Even more surprising was there was no gate agent at BON checking tickets to get on the platform. I was happy because the gate agent at BOS is sometimes a little mean.
I am always impressed by the greater severity of train travel in the east. Last month I picked up my father-in-law and his friend at St. Paul. I parked about where I knew their sleeper car would stop. When they debarked I appeared out of the darkness on the platform and showed them to our automobile, avoiding the station entirely.
When they left I drove up and parked opposite their sleeper (the train had already arrived) and we walked directly to their car, giving the ticket to some conductor sort who was standing nearby. He told me, "We usually board
through the station." I meekly pointed out that the two passengers would neither see age 80 again, and that detouring through seemed a long walk. To myself I thought that, given the AGR points we had spent, we ought to do things to our convenience, not theirs.
There are some advantages (precious few, I'll admit) to having only two trains a day.
My station is a conductor change point. Every time I have boarded there they checked ID in the station. I have also had it check boarding the LSL in Croton. A few months ago in Chicago they were checking every ID down the car in coach on the CZ. I guess it happens to me so much I assumed everyone got carded.
Huh, St. Paul is a crew change, and I've never been asked for ID, coach or sleeper, either direction. Same with Minot, the next crew change west. Mrs. Ispokom confirms that in all our travels, we've never shown ID. Maybe we'll get carded this next trip, when she'll be in the burka, and I'll wear a Royal Canadian Mountie outfit. (or vice versa)