New No Smoking Policy Coming to the Auto Train

[roadman3313]

As taken from Amtrak.com...

"

Auto Train: No Smoking Policy Begins Aboard Auto Train
Effective June 1, 2013To provide a healthier environment on the train for passengers and employees, smoking will not be permitted aboard the Auto Train effective June 1, 2013. Smoking will be prohibited in all areas of the train including the Lounge car, Food Service car and Coach and Sleeping cars.

This policy also prohibits the use of medical marijuana and electronic smoking devices such as electronic cigarettes aboard the train. Contact Amtrak for more information on the Smoking Policy.

Smoking Stop at Florence, SC

• Passengers will be permitted to get off the train and smoke in Florence, SC, when the train stops for servicing.
• Florence is not an Auto Train station stop, so passengers aboard Trains 52 and 53 cannot board or detrain at this location.
• The scheduled smoking stop times at Florence are listed below:
  - Northbound Train 52: From approximately 12:30 am until 12:45 am.
  - Southbound Train 53: From approximately 11:45 pm until 11:59 pm.
• Passengers should remain in the immediate area of the train, ready to reboard immediately upon hearing the sound of the locomotive horn and/or verbal boarding calls from members of the train crew.
• Smoking stops may be shortened or eliminated entirely if the train is operating late.

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage. For more information on the Smoking Policy, visit Amtrak.com, call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or speak with a speak with a station or onboard employee.

Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak. Follow us on twitter.com/Amtrak."

Looks like Amtrak will become a 100% smoke free train system (in theory)... AFAIK anyway... looks like one will have to get up around midnight give or take to get those few puffs in... hopefully this will not result in an increase in smoking in the restrooms or out the doorway windows...

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I don't think they mean it this way, but the new policy could be interpreted to mean that until 6/1/13, one can smoke medical marijuana aboard the Auto Train - in designated smoking areas of course . Now I've never ridden the Auto Train, but since Amtrak gets federal funds, I somehow highly doubt that this is the case. :huh:

Who writes these things? Communications :blink: ? Whoever does really needs to learn how to write so that they communicate what they are actually trying to say. Take the current (and last year's) #30 service disruption. It causes endless confusuion about which trains are actually impacted. Is it the Saturday or Sunday through the Wednesday or Thursday departures out of Chicago? The notice really could be written more clearly. All it would take is a bit more information.

It really makes me wonder if the writer has been hanging out in the Auto Train smoking lounge and has a contact high. :giggle:

 

[benjibear]

The problem is you can write something, have multiple people review it, and somebody still interetes a different way.

 

[Ryan]

Does the Auto Train pass through any jurisdictions where MMJ is legal?

Either way, good on Amtrak for the policy change.

 

[afigg]

I don't think they mean it this way, but the new policy could be interpreted to mean that until 6/1/13, one can smoke medical marijuana aboard the Auto Train - in designated smoking areas of course . Now I've never ridden the Auto Train, but since Amtrak gets federal funds, I somehow highly doubt that this is the case. :huh:

I don't see that interpretation as much of a problem. If someone thinks smoking medical marijuana is currently legal while passing through Virginia, NC, SC, GA, they may be oversampling the product. :huh:

I have to agree that it is difficult to deal with every possible interpretation. Otherwise they end up writing such a long statement that few get all the way through it. Simple: starting on June 1, no more smoking in the AT lounge cars. Amtrak may save on maintenance money on one hand, while on the other hand, the on-board staff will now have to make sure that passengers don't wander off at the smoke stop.

 

[PaulM]

... while on the other hand, the on-board staff will now have to make sure that passengers don't wander off at the smoke stop.

Why?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The problem is you can write something, have multiple people review it, and somebody still interetes a different way.

That is the point of a good communications department. They make pretty darn clear exactly what is meant, so as to avoid misunderstandings. If multiple people are reviewing Amtrak's service notifications and alerts, they must all be hanging out in the smoking lounge, because they sometimes seems to be pretty hazy. :wacko:



Another thing important for good communications is to not have hazy spelling in one's writing...

 

[Nathanael]

As taken from Amtrak.com...
"

Auto Train: No Smoking Policy Begins Aboard Auto Train
Effective June 1, 2013To provide a healthier environment on the train for passengers and employees, smoking will not be permitted aboard the Auto Train effective June 1, 2013. Smoking will be prohibited in all areas of the train including the Lounge car, Food Service car and Coach and Sleeping cars.

This policy also prohibits the use of medical marijuana and electronic smoking devices such as electronic cigarettes aboard the train. Contact Amtrak for more information on the Smoking Policy.

