Tight Hallways Between Roomettes?

[happycamper]

The hallways in the middle of the roomettes and on the side of the car for the sleepers seems so tight - like two people couldn't pass??? Does someone have to duck in a room with an open door if someone is coming in the other direction?? Serious question as it seemed like this when I looked into a roomette.. Thank you!!

 

[PVD]

They are narrow, there really isn't much choice, any added width in the aisle would have to come from the roomettes, that would be tough, if you want to maintain the same count...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Ye

The hallways in the middle of the roomettes and on the side of the car for the sleepers seems so tight - like two people couldn't pass??? Does someone have to duck in a room with an open door if someone is coming in the other direction?? Serious question as it seemed like this when I looked into a roomette.. Thank you!!

Yes, I will step at least partially into a room if the door is open. Else I’ll wait at one end where there’s a little more room to let the other person pass

 

[RalphCT]

It's the same for the stairway between upper and lower level. Best for one person (or group) to wait while the other passes through.

 

[zephyr17]

Aisle etiquette:

Person already in the tight aisle has the right of way.

At the middle of the car, look down roomette end, don't start down the aisle if someone is coming towards you.

When rounding the corner in the bedroom end, if someone coming toward you, stay in the corner. There's room to squeeze by in the corner.

When in a tight "straightaway" keep moving.

Check/listen for someone on the stairs before starting up or down.

When exiting room, stick your head out and check the aisle before stepping out.

If someone starts toward you, when you are alreasy in the aisle, step partly into an unoccupied room if possible. Only step partly into an occupied room if no alternative. Or back up to corner/middle/car end.

At the start of a trip there be will many who don't know the drill and will blithely start down an occupied aisle. Just use good etiquette yourself. After a few hours onboard most passengers will have gotten the hang of it.

 

[me_little_me]

I agree with Aisle etiquette list and would add one more:

When having to go partially in a room with an open door but closed curtain, try to back in (slowly) to avoid seeing something you shouldn't and be sure to apologize to anyone who might be in the room.

 

[zephyr17]

I agree with Aisle etiquette list and would add one more:

When having to go partially in a room with an open door but closed curtain, try to back in (slowly) to avoid seeing something you shouldn't and be sure to apologize to anyone who might be in the room.

Personally, I'd back up before going into a room with the curtain closed.

 

[me_little_me]

Personally, I'd back up before going into a room with the curtain closed.

You don't have to go completely into the room to let someone by unless you are really huge. As fat as I am, a small step back that justs bends the curtain in a bit and the other person angling as they go by has always worked.

 

[zephyr17]

Never said go completely in. I always said partly. I won't go into a room with a closed curtain even partly.

 

[Cal]

Never said go completely in. I always said partly. I won't go into a room with a closed curtain even partly.

Agreed.

 

[AFriendly]

The hallways in the middle of the roomettes and on the side of the car for the sleepers seems so tight - like two people couldn't pass??? Does someone have to duck in a room with an open door if someone is coming in the other direction?? Serious question as it seemed like this when I looked into a roomette.. Thank you!!

Definitely better than a wider aisle at the expense of narrower beds. Just like on a plane or a ship, there are limitations. I always back up if there is someone already in the aisle or further down the aisle than I am and it is rarely an issue as long as you keep clear of the aisle while the train is at a station.

 

[happycamper]

Definitely better than a wider aisle at the expense of narrower beds. Just like on a plane or a ship, there are limitations. I always back up if there is someone already in the aisle or further down the aisle than I am and it is rarely an issue as long as you keep clear of the aisle while the train is at a station.

Is it hard to get off for the fresh air breaks they have at a few stations?

 

[Sauve850]

Ive never had any issues getting off a sleeper for a fresh air break.

 

[AFriendly]

Is it hard to get off for the fresh air breaks they have at a few stations?

Not really, the stops you are talking about are usually long enough that everyone who wants to get off and talk a walk has ample time to do so unless the train is running late and trying to make up time. In those cases they usually make an announcement about the stop being cut short though. If you want to maximize your off-train time at one of the shorter stops, its a good idea to talk to your attendant before the stop because not all stops are the same duration and they do not always open the doors on all cars. This is an important consideration on Superliners because if they aren't opening the door on the car you are in, you've got to go back upstairs before you can walk over to the next car.

