Peanut Allergy

[Cindy62]

I know airplanes no longer allow peanuts consumed in the cabin.

I have a roomette booked next month on the Southwest Chief. I have a peanut allergy. Can I ask Amtrak to inform the occupants of the roomettes around me to not eat peanuts or do I have to do that myself?

Thanks

 

[rrdude]

You can try, but highly doubful anything can be done.

 

[Acela150]

I can inform you that you will have a door as part of your roomette. I don't know if that would help you any. Sorry I'm not allergic to anything.

 

[Texan Eagle]

I know airplanes no longer allow peanuts consumed in the cabin.

Since when? Last year I flew on Southwest on three different flights we were given complimentary packets of peanuts. I am sure they were not souvenirs to take home, everyone ate them on the flight itself.

 

[Acela150]

TE I believe some Airlines have banned peanuts. Not sure though considering I've only flown 3 or 4 times in my life.

 

[roomette]

I know airplanes no longer allow peanuts consumed in the cabin.

Since when? Last year I flew on Southwest on three different flights we were given complimentary packets of peanuts. I am sure they were not souvenirs to take home, everyone ate them on the flight itself.

http://tinyurl.com/llc8zny

We have procedures in place to assist our Customers with severe allergies to peanut dust and will make every attempt not to serve packaged peanuts on the aircraft when our Customers alert us of their allergy to peanut dust.

 

[SarahZ]

Cindy - you could ask those around you to please not eat peanuts near you, and/or you could make a sign you can tape to your roomette window as a reminder.

I highly advise keeping the door shut, though, if you are that allergic to peanut dust. I would also carry your Epi-Pen or whatever else you may have and alert your sleeping car attendant so they can keep the crew informed. If there is an emergency (and I hope there isn't), the crew can radio ahead to the next town, and an ambulance will meet the train at a crossing instead of waiting until the next station stop. The conductors change every eight (?) hours, but hopefully they'll pass the info along.

 

[chakk]

I know airplanes no longer allow peanuts consumed in the cabin.
I have a roomette booked next month on the Southwest Chief. I have a peanut allergy. Can I ask Amtrak to inform the occupants of the roomettes around me to not eat peanuts or do I have to do that myself?

Thanks

I have seen peanuts served in airplane cabins are nearly all of my flights in the last year. But I know someone with a peanut allergy who has recently asked a major airline to not serve peanuts on flights this person will take next month. So I suppose a request like that MIGHT be honored by airlines.

But I doubt that Amtrak will ban the sale and consumption of peanuts, as they are a well-selling product in the cafe-lounge cars on most LD trains.

 

[zephyr17]

Also bear in the mind that the cleaning done on the roomettes between trips is not always thorough. While you can be sure the floor will have been vacuumed and you will definitely have fresh linens, there are a lot of nooks and crannies that don't get cleaned regularly. I've often found stuff if I drop something and I have to look under the seat for it. If a previous occupant ate a bag of peanuts in the room, I wouldn't be surprised if I found a couple of dropped peanuts if I looked far under the seat.

That goes double if you are getting on enroute and the room has been turned over from a previous occupant. In that case, the attendant will have changed the linens and emptied the trash bin, but that is all.

Bring you epi-pen. An Amtrak sleeping car is not a very controlled environment.

 

[momof5]

You also would have people on the train with jars of peanut butter.

I bring it because of a picky child, but it's also

good because it needs no refrigeration. You

are putting yourself into a very serious

situation if your peanut allergy is severe.

 

[the Other Mike]

But, arn't we all AU nuts to begin with ?

 

[benjibear]

I have had a severe peanut allergy all my 38 years and have read a lot about the allergy. I have a severe reaction by just rubbing a little peanut butter oil on my tong. I just want to clarify a few myths and give my opinion from someone living with the allergy.

Someone with a peanut allergy does not get sick from just smelling peanuts. You don't get sick from touching peanuts. A person with this allergy is allergic to the protein found in peanuts. If this protein is transmitted into your digestive system by eating or inhaling a high concentration of peanut dust, you will get a reaction. Now I understand the OP may have an extreme allergy, but for most peanut allergy people, there should be no concern about riding Amtrak.

I know for myself, I was always uneasy about being around peanuts. Smelling peanuts butter, fresh roasted nuts, or working next to a coworker snacking on peanuts always makes me feel a little "sick". However, I never had a reaction from being around this situation. I think the sick feeling I was having was more of a warning alarm my body gives to avoid eating these.

Again I know the OP may have a very extreme case, but for most people this shouldn't be an issue. In my opinion, I think a lot of parents become way over protective with this which makes future adults with severe anxiety of peanuts or maybe because some people are so protective they never get the slight exposure needed to build a tolerance to living in normal everyday situations.

