had8ley
Engineer
Well I tested the waters with the new AGR contractor today and it sounded very much like 1971 deja vu when Amtrak hired all airline people to sell train tickets. The call went something like this; A very professional lady answered after I entered all of my pertinent information. After re-asking my number, home address, phone # and e-mail she asked what I needed. I said that I wanted to redeem a one zone ticket, in the sleeper, from Atlanta to Boston at an undetermined date. She said she was sorry and that she had to turn me over to someone else who asked my AGR # address, phone # etc. etc. When I asked what mode of transportation I would be afforded north of NYP I should have hung up. The lady asked if I wanted to go to Boston NORTH station! I explained that North Station only services the Downeaster. Then she said ,"Oh, you would get off in Philadelphia and change trains. When I pleaded that I wanted to keep my sleeper all the way to NYP she said, "OH, you can stay in it all the way to Boston!!! When I told her train #20 terminates at NYP and the trainset is moved to Sunnyside yards in Queens it was apparent that somebody on the other end wanted to hang up. She asked five (5) times where I wanted to go out of frustration and in attempts to make me look like a dummy (I'll be the first to admit to that and it happens often.) Sensing an ambush (Isensed that she was displeased when I informed her that no sleeper service was available between NYP and BOS.) I asked for a supervisor. Moments later she conveniently comes back and says that none are available. But here's the best part. She says, "Besides, there are no sleepers available on train #20 and no coach seats on train #176." When I asked her what day she was looking at she said, "November24th !!! When I said I was just inquiring with no date she admitted to me that she had never ridden a train and today was only her fourth day on the redemption desk <_< <_<
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