 

[dlagrua]

For as long as sleepers have been on trains the halls were always narrow and everyone survived the trip. When we wish to go down the hall we just watch and make sure that it is clear. If it isn't we just wait at the end until it is. In the worse case we just back up a bit.

 

[20th Century Rider]

The hallways in the middle of the roomettes and on the side of the car for the sleepers seems so tight - like two people couldn't pass??? Does someone have to duck in a room with an open door if someone is coming in the other direction?? Serious question as it seemed like this when I looked into a roomette.. Thank you!!

Yup! Just got off the Crescent yesterday... when two folks meet in the narrow hallway, one has to back up until they can find an empty room to duck into so the other can pass. Now, when detraining at the end of the run, there is massive congestion with folks wanting to get back into their rooms to get their things... but they can't until those in the hall have detrained.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Now, when detraining at the end of the run, there is massive congestion with folks wanting to get back into their rooms to get their things... but they can't until those in the hall have detrained.

Sort of like on a plane where the second the plane stops at a gate everyone immediately gets into the aisle but then has to wait while the person in row 6 spends 10 minutes getting his or her bags out of the overhead bin.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Sort of like on a plane where the second the plane stops at a gate everyone immediately gets into the aisle but then has to wait while the person in row 6 spends 10 minutes getting his or her bags out of the overhead bin.

Exactly!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Personally I would advise against entering unfamiliar compartments unless invited after asking. These days America's social contract judges the severity of nearly any adverse event not by what was intended but almost entirely by how an offended person chose to interpret such action. Better safe than sorry and all that.

 

[bms]

Ive never had any issues getting off a sleeper for a fresh air break.

Occasionally, the Fresh Air Break is late at night and the Sleeper Car Attendant has nobody to board or detrain and is catching one of their few rest periods. Knowing that, if it's after 10 p.m. I generally walk to the coach car if I want to get off for a break.

 

[zephyr17]

Is it hard to get off for the fresh air breaks they have at a few stations?

No, they are long enough for everyone to get off that wants to.

I hang back until the people whose stop it is detrain.

 

[Cal]

I generally walk to the coach car if I want to get off for a break.

Are coach attendants required to open it, but not SCA's?

 

[zephyr17]

Are coach attendants required to open it, but not SCA's?

SCAs will open it during their on duty hours. At a fresh air in the middle of the night, they aren't on duty. I cannot think of a fresh air stop in the middle of the night offhand, but there probably are some. Perhaps Fargo on the EB? Redding on the Starlight?

In the coaches, the conductor will open at least one door. The conductor won't open a sleeper unless a passenger is manifested for the stop.

Coach attendants are off duty at zero dark thirty, too. Conductors generally handle the doors in the wee hours. They are not going to open all doors at a middle of the night stop, even a fresh air stop, like the on duty attendants do while during their duty hours.

 

[Bob Dylan]

SCAs will open it during their on duty hours. At a fresh air in the middle of the night, they aren't on duty. I cannot think of a fresh air stop in the middle of the night offhand, but there probably are some. Perhaps Fargo on the EB? Redding on the Starlight?

In the coaches, the conductor will open at least one door. The conductor won't open a sleeper unless a passenger is manifested for the stop.

Coach attendants are off duty at zero dark thirty, too. Conductors generally handle the doors in the wee hours. They are not going to open all doors at a middle of the night stop, even a fresh air stop, like the on duty attendants do while during their duty hours.

All the stops between St Louis and Little Rock on the Texas Eaglettes are in the wee Hours, so generally 1 Crew Memberv will do the Sleeper if there's 2 Sleepers and the Conductors handle the Coach Passengers.

 

[Cal]

SCAs will open it during their on duty hours. At a fresh air in the middle of the night, they aren't on duty. I cannot think of a fresh air stop in the middle of the night offhand, but there probably are some. Perhaps Fargo on the EB? Redding on the Starlight?

In the coaches, the conductor will open at least one door. The conductor won't open a sleeper unless a passenger is manifested for the stop.

Coach attendants are off duty at zero dark thirty, too. Conductors generally handle the doors in the wee hours. They are not going to open all doors at a middle of the night stop, even a fresh air stop, like the on duty attendants do while during their duty hours.

Makes more sense.

Charleston is a fresh air stop which is late at night, and Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.