This definitely isn't the case. I'm not recounting the whole messed up story of my trip last December (which from a train operations perspective went swimmingly--we had the 8400 in both directions), but I was issued a partial refund for a trip for which (a) the tickets were already printed and (b) the traveler had already arrived at her final destination. A 10% charge was assessed against the refund, but a refund was issued all the same.
And as a 14 year old, you can actually travel through the NEC as an unaccompanied minor as long as you arrive and depart from a staffed station. You just can't board from an unmanned station.
This recently happened to me at LAUPT which is why this topic strikes a nerve. Upon confronting an employee who was improvisationally manufacturing Amtrak policy, she offered several disparate and nonsensical rationales for her directive. And when pressed for a citation where the policy could be corroborated, she demurred and stormed off without further comment. I went on to ignore her original admonitions and go about my boarding.
Did you report to Amtrak? If not, do so now, people can't fix what they don't hear about.
You bet I did. I wrote a carefully worded, unemotional account of the incident for that very reason. LAUPT is my home station, and I do not want myself or others to experience another dose of that nonsense.
Good! Thanks.
She was attempting to tell me that I was not allowed to board my train yet but couldn't articulate why. My train was already backed into its normal Track 10, SCAs were waiting at their doors for pax, and Redcaps had already dropped off the first load of their peeps and were on their way back for more. It was pure horsesh*t and a failed attempt at invoking a power trip. As often happens in these situations, she painted herself into a corner and stormed off because it was the only move she had left. All too predictable.What kind of policy did she make up?
Who was the employee? Conductor, TA, or Station Agent? And did you bother to get a name? Just wondering, since I work with these people nearly every day...She was attempting to tell me that I was not allowed to board my train yet but couldn't articulate why. My train was already backed into its normal Track 10, SCAs were waiting at their doors for pax, and Redcaps had already dropped off the first load of their peeps and were on their way back for more. It was pure horsesh*t and a failed attempt at invoking a power trip. As often happens in these situations, she painted herself into a corner and stormed off because it was the only move she had left. All too predictable.What kind of policy did she make up?
Station personnel, not OBS or T&E. Of course I got her name, but I see no reason to publicly shame her here. That's why I went to the trouble of documenting the incident and reporting it to Amtrak. My sole interest in the situation is to ensure that I do not have another experience like this at LAUPT.Who was the employee? Conductor, TA, or Station Agent? And did you bother to get a name? Just wondering, since I work with these people nearly every day...She was attempting to tell me that I was not allowed to board my train yet but couldn't articulate why. My train was already backed into its normal Track 10, SCAs were waiting at their doors for pax, and Redcaps had already dropped off the first load of their peeps and were on their way back for more. It was pure horsesh*t and a failed attempt at invoking a power trip. As often happens in these situations, she painted herself into a corner and stormed off because it was the only move she had left. All too predictable.What kind of policy did she make up?
