Amtrak Community Dining

[PRR 60]

Am I the only one here who dislikes the dining experience on Amtrak? Not the food (necessarily) or the service (sometimes), but the need to be seated with strangers. Many times on this board the prospect of dining with “interesting and colorful characters” (from a recent thread) is touted as a selling point for Amtrak long distance travel. For my wife and I, that prospect is more likely to sell us a plane ticket.

Here we are, ready for a nice quite Amtrak meal while watching the landscape roll by. But, no. We are seated with one or two strangers and are forced to either make idiotic small talk (“Gee, isn’t the weather great. Wow, trains are so relaxing. Look, was that a junked Edsel I just saw over there?”), be antisocial and say absolutely nothing throughout the meal while avoiding eye contact at all costs, or pretend the others are not there and simply talk between ourselves while avoiding any conversation that would reveal any personal information whatsoever. None of those options is appealing and none are what a person expects when dining. Imagine: “Welcome to the Olive Garden, please be seated here with this other nice couple and we’ll be back for your drink order in just a few minutes.”

I really do like most people and in the proper setting I would (maybe) want to hear their life story. We have even been seated on Amtrak with some people who turned out to be interesting. But for the most part I want to be left alone while traveling and especially while dining. I do not want the guy next to me on a plane to talk my ear off for 2500 miles (I’ve been known to fake sleeping to shut someone up who shows signs of being a transcon yacker) and I want to have meals sitting with people I know and talking about things that interest me. My wife and I have done the Amtrak dining experience several times and it is, quite frankly, one of the bigger negatives about riding Amtrak long distance trains.

I know why Amtrak needs, at least in some cases, to seat people together. And I know that it is a long standing passenger train practice. A train is not a fine restaurant, or even Applebee’s. I accept it as a sorry fact of Amtrak life. But the inability of a couple or even a single traveler to sit by themselves for a meal is, to at least some of us, a factor that counts against making the decision to take an Amtrak long distance train.

 

[jccollins]

So go eat in the snack bar if you don't like it - nobody's forcing you to eat in the diner. The community seating in the diner is often the highlight of my trips. And no, no one has ever sat across from me and avoided eye contact or seemed antisocial. I have rarely seen "smalltalk" conversations. Usually everyone at my table gets into some big discussion that we end up carrying over to the sightseer car after the meal or we have a nice conversation and then go our own ways. Maybe it's just me as an outgoing person, but I love the dining car experience. The antisocial attitudes that quite a few people have today were developed by our economy and I can understand that. People prefer to get in their private motor cars and motor through hords of traffic rather than take public transit. That's their prerogative. Most people I have met on the train are friendly, outgoing, and seem to enjoy the dining car experience and the opportunity to meet others. Amtrak travellers, for the most part, seem to be a different breed than most of the self-centered general public and I have always enjoyed the experience.

 

[Amfleet]

I enjoy eating in the community setting of an Amtrak Dining Car. I think you meet some very interesting people. I will admit that not everyone you are seated with are freindly, but I make the most of it and thank them for their company after I leave the table. My feeling is is that if you don't like community dining then have the meals brought to your room. That simple really, Amtrak can't afford to sit two people at a table seating four.

 

[Rides Often]

I am sorry to see that you so unhappy with the Dining experience

but here something to consider

on any one trip there are:

This is Based on Viewliner Sleepers which is always packed and I am custom of working in Diner and otherwise.

10 sleeper bedrooms ( standard Viewliner rooms) make that x2 for people = 20 people 2 cars = that 40 people

the Deluxe bedrooms hold 4 each that 12 x2 = 24 that 64 people in sleepers alone.

Dining car holds 40 that 1 and 1/2 sittings now if you put coach passengers in there that could be another 60 folks who are straved. That 3 sittings

I can suggest that you eat in the first sitting that seems to be the best and fastest.

I understand you might want to be alone with your family to eat but this is a moving train. You have the choice of Dining in your sleeper room or Dinner or Cafe car.

