Strangest Things You've seen in Coach

[Anderson]

not in coach, but in a sleeper on the Capital Limited, we had a passenger who boarded in South Bend, and told the SCA to not lower his bed, every hour or 2 he'd come out of his room fully dressed, go somewhere for 5 or 10 mins, then come back to his room, sit in his chair clutching his briefcase and closed the door. The man never went to bed, never made up his room, never even turned his light off that we could tell. It was like that all the way into DC. Even the SCA was getting a little freaked out by it (this wasn't too long after 9-11). I have no idea what it was all about or what his story was, but he could have just bought a coach seat and saved high bucket price. I was in the family room (solo)and he was he in one of the downstairs rooms also. The whole thing was very.. very.. strange to be honest.

Maybe he was suffering from insomnia. Just a thought.

That could explain the actions of the passenger from South Bend. The hard part is trying to explain the constant surveillance and concern between the OP and the SCA. Even though nothing bad actually happened that doesn't seem to have changed the OP's opinion about the experience in the slightest. It's almost like he still thinks he just barely made it out of there alive or something. I also don't understand the criticism of the stranger's supposed extravagance of purchasing a roomette and leaving it in day mode when the OP himself is a single passenger taking up a whole family room. I agree that there are a lot of strange things about this story but most of them seem to have little or nothing to do with the passenger from South Bend. Situational awareness is a good thing, but it can get the better of you if you let it. When I close my curtains it's not the briefcase toting insomniac that I'm trying to avoid. It's the self-appointed hall monitor with nothing better to do than watch what everyone else is up to.

Insomnia makes sense...and one problem with being on the train is that if you get insomnia, there's not a good way to "exercise it off". Also, it's quite possible that he was able to snag a lower-bucket roomette. Finally, there are times I can see myself grabbing a low-bucket roomette on a run even during the day...particularly if a sleeper is in low bucket mode, coach is in high bucket mode, and there are meals to be had. Note that, in theory, the net cost of a sleeper (roomette cost less the base ticket cost cramdown) on the Cap might be as low as $70 even now. At that cost, I'd seriously look at grabbing a roomette for a very long daylight run.

My guess with the OP is that he knew the SCA from a number of previous runs. Believe me, this can (and does) happen when you regularly travel a route.

 

[AlanB]

I was on a southbound Acela once and a woman got on with her (grown) daughter in Providence to help her with her bags. After helping her with her bags, she proceeded to stand next to her daughter and hold a several minute conversation, as if there was no rush to get off the train. Sure enough, the doors closed and the train began to roll out of the station. The woman then lost it, yelling at the top of her lungs, "Stop the train! Stop the train! I have to get off the this train!" There was muffled laughter throughout the car and she soon ran through to the next car, screaming as loud as she could, "I have to get off this train!" She must have run forward to the first class car, as a conductor was soon paged there. He brought her back to my car, where she tried to convince him to reverse direction of the train and he tried to explain he couldn't. Eventually, he agreed to provide her a seat in first class and the Acela made an unscheduled stop in either Mystic or New London (the stop near one of the only NEC grade crossings where the train has to slow down) to let her off and made arrangements with a Regional to pick her up and take her back to Providence.

I'm betting they were tempted to just open the door and say "There you go hon."

Only problem is that there is no trap & steps on the Acelas, so it's a 4 foot drop to the tracks.

 

[Eric308]

When I came back from lunch they were all brushing their teeth in unison!

While sitting in coach?

Of course....and all right handed with Crest Total.

 

[Anderson]

I was on a southbound Acela once and a woman got on with her (grown) daughter in Providence to help her with her bags. After helping her with her bags, she proceeded to stand next to her daughter and hold a several minute conversation, as if there was no rush to get off the train. Sure enough, the doors closed and the train began to roll out of the station. The woman then lost it, yelling at the top of her lungs, "Stop the train! Stop the train! I have to get off the this train!" There was muffled laughter throughout the car and she soon ran through to the next car, screaming as loud as she could, "I have to get off this train!" She must have run forward to the first class car, as a conductor was soon paged there. He brought her back to my car, where she tried to convince him to reverse direction of the train and he tried to explain he couldn't. Eventually, he agreed to provide her a seat in first class and the Acela made an unscheduled stop in either Mystic or New London (the stop near one of the only NEC grade crossings where the train has to slow down) to let her off and made arrangements with a Regional to pick her up and take her back to Providence.

I'm betting they were tempted to just open the door and say "There you go hon."

Only problem is that there is no trap & steps on the Acelas, so it's a 4 foot drop to the tracks.

That would prevent them from doing so. I'm guessing it wouldn't have completely eliminated the temptation, though.

 

[Henry Kisor]

Or we could all shuck duds and keep him company. But the car heat would have to be turned up to at least 78 degrees.

 

[Henry Kisor]

Come to think of it, I suspect the OP is a freelance journalist doing a bit of "crowdsourcing" in order to produce a lively article for, say, the National Enquirer. He better hurry up and do so before I get there first. This is funny stuff.