They didn't SAY this, but I would guess a smoking policy wouldn't be construed to prohibit eating of medical marijuana brownies. ;-) (Federal law would still be a problem... as is the fact that medical marijuana isn't legal in any of the states the Auto Train goes through.)

It presumably doesn't prohibit "the patch" or nicotine gum either. Both of which I strongly encourage to people who are additcted to the cancer sticks; since there's NO secondhand fumes, it's much more sociable. As well as healthier due to the lack of 'tar' (nicotine by itself doesn't cause cancer or emphysema, though it does cause heart attacks).

I am really glad to see the end of smoke within the trains, and I bet the Amtrak janitorial employees are too. Smoke is really nasty to clean up. I suppose nobody thought much about it in the days of coal-burning trains, when there was a whole 'nother sort of smoke to clean up!

 

[battalion51]

People wandering off to grab a smoke is a potential issue on any of the Long Distance trains, Auto Train included. I actually saw someone downstairs in the lounge one time open the window and smoke out the window not ten feet from the smokers lounge. I let the LSA know, and the situation was handled, but people are going to do what they do, even when they have access. I do think it will be interesting to see what sort of ridership is lost, if any, and what they do with the newly vacated space the penalty box opens up.

 

[afigg]

... while on the other hand, the on-board staff will now have to make sure that passengers don't wander off at the smoke stop.

Why?

Fixed the nested quotes for you. As to why? Because if people wander off from the smoke stop, they end up stuck in Florence SC and Amtrak could be stuck with a car that no one drives away at the destination. Bad enough to have unclaimed luggage at the end destination, really don't want unclaimed cars to pile up.

 

[chakk]

The planned "smokers stop" at Florence, SC is a compromise to no smoking at all, which is the case on most international flights that last longer than the ride on the Auto Train. But, I can also see this compromise being withdrawn if smokers litter the Florence platform with cigarette butts. I believe this is the reason that some smoking stops were eliminated on the CZ -- too much littering of the platforms which the local jurisdiction had to pay to clean up.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I don't think they mean it this way, but the new policy could be interpreted to mean that until 6/1/13, one can smoke medical marijuana aboard the Auto Train - in designated smoking areas of course .

I thought it was pretty obvious that the current (existing) policy remains in full effect until 6/1/13. No where does it say that the current policy ends immediately.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I don't think they mean it this way, but the new policy could be interpreted to mean that until 6/1/13, one can smoke medical marijuana aboard the Auto Train - in designated smoking areas of course .

I thought it was pretty obvious that the current (existing) policy remains in full effect until 6/1/13. No where does it say that the current policy ends immediately.

I was making the point that it is not well written. Funny no one has disagreed with me about the #30 notice. The same confusing notice they posted last year, BTW.

 

[Shortline]

Frankly, surprised it took this long. I remember when you could smoke in sleepers, was thinking about that the other night in my roomette-I remember being an 18 YO GI en-route to another base for continued training, and I wanted to take the train from Spokane to Little Rock, instead of flying. Travel officer said I had to have a valid reason. So,I stood there, with wings on my flight suit, looked him straight in the eye, and said "I'm afraid of flying". He got me tickets on the EB an TE, and I went coach. They had stopped smoking in coach by then, but could still smoke in the sleepers. I recall, meanderinng around the train, and ended up in an unused roomette, and had a couple of marlboro's. I cant imagine being in that smal of a room with a cigarette now!

 

[amarsh]

Seems silly to me to end having a designated smoking lounge, since Auto Train doesn't have any scheduled stops. And I thought that the Auto Train did have multiple ones that were non-smoking, and it was only just one per each Auto Train that was smoking? Well, just goes to show how anti-smoking groups are selfish, and always try to press for more excessive anti-smoking laws(i.e. New York state, where a law passed prohibiting smoking on open air areas(of all places, even if you're away from the station house doors/windows) of commuter rail platforms a little over a year ago). And that you'd think Amtrak would allow employees upon request to not work cleaning the designated smoking lounges, if they weren't comfortable with(or sensitive to) smoke. I'm sure I'll get major disagreement from some for having this opinion, but don't care.

Also, leads me to another point that too many of the stops on long distance trains that are the designated smoking stops don't always have proper ash urn towers positioned along the platform near where the train usually ultimately stops(and say, they're often at another end of the platform). I noticed when I recently rode the LSL and got off at Albany-Rensselaer to smoke, that there weren't any right near the door I got off to smoke, for whatever weird reason(and to my credit, I field stripped the butt when I was done, and threw it out when I got back on the train).