You say small talk well I have seen people sit there after last sitting and small talk for a hour until we close..

You know your only on a train for as long as the trip takes make the best of it. From a plane you can't see the landscape roll by. I know I am never relaxed on a plane.

Rides Often

FLorida Trains are Fun!!!!

B) B) h34r:

 

[AMTK@AUS]

I'm not a big fan of the community dining, however I see why Amtrak has to do it. I always feel awkward when sitting with 2-3 unknown people in that close of quarters. Sometimes it is very interesting to hear what other people have to say, but its just weird when there are people that won't talk, even when you try to make conversation. It all adds to the Amtrak experience, which I love, and I would never not ride because of the community dining.

 

[IceColdMintJulep]

Maybe one day there wil be enough business to require two diners and one of them on each train can have a small single and two to a table section. Then everybody would be happy. Of course if your like me, you have a wife and three kids and don't have to worry about sharing a table. Hopefully my kids aren't too annoying.

 

[PRR 60]

I'm not a big fan of the community dining, however I see why Amtrak has to do it.  I always feel awkward when sitting with 2-3 unknown people in that close of quarters.  Sometimes it is very interesting to hear what other people have to say, but its just weird when there are people that won't talk, even when you try to make conversation.  It all adds to the Amtrak experience, which I love, and I would never not ride because of the community dining.

Ah ha! I found one of you who at least sort of agrees with me! Come on, I know there are more of you out there! Who cringes just a little at the thought of having diner with strangers? Speak up. Do not let that bully jccollins scare you. And bmlock, I am married with two kids, but my youngest “kid” is older than jccollins, so it is now just the two of us.

With just the two of us, sharing dinner with Aunt Millie and little Todd from Kalamazoo is not something we look forward to. And to clarify, my point is not that Amtrak has a choice in the matter. Trains can carry a bunch of people, and the diner and the staff can only handle a few at a time. It is simple math that, on a crowded train, community dining is a must or else they would have meal seatings until midnight. (Why they insist on doing it even when the dining car is nearly empty is another matter). I must even admit that we have had some delightful meals with some very nice people on Amtrak. Once you are seated and have a chance to relax and talk a little, it is often OK (but sometimes not). My point is that the practice, necessary though it may be, is one that is not a selling feature for a segment of the population. Check out the cover of the recently superseded Fall/Winter Amtrak system timetable. There is a photo of a couple, sitting alone, both at the window, enjoying dinner. Do not go on board thinking that scene can actually happen. That particular scene is not usually possible on Amtrak.

As for Mr. jccollins, I had the feeling his opening salvo of, “So go eat in the snack bar if you don't like it - nobody's forcing you to eat in the diner”, was not the beginning of a particularly favorable review of my opinion. I was correct: it was not. Based on his comments, I have scheduled an appointment with our local psychologist to see if I am really that “self centered”, “antisocial”, and suffering from some socio-economic flaw. All this while, I just thought my wife and I were nice but private people who like all aspects of train travel except the dining. I am grateful he was able to so insightfully diagnose our problem.

And, jc, do you really want us to have our meals in the “snack bar”? Geez, what a dump that place is. A couple of meals in there and they would be hauling our cold, dead bodies off the train. Those nuked dogs and burgers, and the whole lounge-car scene in general, leaves a lot to be desired. I think we’ll stick to the diner and grin and bear it.

 

[panamaclipper]

I've never had a bad experience in the diner and wouldn't think of not eating there. I work with people all day, so I don't mind the interaction. And after spending hours and hours reading or looking out the window by myself in the sleeper it's fine to spend an hour our so sitting with folks in the diner. When I'm done eating, I'm back in my sleeper for all the privacy I need. If I get bored by myself again, I can head for the lounge car.

 

[Amfleet]

This is Based on Viewliner Sleepers which is always packed and  I am custom of working in Diner and otherwise.
10 sleeper bedrooms ( standard Viewliner rooms)   make that x2 for people = 20 people   2 cars = that 40 people

 the Deluxe  bedrooms hold 4 each that  12   x2 = 24      that 64 people in sleepers alone.  

