Amtrak's Standard Policy to prohibit the use of electronic devices

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SubwayNut

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This image was texted to me from a friend of mine, who was riding the southbound Vermonter today (12/27) and found these leaflets sitting on every table in the cafe car:

amtrak-policy.jpg


Thoughts? I've never seen something like these before in the Northeast. Just the suggested 30 minute rule Amtrak Cascades has posted in their lounges.
 
Sounds like nothing more than Amtrak reminding "table hogs" that tables in the café car are for eating and not to be "claimed" by the placement of luggage for endless hours of noodling on PDAs. Just common courtesy which so many seem to lack these days. Just my 2¢ worth.
 
Sounds like the "standard policy" was made up on the spot to deal with a temporary condition.
That's what I think...unless there were overflow passengers who had to be seated in the cafe car, I'd say call this one in to Customer Relations. it's a LOUNGE car too, after all. The rules also explicitly prohibit posting unauthorized signage.
 
I'll give this a heads up as well. As mentioned nothing is worse than pax who tie up scarce table space for hours doing nothing but banging away on some kind of keyboard or screen. Do that in your Chair or Room.
 
I've been on the Vermonter numerous times (just not recently :mellow: ), and have never seen this before. The crews would often announce that the train was "sold out" during busy periods, mentioning that the cafe car was for food and beverage service only and that it wasn't an internet cafe. These announcements would be made after the busier stops, Essex, Montpelier, White River and Brattleboro usually.

I'm hoping to be able to do a St. Albans to Brattleboro run this week (I had tickets for tomorrow but had to change them). If I can ride I'll take a look!
 
I'll give this a heads up as well. As mentioned nothing is worse than pax who tie up scarce table space for hours doing nothing but banging away on some kind of keyboard or screen. Do that in your Chair or Room.
Or how about letting paying passengers use the lounge for how they wish? obviously one passenger shouldn't take up an entire table, but there isn't anythibg
 
Since there is limited seating space in the Café Car, I agree that it isn't right for one person to occupy an entire booth for the entire trip. The purpose of the Café car is to have a place to eat and drink away from your seat, but not to stake out for the entire trip, especially when the train is sold out.
 
Since there is limited seating space in the Café Car, I agree that it isn't right for one person to occupy an entire booth for the entire trip. The purpose of the Café car is to have a place to eat and drink away from your seat, but not to stake out for the entire trip, especially when the train is sold out.
who said anything about an entire booth? 1 person at a booth on a computer takes up 1/4th of a booth.
 
Since there is limited seating space in the Café Car, I agree that it isn't right for one person to occupy an entire booth for the entire trip. The purpose of the Café car is to have a place to eat and drink away from your seat, but not to stake out for the entire trip, especially when the train is sold out.
who said anything about an entire booth? 1 person at a booth on a computer takes up 1/4th of a booth.
And prevents a person from actually EATING at that spot. The point of the cafe car is to sell food and consume it.

While it's nice to be able to work there, your ticket doesn't really give you the privilege of using it the entire time.
 
Since there is limited seating space in the Café Car, I agree that it isn't right for one person to occupy an entire booth for the entire trip. The purpose of the Café car is to have a place to eat and drink away from your seat, but not to stake out for the entire trip, especially when the train is sold out.
who said anything about an entire booth? 1 person at a booth on a computer takes up 1/4th of a booth.
And prevents a person from actually EATING at that spot. The point of the cafe car is to sell food and consume it.

While it's nice to be able to work there, your ticket doesn't really give you the privilege of using it the entire time.
Agree. If you have a seat in a coach car use that, if the train is full, unless you're eating something bought in the cafe car
 
There is a gap between the right thing to do and what is required by the rules.

While certain morally-minded folks might think that it's the right thing to do (and there may be some merit to that, depending on the circumstances), so far as I can tell there is no rule about time limits or computer use in the lounge (although that wasn't made up "on the spot" unless the LSA is in the habit of traveling with a spare printer).

Much like those that sleep in the lounge, I'm sure that this will continue to be a topic of entertaining and enlightening debate.

My personal opinion is that if there are empty spaces, stay as long as you want. If the car is totally full, and there are obviously people looking for seats, maybe you should think about moving along.
 
As has been posted here quite often, your ticket buys you a seat from point A to point B. it does not buy you two of these....not one in a coach car, and one in the lounge.

