At l;east I'm not siding with someone who wants to put the conductor or coach attendant in danger. What's with the hostility towards the front-line workers who make the entire enterprise happen?
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic: Amtrak-related Discussion
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OK, if they're limiting sales to 50% capacity, that means that it's pretty much that every passenger gets a seat pair to themselves.
The original post says that there were "people in almost every row that was made available to us." This sort of implies that there were empty rows, and that the original poster could sit alone in a 2-seat pair, just as Amtrak's website promises. Maybe the the available row wasn't the original poster's favorite row, but given the extraordinary times, at least there was a seat available.
Chalk up another probable victim to COVID-19: Writing in the Detroit News on 4/30/'20, Daniel Howes asserts that barely begun restoration of Mich. Central Depot is "doomed" due to the effect of the pandemic on Ford Motor Co.'s finances despite a ranking source's insistence this is not the case.
west point
Engineer
Has work stopped ? Or is work being done to stabilize any thing that would cause more damage if not completed ?
I just read the article. His assertions have very little to support them and are simply there to wind you up for the next bit, which reveals the counterarguments.
Here is the link to the article, in case others want to read it. Nowhere in this article does it say that construction will not resume once commercial and residential construction workers return to work next week.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/b...ord-turns-negative-covid-19-bites/3050425001/
crescent-zephyr
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According to Amtrak - no more priority boarding at Union Station DC. Seems like that would cause the boarding group to be longer? But what do i know.
And I'm curious - if you PAID FOR priority boarding by buying a Business Class ticket you no longer get that? I can understand the FREE priority boarding (seniors/kids, etc.) but if you are paying for that and you are still paying the same price for the ticket, I don't get that. Anyone know? Anyone know if they are going to be doing this at other stations?
My heart is heavy as I type this, will have to cancel our LSL trip at the end of the month. Stay at home orders have been extended for Michigan and I can't see flouting the orders to travel from one virus hot spot to another. I look forward to taking Amtrak trips again when it's safe for everyone to do so.
Probably a good move. We spent an extra month in Florida, for being old and compromised. Came down on Auto Train. Found a rare non cancelled. non stop flight to Syracuse and luckily it went out a quarter filled, less than 3 hour flight.. Quite a few older people on flight. FLL Airport was a virtual ghost town. TSA just standing around, bored. Parked in front no traffic, Surreal. Thought about Auto Train, but no WC Roomette with Priority available for over a week. Hoping the bug, didn't follow. gloves, masks, sanitizer etc.
Glad to hear you made it home, gwolfdog. Did your car make it as well?
It's going on an Auto Carrier next week. First time we've tried, let you know. It's only Stimulus Money. Left Florida it was near 90, got to Syracuse 50's and raining. Better than Divorce Court. Like to do Florida 6 months next year. Far from perfect, but that sun everyday makes a difference, even with the Plaque.
Qapla
Engineer
I was thinking of doing Florida for 12 months this year - Oh! Wait! ... I always do Florida for 12 months 
Well, if things loosen up soon enough, we will be doing Florida for 2 months next Jan & Feb.
We should meet somewhere for coffee/snacks.
Good luck getting your vehicle returned and settling back in at home.
I worked for Gould Electronics/Martin Marietta in 1993, and they closed down our plant here in MD to move operations to Syracuse.
I turned down the move; I don't like SNOW anymore. When inquiring with the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, it was confirmed that
Syracuse has only 2 seasons, Winter and August!
ET
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In case you haven't been on a long distance train, it is not like the NE corridor and other SD routes where you can sit where you want. You sit where you are told and the employees in my opinion, force passengers to crowd together so if you are on the Crescent going from NOL to ATL or in between you might all be put in one or a few cars with the remainder running empty or reserved for passengers going a longer distance. Similarly, at the rest of the stations, your car assignment varies depending on where you are going. I believe it is as much for employee convenience (not having to maintain multiple cars) as it is for any other reason because I often see nearly full cars and completely empty ones when there will be few, if any, new riders as the car attendant is still putting people in the fuller cars. For example, I've seen people going north from Richmond being put in fuller cars even though a few stops later, at Washington, no more passengers would be boarding (before they changed that).
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You mean the sun helps your teeth? Your typo: "plaque" instead of "plague".
