Seatmate Stories

[greatcats]

That lady sounds like a case if Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Sad.

 

[user 1215]

Not necessarily. From what I've seen and heard in my day, not necessarily.

 

[fillyjonk]

Yup. Not so much a seatmate story, but a person-in-a-roomette-down-the-way story:

1. Griped to the car attendant about the "early" breakfast call at 7 am

2. Griped at the car attendant because when she got down there, there was a waitlist

3. Griped at the car attendant, told him to "go get me my eggs"

4. Griped at him because "How can I eat eggs in bed?" (She had not gotten out to allow him to make up the room)

5. Griped that "But if you make me wait until you make up my room, my eggs will be COLD."

He finally put her in an empty roomette down the hall so she could eat her darn eggs. (This was all AFTER I had gone down at 6:30 and got my breakfast in the diner just fine)

I really hope she tipped him well but in my experience the demanding people never thank or tip.

 

[JayPea]

Yup. Not so much a seatmate story, but a person-in-a-roomette-down-the-way story:

1. Griped to the car attendant about the "early" breakfast call at 7 am

2. Griped at the car attendant because when she got down there, there was a waitlist

3. Griped at the car attendant, told him to "go get me my eggs"

4. Griped at him because "How can I eat eggs in bed?" (She had not gotten out to allow him to make up the room)

5. Griped that "But if you make me wait until you make up my room, my eggs will be COLD."

He finally put her in an empty roomette down the hall so she could eat her darn eggs. (This was all AFTER I had gone down at 6:30 and got my breakfast in the diner just fine)

I really hope she tipped him well but in my experience the demanding people never thank or tip.

Kinda makes you want to rethink the whole "the customer is always right" idea, doesn't it??

 

[Silver Star rider]

Listen to this gripe story.....

me: being from New York, I am a Yankee fan, my hat with a interlocking NY on a sea of blue was resting on my luggage as I was in my roomette onboard the Meteor in Orlando

Connecticut couple, need I say what team they root for??

CT couple to SCA upon seeing my hat..... "I don't want to be in a room near this 'Yankee fan'

SCA: 'Yea, I feel the same way.'

Now this is the guy who is my attendant to make my ride comfortable for the next 23 hours... and he just said he doesn't like me?? Because of a Baseball cap??

Bruce

 

[Steve4031]

And please don't wear Green Bay packers stuff in the metropolitan lounge in Chicago . . .lol

Was the sca joking? He shouldn't have joked with other passengers about that. Shouldn't joke with you either unless a certain level of rapport had already been established.

Of course I hoped you talked trash when you got off. Don't the Yankees usually have a better record? And certainly you could remind the sca which team has won more World Series. Lol

 

[NW cannonball]

The worst, for me, was the 20-something (I was 20-and-bit-more at the time).

She takes the aisle seat next to me, and then --

"Do you think he still loves me"

"uh?"

"He hangs up whenever I phone him. The last six months! "

"uh?"

etc etc.

Agony aunt I aint.

 

[fillyjonk]

I figured the Egg Lady (which is how I thought of her) was just one of those people who had made up their minds never to be happy about anything. Sometimes you meet people like that. Or people who think of employees as servants, or, also, who look at the difference between their skin color and the employee's skin color and assume that that person is an idiot who doesn't know how to do anything, and more, is there solely to serve them.

 

[Silver Star rider]

And please don't wear Green Bay packers stuff in the metropolitan lounge in Chicago . . .lol

Was the sca joking? He shouldn't have joked with other passengers about that. Shouldn't joke with you either unless a certain level of rapport had already been established.

Of course I hoped you talked trash when you got off. Don't the Yankees usually have a better record? And certainly you could remind the sca which team has won more World Series. Lol

I am not like that to talk to total strangers like that. I don't believe the SCA was kidding. When dealing with the public, you keep your personal prejudices out of your job or look for another that doesn't have you dealing with the public. Yes, the NY Yankees have 27 World Championship rings compared to Bostons... 5?? Most New Englanders drink the RSN Kool Aid.

Bruce-SSR

 

[Ryan]

It sounds like a joke that fell flat. Happens sometimes.

 

[Silver Star rider]

It sounds like a joke that fell flat. Happens sometimes.

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things? Maybe it is just how members of Red Sox Nation react to seeing my Yankee hat. Let me tell you these two stories. I checked into Pop Century without a problem. Later on my parents arrived and I went with them to check in. The worker seeing my hat says, I really don't want to help you, but its my job. At one of the restaurants, there is a carving station, the lady with the carving knife looks, sees my hat, says nice hat, can I have it? Before I can say anything, she produces a lighter from her pocket and says, I want to burn it. And these were Disney employees where other companies send their employees for customer relations training. I can tell you dozens of other stories.

The bottom line is this. When you are working with the public in any job, you keep your personal prejudices out of your job. Maybe some Yankee fans react the same way to seeing the letter B on a hat would be wrong also. Sports prejudices should be kept out of the workplace when dealing with the public.

Bruce-SSR

 

[JayPea]

By the way, it's 8 for the Red Sox.

 

[Bob Dylan]

By the way, it's 8 for the Red Sox.