 

[MattW]

Seems silly to me to end having a designated smoking lounge, since Auto Train doesn't have any scheduled stops. And I thought that the Auto Train did have multiple ones that were non-smoking, and it was only just one per each Auto Train that was smoking? Well, just goes to show how anti-smoking groups are selfish, and always try to press for more excessive anti-smoking laws(i.e. New York state, where a law passed prohibiting smoking on open air areas(of all places, even if you're away from the station house doors/windows) of commuter rail platforms a little over a year ago). And that you'd think Amtrak would allow employees upon request to not work cleaning the designated smoking lounges, if they weren't comfortable with(or sensitive to) smoke. I'm sure I'll get major disagreement from some for having this opinion, but don't care.
Also, leads me to another point that too many of the stops on long distance trains that are the designated smoking stops don't always have proper ash urn towers positioned along the platform near where the train usually ultimately stops(and say, they're often at another end of the platform). I noticed when I recently rode the LSL and got off at Albany-Rensselaer to smoke, that there weren't any right near the door I got off to smoke, for whatever weird reason(and to my credit, I field stripped the butt when I was done, and threw it out when I got back on the train).

As far as I know, the Auto Train has only ever had a non-passenger scheduled stop at Florence, SC for a crew change. Any other stops, even if they happen to be in stations are due to other traffic and passengers are not allowed out. Unlike other activities such as photography, smoking only has a deleterious effect on the smoker and nearby people. The argument that it keeps people employed is valid, but you have to realize that those people are only employed in an industry that produces a product that only has deleterious effects. I'm sorry, but a practice that only causes harm, and no good, will not be upheld at least by society, and possibly the courts.

 

[TimePeace]

Seems silly to me to end having a designated smoking lounge, since Auto Train doesn't have any scheduled stops. And I thought that the Auto Train did have multiple ones that were non-smoking, and it was only just one per each Auto Train that was smoking? Well, just goes to show how anti-smoking groups are selfish, and always try to press for more excessive anti-smoking laws(i.e. New York state, where a law passed prohibiting smoking on open air areas(of all places, even if you're away from the station house doors/windows) of commuter rail platforms a little over a year ago). And that you'd think Amtrak would allow employees upon request to not work cleaning the designated smoking lounges, if they weren't comfortable with(or sensitive to) smoke. I'm sure I'll get major disagreement from some for having this opinion, but don't care.
Also, leads me to another point that too many of the stops on long distance trains that are the designated smoking stops don't always have proper ash urn towers positioned along the platform near where the train usually ultimately stops(and say, they're often at another end of the platform). I noticed when I recently rode the LSL and got off at Albany-Rensselaer to smoke, that there weren't any right near the door I got off to smoke, for whatever weird reason(and to my credit, I field stripped the butt when I was done, and threw it out when I got back on the train).

Weak. Weak.

 

[battalion51]

I don't think that this was an agenda that was pushed by anti-smoking groups. I think this is Amtrak making a business decision based on their customer base. Take a look at page 30 of the 2012 Performance Improvement Plan of the PRIIA documentation. This isn't a policy that was cobbled together overnight, it was definitely thought through. I would venture to guess as well that if there is a huge issue in Florence with butts on the ground they will install the ash trays on the platform since AT spots up at pretty much the same place every night. Additionally this is a smoke stop for the Meteor and the Palmetto bug, so they would serve six trains. The only real logistical challenge in my mind will be notifying passengers which cars they can step off from to light up. But I think they'll solve that issue pretty quickly.

 

[AlanB]

I don't think that this was an agenda that was pushed by anti-smoking groups. I think this is Amtrak making a business decision based on their customer base. Take a look at page 30 of the 2012 Performance Improvement Plan of the PRIIA documentation. This isn't a policy that was cobbled together overnight, it was definitely thought through. I would venture to guess as well that if there is a huge issue in Florence with butts on the ground they will install the ash trays on the platform since AT spots up at pretty much the same place every night. Additionally this is a smoke stop for the Meteor and the Palmetto bug, so they would serve six trains. The only real logistical challenge in my mind will be notifying passengers which cars they can step off from to light up. But I think they'll solve that issue pretty quickly.

I agree, this was more about the mess and complaints from non-smokers who could still smell the smoke in the lounge cars. Non-smokers stuck in the lounge car for dinner didn't like the smell of smoke with their steaks and such.

 

[afigg]

I don't think that this was an agenda that was pushed by anti-smoking groups. I think this is Amtrak making a business decision based on their customer base. Take a look at page 30 of the 2012 Performance Improvement Plan of the PRIIA documentation. This isn't a policy that was cobbled together overnight, it was definitely thought through.

