Ryan
Court Jester
The FDA rules as they apply to Amtrak have nothing to do with their government subsidy.
I'd love to hear the details of that.Amtrak has some special regulations applied to them as a result of some sorta anti amtrak crackdown that happened, I think under Bush.
The whole issue, including 5000 rules and regulations, was implemented in the early/mid 90's when the FDA was forced to step in and crack down on Amtrak management, who had become indifferent regarding both rodent control and insuring there was working refrigeration onboard Amtrak food service cars. Both issues had become sooo out of control that the agreement negotiated with Amtrak involved the threat of jail for Amtrak management if the issues were not brought under control.I'd love to hear the details of that.Amtrak has some special regulations applied to them as a result of some sorta anti amtrak crackdown that happened, I think under Bush.
I suspect the issue with a new cup has something to do with health and sanitation regulations, each state is different so Amtrak would have to follow federal rules or the most anal state rule.I am a tea drinker, so I can tell you that there is NO hot water for tea available in the sleepers. The only reasonable way to get hot water is to go to the Cafe (downstairs in the Sightseer Lounge car), and ask for it.
(begin rant/) Even if you have your own container, they will put the hot water in an Amtrak paper cup. Then they have to account for the cup (check "hot water given away" on their list of exceptions). They do it this way even if you are getting a "refill" (more hot water, but using the original tea bag and cup) on a cup of tea that you purchased. It's a disgusting waste of time and resources for a cup of hot water, but their archaic accounting system and pathalogical fear of inside theft drive the system. (/end rant).
I think there are some exceptions to the rule that the only way to get hot water is to go to the cafe car (but it sounds like none of them apply to you):
I always have my own thermal mug and tea bags with me for the trip, but I bow to the inevitable if I can't find an easy way to get hot water. For me, the inevitable is to relax in the Lounge Car with a hot Lipton tea (with lemon and sugar, which I never put in *good* tea). Not so bad after all!
- You can go the Pacific Parlor Car (but only if you are in sleeper on the CS), and the attendant will usually fill your own cup with hot water quite cheerfully.
- If a certain SCA named Charles (who I had on the EB a couple of years ago) is yours, you are very lucky, because he has an electric teakettle, which he keeps full and ready to plug in, in roomette #1 (along with a bunch of other goodies to enliven your trip).
- You can ask your SCA to go to the cafe and get it for you (but I would never do this unless I were too disabled to go myself, and I would expect to tip for the service).
OT, We had a family friend, long passed, who flew DC-3's as a pilot about 1948 for United Airlines cargo/charter ferrying often nomadic jews from Iraq and Iran to Israel, and muslims back. Long story short on one flight there was fire next to a cargo door with a fresh goat roasting...Maybe I'll just light a camp fire in my roomette and boil a kettle. Won't use any electricity that way! Yes/no? Frowned upon maybe?
Seriously though, I'm going to look into lower-watt immersion heaters. I saw a few on amazon, just wish they got better reviews!
+1...
But the standard sleeper urn coffee is OK with me. Nothing special, but it does the job.
And it makes a great cup of coffee.Thanks for your mature input. You really know how to make a newbie feel welcome I'm sure you already know this, but a French press looks like this:Dear god this is so retarded. If you don't like the steak do you bring your own beef and a grill to cook it?
ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1397435018.874308.jpg
It's not like it's a Mr. Coffee machine (or a steak and accompanying George Foreman).
Yes it does! Better quality and no pesky filtersAnd it makes a great cup of coffee.
Starbucks? My sympathies.Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.
I suppose you prefer Folgers Instant and CoffeeMate? :giggle:Starbucks? My sympathies.Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.
Young friend of mine used to call Starbucks "Charbucks."Starbucks has been serving burnt coffee for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure if it's the roasting stage or the brewing stage that's messed up but it tastes horrible to me. Which I suppose is why everyone orders some sort of flavoring to make it more palatable. I'm not even close to being a coffee snob and I cannot drink Starbucks. It's a mystery to me how it became so popular.
No. I drink good coffee - black and no sweetener. If you can't drink coffee like that, you are not drinking coffee; you are drinking coffee masked by milk, cream, sugar and/or artificial ingredients - aka Staryucks.I suppose you prefer Folgers Instant and CoffeeMate?Starbucks? My sympathies.Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.
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