next to me from PDX I learned that her recent residence was housing for the unhoused in Seattle's Belltown district and that she was on her way with her many bags of belongings eventually to Los Angeles. While she showed several signs of mental difficulties, she struck me as being somewhat crafty. I would be surprised if she did catch that bus back to RDD.
Now the rest of the story -- as she was seated next to me from PDX I learned that her recent residence was housing for the unhoused in Seattle's Belltown district and that she was on her way with her many bags of belongings eventually to Los Angeles. While she showed several signs of mental difficulties, she struck me as being somewhat crafty. I would be surprised if she did catch that bus back to RDD.
The last time I rode the Coast Starlight, a passenger that was supposed to detrain in Klamath Falls made it all the way to Eugene. Egad.
The greatest number of passenger's missing their train was always at Las Vegas, NV on the former Desert Wind. There was usually a short service stop and crew change there, and the station was attached to the Union Plaza Hotel and Casino. The lure of the "one-armed bandits", was just too much for some...especially coming from the East. They would lose all track of time (and usually cash, too
), but they could always grab a Greyhound which had its terminal on the other side of the casino, on to Los Angeles. Not so good if they were going East....
It may occur at Reno, too on the Zephyr, but access from the depressed platforms up to the street level casino's is more difficult, so probably not so alluring.
), but they could always grab a Greyhound which had its terminal on the other side of the casino, on to Los Angeles. Not so good if they were going East....It may occur at Reno, too on the Zephyr, but access from the depressed platforms up to the street level casino's is more difficult, so probably not so alluring.
BCL
Engineer
It happened to me on a ride from Berkeley to Richmond, CA on Capitol Corridor. I had beer flights at the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room, and I planned it as a multi-city ticket to do it at the same price plus give me an extra 100 AGR points.
With the beer buzz I totally forgot that it was like five minutes to Richmond, and I tracked down a conductor who wrote me a note to allow me back to Richmond without a ticket per se. I waited more than an hour in Martinez. The first return train was actually a late running San Joaquin using Comet Cars, which was kind of cool. The conductor even chatted a bit about my plight.
With the beer buzz I totally forgot that it was like five minutes to Richmond, and I tracked down a conductor who wrote me a note to allow me back to Richmond without a ticket per se. I waited more than an hour in Martinez. The first return train was actually a late running San Joaquin using Comet Cars, which was kind of cool. The conductor even chatted a bit about my plight.
My father, who served in the Army Air Corps on 1943-44 recalls that there was a water stop in Texas where the last couple of cars in a troop train would line up with a "Railroad Avenue" frontage of bars. Thirsty soldiers could not resist rushing in for a quick one and missing their departing train. By the time he was shipped through there, MP's had been sent from San Antonio to discourage that behavior, as the small town had been overwhelmed with the stranded GI's. It was more efficient to keep a detail there than to repeatedly send someone to pick up the strays.
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