 

[JayPea]

Or we could all shuck duds and keep him company. But the car heat would have to be turned up to at least 78 degrees.

I don't know about that. I've had enough people point and laugh at me in my lifetime. :lol:

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

So wrong in so many ways.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I thought you'd be telling us that clothes are overrated and way too expensive, even if they came with free food.

 

[keyman1202]

I thought you'd be telling us that clothes are overrated and way too expensive, even if they came with free food.

That's true....thanks to tv...ug

Visit aanr for a straight view on naturism..

 

[MiRider]

I thought you'd be telling us that clothes are overrated and way too expensive, even if they came with free food.

 

[white rabbitt]

I thought you'd be telling us that clothes are overrated and way too expensive, even if they came with free food.

:lol:

joanieB when i was on the eagle last weekend

i did not see anyone go to the diner au natural :lol:

 

[fillyjonk]

1. A young woman who had been "overserved" sitting in the Lounge car, cursing at the Lounge attendant for not selling her any more alcohol. She became increasingly loud and belligerent and when the conductor and a couple car attendants came to tell her to shut up or they'd put her off the train, she claimed her uncle owned Conrail and that she'd get him to shut down Amtrak if they put her off. At that point I got up and went back to my seat so I don't know if she shut up or not but we did not make any unplanned stops.

2. A guy sitting next to me in coach who like my long hair. Really really liked me long hair. Kept trying to give me his address so I could mail him my ponytail if I ever cut it off. Asking him to leave me alone didn't work. I got up and sat in the Lounge for the rest of the ride and explained to the attendant (and the conductor, when he came through) just why I was sitting there instead of in my seat. (It was after that trip I decided to pony up for a sleeper).

 

[white rabbitt]

1. A young woman who had been "overserved" sitting in the Lounge car, cursing at the Lounge attendant for not selling her any more alcohol. She became increasingly loud and belligerent and when the conductor and a couple car attendants came to tell her to shut up or they'd put her off the train, she claimed her uncle owned Conrail and that she'd get him to shut down Amtrak if they put her off. At that point I got up and went back to my seat so I don't know if she shut up or not but we did not make any unplanned stops.

2. A guy sitting next to me in coach who like my long hair. Really really liked me long hair. Kept trying to give me his address so I could mail him my ponytail if I ever cut it off. Asking him to leave me alone didn't work. I got up and sat in the Lounge for the rest of the ride and explained to the attendant (and the conductor, when he came through) just why I was sitting there instead of in my seat. (It was after that trip I decided to pony up for a sleeper).

see if a guy walked in to the diner au natural with just a cowboy hat on his head people would say something on the other hand if a women walked into the diner au natural u could hear a pin drop it would be vary quiet :lol: :lol:

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Should have told her Conrail no longer exists. It was bought out by NS and CSX :giggle:

 

[AlanB]

Should have told her Conrail no longer exists. It was bought out by NS and CSX :giggle:

Technically, that's not entirely correct. The main Conrail is long gone, but certain shared assets as they're called, still exist under the Conrail name with both CSX & NS owning things equally. One such area is the Port Elizabeth area in New Jersey.

 

[Reno89502]

Didnt happen in Coach, but in the Diner. While on my way from CHI - PIT on the Capitol Limited, I was sitting at a table with two Hasidic Jew's. The waitress came up to one of them, put her hand on his shoulder, and said "Good Evening! What can I get you tonight darlin?". The guy pushed her hand off of him and said "You should NEVER touch another man! You must ask for forgiveness!" She looked at him, and with a look on her face, said "WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!! What would you like for dinner?". (The guys left the diner)

 

[lthanlon]

I once hit the daily double while riding coach from Emeryville to Chicago on the California Zephyr.

THE X-FILES FAMILY

Elderly mother and middle-aged son on their way to a UFO convention explained to me in graphical detail about their abduction experiences. Did I want to hear everything? Sure, I said, and learned how the little gray fellows had probed all orifices.

BATTERY BOY

The next day, I bought a drink downstairs in the Sightseer Lounge. It was just before dark and just about all seats upstairs and down were occupied by passengers enjoying a fiery sunset. I suddenly spied open seats in a downstairs booth -- and recognized the lone occupant as a skinny, unkempt twentysomething guy from my coach car. I sat down across from him and noticed he had a whole bunch of batteries on the table. Without prompting, he explained that he enjoyed sticking batteries in his mouth. C and D cells he inserted sideways and then pushed in on his cheeks to make electrical contact. AA and AAA cells are a bit awkward because you have to push your cheeks in too far, he said. However, his favorite battery was the 9-volt because all he needed to do was stick out his tongue and touch the tip to both terminals. When I got up to get another drink, the guy at the counter apologized. "Sorry, I figured you were going back to your car or else I would have warned you about Mr. Electrico."

 

[Trogdor]

Should have told her Conrail no longer exists. It was bought out by NS and CSX :giggle:

Technically, that's not entirely correct. The main Conrail is long gone, but certain shared assets as they're called, still exist under the Conrail name with both CSX & NS owning things equally. One such area is the Port Elizabeth area in New Jersey.

