arbitrary car closing

[Barciur]

Hey all

I am on Keystone 620 right now and the train is hauling a full consist. However, the conductors just herded everyone into one car and are saying sorry just one car all others are closed.

Now there is not as many people on the train but were forced to sit with a seatmate and no quiet car obviously. Ny question is is that even allowed by Amtrak? It seems like conductors being lazy and not wanting to walk through other cars basically.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

Lazy?? or something wrong in next car, it is not for you to judge, the Conductor is in charge, and if he feels it necessary to do so it is his decision.

you have a seat ?? did you pay surcharge for certain amenities like quiet cat ?? nope.

 

[third rail 1200]

Yes, question nothing and, for heaven's sake, don't think!

 

[tonys96]

All I can do is relate my closed car story.....

We once got on a TE that was packed. No seats together. We decided to bail on this and fly, so we got off train, and found the conductor to get our bags out of baggage car. Told him why, and he called the AC and CA "As***es" and put us in an open car, we were only ones in it until next stop. Used the time wisely.

 

[Paulus]

Lazy?? or something wrong in next car, it is not for you to judge, the Conductor is in charge, and if he feels it necessary to do so it is his decision.

you have a seat ?? did you pay surcharge for certain amenities like quiet cat ?? nope.

Attitudes like this are how lazy and terrible practices like this become entrenched at Amtrak to the company and the passengers' detriment.

Edit: And the board software just ate my edit to put in an example of what a good attitude response would've been. Joy.

 

[railiner]

The crew may or may not have a legitimate reason for doing that. But all they would have needed to do was offer a brief explanation to the passenger's as to why.

That is just good public relations, and sound business practice. Instead, they alienated several passenger's, who are paying their salary. Amtrak is not there just to provide the employee's a paycheck, and passenger's are not a hindrance to their job, but rather the reason for it. It is still a tough culture to get that point across to, in some cases....

 

[KmH]

arbitrary car closing

Do you know it was an arbitrary decision, or are you guessing?

 

[Ryan]

Lazy?? or something wrong in next car, it is not for you to judge, the Conductor is in charge, and if he feels it necessary to do so it is his decision.

you have a seat ?? did you pay surcharge for certain amenities like quiet cat ?? nope.

Attitudes like this are how lazy and terrible practices like this become entrenched at Amtrak to the company and the passengers' detriment.

Edit: And the board software just ate my edit to put in an example of what a good attitude response would've been. Joy.

Fortunately he's MNRR and rides in the front where he doesn't have to deal with us lousy customers.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

Yes, question nothing and, for heaven's sake, don't think!

And how does this hyperbole fit into this particular event? No different than a restaurant not seating people in a certain section because a waiter called out sick and now they're short staffed.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Did the OP ask the actual crew why the car was closed? That would end all of the speculation because to answer original question, yes, there are valid and approved reasons for car closures. On the other hand, perhaps the crew is making up their own rule and arbitrarily closing cars.. We won't know unless we get an answer from the OP.

 

[railiner]

Yes, question nothing and, for heaven's sake, don't think!

And how does this hyperbole fit into this particular event? No different than a restaurant not seating people in a certain section because a waiter called out sick and now they're short staffed.

A fair point....but what if the restaurant insisted on seating you at tables with stranger's --you know, like in an Amtrak diner? Would you object to that?

 

[fillyjonk]

If they're gonna make people get up and move, they at least owe them a simple explanation as to why.

I have been on trains where "weird stuff" happened....once, northbound, on the TE, we got a nearly 2 hour delay because they had to break off the sleeper cars and insert an empty coach between the sleepers and the diner car. BUT they explained why: the coach had a brake failure and could not, by law, be carried on the end of the train, but had to be put between two cars with functional brakes, so it could be deadheaded to the shop for repairs.

Also, they regularly pull a car off the northbound TE at St. Louis and anyone in that coach would have to move. But again....that's explained.

If it's just the conductor or attendant being lazy, shame on them.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Railiner:

Have you ever been to a Japanese restaurant? How about a Brazilian restaurant? How about a Portuguese BBQ? I've broken bread at these types of establishements and sat right next to strangers. Just like in the Amtrak dining car.

It only goes south when people don't chew with their mouths closed!

 

[railiner]

Railiner:

Have you ever been to a Japanese restaurant? How about a Brazilian restaurant? How about a Portuguese BBQ? I've broken bread at these types of establishements and sat right next to strangers. Just like in the Amtrak dining car.

It only goes south when people don't chew with their mouths closed!

