Your "bring list" for riding the rails?

[Blackwolf]

Really? If someone were to balk about the 'usefulness' of a $2 bill, I'd have to recommend the use of a baseball bat clue stick to cure their ails of legal US currency. The same holds true for $1 coins, be they Susie B's or golds. Truth be told, if a business refuses to accept legal tender (cash, unless clearlystated that cash is not accepted as currency; ie, cashless cabins aboard aircraft,) as payment of services rendered inside the United States, I do believe they would be in violation of Federal law!

So, if a waiter told me they would desire something other than a $2 bill or $1 coins for their tip, they'd be getting nothing from me. There is no requirement to tip a single cent, after all.

 

[Ryan]

I typically bring $2 bills for tips.

I was at a restaurant a few weeks ago, and the people at the next table left a $2 bill. Clearly, the waitstaff would have been less insulted if they left nothing at all.

For all practical purposes, $2 bills are worthless. Especially for someone who needs their tips to pay their bills. The one waiter remarked they had a stack of $2 bills at home, from all the jerks that leave them as tips, but just didn't have the time to go to a bank to trade them in for some usable currency.

BTW, I felt really sorry for the guy, he works really hard for his tips, and traded him two $1 bills for the $2. Gave the $2 bill to my grandkid as a novelty item.

They're only worthless if one is being lazy. Otherwise they spend like regular money. And if he's got a stack of them, then a quick trip to the bank will fix that problem.

Or, just carry them around and spend them like you would any other cash you have.
My list:

iPhone

Camera (D700, usually with my 35-70 f/2.8 mounted)

Scanner (with headphones)

6' extension cord with triple outlet on the end

Laptop and/or iPad (depending on duration of trip)

RAM mount with suction cup to mount iPad to the window (usually used as a massive GPS)

Various cords, chargers, batteries, etc, etc, etc.

 

[lthanlon]

Personally, I wish we lose the one dollar bill, (use the Susan B instead)

The major problem with the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin is that it's too easily confused with a quarter. In fact, I've seen homeless people and street hustlers hang around transit vending machines that dispense change using Susan Bs and pester tourists for 50 cents. Just to get rid of these pandhandlers, many tourists will hand them a couple of Susan Bs, mistaking them for quarters. This great scam worked well at the San Francisco cable car ticket machines many years ago.

 

[TimePeace]

good attitude

That is the one.

 

[Tumbleweed]

So, if a waiter told me they would desire something other than a $2 bill or $1 coins for their tip, they'd be getting nothing from me. There is no requirement to tip a single cent, after all.

Scenario: $20.00 bill = $4.00 tip.....reasonable enough? If I tip with 400 pennies, I can see the server being upset.....if I tip with two $2.00 bills, or 4 $1.00 coins, he she better show some appreciation.....

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've never quite understood this. Why would anyone, server or not, care what size bills you use? If you want to be remembered for something positive then maybe you should simply tip more money. Using obscure bills doesn't accomplish anything besides drawing attention to your ability to visit a bank and make unusual requests. What I find odd is that someone apparently thinks $2 bills are not accepted at businesses where other bills are. I'm pretty sure that's not kosher in the US financial system. A simple request for a manager should clear up any inability to pay with intentionally obscure but otherwise legal currency.

 

[BCL]

Really? If someone were to balk about the 'usefulness' of a $2 bill, I'd have to recommend the use of a baseball bat clue stick to cure their ails of legal US currency. The same holds true for $1 coins, be they Susie B's or golds. Truth be told, if a business refuses to accept legal tender (cash, unless clearlystated that cash is not accepted as currency; ie, cashless cabins aboard aircraft,) as payment of services rendered inside the United States, I do believe they would be in violation of Federal law!

So, if a waiter told me they would desire something other than a $2 bill or $1 coins for their tip, they'd be getting nothing from me. There is no requirement to tip a single cent, after all.

Actually - there's no federal law that requires that a retailer accept any particular form of currency to complete a transaction. Gas stations are often open after hours with pay at the pump that accepts only credit cards. A lot of businesses won't accept $100 bills. A business could reject $1 bills in payment if they wished. It wouldn't be good business policy to do so, but it wouldn't be illegal. If a retailer didn't want to accept $2 bills, they actually could without doing anything illegal. However, I have heard of instances where a retailer literally had someone detained by local police because they thought $2 bills were phony - at least until the Secret Service showed up.

http://www.treasury....gal-tender.aspx

Legal Tender Status
I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.

I've been to casinos, and none has accepted quarters as bets or to obtain chips. If the table has 50 cent pieces to complete odd payouts (for instance - blackjack on a $5 bet), they might accept those in exchange for $1 chips.

 

[BCL]

I've never quite understood this. Why would anyone, server or not, care what size bills you use? If you want to be remembered for something positive then maybe you should simply tip more money. Using obscure bills doesn't accomplish anything besides drawing attention to your ability to visit a bank and make unusual requests. What I find odd is that someone apparently thinks $2 bills are not accepted at businesses where other bills are. I'm pretty sure that's not kosher in the US financial system. A simple request for a manager should clear up any inability to pay with intentionally obscure but otherwise legal currency.

Honestly - I've taken a lot of interest in obscure currency. I don't tip less because I use twos. In fact I probably tip more because I often round up. If I'd normally tip more than two bucks, I'll reach in the pocket for change to add to the tip.