Another such area is between CP Townline (east of Dearborn, MI) and CP Vinewood (west of Detroit), which hosts none other than the Amtrak Wolverine Service.

 

[rtabern]

Good stories.

The most bizarre thing I have seen on a train ride in coach was on the northbound Illini... this had to be back in 2006 when I started riding again a lot. I did a roundtrip run down to Gilman, IL and back for fun. Anyway, we were coming over the St Charles Airline between McCormick Place and where the tracks run into the BNSF -- and some guy about 7 rows in front of me yelled something about drugs, threw a bunch of $20 bills into the aisle, and pulled the emergency handle on the window, pulled the stripping out, and sat on the edge of the window and jumped out. Did I mention the train was running with Superliner instead of Horizon equipment that day? Somehow he was fine after the jump -- brushed himself off -- and ran down S Michigan Ave. We stopped for about an hour as the police came, but never found him from what I heard.

Hmmm... what else? There was "Trixie the Texas Eagle Hooker"... she got a room in the sleeper from Cleburne to Austin... and was brining coach passengers back to he room for some fun.

I was also propositioned by a hooker at Bakersfield on the only time I took the San Joquain. The lady wanted to know if I was staying in Bakersfield... where I was staying in Bakersfield... or if I was going into Los Angeles on the bus.

Hmmm... ok, and another bizarre story. This very goth young lady in her early 20's got on in Palm Springs with her equally goth boyfriend. They apparently were going all the way to Bloomington, IL on #422 where they were planning to move (it's amazing what you can overhear in the lounge car sometimes). Anyway, somewhere on the first night of the trip they "broke up" on the train -- and the boyfriend took away all of her money and belongings -- and got off in El Paso. She was all alone on the train with nothing. Her "meals" consisted of ketchup packets and the free crackers on the bottom level of the SSL car. Some guys then decided to buy her a bunch of alcohol... and she got drunk and took off her pants and underwear and ran through the SSL. I was a witness to this. I thought she would be kicked off the train, but the conductors let her stay on if she remained in her seat the rest of the trip... which she did to BNL.

Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah, on the #28 section of the Empire Builder once... I had two 12 year old girls who were traveling alone try and get me to buy them some booze from the SSL. Not happening. They did meet some other guy who did it for them though an then headed back to his sleeper.

 

[George Harris]

Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah, on the #28 section of the Empire Builder once... I had two 12 year old girls who were traveling alone try and get me to buy them some booze from the SSL. Not happening. They did meet some other guy who did it for them though an then headed back to his sleeper.

This is definitely go find the conductor time, and fast. That pervert needed to be thrown under the nearest jail or set of wheels, whichever.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah, on the #28 section of the Empire Builder once... I had two 12 year old girls who were traveling alone try and get me to buy them some booze from the SSL. Not happening. They did meet some other guy who did it for them though an then headed back to his sleeper.

This is definitely go find the conductor time, and fast. That pervert needed to be thrown under the nearest jail or set of wheels, whichever.

I'm sure he was just offering some O'Douls before taking back for some wholesome bedtime bible study.

 

[Anderson]

Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah, on the #28 section of the Empire Builder once... I had two 12 year old girls who were traveling alone try and get me to buy them some booze from the SSL. Not happening. They did meet some other guy who did it for them though an then headed back to his sleeper.

This is definitely go find the conductor time, and fast. That pervert needed to be thrown under the nearest jail or set of wheels, whichever.

Agreed. Even if the remark can be interpreted that they were not accompanying him (the phrasing in the sentence is a bit vague and could imply either something very dastardly or something a hair more benign), buying alcohol for preteens...no, no, no.

 

[Trogdor]

Hmmm... what else?

Wasn't there also the DEA bust or something in the room next to you?

 

[saxman]

I may have mentioned this before on this same thread, but since we're bringing this topic back from the dead, I'll say it again.

On my USA Rail Tour 2009, I had just gotten on the Texas in Cleburne to begin my long journey. Soon after CBR we came to a stop, because the engine broke and lost HEP so we were stopped for a couple hours. Later a BNSF train came up behind us, and I think they were going to tow us somewhere. I was in the last coach and watching all the action out the back window as they uncoupled the engine and all. There were a few other passengers with me, as well as this crazy lady. She kept going on how this was some big Amtrak conspiracy and how the employees were doing such a horrible job. The conductors were out on the ground behind the train and beside the BNSF engine. I was taking picture of everything too, as the sunset was opposite and made for some great shots of the orange BNSF locomotive. Since obviously it was a conspiracy, the lady asked me to take pictures of what was going on...the conductors standing around, the number of the BNSF locomotive, etc. I was happy to oblige. She told me to make sure and report and send these picture to her and other "officials." I said I would.

They eventually found the problem with our original engine, and we were on our way to Austin. As I got off the train in Austin, I saw the police waiting to take her away in handcuffs. I guess they would be part of the conspiracy too??