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x-press

Service Attendant
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
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Got off WB Capitol Limited (29) Saturday morning in South Bend. Sleeper attendant had vanished after Elhart, and after waiting about a minute after stopping (called out a couple times), I figured out how to open the door and got off. The other sleeper and coaches were all debarking normally.

Mistakes happen, and I suspect the attendant just forgot . . . but this is a pretty big one. If I hadn't known exactly where we were, recognized the South Bend platform, and figured out the double latch door I would likely have ended up in Chicago.

Ever happened to anyone else? This is a first for me.
 
x-press said:
Got off WB Capitol Limited (29) Saturday morning in South Bend. Sleeper attendant had vanished after Elhart, and after waiting about a minute after stopping (called out a couple times), I figured out how to open the door and got off. The other sleeper and coaches were all debarking normally.
Mistakes happen, and I suspect the attendant just forgot . . . but this is a pretty big one. If I hadn't known exactly where we were, recognized the South Bend platform, and figured out the double latch door I would likely have ended up in Chicago.

Ever happened to anyone else? This is a first for me.
Click to expand...
LOL! Amtrak service at its finest!
 
Wow, that is pretty unusual. I've always had the SCA ready to kick me out, err, open the door on my trips. I've had issues with slow an confusing boarding procedures, but deboarding has generally been trouble-free. When I was a kid I always thought about opening the lower door at some random location to see what would happen. Would an alarm go off? Would there be a swarm of staff suddenly appearing? Would they kick me off the train for being so daring? What would happen if you tried to open the upper door at the end of the last car? The worst I ever did was open the little window in a lower level door, but nothing happened. At least not from my perspective.
 
x-press said:
Got off WB Capitol Limited (29) Saturday morning in South Bend. Sleeper attendant had vanished after Elhart, and after waiting about a minute after stopping (called out a couple times), I figured out how to open the door and got off. The other sleeper and coaches were all debarking normally.
Mistakes happen, and I suspect the attendant just forgot . . . but this is a pretty big one. If I hadn't known exactly where we were, recognized the South Bend platform, and figured out the double latch door I would likely have ended up in Chicago.

Ever happened to anyone else? This is a first for me.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is a big one! You definitely need to report this to Amtrak, with specific dates, times, etc. If you were on time, there is absolutely no excuse for the attendant not being there.
 
Yep, I had to let myself and the rest of the car out at a stop on the Canadian. The attendent had vanished. Earlier he had showed me how to open the trap in case of emergency, something they do every trip as in designating a passenger or two to help out. We stopped at the station and every0ne else was getting off and all our cars passengers were backing up at the vestibule waiting, so I just opened it and put down the foot stool and helped everyone get off. Later on when I reboarded the attendent was there and he was hopping mad. lol. Never do that again he said. But, guess what, he didn't forget any other stops that trip either.
 
Let me add a story....

I was in my roomette on a Viewliner, and across the hall was a guy who was very paranoid about making his stop. I mean, about 10 minutes before this station, he had coat on, his luggage at his side, and his hands thru their handles.

Just as the train was about to finally stop, the loss of momentum caused his roomette's door to slam shut. This guy started to really freak out because he could not get it back open. He started yelling for the attendant, who was already outside helping passengers off the steps.

I got up, and opened his door for him (experienced riders know all the tricks).
 
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Cho Cho Charlie said:
Could the attendant been dealing with something else more important, some other passenger's problem?
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Sure. However, other than administering first aid to an ill passenger, being suddenly ill herself, or some other safety issue, I can't imagine what would be "more important" than letting passengers off at their stops so they don't end up a hundred miles from where they purchased a ticket to.

Or maybe right after I left the car, the attendant came streaking down the stairs to open the door, apologizing profusely. I saw no evidence of that, however, and the door never re-opened after we shut it behind us as best we could.
 
Yup, no excuse for that one. That's a major thing and an attendant who fails to get a passenger off at their correct stop is in a heap of trouble with Amtrak if that passenger gets carried by.

Report it!
 
On my trip last month, a SCA on the NB TE was absent twice at stops. Once, as I was the only one wanting off, I just walked to the next sleeper and disembarked. The second time, several people with luggage were waiting for a few minutes. I then went to an open lower level roomette and proceded to press and depress the call button several times. The SCA got the hint and arrived shortly after.
 
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I had a similar experience on the EB. I was heading to Portland and was was going to step out side for a "smoke break" at one of the larger stops; that attendant came down to see if any smokers wanted off (our whole car was going to Portland) and explained how to open the door and such; and mentioned she was covering for another attendant who came down ill in the next car and basically asked us to do it ourselves (emphasizing to only open the door once the train has stopped and we see uniformed people on the platform) and left us with the window open.

peter
 
If I recall correctly the attendant is under no rules to open the door at any stop, unless he is boarding or detraining pax. They SHOULD open the door at all stations that call for dwell time or water/trash, but I'm not sure they are required to.

Even so, they should INFORM pax that might want to get out, the closest ava car with an open door.
 
I had to let a family off CONO sleeper in Jackson, MS in Feb 2008-attendant nowhere to be found. Lucky it was a longer stop. Attendant seemed confused to find door open and stepbox out some minutes later.
 
Well...speaking as a TA...it's TECHNICALLY not the attendant's responsibility to see that passengers get off at the correct stop; that duty lies with the conductor! They can instruct TAs to open the doors at most times, but they are the ones who ultimately bear the responsibility. I know, because I had a conductor scream at me because of a carry-by; the passenger had been seat checked wrong by another crew member (perhaps that conductor??) but he still wanted to hold me responsible. Of course, nothing came of it....
 