The 2012 PIP report is a public document so we can quote from it. Amtrak weighed the issue at length and, as the discussion in the report indicates, decided that the maintenance of the smoking lounge and complaints about the odor from other passengers outweighed keeping the smoking lounge. Proving a smoking stop for the AT is not something that Amtrak is obligated to do.
What the 2012 PIP report said:

Eliminate smoking on board
Auto Train is the only train in the Amtrak system that allows smoking, and it results in a number of adverse customer impacts. These include the constant challenge of trying to mitigate the smell of cigarette smoke with special filters, which do not fully address the problem. Additionally, smoking is allowed in two of the public lounges, essentially harming the attractiveness of these cars to non-smokers, who represent at least 85% of our customers on this train.

There are, of course, risks with changing this policy, including the possibility of reduced ridership from smokers who will not use our service if this policy is imposed on them. We note here that a similar argument was made from 1995 forward, when we imposed a restriction on smoking several trains at a time over a 5 year period. Ridership loss was never experienced, in part because if a small percentage of smoking customers might chose an alternative form of transportation, that loss was offset by customers whose experience was greatly improved by the healthier atmosphere.

Amtrak will develop an implementation plan to eliminate on-board smoking on the Auto Train during FY13 that includes consideration of whether there should be a smoking stop at Florence, SC (the crew change point) and review alternatives to minimize adverse impact and generally improve the customer experience for most customers.

Next up for the AT PIP recommendations is probably priority off-loading as that should not be too difficult to implement.

 

[cirdan]

Another thing important for good communications is to not have hazy spelling in one's writing...

I work for a big corporation in a marketing-related position and I know of nobody who actually likes to deal with communications.

Jobs like that tend to attract people who live in a cloud of their own and don't really care about the product you're selling or the customer you're selling it to but seem to serve only some internal wooly logic. You give them a perfectly simple and understandable text and they turn it around to make it far more complicated, misleading and outright incorrect, adding in a whole number of points of their own that were neither explicitly nor implicitly part of the original statement, and may even tack on a photo of something totally different. The next thing the customer panics and phones me for clarification and I end out passing on the original text becuase the only one the customer understands. The same effect could have been had much more quickly and with less sweat if I'd been allowed to pass out that text as it was in the first instance.

 

[Ryan]

Seems silly to me to end having a designated smoking lounge, since Auto Train doesn't have any scheduled stops. And I thought that the Auto Train did have multiple ones that were non-smoking, and it was only just one per each Auto Train that was smoking? Well, just goes to show how anti-smoking groups are selfish, and always try to press for more excessive anti-smoking laws(i.e. New York state, where a law passed prohibiting smoking on open air areas(of all places, even if you're away from the station house doors/windows) of commuter rail platforms a little over a year ago).

Have you ever been on the Auto Train? Seen the smoking lounges? They're foul, and the propensity of smokers to prop the door to the smokebox open (presumeably so they can get some "fresh" air) ended up polluting the whole car.
If "not wanting to get cancer and die" is selfish, than sign me up. You're more than welcome to kill yourself, but I'm not interested in letting you kill me in the process.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm sorry if having asthma and allergies makes me "selfish", and I apologize if I don't want to reek of cigarettes after a long trip. I think smokers who don't care about other people's lungs or clothes are selfish.

It's like the "smoking" section in a restaurant. Anyone who thinks the smoke stays in that one area is delusional. It creeps through the ventilation system and escapes when the door is opened.

If we could put similar bans on perfume and Glade plug-ins, I'd be a happy girl.

 

[cirdan]

I'm sorry if having asthma and allergies makes me "selfish", and I apologize if I don't want to reek of cigarettes after a long trip. I think smokers who don't care about other people's lungs or clothes are selfish.
It's like the "smoking" section in a restaurant. Anyone who thinks the smoke stays in that one area is delusional. It creeps through the ventilation system and escapes when the door is opened.

If we could put similar bans on perfume and Glade plug-ins, I'd be a happy girl.

+1

 

[Anderson]

I'm sorry if having asthma and allergies makes me "selfish", and I apologize if I don't want to reek of cigarettes after a long trip. I think smokers who don't care about other people's lungs or clothes are selfish.
It's like the "smoking" section in a restaurant. Anyone who thinks the smoke stays in that one area is delusional. It creeps through the ventilation system and escapes when the door is opened.

If we could put similar bans on perfume and Glade plug-ins, I'd be a happy girl.

Eh, at least in restaurants in VA, it's not much of an issue since they passed the ventilation law a few years ago (a smoking area has to be on a separate system from a non-smoking area and there has to be close to total isolation).