Question re Lorton station

[the_traveler]

Does anybody actually think Amtrak would drop off a senior citizen at some random station in the middle of the night for having two small dogs? I don't have pet experience or Auto Train experience, but I highly doubt that. If they found the dogs before travel, then it is believable.

Who said anything about stations? Plenty of grade crossings on the AT route.

Plus there are many people put off the train at grade crossings for many other reasons. If your lucky, you may be met be the local police who will give you a ride to jail. Even if they don't or do, your car will be down in Florida.
As far as being non-allergenic, I am allergic to wool. I can not wear a jacket/sweater/shirt/etc... that has even 1% wool without breaking out. Will you check with (that is ask) every passenger on the train and every employee (conductors, SCA, counter attendants, car loaders, etc...) if they are allergic? :huh: Remember if one person on a plane is allergic to peanuts, they do not serve peanuts to anyone near that seat - or maybe even the whole plane!

I would not do it.

 

[FriskyFL]

Hamster girl got away with it, why not the OP?

Thought - does your car have a trunk?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hamster girl got away with it, why not the OP?

Thought - does your car have a trunk?

You would lock a pet in a trunk for that long. :blink: :angry2:

 

[FriskyFL]

Hamster girl got away with it, why not the OP?

Thought - does your car have a trunk?

You would lock a pet in a trunk for that long. :blink: :angry2:

Who said anything about "lock"? Give 'em a spare key. :-D

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Amtrak Forum mobile app

 

[user 1215]

Methinks Frisky is just playing along ...

To the OP if we haven't already scared her away...

Dogs are not allowed on the train. You will most likely not be able to hide them for the two hours between when you drop off your can and boarding. You will most likely not be able to hide them on the train. Finally, the crew has every right for you to be removed from the train WITHOUT YOUR CAR.

I really don't want to sound snarky, and I really wish that the baggage compartment was temperature controlled so that pets could be accomodated.

 

[Amtrak Employee]

I don't know how many times I've seen people removed from this and other trains for this very silly thing. You know the rules, stick to them. Simple as that. Just save everyone the time and hassle of having to deal with it and just drive please......

 

[neroden]

Hamster girl got away with it, why not the OP?

A hamster from NY-Syracuse is very different from two dogs overnight.
Amtrak needs climate-controlled baggage cars to allow pets. Well, Amtrak's buying some (not that they'd be used on the Auto Train), so maybe in a few years.

 

[me_little_me]

If a passenger made a stink (pun intended) about a violation, the conductor would likely have to do something, independent of whether it is a pet issue or not. If I complained to the conductor about an issue which violated Amtrak rules and he failed to do something, I'd be making a big stink (more pun) to Amtrak for his failure to follow the rules. Given that it affected me personally, (pet brought on allergy attack or smoker making me end up with a sore throat or whatever), I'd pay an attorney to pursue action against Amtrak and the employee. This is probably the biggest danger to the conductor who could then face reprimand, demotion or termination.

 

[hipwazee]

Hamster girl got away with it, why not the OP?

A hamster from NY-Syracuse is very different from two dogs overnight.
Amtrak needs climate-controlled baggage cars to allow pets. Well, Amtrak's buying some (not that they'd be used on the Auto Train), so maybe in a few years.

Well, thank you all so much for the enlightenment! I'm not going to do it. You really have scared me out of it: :wacko: I didn't know about the 2 hour wait between loading the car and actually boarding, among other things. Plus, I certainly wouldn't want to risk putting someone's job at jeopardy. I really didn't think it would be such a big deal. The whole thing about being taken off the train sounds a bit extreme, I must say.

I won't fly because it would be too expensive for me once all things - 2 tickets, 2 under-the-seat carriers, 2 health certificates- are added up, in addition to then having to ship my car separately. So I'm going to have to drive the whole 1500 miles, by myself, over the course of 3-4 days It looks to me like Congress and/or Amtrak needs to hurry up with accomodations for passengers with pets. Because of this I'm actually going to be putting myself at an unnecessarily high risk because of having to drive this long distance and also putting others at risk as well...the more tired I'll get, the riskier it'll become. And all because it's the rule today, but it won't be tomorrow. Given the bill that's in Congress, I wish Amtrak would start loosening the strings on the auto-train route. There are so, so many people in the NE who need to move this way. And most of us fall in the category of senior citizens AND women. Can't we be civilized about this?

Amtrak: how about relying on the good ole Honor Code for senior citizens who need to travel with their pets?

Can I prove my age? Yes.

Can I prove I'm travelling alone? Yes.

Can I prove I have a ticket for a bedroom that will keep me isolated from other passengers? Yes.