 Dining car holds 40   that 1 and 1/2 sittings   now if you put coach passengers in there that could be another 60 folks who are straved. That 3 sittings

Rides Often, each Viewlienr Sleeping Car has 12 Standard Bedrooms, 2 Deluxe Bedrooms, and an Accessible Bedroom. So there is a total capacity for about 36 passengers (if each Deluxe Bedroom and one Accessilbe Bedroom has approx. 4 passengers each). B)

 

[AMTK@AUS]

Some people have very different perspectives on privacy than others. I know that after a 5 hour ride in coach, I was really wanting to get in a private room, just because I like to have my privacy. Many people don't mind at all - and this is a good thing. I'm just one of those people who likes to be in control of the envrionment around me, and this probably affects my perception of the dining car. When I board an Amtrak train, I know that I will probably have to dine with people I don't know, but I board anyway. Its not like that one thing controls whether or not I want Amtrak to take me where I need to go. Also, when I am in the dining car I'm certainly not antisocial - I attempt a conversation with everyone at the table, it just doesn't always work out. I've gotten to sit with only my companion or just by myself before, and it makes the dining car experience much more enjoyable.

That's just how I feel. You can't change it, and I certainly don't want to change any other person's point of view on the subject.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

10 sleeper bedrooms ( standard Viewliner rooms) make that x2 for people = 20 people 2 cars = that 40 people
the Deluxe bedrooms hold 4 each that 12 x2 = 24 that 64 people in sleepers alone.

You may want to get a check out a car diagram of a Viewliner on this.

There are 12 standard rooms (x2 = 24)

2 deluxe rooms (x2 = 4)

1 special room (x2 = 2)

OFFICIAL (notice I said official) cappacity of 1 Viewliner car is 30. Again not counting any children who maybe with there parents.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

I will agree with PRR 60 to some extent on his issue. As all the members on this forum understands that community dinning will always exsist and nothing can be done about it.

Amtrak playing community dining up to sound like an intresting and fun experience is I think there nice way of saying it's the way we have to do it, so heads up and try to make the best of it.

In my opinion their is always 2 classes of people on every Amtrak train, even on trains without first class. Those of you who ride first class knows exactly what I am talking about. Now what I am going to say next is an opinion in general, so you guys who ride coach don't take this as a personell attack on you. First class passengers more likely come from a different walk of life then coach passengers. Most first class passengers wouldn't want to be caught dead eating with some of these ( I will say it again) "intresting and colorful characters" that seem to make up 50% or more of the coach class population on a long distance train. Amtark has a great idea on the capitol limited, where the dining car is split in two sections. One for first class pax and the other for coach pax. First class and coach pax dining together makes much more sense, one to use as a promotion to sell sleepers and two to try to group people together that more likely have more in common. If you notice in the movie Titanic, first class didn't dine with people from 2nd or 3rd class.

The "intresting and colorful characters" can be taken in two different ways. One way is this for an example. On the Cof NO my family and I met a nice young man that was our age from New Zeeland riding in a room behind my wifes room. We started talking shortly after departure from New Orleans and had a couple drinks from my "portible cocktail lounge". We got along so well that we invited him to eat dinner with us that night. We truly enjoyed each others company, and was also a great learning experience for all of us. He learned more about America, and we learned more about Australlia and New Zeeland. My 8 year old thought the world of Mike (the guys name) and she was even asking him questions about the other side of the world that her school teacher probably would never know answers to. A comment that's beside the point, I found it funny that I could understand Mike better after drinking a few shots of whiskey then I could in the morning at breakfast. With his very thick australian/british accent it was hard to understand him. Maybe the whiskey made him loosen up enough so he could talk more like an American. A friend and I have also had dinner with a married couple on the Capitol Limited that were both M.D.'s from the University of W.V. This too was a very positive experience.