The premise that if it is not " full" , you are ok to bogart a seat is bogus. It could very well be that others see it nearly full and choose to not eat, or worse yet, eat in coach, instead of being rude by sitting next to whoever has their laptop spread out on a table.

Hell folks, this is just common courtesy, which is way too uncommon these days.
 
I think this is a wonderful policy and about time, especially on the crowded trains that go through the Northeast corridor. I have often taken food back to my seat instead of sitting in the cafe car because the cafe car was full of people with their laptops spread all over the tables. It is difficult to walk through a moving train with a container of food. Trains are supposed to be a more civilized way to travel--it's about time we started living up to that reputation, and this is a good start.
 
The NEC often gets oversold (don't ask me how or why, but I've been on the trains with people standing in the aisles all the way to Stamford from NYP) and so the signs are so they can use the lounge for overflow seating from the coach cars.
 
My personal opinion is that if there are empty spaces, stay as long as you want. If the car is totally full, and there are obviously people looking for seats, maybe you should think about moving along.
Yes exactly!
Naturally if the car is packed at a meal time it is a polite thing to do. But I've rarely seen the conductors or LSA allow their tables be used so I highly doubt this is a customer service concern and more of a "we are Amtrak we are in control" attitude. Maybe that "standard" policy was actually typed up for the crew to follow? Ha!
 
Is there wi-fi on the whole train? I have been on trains within the last five years where the ONLY wi-fi is in the cafe/lounge car. When that was the case (since I do not, like everyone else here seems to, have a smartphone with a data plan), I took my netbook to the cafe between meal times, and bought something so I would feel like I had a right to be there. I only took one place at the table. I checked the important stuff (like email) first, and was ready to leave if necessary. When the cafe car started to fill up, I picked up my stuff and moved back to my seat.

I think this is a matter of paying attention and having some courtesy and common sense, which of course is not a universal attribute of Amtrak passengers. ;) :angry: :giggle:
 
Also applies to people who set their scanners on the table, unplug their earphones, and turn up the volume. I've seen it.
 
Another total BS, made-up "policy" by some train crew on a power trip. I can sit, have a cup of coffee and use a laptop or tablet and not block anyone from sitting in an adjacent seat. A smartphone is also an "electronic device," and it does not take up any room at all. I could also go to a cafe car with a crossword puzzle book, spread that out and sit there all day and not violate this policy.

If the goal is to ensure that passengers not occupy two seats or stay in the cafe for hours on end, why not just say that? A simple statement like, "Seating is for the benefit of cafe car customers while enjoying our food and beverages. Please do not occupy more than one seat at a time, and please relinquish your seat when finished with your meal or snack."
 
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As has been posted here quite often, your ticket buys you a seat from point A to point B. it does not buy you two of these....not one in a coach car, and one in the lounge.
If you can point to the Amtrak policy in which this is enshrined, I would be most grateful.
  • Each passenger paying a fare will be entitled to a seat, to the extent coach seats are available.
  • Passengers are entitled to one seat per fare, to ensure other paying passengers are not excluded.
https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241337896127

Referred to quite often here......
 
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I have to smile at the way some folk have to have common courtesy spelt out to them... but it's not funny, honest.

The notice was obviously put out exactly because some folk are too self absorbed to recognise the needs of others...

Ed. :cool:
 
I think the context of a particular train would determine what the right answer is. On NEC Regionals, I have been on so many trains where there were no seats to be had in Coach and the Conductor suggested that I sit in the Cafe for my entire journey, that this whole hoo ha about only users of the Cafe should be allowed to sit in the cafe is just utter nonsense, at great variance to the reality of what happens. Yeah you get one seat and that one happens to be in the cafe, where you place your baggage in the rack above and settle down.

OTOH, in a train through the sticks which is not as utterly overcrowded as the NEC trains primarily common courtesy should rule. I don't see why this is so difficult for people to understand.

The use of electronic devices part is utter BS and should be reported to Amtrak and the crew who came up with that nonsense should be "sent for further training" - a phrase that is euphemistically used by one of my friends.
 
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I have to smile at the way some folk have to have common courtesy spelt out to them... but it's not funny, honest.

The notice was obviously put out exactly because some folk are too self absorbed to recognise the needs of others...

Ed. :cool:
THIS
 
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