Wait, so if I don’t have my ticket scanned, I don’t get points? We might have missed out on a lot of points over the years, if that’s the case (mainly from sleepers). :unsure:
At least 5 years ago, give or take (my memory is getting worse by the day!), after making the switch from coach in 449 to sleeper in 49, and not having had my ticket scanned in the hour or so since (re) boarding at ALB, I stopped the conductor on his way through the diner where I was enjoying a real steak dinner (can't do THAT any more on #49!) and asked him to scan my ticket. I already knew that if you miss your train, the rest of your reservation gets cancelled, so I had to absolutely make sure I got my ticket scanned.
After telling him I was in the sleeper, he stated that the SCA told him what rooms had boarded at ALB and he simply 'marked them' as scanned in his scanner. So I was good to go. I still double check with the conductor if he didn't come by within an hour or so of my boarding.
As it turns out, the Amtrak scanners seem to have gotten 'smarter' in recent times. Or, perhaps, they were originally programmed to have a number of features I am unaware of as a passenger. One of the features that surprised me is that when boarding #141 at WNL on 'lighter' days (not any more since CTRail started!), the conductor would ask as I was coming up the steps: "Bruce?" I'd reply 'yup!' and he gave me my seat check, knowing he'd seen me a good number of times previously. Other conductors, while coming through BC where only me and one other had settled down would do the same as he approached me (I prefer to be 3-5 rows from the rear of the car). Obviously, passenger names show up as well. I've also had conductors ask my name when boarding (during that blasted 3 year bustitution NHV-SPG!!) and I'd simply tell him/her my name and they'd mark me as boarded without scanning my ticket.
Another feature of the scanners is it tells them how many are getting on or off at each stop. For lower volume stops such as all but HFD on the NHV-SPG runs, they know that 4 passengers are supposed to get off, but only 3 were seen on the platform. They'd get on the PA and 'remind' passengers 'THIS IS xyz STATION!'. One night on #148 (pre CTRail), we sat at Hartford for 2-3 minutes beyond scheduled departure time waiting for what I presume was one or two stragglers to get off. I've seen it too many times where passengers don't even START to get out of their seat, get their bags down, put their coat on, etc, until the train comes to a complete stop. And, of course, they were specifically told by the conductor 'xxx in about 5 minutes' as he lifts their seat check.
So, yes, even if ones' ticket isn't scanned when in a sleeper, I STILL want to make sure it gets recorded for the points!