My last examples was extremely positive ones of the "intresting and colorful character" title. However I have really ever had a bad experience with community dining, I could see ones vision on how uncomfortable this could be. Once I have witnessed a very overweight woman squeeze herself somehow into the booth. Then threw a fit when she read the prices on the menu for dinner. She was not seated with us, but next to us with an older couple. These poor peoples faces were turning red from imbaresment. I have also witnessed an older couple being seated with "Snoop Doggy Dog" and his partner in crime on another occasion. The old people probably wanted to have a conversation about anything besides rap music, the latest gang colors, and the newest trend of wearing a baseball cap or how many of their releatives have been on the Morey or Jerry Springer show in the past year.

I guess the answer to this on AMTRAK's decision making would be to make all Superliner trains have a split class in the dining car. This couldn't be done in the Heritage Diners because the seating capacity is 40 or 48 depending on the car, compared to 72 on a Superliner. However maybe a possible way on heritage diners would be to make seperate seatings for First class and coach for dinner.

The answer to the PASSENGER is really pretty simple if you don't like it. 1) Eat in your room. 2) Eat in the lounge or take it back to your seat. 3) Don't eat at all. 4) Bring your own food. 5) You may want to try eating toward the very end of the meal period. However be warned that they may have ran out of some of the food such as steaks. You also may want to ask the LSA to eat by yourself if you see the diner is pretty much empty and not much is going on. They may or may not grant your wish.

I too don't care much at all for idea of community dining on trains. I guess If I am going to eat with a stranger, I would rather meet that stranger first and invite him to dinner with me if he seems to be a good guy (like Mike). I don't expect to find too many "Mike's" though. However I don't avoid Amtrak or the Dining car because I'm not crazy about community dining.

Finally, I do understand your feelings PRR60. I am one who enjoys my privacy and being alone, probably more then the common person. However I try to make the best of it like most other people do in the Diner.

 

[National Limited]

I usually travel alone so I usually feel like the lone man out. While i would prefer eating alone I don't mind sitting with strangers as long as they can carry on a conversation. I am not good at small talke but if I am with someone who is good at it then I function fairly well. The worst experience is being with someone who is also "small talk challenged." Some people are natural conversationalists and some are not.

Interesting experience. I was on a flight from Atlanta to Kansas City. The lady in the middle seat (I was on the aisle) could not keep her mouth shut the entire trip even though I was obviously trying read. Now, I hated being on the plane with this lady and wondered what sin I had committed that got me there, but, if I had been in the diner on a train I would have loved to have been seated with this lady, and then be able to get up at the end of the meal and bid her farewell.

 

[whc6]

I enjoy the community dining. I've met some other train lovers, oddballs, free thinkers, boring people, dunces, idiots, and lots of normal people in the dining car. I don't want to always sit with people like me with the same economic background, educational level, or personality.

The dining car is a great mixer, where you learn more from the people sitting with you than you would if you sat in your compartment.

As others have mentioned, there are other options. If you don't like it - don't go.

 

[Chatter163]

I am one those conversationalists who thoroughly enjoys dining with strangers. To me it is one of the most fascinating aspects of train travel. I do tend to prefer dining with other sleeper passengers, simply because we tend to have more in common, but I am happy to eat with anyone who can carry on a conversation. The only disappointments are when I end up with someone who does not wish to speak, though I respect that and minimize the chatter. Usually I end up with someone who is relatively unfamiliar with train travel, and I take the opportunity to answer questions.



I think there is more to the equation than merely the seating capacity in the dining car, and whether or not two dining cars would better serve the number of passengers. I think there are questions regarding the costs of running such cars, no matter how many or how few passengers there may be.

The point made about the airline traveler being stuck the whole flight with his chatty fellow passenger was a good one. On an airplane, if you get anything to eat at all, it is microwaved junk, and you must eat it in the presence of others, with whom you must spend the entire flight, regardless. On a train, if you do not enjoy the company of your dining partners, you do not need to spend much time with them, anyway.

