Matthew H Fish
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
- Messages
- 499
Recently, there were two posts in this forum about incidents of theft on Amtrak, both posts of which raised a little bit of skepticism, due to lack of details and lack of coherence.
But security on Amtrak is an issue. I worry about safety (getting hurt by things) more than security (getting hurt by people), but I do worry about security.
I would say in general, trains are pretty safe places, just because someone who commits a crime on one is stuck without having a way to escape. Stealing or starting a fight is a bad idea if you get handed over to the Havre Police department in the dead of winter. There are also a lot of eyes on an Amtrak train, so would-be thieves don't have a lot of chance to dig through luggage.
In general, on Amtrak, I leave my bags with my clothing and other personal items in my seat when I go to the bathroom or the cafe car. After all, I don't think someone is going to steal my old t-shirts, toothbrush, granola bars, or old paper back out of my backpack. I usually keep my electronics, important documents/ID, and anything else important in a shoulder bag that I take with me.
I have never seen fighting on Amtrak, although I have seen some frayed tempers: being in a moving box with strangers for a day or longer can make some people irritable. I have probably witnessed the conductors sushing people who were being loud. (And a few days ago, on the Coast Starlight, the conductors had to separate a couple who had been assigned seats next to each other and ended up getting along...a bit too well). I have also noticed a few people who were very obviously smoking in the bathrooms, or vaping in the aisles, and the conductor having to warn the entire train not to do that.
With Amtrak, I would have to say that my biggest security concern, is in boarding and deboarding. Amtrak stations are often crowded places, and when I have gotten off a train after a long trip, maybe without too much sleep, and I am walking into a crowded train station holding my bags, I usually feel pretty vulnerable. Nothing bad has happened, but it is the time my hackles get up.
So that is my experiences with security on Amtrak. What has your experience been?
But security on Amtrak is an issue. I worry about safety (getting hurt by things) more than security (getting hurt by people), but I do worry about security.
I would say in general, trains are pretty safe places, just because someone who commits a crime on one is stuck without having a way to escape. Stealing or starting a fight is a bad idea if you get handed over to the Havre Police department in the dead of winter. There are also a lot of eyes on an Amtrak train, so would-be thieves don't have a lot of chance to dig through luggage.
In general, on Amtrak, I leave my bags with my clothing and other personal items in my seat when I go to the bathroom or the cafe car. After all, I don't think someone is going to steal my old t-shirts, toothbrush, granola bars, or old paper back out of my backpack. I usually keep my electronics, important documents/ID, and anything else important in a shoulder bag that I take with me.
I have never seen fighting on Amtrak, although I have seen some frayed tempers: being in a moving box with strangers for a day or longer can make some people irritable. I have probably witnessed the conductors sushing people who were being loud. (And a few days ago, on the Coast Starlight, the conductors had to separate a couple who had been assigned seats next to each other and ended up getting along...a bit too well). I have also noticed a few people who were very obviously smoking in the bathrooms, or vaping in the aisles, and the conductor having to warn the entire train not to do that.
With Amtrak, I would have to say that my biggest security concern, is in boarding and deboarding. Amtrak stations are often crowded places, and when I have gotten off a train after a long trip, maybe without too much sleep, and I am walking into a crowded train station holding my bags, I usually feel pretty vulnerable. Nothing bad has happened, but it is the time my hackles get up.
So that is my experiences with security on Amtrak. What has your experience been?
