Need help with bad complaint

[PunditusMaximus]

My traveling companion was sexually harassed by an Amtrak employee in LAX. We've tried the usual channels, but the compliance officer was so awful that he didn't even assign her a case number when we talked. We spoke with another (female) Amtrak employee who basically said that "Amtrak has a problem".

She suggested we speak with one of the station managers at LAX who can at least get started on the original complaint, but we can't find contact information for him anywhere, and LAX doesn't even pick up their phone. Can anyone here give me a private message if they have any info on how to get ahold of station personnel at the stations, other than physically going there and begging for access?

Thanks,

-PM

 

[TimePeace]

I'd contact Amtrak national headquarters. Call customer service and I am willing to bet they'll act on this type of complaint rapidly. They'd be fools not to...

 

[KrazyKoala]

Sorry to say, but no. When my luggage got lost two weeks ago SAC-LAX, I was talking to corporate to file to be compensated for it. During the process, the lady said she had to call SAC, LAX, and every station in between and confirm it wasn't there. After about an hour of being on the phone, she said that every station doesn't have it except LAX, she said no one would answer the FIVE numbers they have on file to confirm if they had it or not. LAX was the first station called, and she dialed the five numbers again at the end as well.

Are you no longer in LAX to make the complaint?

 

[the_traveler]

I'm certainly not saying what you said happened did not happen, but you said you talked to a "compliance officer". Was he or she an actual law enforcement officer? :blush:

I was at LAX a couple of weeks ago, and say some security personnel who may or may not have been law enforcement personnel. However, LAX is also has Amtrak Police, LAPD and LA County Sheriff Officers on duty, who are clearly law enforcement. Any of these would have taken your complaint seriously at that time!

If you're still in that area, I would file a complaint with the LAPD or LA Sheriff. If you are no longer in the area, I urge you to contact Customer Service (call 1-800-USA-RAIL, hit -0-when "Julie" answers, then ask the agent for Customer Service) ASAP and explain the situation! I think they will take this VERY seriously!

I'm very sorry this happened, and I wish both of you the best!

 

[Nathanael]

For some reason I've had a lot of trouble in LA. That's the station where I couldn't get a Red Cap to show up for a disabled passenger for over an hour. It's the station where the luggage handlers asked me to carry the wheelchar into the luggage room myself -- which is OK -- except that I had to bug them to actually put a luggage tag on it before I left. (If I hadn't done that, God knows where it would have gone.)

Punditus, if you're no longer in LA, escalate with the central office as far as you possibly can. Your complaint now includes not only the sexual harassment, but *also* the refusal to investigate (by the "compliance officer"), the statement by the female Amtrak employee that the company has a problem (in LA at least), *and* the refusal of the LA station to answer its phone.

Also, start doing everything in writing and documenting every phone call. Think of it this way: you're currently building a casefile against person or persons unknown in LA station operations. Once your communications are written, certified mail communications to Amtrak HQ, someone is likely to notice that something is seriously wrong in LA.

Koala, you need to ask the same lady in corporate to help you out by escalating the "problem with LA" to her boss. And again, start getting everything in writing. You are also building a casefile against someone in LA station operations.

 

[TimePeace]

Punditus, if you're no longer in LA, escalate with the central office as far as you possibly can. Your complaint now includes not only the sexual harassment, but *also* the refusal to investigate (by the "compliance officer"), the statement by the female Amtrak employee that the company has a problem (in LA at least), *and* the refusal of the LA station to answer its phone.

I wouldn't dilute your complaint with all these other issues, however legtimate they may be. Sexual harrassment is plenty serious. Stick to one idea and you will probably get futher faster than someone voicing a number of issues at once.

Don't make them take too many notes, just have the person who answers get in touch with a higher up immediately is my advice.

 

[haolerider]

My traveling companion was sexually harassed by an Amtrak employee in LAX. We've tried the usual channels, but the compliance officer was so awful that he didn't even assign her a case number when we talked. We spoke with another (female) Amtrak employee who basically said that "Amtrak has a problem".
She suggested we speak with one of the station managers at LAX who can at least get started on the original complaint, but we can't find contact information for him anywhere, and LAX doesn't even pick up their phone. Can anyone here give me a private message if they have any info on how to get ahold of station personnel at the stations, other than physically going there and begging for access?

Thanks,

-PM

I would suggest writing a detailed letter to Amtrak HQs in DC.....copeis to the President and to the head of Human Capital (yes, that is what they call it these days). You can get the address details on the Amtrak website. I would also suggest filing a complaint with your local police, providing all the details and I would spare the fact that you can't get through on the phone. Don't muddy the issue with too many complaints, since the real issue is the sexual harassment. Good luck.

 

[BCL]

I would note that the phrase used was "sexual harrassment". I don't know if calling law enforcement would necessarily be the right thing to do depending on what happened. It may not necessarily be illegal as a matter of law if someone receives unwanted advances or comments of a sexual nature. It may very well be a violation of Amtrak policy (between coworkers it could be a violation of workplace protection laws), and something like that would have to be handled by Amtrak and not law enforcement.

 

[Nathanael]

Even if the harassment did qualify as criminal, I would seriously hesitate to suggest contacting the LAPD or LASD given their reputations; they would probably blow you off with "Well, nobody got physically hurt, so why are you bothering us?"

Amtrak, on the other hand, should care a lot. And from Amtrak's point of view, the facts that the LA office *prevented you from filing a complaint*, and that the local supervisors to whom you might normally complain *were unreachable*, is a critically important part of the complaint, *not* extraneous.

They will only understand it if you put it in writing, however.