 

[amamba]

I have a friend with a severe peanut allergy. She cannot go into places like Five Guys because people are cracking peanuts, tossing the shells on the floor, using peanut oil to fry, etc.

However, she has been accommodated by Southwest airlines numerous times. A passenger alerts them to the allergy and they make the flight a "peanut free flight" and do not hand out the peanuts. They have a procedure in place that is generally followed when requested.

The issue is that amtrak does not have such a policy in place to implement. Furthermore, since they don't hand out peanuts to everyone in their seats, I do think it is less of an issue.

 

[zephyr17]

How would they implement such a policy? Perform a TSA search of all passengers to seize peanuts, Cracker Jack, and Reese's Cups?

 

[jis]

I can just see those Peanut detecting Cocker Spaniels running around.....

But yes allergies of this sort can be pretty dangerous in uncontrolled environments. All that one can do is make the people around them and specially those in positions of power, like the Conductor on a train, aware of the situation, so they are able to act both proactively to prevent a situation from developing and reactively to deal with a situation should it develop. Afterall it is in everyone's interest for the trip to take place with no incident.

 

[Guest]

Can I ask Amtrak to inform the occupants of the roomettes around me to not eat peanuts or do I have to do that myself?

I tend to be a "pro-active" type of person when it comes to looking for a solution.

I would suggest bringing several bags of snacks, be they pretzels or chips. Go to the people in the surrounding roomettes, explain your situation, and offer them a couple of bags of the snacks you brought, in lieu of snacking on any peanuts they might have with them. This way, you aren't as severely affecting their own enjoyment of the trip by simply telling them, they can't have their peanut-based snacks.

 

[Guest]

However, she has been accommodated by Southwest airlines numerous times. A passenger alerts them to the allergy and they make the flight a "peanut free flight" and do not hand out the peanuts. They have a procedure in place that is generally followed when requested.

Does Southwest offer a different snack or meal, in lieu of the peanuts? I sure hope so.

To me, there is a distinct difference from when the Conductor tells me I simply can't eat the peanut butter sandwich I brought with me, to when he then offers me a free hot meatball sub as a replacement.

 

[pennyk]

I am allergic to garlic and there are many times that I cannot eat any entrees in the dining car. I always carry with me packets of Justens peanut butter and Wasa bread so that I will have something containing protein to eat in situations where diner food does not work for me.

I would be disappointed if I was unable to eat my peanut butter, but I hope that I am considerate enough to forgo my protein and eat something less healthy, if it would prevent someone from having a serious peanut allergy reaction.

 

[rusty spike]

However, she has been accommodated by Southwest airlines numerous times. A passenger alerts them to the allergy and they make the flight a "peanut free flight" and do not hand out the peanuts. They have a procedure in place that is generally followed when requested.

Does Southwest offer a different snack or meal, in lieu of the peanuts? I sure hope so.I

To me, there is a distinct difference from when the Conductor tells me I simply can't eat the peanut butter sandwich I brought with me, to when he then offers me a free hot meatball sub as a replacement.

Having been on a "peanut-less" Southwest flight, they will serve pretzels ILO of peanuts. Unfortunately the pretzels were not gluten-free.

 

[leemell]

Here is a question, couldn't the person allergic to peanut dust use a 99% dust mask (inexpensive and available at places like Home Depot) in case of a problem in real time? We use these on the USAR team in very dirty and toxic dust environments. Be like the Boy Scouts --"Always Prepared".

 

[me_little_me]

I know airplanes no longer allow peanuts consumed in the cabin.
I have a roomette booked next month on the Southwest Chief. I have a peanut allergy. Can I ask Amtrak to inform the occupants of the roomettes around me to not eat peanuts or do I have to do that myself?

Thanks

If you came to my room and nicely explained that you had an allergy that was life threatening and I told you we had brought peanuts and you offered to pay for comparable snacks (which I would decline to let you do), I'd accommodate you but if you went to the conductor and demanded that he do something to protect you when you knew you had such an allergy, I'd consume my peanuts in my room.

Can I ask Amtrak to inform the occupants of the roomettes around me to not eat peanuts or do I have to do that myself?

I tend to be a "pro-active" type of person when it comes to looking for a solution.

I would suggest bringing several bags of snacks, be they pretzels or chips. Go to the people in the surrounding roomettes, explain your situation, and offer them a couple of bags of the snacks you brought, in lieu of snacking on any peanuts they might have with them. This way, you aren't as severely affecting their own enjoyment of the trip by simply telling them, they can't have their peanut-based snacks.

Spectacular answer.