 

[Viewliner]

Personally I have no real problem with community dining. Usually with my family, its just three of us, so its unusual to have someone seated with us. I agree, as long as the people are fairly nice, and can carry on a decent conversation, I actually enjoy it. Of course, thats unless I'm not talking with the diner staff!

 

[AlanB]

I have cleaned up this thread, as I will not let personal attacks happen on this forum to anyone, regardless of whether they are members or guests. I don't wish to be heavy handed, but I have seen far too many forums degenerate into utter chaos from circumstances like this.

This thread will remain on topic from here on out or I will permanently lock it.

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

Community seating in the dining car has long been a railroad tradition for as long as I can remember. Even back in the days of the old railroads, there was a form of community seating! Situations were made a little easier, though, at that time being there were many more dining cars in operation. You also had dining cars which had smaller tables made for two. Many (if not most) diners had real chairs instead of the booths we have today. The booths are an FRA safety requirement, so chairs won't ever likely return at least not to Amtrak. Some of the smaller tourist style lines still have chairs in their diners, but they aren't traveling 79 mph at top speed. But community seating as a whole has been around for a long time. And railroad traditions don't change very much or very quickly.

Now from a business and personal point of view, I have some suggestions to make to those who wish to dine alone or are traveling with a party fewer than four. At breakfast, go in as soon as the diner opens a little after 6:30 AM or at last call at about 9:45 AM. Your chances are pretty good at those times depending on the curcumstances. Lunchtime, usually at last call is best around 1:45 PM. Dinner time, depends on the circumstances, whether seatings are established, etc. Usually the first seating is light on passenger load, but this is not always a guarantee. And of course last call is an option. Keep in mind when it comes to last call (any mealtime), passengers can't sit in the dining car "forever" as the crew is trying to clean up and close down or prepare for the next meal. And yes folks, we are entitled to and do take breaks, too.! After all we (OBS employees) are the ones doing the work involved in the operation! In my observations, many passengers act as if there is no one else on the train waiting to dine but them! Another suggestion a passenger can even try (and I am not soliciting technically) is by "taking good care" of their LSA/Steward (and the waiter if they are involved). I had a a nice middle aged couple from NYC who cornered me on the first evening of their, and handed me a fifty dollar bill and a twenty dollar bill, and said if at all possible please keep them at their own table the whole trip. I spoke with the LSA, and they replied "Yes sir, your request will be granted!" They were both seated at their own table for the whole trip! And get this, they still took care of me after each meal! It is amazing what you can get in the hospitality industry by using this method! And it usually works well!

Once again, there is truely no way to guarantee you'll dine without a stranger at your table, but the previous are just guidelines I can offer to you. Otherwise, there is the option of ordering take out, room service, or the lounge cafe car! Better yet, try to travel in a party of four, or hook up with another couple or threesome of your fellow travelers, and stay together as long as you can onboard. I see passengers do that all the time, then they can be seated together at all their meals, and not worry about it. Happy travels!!!!!!!

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

This is Based on Viewliner Sleepers which is always packed and  I am custom of working in Diner and otherwise.
10 sleeper bedrooms ( standard Viewliner rooms)   make that x2 for people = 20 people   2 cars = that 40 people

 the Deluxe  bedrooms hold 4 each that  12   x2 = 24      that 64 people in sleepers alone.  

 Dining car holds 40   that 1 and 1/2 sittings   now if you put coach passengers in there that could be another 60 folks who are straved. That 3 sittings

Rides Often, each Viewlienr Sleeping Car has 12 Standard Bedrooms, 2 Deluxe Bedrooms, and an Accessible Bedroom. So there is a total capacity for about 36 passengers (if each Deluxe Bedroom and one Accessilbe Bedroom has approx. 4 passengers each). B)

I have a feeling she posted this after her last trip when she was tired!!!! Amfleet sure got ya on that one darlin'!!!! :lol: See ya on the rails!!!

She knows better than that! She has been in those Viewliners many trips, and knows how many rooms and people they can hold! This railroad can make you go insane (or at least seem it) sometimes! :lol:

 

[Musicians4Trains]

I enjoy sitting with others. I always travel alone and if I don't want to mingle, I simple stay in my room.