This is not a worry if you're a Lastro, Stranger or Marginal fan right Jeff? LOL

 

[Ryan]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

 

[JayPea]

By the way, it's 8 for the Red Sox.

This is not a worry if you're a Lastro, Stranger or Marginal fan right Jeff? LOL

When the total number of championships won by all Seattle professional sports teams stands at 2 (or 3 if you choose to count the Stanley Cup won by the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917 ), then no, it doesn't. :lol:
Last week while getting my rental car at East Glacier, I noticed the clerk was wearing a Red Sox hat and shirt. I felt compelled to remind him that the Marginals had just beaten the Red Sox two out of three. I considered myself fortunate he didn't tack on a few extra fees to the price of the rental. :lol:

 

[Silver Star rider]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

No. I am not gearing up, its just a hat. These people aren't being friendly, because they are strangers, and its ill mannered to walk up to a stranger and say, I don't like you because of a hat, especially in the service industry. It is hard to show how the people delivered the line typing text like I am now. Let me tell you this story, that was delivered in a light mannered way, not a I hate you way like the other messages I mentioned.

This was at Disneyworld. I was heading back to my resort from the studios using a Disneyworld bus. I was the last person to board, found a empty seat, took a quick glance at the seat to make sure it was clean before sitting down, it was, and sat down. I am kind of not paying attention to my surroundings, when I noticed a family all looking at me and smiling.

At first I am thinking, did they think I sat on a dirty seat or something? Is that why they are smiling at me? But I looked down at the seat before sitting, and it was cleaned.

I finally spoke up, asking in a very confused way.. what is going on? One person pointed to his hat, had the letter B on it. The other person pointed to his shirt. I heard about these shirts, thought it was urban legend. The shirt said, I support two teams, the Red Sox and whomever is playing the NY Yankees. This was done in a nice way. They didn't curse me, yell about this Yankee fan. I don't have a problem with this incident.

Bruce-SSR

 

[Braniff747SP]

Opening up to dining seatmates, I had the honor to dine with a couple of boy scouts with their leader, part of a large group heading to or from a service project in New Mexico. These boys were so polite and respectful, I was really impressed.

Far from the ones I encountered on the SWC a few years ago. They had overtaken the Lounge as we left Kansas City and the Conductor finally came in and firmly told them not to sit on the tables and watch their language and tone of voice. And their siege of the Lounge resumed first thing next morning; needless to say it was a much quieter and happier train after we left Raton.

I've been a member of a Scout troop going up (and back) to Chemult from LAX. We had our own car; it would not be a nice place to be for a non-scout (or even for this scout).

Anyhow, I've encountered some genuinely interesting people on Amtrak--in both the good and bad way. No one worth writing about, however.

Amtrak always allows for a fun trip...

 

[Dan O]

My son was on the Red Sox in little leagues so I got a nice Red Sox hat to wear at his games. It was a nice hat so I wore it when I was out and about. Anyway, I happened to be visiting NYC back in 2009 and was wearing it all over. The only place I ran into any opposition was when I went to Sports Illustrated (Time/Life bldg) and someone who was working in the building (staff) said "Hey, what are you doing here with that?" He was just joking and we smiled at each other. Otherwise, my Red Sox hat didn't draw any remarks which kind of surprised me in NYC. I must say I enjoyed my visit much more than I anticipated and hope to make it back again some day. I have two elderly parents that live across the street and are not in the best of health so a very long vacation (we drove to NYC from CA) is out for a while.

Dan

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'd venture to say that someone wearing Yankee gear in Boston would get more notice than a Red Sox Nation fanatic wearing his Sawk gear in New York City just as Dan experienced in the Apple!

 

[tonys96]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

THIS.

The year the Texas Rangers got beat in game 7 of the World Series by the St. Louis Cardinals, we were in a suburb of St. Louis, wearing Rangers gear. We got ribbed something fierce.

 

[Dan O]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

I am a Cubs fan so don't get much ribbing. How can you rib a team that has been pretty lousy for so many years? I don't care if someone says the Cubs suck. They usually do. Asking someone about their hat can be a pretty good icebreaker if you aren't mean about it. I like some teams a lot better than others but if it's a sport I follow I can usually say something nice and maybe throw in an anecdote or two. If the remark is in good fun or interesting, it's a good thing in my experience.

 

[oldtimer]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

I am a Cubs fan so don't get much ribbing. How can you rib a team that has been pretty lousy for so many years? I don't care if someone says the Cubs suck. They usually do. Asking someone about their hat can be a pretty good icebreaker if you aren't mean about it. I like some teams a lot better than others but if it's a sport I follow I can usually say something nice and maybe throw in an anecdote or two. If the remark is in good fun or interesting, it's a good thing in my experience.

Having watched the Cubs for all of my life (65+years) I can tell you that the Cubs didn't have a major following until WGN became a cable superstation. When they had an Ernie Banks (Mr Cub) day they had almost 20,000 people show up. they have even had a crowd at one early season game that barely topped 100. Well as they say any team can have a bad century ot two.

 

[fillyjonk]

It sounds like a joke that fell flat. Happens sometimes.