Not the kind that you are probably talking about....but I think that in those kind, the patrons know what they are going to experience before-hand, and are looking forward to the 'entertainment' aspect of that particular dining experience....

 

[fulham]

Has this been an issue on other Keystone trains? Any regular riders on the Keystones have any input as if this happens on a regular basis or was this a one off?

 

[Paulus]

Has this been an issue on other Keystone trains? Any regular riders on the Keystones have any input as if this happens on a regular basis or was this a one off?

I've heard about it before on Keystones, but don't think I've heard about it on other routes. Never heard about it out here in California.

 

[wolfspirit]

Has this been an issue on other Keystone trains? Any regular riders on the Keystones have any input as if this happens on a regular basis or was this a one off?

I've heard about it before on Keystones, but don't think I've heard about it on other routes. Never heard about it out here in California.

I've seen it happen sometimes, but no more frequently than other commuter service.

 

[Barciur]

I've seen one car closed kn late night trains but never just one open. This was just one car open and FOUR CARS CLOSED. Hence my guessing. I was told by the crew "just closed sorry" and that was that. Didnt feel like making a big fuss over it with them.

Look, it'd be one thing if one or two cars are closed. But not if 4 out of 5 are at a time when there is less passengers. And they weren't even locked with a bar across them and unaccessible - they were open and lit, but the conducts were guarding the doors and saying "sorry cars closed just this one open."

 

[neroden]

This is a "Call Customer Relations and complain" case, because odds are that this was a violation of policy. The crew on that train probably needs to be written up, and it won't happen unless someone complains.

The percentage chance that 4 cars were actually broken is very close to zero.

 

[StriderGDM]

This is a "Call Customer Relations and complain" case, because odds are that this was a violation of policy. The crew on that train probably needs to be written up, and it won't happen unless someone complains.

The percentage chance that 4 cars were actually broken is very close to zero.

And if 4 out of 5 care ARE unsafe to travel in, I'm not sure I'd want to be in the 5th car.

The only time I can recall getting moved OUT of a car was when the crew clearly informed us it had a flat wheel. I thought getting out was probably a good idea

 

[MikefromCrete]

This kind of thing happens a lot on off-hours commuter trains, but crowding everyone into one car on a Keystone sounds like laziness on the part of the conductor and A.C.

 

[fulham]

I would complain not only to Amtrak but also to the PA DOT...after all aren't they funding these trains? This service keeps growing and you hate to see bad habits take hold after all the money the state has spent on upgrading the service. Complain load and often when this kind of stuff occurs!

 

[railiner]

I wonder what if any written Amtrak policy has, as far as how many cars to 'open' on lightly patronized trains....is there just an arbitrary number based on historical ridership per train, or perhaps a running count of those aboard?

I could see that on a lightly patronized train, it would be wrong to let passenger's scatter thru the entire train, not just because it would require more 'work' for the crew, but other reasons such as security for just some isolated passengers far from the rest of the passenger's. And it would save on those cleaning the train as well, not to have to clean out all the cars and restrooms, at the end of the run, when only a handful rode in some...

There should be some happy medium policy, based on some formula as when ridership reaches a certain count, to open up another car....

 

[jebr]

Lazy?? or something wrong in next car, it is not for you to judge, the Conductor is in charge, and if he feels it necessary to do so it is his decision.

you have a seat ?? did you pay surcharge for certain amenities like quiet cat ?? nope.

The ticket did come with the advertisement of a quiet car amenity, though. Thus, Amtrak did not deliver on what they advertised. A complaint is warranted.

 

[Guest]

I wonder what if any written Amtrak policy has, as far as how many cars to 'open' on lightly patronized trains....is there just an arbitrary number based on historical ridership per train, or perhaps a running count of those aboard?

I could see that on a lightly patronized train, it would be wrong to let passenger's scatter thru the entire train, not just because it would require more 'work' for the crew, but other reasons such as security for just some isolated passengers far from the rest of the passenger's. And it would save on those cleaning the train as well, not to have to clean out all the cars and restrooms, at the end of the run, when only a handful rode in some...

There should be some happy medium policy, based on some formula as when ridership reaches a certain count, to open up another car....

All the cars are generally supposed to be open unless listed on the manifest as DH (Deadhead) or there is a large group getting on at a station later than the initial station.

Some Conductors will leave a car closed temporarily to open later at a heavy station like Philadelphia so those passengers can find seats together.

I find it odd that it is stated there was no bar up and the door was open except that a crew member was not letting passengers into them. Can't figure out why they didn't close the bulkhead door if they were not using them. Somehow the story told does not sound quite right.