Southwest Chief (what a fiasco)

[A.J.]

I totally agree with the women that had all of the problem on her trip. My husband and I just finished a 4 day trip out to california and back on the southwest what a horrible time from rude agents conductors cabin attendants and dinning car staff. our 1st class rooms from chiago to la smelled like a sewer which after the trip found out that it is a normal problem. we did find some nice and helpful crew on board. Most seemed over worked and tired and just told us to call headquarters as they do not listen to them. we did that and after paying 3978.00 for the trip we were offered 1,000.00 travel ticket like we would ride a train again after be treated like crap. we were yelled at made to feel like a bother when ask for anything could not find our porter when we did need him etc the list could go on. Maybe amtrack needs to ride this route and see what it is like to sleep in a port-a-pot. and maybe give the crew some more rest. take care of them they will take care of your coustomers.

wow. having taken several long-distance trips on amtrak, almost all of them in roomettes, I have never experienced a roomette that smelled bad, or witnessed someone else have a problem like that. i'm not sure why you would think it is a "normal" problem. did you talk to your attendant about it? if the train was not full they would certainly have moved you if there was a problem that bad. i'm not trying to be a jerk, but in my experience amtrak staff don't "yell" at passengers unless seriously provoked or the passengers are being difficult (like a drunk guy I once saw who was kicked off a train). my most recent trip involved a snotty dining car attendant, but that's the worst I have personally experienced. perhaps you could elaborate on what happened and why the staff were so unpleasant to you?

 

[henryj]

All this makes me glad I ride first class on LD trains. I equate coach travel to the immigrant trains of old. Not for me.

 

[Steve4031]

I totally agree with the women that had all of the problem on her trip. My husband and I just finished a 4 day trip out to california and back on the southwest what a horrible time from rude agents conductors cabin attendants and dinning car staff. our 1st class rooms from chiago to la smelled like a sewer which after the trip found out that it is a normal problem. we did find some nice and helpful crew on board. Most seemed over worked and tired and just told us to call headquarters as they do not listen to them. we did that and after paying 3978.00 for the trip we were offered 1,000.00 travel ticket like we would ride a train again after be treated like crap. we were yelled at made to feel like a bother when ask for anything could not find our porter when we did need him etc the list could go on. Maybe amtrack needs to ride this route and see what it is like to sleep in a port-a-pot. and maybe give the crew some more rest. take care of them they will take care of your coustomers.

wow. having taken several long-distance trips on amtrak, almost all of them in roomettes, I have never experienced a roomette that smelled bad, or witnessed someone else have a problem like that. i'm not sure why you would think it is a "normal" problem. did you talk to your attendant about it? if the train was not full they would certainly have moved you if there was a problem that bad. i'm not trying to be a jerk, but in my experience amtrak staff don't "yell" at passengers unless seriously provoked or the passengers are being difficult (like a drunk guy I once saw who was kicked off a train). my most recent trip involved a snotty dining car attendant, but that's the worst I have personally experienced. perhaps you could elaborate on what happened and why the staff were so unpleasant to you?

Keep riding, you will get at least a scolding. If not yelled at. People have different definitions of being yelled at, but I have witnessed and experienced being treated like a bother at times, missing porters, and indifference. Amtrak has made great strides in improving onboard service. And I had had several excellent trips in a row, and then had really poor service on the Empire Builder which is supposed to be a premier train. Since I enjoy train travel, I tend to ignore/excuse some of Amtrak's short comings.

In all honesty, a poor Amtrak crew, and a poorly prepared train departing Chicago, can result in a jarring experience for a regular traveler. My girlfriend notices and is uncomfortable in a poorly cleaned roomette as we roll out of CUS. She notices the poorly cleaned tables in the diner on 22 as we return from STL, and chooses not to eat even though the meal is free. Though I know the crew is overworked and understaffed, and that cuts were probably made in the Chicago servicing yard, I can see her point.

It is possible that the customer who noticed the sewage smell was in a room near the upper level bathroom. Though I have never experienced a problem, I did have an attendant encourage passengers to limit the use of the upstairs toilet for #1 and to do #2 downstairs. His room was next to the upstairs bathroom. I tried to sneak a #2, and was busted. So I guess he had a more sensitive nose then some.

 

[p&sr]

Keep riding, you will get at least a scolding. If not yelled at.

Right. This happens. I got yelled at for crossing the tracks right in front of the Locomotive, even though it wasn't moving. And I got yelled at for getting too close to a moving train in the Station (to avoid getting run over by a baggage cart). And I was met with indifference upon asking the Conductor about an upcoming Smoking Stop (when the Train had just made a full Emergency Stop after striking a transient sleeping on the tracks).