Where would you go in Florida, where are you now? Also lowest number on sunny days here in Syracuse. Filled in my pool 10 years ago and never regretted it. Cheap housing though. My 200 thousand palace would be a mill plus down there.Well, if things loosen up soon enough, we will be doing Florida for 2 months next Jan & Feb.
We should meet somewhere for coffee/snacks.
Good luck getting your vehicle returned and settling back in at home.
I worked for Gould Electronics/Martin Marietta in 1993, and they closed down our plant here in MD to move operations to Syracuse.
I turned down the move; I don't like SNOW anymore. When inquiring with the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, it was confirmed that
Syracuse has only 2 seasons, Winter and August!
ET
We hang around Orlando - we own Timeshare with Disney, and have friends and family through central Fl and on both coasts.
We live in MD - and 3 of the 4 seasons here are tolerable, although as i get older I have a much narrower band of comfort. But I have lost my love for SNOW;
and the wife suffers from abdominal issues in the cold weather. So Snow-Birding is the plan, and I retire at the end of this year, so we will see how it goes in 2021. We should be in Orlando most of Jan & Feb, and taking the Auto Train, since 8 weeks of renting a car would wipe out the savings of flying vs rail travel.
No problems with Auto Train going down. Look for Rentals early, they go fast. Stay as long as you can. I have a Brother-in-Law, rented, now owns, at The Villages and loves his Golf Cart and lifestyle. I have to be at the ocean. Stay as long as you can. Good Luck!
jis
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I live in the Space Coast in West Melbourne about 30 miles from Kennedy Space Center and 5 miles from the barrier island beaches. I used to travel frequently to NJ/NY, but that is now slowly trickling down to maybe once in a blue moon as I am trying to cut down on travel in general. Trips to the NE are short ones and usually by plane out fo Orlando to Newark and back. Very occasionally it is by the Silvers. Maybe it will be more often now that the long term parking situation has stabilized in Kissimmee., the station closest to my home - 55 miles away. But I am also in triple barrel high risk group, so traveling and meeting is probably a year or two away. People in my situation are still under Stay at Home recommendation (both Phase I and Phase II) and is unlikely to change anytime soon.
I would have preferred to wait it out in Florida, though seriously stressed. An Anxious Condo Owner, Homesick Wife and the General Insanity of When it will be "Safe' got us out of Florida. They are opening the beaches, tattoo parlors, etc, from Political Fears and "what's a few old sick people. And the economy. "the greatest ever"
Not comparing, health and age, my wife and I are Very High Risk, also. The Airport was a Ghost Town, plane a quarter filled, took precautions and hope it was worth it. Stopped watching TV, and the fear mongering, and suffering. Staying home and safe in Syracuse waiting for "come out of your homes Siren". Hopefully we'll learn some lessons from this, but I seriously doubt it
Not comparing, health and age, my wife and I are Very High Risk, also. The Airport was a Ghost Town, plane a quarter filled, took precautions and hope it was worth it. Stopped watching TV, and the fear mongering, and suffering. Staying home and safe in Syracuse waiting for "come out of your homes Siren". Hopefully we'll learn some lessons from this, but I seriously doubt it
I think we'll be content with the timeshare model for the near future. We don't need an entire house, so rentals are usually more space / $$ than we need.
Don't think I'll ever be swayed to relocate to Florida - Summers there are brutal, and our grandkids are all still near us here in MD. And, since things do change, we're not locked into long-term with the timeshare, as there is a healthy resale market, and rental market as well. We haven't taken the Auto Train since 1997, with 2 teens and we were in Coach. This next time, it'll be just the 2 of us, and we got a sleepliner bedroom. We're hoping that will make for a better experience.
We are contemplating a move to be closer to our sons in the northeast as it is now a 2 day drive from SC. We have no interest in going north of central Virginia because of the high cost and crowded everything. It will be hard to leave our idyllic house in a rural area but we are getting to the age where something with minimal house maintenance, nearby good medical facilities, and easy drive/ NEC regional to our children/grandkids Is essential. We need to do it now while we are still active and reasonably healthy.
Have you considered lower Delaware, though that's not "close" to Amtrak. MD may have some lower cost options too.
Virginia is really nice if youre not too close to Washington,Charlotsville or Richmond, which tend to be pricey!