Do I give my word that my pets are paper trained and, therefore, will not need to stop to do their business? Yes.

Do I give my word that I'll leave the bedroom in the same condition as I found it? Yes.

Do I accept that, if any of the above are violated, Amtrak has the right to enforce a punishment of some sort? Yes.

Thanks to all so much for taking the time to give me your input. Instead of saying "I couldn't have done it without you", I'll say "I would have done it without you."

 

[FriskyFL]

Yes, just what Amtrak needs, more Congressional meddling. And of course, Congress will immediately appropriate sufficient funds to procure enough climate controlled baggage cars PRIOR to the imposition of this requirement? Didn't think so.

 

[Ryan]

Thanks, hipwazee. Glad to see people are still willing to follow the rules.

Yes, just what Amtrak needs, more Congressional meddling. And of course, Congress will immediately appropriate sufficient funds to procure enough climate controlled baggage cars PRIOR to the imposition of this requirement? Didn't think so.

Agreed.

 

[chakk]

As far as being non-allergenic, I am allergic to wool. I can not wear a jacket/sweater/shirt/etc... that has even 1% wool without breaking out. Will you check with (that is ask) every passenger on the train and every employee (conductors, SCA, counter attendants, car loaders, etc...) if they are allergic? :huh: Remember if one person on a plane is allergic to peanuts, they do not serve peanuts to anyone near that seat - or maybe even the whole plane!

I would not do it.

My first wife is allergic to peanuts; and when she last flew on a Delta widebody to Hawaii, the crew decided not to serve peanuts to anyone on the plane, since the odor would be carried throughout the plan by the air circulation system.

 

[SarahZ]

I am allergic to most animals and perfume, which is another reason for booking a roomette. (I can shut the door if someone's perfume is too strong.) If Amtrak had a dedicated pet car, or even dedicated pet roomettes (like some hotels do), then I'd be okay with that and would just book a non-pet roomette. Even airplanes limit the number of pets in the cabin, most likely to keep the allergens/smell/noise down to a minimum.

Anyway, hip, I'm glad you aren't going to take a risk with your dogs. I know it's a long drive and it will be tiring, so I urge you to check that link to the pet-friendly hotels I posted yesterday. There are many hotels along your route that will accept pets, so I'd recommend stopping after three hours to let them run around at a rest area and then stop after another three hours to get some rest and spend the night. I'd rather a trip take a few days than try to cram all of that driving in and risk myself or others. Maybe your dogs will like the vacation.

 

[Ryan]

And all because it's the rule today, but it won't be tomorrow. Given the bill that's in Congress, I wish Amtrak would start loosening the strings on the auto-train route.

It's also worth noting that a)bills in Congress are worthless, it's very easy to submit a bill but very hard to get them passed and b)this bill (HR 2066) only applies to trips less than 750 miles, so it wouldn't apply to the Auto Train (855 miles).

 

[Hipwazee]

Oh - didn't know the bill had the 750 mile limit. Thanks for the info.

 

[SANSR]

Please excuse my ignorance, but does anyone know what bill is being referenced?

 

[pennyk]

Please excuse my ignorance, but does anyone know what bill is being referenced?

I asked your son in law and he told me. He knows everything. :lol:

 

[Ryan]

Almost everything.

Please excuse my ignorance, but does anyone know what bill is being referenced?

http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2066/all-actions/
I'll send you a bill for telling you about the bill. h34r:

 

[me_little_me]

Can I prove my age? Yes.

Can I prove I'm travelling alone? Yes.

Can I prove I have a ticket for a bedroom that will keep me isolated from other passengers? Yes.

Do I give my word that my pets are paper trained and, therefore, will not need to stop to do their business? Yes.

Do I give my word that I'll leave the bedroom in the same condition as I found it? Yes.

Do I accept that, if any of the above are violated, Amtrak has the right to enforce a punishment of some sort? Yes.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, that's not enough. We have lawyers. Here is what Amtrak is thinking:

"Your honor, my client was elderly and didn't understand what she was signing"

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, even if she promised to do all those things, would you throw that poor woman off the train in the freezing cold of a Florida afternoon? Abandoned there without any hope of ever seeing her car and with only her tiny Dobermans to comfort her? She is only asking $147M in compensation for her suffering."

 

[SANSR]

Almost everything.

Please excuse my ignorance, but does anyone know what bill is being referenced?

http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2066/all-actions/

I'll send you a bill for telling you about the bill. h34r:

I have no problem with that, but I can't help but think that no matter how hard you and I work to keep this transaction strictly between the two of us, our mutual wives will no doubt prevail with an equal split of the proceeds..........and for some painful reason I compute that I will ultimately pay twice, if not THREE times for this information!