lthanlon
OBS Chief
Just got back from a great round trip on Amtrak's Southwest Chief. I left Chicago on a Wednesday afternoon, arrived in Los Angeles on a Friday morning, had lunch with a friend at Musso & Frank in Hollywood, then caught the Chief back to Chicago that evening.
On Train #3 westbound, our SCA was Victor, who was one of the best I've had. He was there when needed, passed out hot towels numerous times so pax could freshen up, and provided his own excellent running commentary on trackside attractions. On Train #4 eastbound, our SCA was Carmen, also attentive and professional. Both Victor and Carmen had several mobility-challenged passengers with special needs, and accommodated them quickly and respectfully.
The eastbound return trip had more than its usual share of what I like to call "Amtrak incidents":
1. Two drunks were removed from the train sometime before Albuquerque.
2. A passenger tried to get tough with the SSL guy by demanding a free Pepsi.
3. Several sleeper passengers were met by police when the SWC pulled into Flagstaff and told to keep it quiet. One of the women involved was at my table at lunch the next day and insisted that they had not been warned to be quiet -- and was concerned that racial profiling had been involved in her being the only one asked by police to provide a Social Security number. She vowed to report the incident to Rachel Maddow.
4. A free-spirited guy with a love of Madonna music collected several other pax -- including children -- and taught them all to play craps at a table in the SSL upper level. When the SSL guy told him to turn down the music because several people stretched out on the floor were trying to sleep, the crapsmeister replied that those folks weren't supposed to be sleeping in the SSL and ought to return to their coaches or sleepers. The SSL guy shook his head as he left after closing the cafe for the evening. Over his shoulder, he muttered, "A--hole."
5. At dinner one night, a good Samaritan had been concerned about a guy who, he said, had claimed he was traveling to a hospital for treatment and that he had put on the train by family and community members without any way to buy meals for several days. When the Samaritan asked which hospital the guy was going to be in so he could inquire how things went, the guy named a hospital that a lady sitting next to me said wasn't in the city he claimed. At this point, the Samaritan began advising the lady about her choice of nail polish color -- and when the hungry guy left the table for a moment, discussion centered on why his story was unraveling. That's when I finished my dessert and returned to my roomette.
6. During the eastbound SWC's Albuquerque service stop, one woman fell and, I am told, whacked her head on a rail. Other pax said she was out for a time -- and one of my dining companions said she thought the woman was surely dead. But after paramedics arrived, the woman apparently refused additional treatment and returned to her car to continue her journey.
7. I drew my roomette's curtains shut before heading out to the SSL for a drink, but forgot to slide the door shut. Upon my return about 90 minutes later, I found that my straw Stetson had been almost crushed. As far as I can figure, someone must have been walking up the hallway when the train lurched -- and then reached out to grab what they thought was my closed door, but fell into my roomette and landed on my cowboy hat, which was right there on the chair, top down. Probably a woman pax, since I found several extremely long, dark hairs on the pillow. I think I can steam the hat back into shape.
All in all, a fun trip. I just published a podcast narrative about my journey on ChicagoScope.com.
On Train #3 westbound, our SCA was Victor, who was one of the best I've had. He was there when needed, passed out hot towels numerous times so pax could freshen up, and provided his own excellent running commentary on trackside attractions. On Train #4 eastbound, our SCA was Carmen, also attentive and professional. Both Victor and Carmen had several mobility-challenged passengers with special needs, and accommodated them quickly and respectfully.
The eastbound return trip had more than its usual share of what I like to call "Amtrak incidents":
1. Two drunks were removed from the train sometime before Albuquerque.
2. A passenger tried to get tough with the SSL guy by demanding a free Pepsi.
3. Several sleeper passengers were met by police when the SWC pulled into Flagstaff and told to keep it quiet. One of the women involved was at my table at lunch the next day and insisted that they had not been warned to be quiet -- and was concerned that racial profiling had been involved in her being the only one asked by police to provide a Social Security number. She vowed to report the incident to Rachel Maddow.
4. A free-spirited guy with a love of Madonna music collected several other pax -- including children -- and taught them all to play craps at a table in the SSL upper level. When the SSL guy told him to turn down the music because several people stretched out on the floor were trying to sleep, the crapsmeister replied that those folks weren't supposed to be sleeping in the SSL and ought to return to their coaches or sleepers. The SSL guy shook his head as he left after closing the cafe for the evening. Over his shoulder, he muttered, "A--hole."
5. At dinner one night, a good Samaritan had been concerned about a guy who, he said, had claimed he was traveling to a hospital for treatment and that he had put on the train by family and community members without any way to buy meals for several days. When the Samaritan asked which hospital the guy was going to be in so he could inquire how things went, the guy named a hospital that a lady sitting next to me said wasn't in the city he claimed. At this point, the Samaritan began advising the lady about her choice of nail polish color -- and when the hungry guy left the table for a moment, discussion centered on why his story was unraveling. That's when I finished my dessert and returned to my roomette.
6. During the eastbound SWC's Albuquerque service stop, one woman fell and, I am told, whacked her head on a rail. Other pax said she was out for a time -- and one of my dining companions said she thought the woman was surely dead. But after paramedics arrived, the woman apparently refused additional treatment and returned to her car to continue her journey.
7. I drew my roomette's curtains shut before heading out to the SSL for a drink, but forgot to slide the door shut. Upon my return about 90 minutes later, I found that my straw Stetson had been almost crushed. As far as I can figure, someone must have been walking up the hallway when the train lurched -- and then reached out to grab what they thought was my closed door, but fell into my roomette and landed on my cowboy hat, which was right there on the chair, top down. Probably a woman pax, since I found several extremely long, dark hairs on the pillow. I think I can steam the hat back into shape.
All in all, a fun trip. I just published a podcast narrative about my journey on ChicagoScope.com.
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Only the fanatics,er trainfans here would consider such a trip "normal"!Some interesting characters for sure but then as Rosannadanna used to say: "..it's always something.." :lol:
