PaulM
Engineer
If I recall correctly, you do present a voucher at the hotel. The cash is for food and cab. Wouldn't a voucher be good only at restaurants and cab companies having a relationship with Amtrak?I wonder what the point is of having everyone wait for a voucher only to have them wait a second time for the cash. Airlines use vouchers but you can just hand them over to the hotel or the food provider directly and they worry about cashing it in with the airline after you're on your way. That seems like a better system to me.
On our last mis-connect, we biked to the hotel and were too tired to eat, and were able to pocket the cash. Amtrak's system worked better for us.
All that being said, unless you absolutely need the cash then and there, you are better off leaving with the vouchers and cashing them later when things have quieted down.