Attire in the Dining Car...

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willyvee

Train Attendant
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
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21
Hello,

As many of you may already know, I will be travelling on the Coast Starlight LAX-OKJ and the California Zephyr EMY-CHI in June. I have another question for you guys:

What is the appropriate attire in the dining car? My common summer outfit is a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals/flip flops. Is this acceptable?

Thanks so much again, guys.
 
willyvee said:
What is the appropriate attire in the dining car? My common summer outfit is a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals/flip flops. Is this acceptable?
Thanks so much again, guys.
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Aloha

Today's train rider's go very casual, so dress comfortable for you. But Flip flops between cars is not good, way to easy to get them caught in moving parts. You should wear a real shoe while walking the train
 
willyvee said:
Hello,
As many of you may already know, I will be travelling on the Coast Starlight LAX-OKJ and the California Zephyr EMY-CHI in June. I have another question for you guys:

What is the appropriate attire in the dining car? My common summer outfit is a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals/flip flops. Is this acceptable?

Thanks so much again, guys.
Click to expand...

as far as I know, from my last trip, the only real requirement was that you have shoes on in the dining car. There really was no real "dress code", per se. Of course, that was several years ago, so things might have changed since.
 
General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend wearing flip flops. They aren't exactly safe, especially passing between cars. I generally wear steel-toed work boots- but that's because I generally wear them just about everywhere. I find them comfortable, especially the ankle support.

However, compared to sneakers on a train, I tend to find them even more preferable than usual. They don't flex as much.

When walking around the car you are staying in, I recommend rubber-soled moccasin slippers. Too many people, including myself, tend to break the rules and wander around the car barefoot. I kept this up until I got a really bad case of athlete's foot. I do not recommend, for example, sleeping wearing steel toed work boots.
 
I live in flip-flops on the train. Traverse car-to-car with caution and you will be very comfortable.
 
willyvee said:
My common summer outfit is a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals/flip flops. Is this acceptable?
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If you are asking if the LSA checks to see if you are "going commando", it depends on the particular LSA you get. :rolleyes:
 
willyvee said:
Hello,
As many of you may already know, I will be travelling on the Coast Starlight LAX-OKJ and the California Zephyr EMY-CHI in June. I have another question for you guys:

What is the appropriate attire in the dining car? My common summer outfit is a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals/flip flops. Is this acceptable?

Thanks so much again, guys.
Click to expand...
I will answer in two parts. Your proposed attire should be acceptable to dining car staff. I often dress similarly (except for the flip flops for safety reasons) in the dining car for all meals. The second part of my answer deals with peer (passenger) approval. If your attire is tasteful (e.g. no offensive t-shirt content) you should be well received. Some passengers do still dress up more for the dinner meal, but understand that many or most passengers don't.
 
Flip-flops are the worst fashion trend of all time. Keep 'em at the beach and the locker room, people!
 
Green Maned Lion said:
General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.
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Notwithstanding that, it might be a good idea to wear something that covers your private parts too :p . Typically a pair of pants or a skirt (or a kilt if you are Scottish) is recommended but I suppose a very long shirt could do the trick :lol:
 
jis said:
Green Maned Lion said:
General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.
Click to expand...
Notwithstanding that, it might be a good idea to wear something that covers your private parts too :p . Typically a pair of pants or a skirt (or a kilt if you are Scottish) is recommended but I suppose a very long shirt could do the trick :lol:
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Lol, I have actually been tempted to do that, in the past, go into a place where it said "no shoes, no shirt, no service", without pants on, and demand to be served. I'd almost be scared to do it today tho, as politically correct as everyone's gotten.
 
hippyman said:
jis said:
Green Maned Lion said:
General rule of all inexpensive restaurants: No shirt, no shoes, no service. Nothing more is really required.
Click to expand...
Notwithstanding that, it might be a good idea to wear something that covers your private parts too :p . Typically a pair of pants or a skirt (or a kilt if you are Scottish) is recommended but I suppose a very long shirt could do the trick :lol:
Click to expand...

Lol, I have actually been tempted to do that, in the past, go into a place where it said "no shoes, no shirt, no service", without pants on, and demand to be served. I'd almost be scared to do it today tho, as politically correct as everyone's gotten.
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That's like the bathroom signs that say "Employees must wash hands before returning to work.". OK, but sometimes I think they need to change the sign to "Employees must wash hands with soap before returning to work."
 
I have seen people come to breakfast in pajamas. Although not risque, it was inappropriate in my opinion.
 
Perhaps we are old fashioned but we dress casual for breakfast and business casual for dinner. We are comfortable this way and its certainly more comfortable than the suits and dresses that dining car passengers wore in the past.
 
I've eaten in the diner perhaps a dozen times over the past 5 years and am having dificulty recalling what people were wearing, except for the cute blonde that sat across from me this past trip, a nice pink sweater with a white turtleneck.
 
Cho Cho Charlie said:
AAARGH! said:
I have seen people come to breakfast in pajamas. Although not risque, it was inappropriate in my opinion.
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Our public schools here have "pajama" days for students, including some faculty and staff joining in. I am not a prude, but it never seems quite right to me.
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Most students in my school treat everyday like pajama day. :lol: the administration is finally starting to turn that trend around.

As far as dining car attire the outfit you describe would be fine although as others have noted flip flops and trains can be a nasty combonation.l
 
I agree with the person who admitted to being "Old Fashioned". However, I go one step further...I dress to honor and respect the other people in the Dining Car (NOT Diner!), especially those at whose table I have been seated. There is still a certain elegance to traveling by train. We are not crammed into a pressurized tube and treated like so much cattle. We are welcomed by the Conductor, our Coach or Sleeping Car Attendents, and Dining Car staff. We are entertained and educated by informed lecturers on selected trains. And our fellow passengers are on that train because they WANT to be, not because they HAVE to be. Face it, Amtrak is trying to do its best to serve us courteously with what little funds our automobile oriented Congress gives it, although begrudgingly.
 
It is funny how folks still romanticize things in an era of plastic plates and paper table cloths.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I don't quite understand what is wrong with flip-flops. I have ridden many trains before and I don't see how they are any more dangerous on trains than anywhere else. I am always conscious of stepping over the gap between cars.
 
willyvee said:
Thanks for the replies.
I don't quite understand what is wrong with flip-flops. I have ridden many trains before and I don't see how they are any more dangerous on trains than anywhere else. I am always conscious of stepping over the gap between cars.
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I pray you never find out.
 
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