I had to wake the attendant up to let me out in the late afternoon- I had a panicky moment since I had a lot of luggage and it was a brief stop. Fortunately they were in their room as I was making a mad dash to the next car.
 
Once had to open the door on a Amcan I because the motor froze. Ikept saying to people let me through I know a little trick. Pulled the emergency lever and pulled the door open. Got a $35 TC when I complained to Amtrak.

Stephen
 
On the California Zephyr at the Winnemucca fresh air stop, the SCA would not open the sleeper car doors both ways, westbound & eastbound. They directed us to the coach cars to go outside from there.
 
Oddly enough, I was on the eastbound Zephyr last week and heard a Coach Attendant make the statement that if she misses "doors" she could be immediately terminated. At that time she was 'personally' taking care of a first class passenger (bringing her meals, holding conversations with her in the observation car, etc.) AND was supposed to be the Coach Attendant. Unfortunately, I don't think the coach was getting much attention from her. If what she said was true, then it sounds like there are several attendants who are putting their job in jeopardy.
 
Happened just once on a w/b EB SPK-VAN trip in the sleeper.

 

Waiting for the attendant to open the door to detrain. No attendant.

Within moments of the train heading to PDX, I ran up to coach

to tell the attendant. He got on the radio and was emphatic

'Don't move the train! - Don't move the train.'

 

Back the sleeper car and the attendant finally showed up.

Excuse: Thought I was going to PDX.

 

It wouldn't have been the end of the world if I had to go into PDX.

Many n/b Cascades going thru VAN they could have put me on.

 

===== NEXT QUESTION....

 

Has anybody nearly missed their train because they forgot to let

you ON?

 

Went through that in Essex, MT staying at the Inn (I had a nephew

working there year round and couldn't pass up $ 10 a night for my room)

 

This is a flag stop and years before the Inn had their courtesy van. The

w/b EB normally shows up about 8 pm. It was running very late due to a

freight derailment.

 

About 2 in the morning I'm standing trackside in the snow as it arrived.

None of the doors opened up. When reality set in I began running from car to

car frantically pounding on the doors trying to get their attention. With minutes

to spare a conductor finally let me on.

 

I was very tired and not a happy and camper and gave him an earful.

 

Being in coach icing on the cake at Whitefish resulting in a sleepless

trip: Hordes of skiers and small kids overwhelmed the car.

 

 

 
 
rrdude said:
If I recall correctly the attendant is under no rules to open the door at any stop, unless he is boarding or detraining pax. They SHOULD open the door at all stations that call for dwell time or water/trash, but I'm not sure they are required to.

Even so, they should INFORM pax that might want to get out, the closest ava car with an open door.
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I have certainly been on trains where they announced on the PA that only certain doors would be opened at the upcoming station stop, and that passengers wishing to get off (de-train?) should move to those cars.

Of course, I have also been on many trains where the PA didn't always work in all the cars.
 
GoldenSpike said:
...NEXT QUESTION....

 

Has anybody nearly missed their train because they forgot to let

you ON?

 

Went through that in Essex, MT staying at the Inn (I had a nephew

working there year round and couldn't pass up $ 10 a night for my room)

 

This is a flag stop and years before the Inn had their courtesy van. The

w/b EB normally shows up about 8 pm. It was running very late due to a

freight derailment.

 

About 2 in the morning I'm standing trackside in the snow as it arrived.

None of the doors opened up. When reality set in I began running from car to

car frantically pounding on the doors trying to get their attention. With minutes

to spare a conductor finally let me on.

 

I was very tired and not a happy and camper and gave him an earful.

 

Being in coach icing on the cake at Whitefish resulting in a sleepless

trip: Hordes of skiers and small kids overwhelmed the car.

 

 

 
Click to expand...
We traveled the EB to Essex from Chicago and back in May '09, and the thought crossed my mind (since it is, indeed, a flag stop). Fortunately we weren't the only ones getting on and off both times :)
 
While making my triple point bonus runs to/from AUS-TAY, with TAY being an unmanned station,I would ride in the Sightseer Lounge since it is only a 30 minute trip !(most days! :lol: )Several times the PA wasnt working in either the Lounge or the coach(I didnt ride when a CCC was substituted for an SSL) I was assigned to! On two occasions no-one showed up to open the door upon arrival in TAY so I rode on to TPL! (more train time as the_traveler said!)Since I was spending the day awaiting the SB Eagle this worked fine, I did notify the conductor and agent in TPL and was carried as a non-revenue pax on the return TPL-TAY!After two times I started asking the conductors which door would open and he would take care of it himself! (of course by this time I knew them all!) In defense of the Car Attendants, most days large groups of schhool kids were boarding in AUS for Spring train rides and one person has trouble working three coaches!!
 
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Apparently this happened to some of my Trails & Rails counterparts earlier this week on the Empire Builder. Every coach and every sleeper on the Empire Builder is supposed to open at Winona, MN because it's a smoke stop and crew change point for the conductors and engineer. But, apparently, the attendant was AWOL and didn't make an announcement and they couldn't get out... and we are told it's a big "NO-NO" for us to open the doors... so they got carried on to Red Wing. I probably would have went against that and opened the door to get out... but they were following what we were told.
 
Doesn't the attendant get in big trouble if they fail to get passengers off at the right stops? Maybe do some kind of deduction from their paycheck. If enough pax call and say I got off at xx stop cause the attendant was no where around to open the door to let me off.It's a big chunk out of their paycheck. That would drive the message home real quick.

P.S Is this grammar proper enough didn't know this was grammar school.
 
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