Two sisters were kicked off Crescent for using the lounge car

[Dutchrailnut]

Amtrak is a government owned Company , it is not a government agency , its employees are not government employees. other than board of directors.



Amtrak is a federally chartered corporation, with the federal government as majority stockholder. The Amtrak Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Amtrak is operated as a for-profit company, rather than a public authority.

FY 2021 Company Profile - Amtrak​

Amtrak
https://www.amtrak.com › dam › nationalfactsheets

 

[joelkfla]

Amtrak is a government owned Company , it is not a government agency , its employees are not government employees. other than board of directors .

National Railroad Passenger Corporation​

Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, provides intercity rail passenger service.

Agency Details​

Acronym:​

AMTRAK

Government branch:​

Independent Agency

https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/national-railroad-passenger-corporation

 

[Devil's Advocate]

First of all, Amtrak is not just another large corporation. They are, in fact, an agency of the U.S. government.

Being owned by the government opens Amtrak to FOIA requests but it does not prevent them from refusing to discuss individual passenger complaints. You can go back and forth identifying similarities and inconsistencies between Amtrak and other entities but the end result is that Amtrak exists in a quasi-governmental state that does not lend itself to simple or indisputable categorization.

Secondly, IMO any corporation that deals with the public has an ethical responsibility to deal with the public fairly and openly. A lot of them don't, but that doesn't make it right. If they are accused of mistreating their customers and choose not to dispute it, they deserve any negative public opinion that arises.

I disagree that declining to respond to an accusation means you deserve witch-hunt pitchforking. The claims presented bring up some good points but if the goal is to ensure passengers are treated fairly we could push for conductor cams or a Passenger Bill of Rights rather than investing all of our concern into a single incident of unknown significance based on uncorroborated hearsay.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Perhaps we should discontinue discussing Amtrak's legal status and relationship to the government in this thread since it is something that has never been wholly resolved in a universal way. The courts have handed down decisions in specific cases in the context of that case which does not necessarily generalize. Moreover, it is a bit of a red herring in this thread since it has very tenuous bearing if any, on the subject of this thread.

If there is pressing interest, please start a thread in the Advocacy Forum since such a discussion belongs more appropriately there, preferably with something more substantial than a quote from a convenience document with otherwise little authority on these matters.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and participation.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

I guess the part that is most important to me as a rider, is how fairly and uniformly rules are applied on Amtrak.
Especially in regards to alcohol usage (whether real or perceived), I have certainly seen that on Amtrak, both purchased from the cafe, and (apparently) brought on in violation of the rules. And I don't think I've seen anyone punished for it.
A lot of this, to me, has to do with how society perceives alcohol usage--- there is a thin line between alcohol usage being treated as a festive event, and of it being dangerous. And, of course, sometimes that perception is colored by biased perceptions of a rider's social status or ethnic background. So basically, what bothers me about this (without knowing the details) is that a conductor might treat some rider's behavior as almost a joke, if they are perceived as rich tourists having a celebration, but might treat other riders as a threat, when it is basically the same behavior.
Basically, I believe that rules should be applied evenly and fairly.

 

[Asher]

I guess the part that is most important to me as a rider, is how fairly and uniformly rules are applied on Amtrak.
Especially in regards to alcohol usage (whether real or perceived), I have certainly seen that on Amtrak, both purchased from the cafe, and (apparently) brought on in violation of the rules. And I don't think I've seen anyone punished for it.
A lot of this, to me, has to do with how society perceives alcohol usage--- there is a thin line between alcohol usage being treated as a festive event, and of it being dangerous. And, of course, sometimes that perception is colored by biased perceptions of a rider's social status or ethnic background. So basically, what bothers me about this (without knowing the details) is that a conductor might treat some rider's behavior as almost a joke, if they are perceived as rich tourists having a celebration, but might treat other riders as a threat, when it is basically the same behavior.
Basically, I believe that rules should be applied evenly and fairly.

The part of alcohol on a train that I don’t like is riders can bring all they can carry into a bedroom or roomette, but none to coach. But, they can buy it in the cafe car and drink it in the lounge.