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things? Maybe it is just how members of Red Sox Nation react to seeing my Yankee hat. Let me tell you these two stories. I checked into Pop Century without a problem. Later on my parents arrived and I went with them to check in. The worker seeing my hat says, I really don't want to help you, but its my job. At one of the restaurants, there is a carving station, the lady with the carving knife looks, sees my hat, says nice hat, can I have it? Before I can say anything, she produces a lighter from her pocket and says, I want to burn it. And these were Disney employees where other companies send their employees for customer relations training. I can tell you dozens of other stories.

The bottom line is this. When you are working with the public in any job, you keep your personal prejudices out of your job. Maybe some Yankee fans react the same way to seeing the letter B on a hat would be wrong also. Sports prejudices should be kept out of the workplace when dealing with the public.

Bruce-SSR

It's also wise to keep in mind that there are a range of ways of thinking out there. I am a very literal-minded person, I tend to take things said in jest literally. (I also experienced a lot of peer-rejection as a kid, and I'm sure that colors my way of reacting to people). I just in general deal badly with "friendly" teasing because for some reason I have a hard time parsing out if teasing is 'friendly" or "hostile." I don't know why. (No, AFAIK, I am not on the autism spectrum.)

If someone harassed me for wearing whatever SportTeam thing I was wearing, even jokingly, I'd be taken aback and think, "Wow. They really don't like me, just on the basis of how I'm dressed." And I'd feel weird about the person the rest of the trip, maybe not ask for help when I needed it. Maybe not even tip as well, I don't know.

 

[Dan O]

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things?

I think you are. If you're going to "gear up" and represent $LOCAL_SPORT_TEAM, you've got to be just as open to friendly ribbing from rivals as you are to "GO SOX!" from fellow fans.

I am a Cubs fan so don't get much ribbing. How can you rib a team that has been pretty lousy for so many years? I don't care if someone says the Cubs suck. They usually do. Asking someone about their hat can be a pretty good icebreaker if you aren't mean about it. I like some teams a lot better than others but if it's a sport I follow I can usually say something nice and maybe throw in an anecdote or two. If the remark is in good fun or interesting, it's a good thing in my experience.

Having watched the Cubs for all of my life (65+years) I can tell you that the Cubs didn't have a major following until WGN became a cable superstation. When they had an Ernie Banks (Mr Cub) day they had almost 20,000 people show up. they have even had a crowd at one early season game that barely topped 100. Well as they say any team can have a bad century ot two.

My dad has been a Cubs fan since the 30s and watched the game last night from his bed in the hospital. Should be out in a few days--I hope. Anyway, his kids all inherited the curse of being Cubs fans.

Yep, I remember the Cubs drawing over a million fans in the late 60s (1968). That's pretty pitiful when that's a milestone and it's only 12,000 folks a game.

Cubs are just working on their second century of rebuilding. Give them time.

 

[Silver Star rider]

It sounds like a joke that fell flat. Happens sometimes.

Maybe I am over sensitive to these things? Maybe it is just how members of Red Sox Nation react to seeing my Yankee hat. Let me tell you these two stories. I checked into Pop Century without a problem. Later on my parents arrived and I went with them to check in. The worker seeing my hat says, I really don't want to help you, but its my job. At one of the restaurants, there is a carving station, the lady with the carving knife looks, sees my hat, says nice hat, can I have it? Before I can say anything, she produces a lighter from her pocket and says, I want to burn it. And these were Disney employees where other companies send their employees for customer relations training. I can tell you dozens of other stories.

The bottom line is this. When you are working with the public in any job, you keep your personal prejudices out of your job. Maybe some Yankee fans react the same way to seeing the letter B on a hat would be wrong also. Sports prejudices should be kept out of the workplace when dealing with the public.

Bruce-SSR

It's also wise to keep in mind that there are a range of ways of thinking out there. I am a very literal-minded person, I tend to take things said in jest literally. (I also experienced a lot of peer-rejection as a kid, and I'm sure that colors my way of reacting to people). I just in general deal badly with "friendly" teasing because for some reason I have a hard time parsing out if teasing is 'friendly" or "hostile." I don't know why. (No, AFAIK, I am not on the autism spectrum.)

If someone harassed me for wearing whatever SportTeam thing I was wearing, even jokingly, I'd be taken aback and think, "Wow. They really don't like me, just on the basis of how I'm dressed." And I'd feel weird about the person the rest of the trip, maybe not ask for help when I needed it. Maybe not even tip as well, I don't know.

If someone smiles or makes a laugh after making a comment, then its friendly banter, and should be treated as such. But if someone says, I really don't want to help you, but its my job, no smile, no laugh, then its hostile. Remember, the SCA I mentioned took a complaint from a fellow passenger about this Yankee fan by saying, I feel the same way. No smile, no laugh, but dead serious. I am pretty much a low maintenance person, I will lower and raise the upper bunk by myself if allowed.

Being in the customer service industry, interfacing with the general public, if you find a hat offensive to see, then you bite your tongue, or look for another job.

Just FYI, I did give my usual tip, its just the type of person I am.

Bruce-SSR