I've met some folks who were interesting and others who were not so interesting.

I must say though, that when I say that others are not interesting, I have to catch myself. It's so very easy to think that we are the most scintillating conversationalists around.

The truth is that what we consider to be our brilliance might be complete foolishness to the people listening.

With that said, so far, I've never had a bad experience in the dining car.

 

[battalion51]

I do tend to prefer dining with other sleeper passengers, simply because we tend to have more in common, but I am happy to eat with anyone who can carry on a conversation. The only disappointments are when I end up with someone who does not wish to speak, though I respect that and minimize the chatter.

Couldn't agree more Chatter. In my experiences with sitting with other people (sometimes the Crew will give me [and my Mom if she's with me] my/our own table) I find we generally connect better with sleeping car passengers. Generally folks from the Sleepers are from similar backgrounds, socio-economic status, so we can connect on certain issues. My best experience was coming back from Baltimore, we ate with one couple at dinner and lunch, and had excellent conversations. We ate at the 8:00 seating, and stayed until 10 just talking and drinking coffee. Meanwhile on the trip to Baltimore we sat with a coach couple and had a bad experience (except for the food). Following that experience we established if my Mom likes the people she's a teacher (which she is), if she doesn't she's a Guard at a Maximum Security Prison. :lol: Now I know what she's thinking while we eat.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

OBS - Employee...

Maybe this question is directed more to you since you brought up the FRA rule about booth seating.

Late last year I rode the Silver Meteor with a Diner consisting of the counter with stools arangement. I eat in a local restaurant almost daily with such a set up, and yes like Norm on Cheers, I do have my own stool that I sit at almost everytime. I made a comment to one of the attendents in the diner about how cool I thought the counter and stool idea was. The attendent (not rude at all) told me it was a waste because passengers can't sit there because of a fear of them falling backwards or off the stool and getting injured. Is this really true or someone pulling my leg?

 

[Steve4031]

I have also witnessed an older couple being seated with "Snoop Doggy Dog" and his partner in crime on another occasion. The old people probably wanted to have a conversation about anything besides rap music, the latest gang colors, and the newest trend of wearing a baseball cap or how many of their releatives have been on the Morey or Jerry Springer show in the past year.

I'm a little concerned about the generalizations of the African American customers in the dining car. I have worked in several "innercity" schools in Chicago that do have gangbangers, etc. Many African American people who are not gangbangers wear similar clothes and styles as the pair in the dining car because that is what is in style in the community. Af first glance, they might look like a gang banger, but when you talk to them you find out that they are nice, intelligent people.

Also, this pair was probably might have been as uncomfortable as the old old white couple.

In my mind, behavior is more of an indicator of criminalilty than clothing. If they were lound, boisterous, and loudly talking about gang colors, than thay would be another issue.

On a slightly unrelated but related note, my travels on Amtrak in the 1970's as a kid helped prepare me to work in predominately black schools in Chicago. On my train rides, I met many kinds of people from different backgrounds. I always found the blacks on Amtrak to be friendly. So when I started working in the Chicago Public School sytem, I was comfortable with my colleagues and students, and thus more effective in completing my teaching duties.

 

[denmarks]

Since I am single I enjoy community dining. Let me tell you of my experience at Walt Disney World. I made reservations for a dinner show months in advance. When I arrived I was placed at a single table right in the center next to the stage. It was the only single table at that location. It was very embarrassing since every head in the entire room was looking right in my direction. I would have given anything to have been at a table of strangers even if not one person spoke to me.

 

[jefffromark]

Dinner in the Diner is my highlight on any Amtrak trip - but lets face it todays world is much different than the 1950-60-70's. It's a real shame that someone cannot spend 45 minutes out of their lives during breakfast, lunch or dinner and chat with a fellow passenger. I don't care who sits at my table - I just hope you having something to say. During off meals times you can spend all the time you want by yourself and watch the world roll by.