If a business didn't want to accept twos they could do just that. No business is obligated to accept any particular denomination. Very rarely I've encountered a manager who said that they weren't going to accept it. One particular manager said that she knew it was real US currency but simply that she wouldn't allow the clerk to accept it. I didn't feel like arguing and pulled out a credit card.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification BCL. Apparently you don't even need to post a notice that $2 bills are not accepted. I guess that just goes to show that you really will be remembered, although perhaps not in the way originally intended. Maybe I'll start using silver dollars for kicks and giggles.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

In my cashiering days, the non-standard bills were rarely a major hassle, but when you got a lot of them it was. The change drawers simply aren't designed for them. I had a declared and manager approved policy of buying dollar coins out of my drawer just so we didn't have to count them.

Size mattered a lot. If we had a particularly busy saturday afternoon and evening AND sunday afternoon, by sunday night...our ability to make change of any kind was severely degraded.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I make sre I've got a newspaper along when in a roomette. I use it to block the light coming in through the gap between the door and the floor. I fold it and use my shoes to prop it against the door. Making the room as dark as possible, I leave the curtains open and the greater darkness helps me gaze out the window when I'm not sleeping.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I almost forgot! The TICKET.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I almost forgot! The TICKET.

No wonder they keep throwing me off the train!

 

[Ryan]

I almost forgot! The TICKET.

I actually had that typed out, then remembered "E-tickets! I can just use my phone now!!!" and deleted it.

 

[Henry Kisor]

Well, you have to remember to bring your cell phone, doncha?

 

[Ryan]

My list:
iPhone

Camera (D700, usually with my 35-70 f/2.8 mounted)

Scanner (with headphones)

6' extension cord with triple outlet on the end

Laptop and/or iPad (depending on duration of trip)

RAM mount with suction cup to mount iPad to the window (usually used as a massive GPS)

Various cords, chargers, batteries, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Cristobal]

Roomette: power strip w/ small extension cord, safety pins for the curtains (the velcro is decent, but we want it as dark as possible), shower shoes, extra socks/underwear, and the usual overnight stuff (pajamas, change of shirt, toiletries, laptop, chargers, phones, etc).
Coach: pillow, earplugs, eye mask, blanket, sleeping pills, shoes I can slip on/off easily, soft-side cooler with food/drinks, noise-canceling headphones. I'm not sure if we'll be in Coach ever again (on an overnight trip, that is), so this might be the Old List.

We used to bring a bunch of books, but now we use our phones or Kindle. Talk about saving space. Between the two of us, it wasn't unusual to have 6-8 paperbacks taking up space in the backpack.

Binder clips work much better. I usually bring 4 medium size. 2 for the hallway curtains and 2 for the window curtains.

 

[SarahZ]

I use those huge safety pins. They take up less space than a binder clip, and I can use them for other things (clothing repair and whatnot). That's a really good idea, though, and we could make little sculptures out of them when bored.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

I almost forgot! The TICKET.

I actually had that typed out, then remembered "E-tickets! I can just use my phone now!!!" and deleted it.

I don't have a smartphone, but I LOVE the switch to e-tickets. I have been known to lose paper tickets before (the worst was at a layover at an airport, we almost missed our connection). So, with e-ticketing, I'm just going to print out several different copies, and store one in each piece of luggage, just in case.

As for the "take it with you" ideas - I followed one of those lists on my first trip, and brought a ton of stuff (duct tape, file folders, etc.). I didn't use any of it. So, I left it all at home for my second trip. Then I ended up wishing I had some of it, & borrowed some screwdrivers and stuff from other passengers.

I did realize I can improvise a lot of room-fixing stuff with things I find onboard, but I will still bring a small screwdriver with some duct tape wrapped around it - it has come in handy several times.

 

[Railsohyeah]

Wow, so many great items to think about! Thanks :hi: everyone!

One item I found really VERY useful last overnight train trip was a small flashlight that I kept on a pendant hanging around my neck. For a pendant, just use some heavy duty cord or an old namebadge cord from a conference. Came in quite handy in the wee hours, looking for stuff under the seat, etc! You never have to "look for the flashlight" that way!

I definitely will go to the bank and get the small bills for tips, hadn't thought of doing that beforehand but it's a nice idea. (As a former waiter I don't care if it's a big pile of spare change--it's simply money money money!!!) :lol:

Gotta go with binder clips so I don't stick myself with a safety pin! If I did that...I'd need a first-aid kid (oh yeah, bring THAT, too :excl: )

 

[Railsohyeah]

OMG, forgot wine opener last trip!

Luckily a good samaritan saved us!

 

[TinCan782]

Under the "suction cup" category, I have found two things handy. Small, folding sun screens (normally for cars) that attach to the glass with a couple of suction cups. The other is the "suction-cup hook" which I use for hanging my GPS antenna to the window. The link below shows these items in our roomette on the SWC.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/6295811488/in/set-72157627883429105

 

[Phil S]

DVD player, DVD's, flip-flops for the shower, extension cord (needed even in the sleepers), train tickets, extra undies (if the train is delayed for yet another 24 hours), $1's and $5's for tips.

I typically bring $2 bills for tips.

Lead dining car person is just delighted to change $20s. She (or he) knows exactly why you want the change, and there's plenty there to go around. Lounge car attendants will if they've got enough but some times they don't. No idea why.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Lead dining car person is just delighted to change $20s. She (or he) knows exactly why you want the change, and there's plenty there to go around. Lounge car attendants will if they've got enough but some times they don't. No idea why.

That has been my observation as well and they are a great and dependable source of small bills if you don't want to carry a horse-choker roll with you.

 

[ScottRu]

OMG, forgot wine opener last trip! Luckily a good samaritan saved us!

OMG, no wine opener? (I actually look for screw top bottles on trips. You can still get a pretty good bottle these days and not have to worry about getting the cork out.)