Try as we might, people still find their reasons for expressing impatience.

 

[crsjrr]

We rode last thanksgiving (2009) and Shirley was working the lounge on that trip. She was great. She even posed with my daughter for a picture. I must say there was one or two car attendants that did very little that trip. Glad to hear Shirley is still working #3 and 4.

 

[leemell]

We rode last thanksgiving (2009) and Shirley was working the lounge on that trip. She was great. She even posed with my daughter for a picture. I must say there was one or two car attendants that did very little that trip. Glad to hear Shirley is still working #3 and 4.

I just returned from two and a half weeks on the SL, Crescent, Cardinal, EB, and the SC. That was on seven different LD trains for about 7700 miles. Not one surly attendant, just hard working and many times quite cheerful and helpful.

 

[Brandon V]

Sheet happens.. life goes on..

 

[Pastor Dave]

I totally agree with the women that had all of the problem on her trip. My husband and I just finished a 4 day trip out to california and back on the southwest what a horrible time from rude agents conductors cabin attendants and dinning car staff. our 1st class rooms from chiago to la smelled like a sewer which after the trip found out that it is a normal problem. we did find some nice and helpful crew on board. Most seemed over worked and tired and just told us to call headquarters as they do not listen to them. we did that and after paying 3978.00 for the trip we were offered 1,000.00 travel ticket like we would ride a train again after be treated like crap. we were yelled at made to feel like a bother when ask for anything could not find our porter when we did need him etc the list could go on. Maybe amtrack needs to ride this route and see what it is like to sleep in a port-a-pot. and maybe give the crew some more rest. take care of them they will take care of your coustomers.

wow. having taken several long-distance trips on amtrak, almost all of them in roomettes, I have never experienced a roomette that smelled bad, or witnessed someone else have a problem like that. i'm not sure why you would think it is a "normal" problem. did you talk to your attendant about it? if the train was not full they would certainly have moved you if there was a problem that bad. i'm not trying to be a jerk, but in my experience amtrak staff don't "yell" at passengers unless seriously provoked or the passengers are being difficult (like a drunk guy I once saw who was kicked off a train). my most recent trip involved a snotty dining car attendant, but that's the worst I have personally experienced. perhaps you could elaborate on what happened and why the staff were so unpleasant to you?

I've noticed some less-than-friendly OBS but it is more the exception than the rule - at least for me. I can find my SCA when needed and dining and cafe car experiences have usually been satisfactory. I have also never had the sewer smell, but I guess it can happen now and again. And, I guess, I don't let that one rare bad apple to ruin a trip for me.

 

[old git taveler]

I totally agree with the women that had all of the problem on her trip. My husband and I just finished a 4 day trip out to california and back on the southwest what a horrible time from rude agents conductors cabin attendants and dinning car staff. our 1st class rooms from chiago to la smelled like a sewer which after the trip found out that it is a normal problem. we did find some nice and helpful crew on board. Most seemed over worked and tired and just told us to call headquarters as they do not listen to them. we did that and after paying 3978.00 for the trip we were offered 1,000.00 travel ticket like we would ride a train again after be treated like crap. we were yelled at made to feel like a bother when ask for anything could not find our porter when we did need him etc the list could go on. Maybe amtrack needs to ride this route and see what it is like to sleep in a port-a-pot. and maybe give the crew some more rest. take care of them they will take care of your coustomers.

wow. having taken several long-distance trips on amtrak, almost all of them in roomettes, I have never experienced a roomette that smelled bad, or witnessed someone else have a problem like that. i'm not sure why you would think it is a "normal" problem. did you talk to your attendant about it? if the train was not full they would certainly have moved you if there was a problem that bad. i'm not trying to be a jerk, but in my experience amtrak staff don't "yell" at passengers unless seriously provoked or the passengers are being difficult (like a drunk guy I once saw who was kicked off a train). my most recent trip involved a snotty dining car attendant, but that's the worst I have personally experienced. perhaps you could elaborate on what happened and why the staff were so unpleasant to you?

I've noticed some less-than-friendly OBS but it is more the exception than the rule - at least for me. I can find my SCA when needed and dining and cafe car experiences have usually been satisfactory. I have also never had the sewer smell, but I guess it can happen now and again. And, I guess, I don't let that one rare bad apple to ruin a trip for me.

Hi. just did a round trip with Amtrak from Phoenix to New Orleans. The attendents were great, the food was better than expected and the veiw was good. BUT, this methane smell that came and went from our roomette was a killer! It would wake you out of a dead sleep with a gag reflex. I have a couple of voutures coming for the hassle from Amtrak. I walked around the car and found the fresh air intake on the side near the end of the car. Can anyone tell me were the holding tank vacuum pump vent discharge is?