do you drag all your valuables to the dining car or leave them in the

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Kathy Emtiaz

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We just booked a bedroom on a long coast-to-coast trip.

Since meals are served in the dining cars, do you guys drag all you valuables to the dining car or just leave them in the room?

Examples: one Macbook Pro, two DSLRs, two smartphones, Bose headphones,
 
Personally, I would not leave valuable stuff in the room. I take small camera's, my smart phone, etc with me at all times. If you have a lap top, at least hide it in your luggage somewhere. Don't leave anything out where someone can see it. It's probably all pretty safe, but why tempt someone or take a chance.
 
I leave stuff in my room, but not in clear sight. When it comes to sleeping cars, trust everyone but not the devil inside them. The SCA might be dishonest and actually try something (SERIOUSLY doubt it) but other than that nobody has any pretense for being in your room. If it can't be seen as they go by and grabbed inconspicuously it won't be taken.

So if you don't tempt the devil inside everybody, you are fine.
 
The booths in the dining car are fairly cramped to begin with. If everyone brought their valuables to the dining car, there would not be enough room for the passengers to sit. People of "normal" to "larger than normal" size usually have a tight fit in the booths without their extra stuff.
 
I had an LSA take return tickets from my luggage--dumb of me to leave it in there. Always take valuables with me.
 
I always take my phone and small camera in my purse, and usually I take my other electronics (handheld GPS, Kindle or small netbook) if I have a medium sized purse. On my last trip, I only brought a small purse so I left my Kindle and GPS inside my suitcase, and didn't bring my netbook on the trip. I've never brought my regular laptop on a trip.

A full size laptop might be too much to try to bring to the dining car, depending on what it's in, although I've never had a problem having enough space for my purse with my small electronics on the seat beside me. You could always set it on the floor between your feet although I've never had to put my purse there. If you leave it in the sleeper, I would suggest leaving it inside your zipped (locked?) luggage or in some other hidden spot. We also close our curtains and close our door when we leave so it's not so obvious that the compartment is unoccupied. As far as I know, theft in sleeping cars is not a common problem, but we try to not make it easy or tempting.

Sometimes it's nice to have the camera...breakfast on the nb Crescent:

10.JPG
 
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crescent2's suggestion of pulling the curtains and closing the door is what I think I would do when leaving the sleeping accommodation for any length of time.

Being in such a closed environment as a train is, for someone to steal anything of value seems idiotic to me. A report to the Conductor would cause an immediate investigation, I would think, before the train arrived at the next station. And, if not resolved, involve the police at that stop, possibly.
 
Cell phone, small camera that fits in my pocket, kindle in my wife's purse. Just hide the other things in luggage or on top bunks. Have never had a problem or heard of anyone in our car say they did. But always better safe than sorry.
 
I try to avoid taking bulky valuables as much as possible. I do often carry a large digital camera, and usually take that and my phone with me. We always close the door and curtain to make it less obvious that the room is empty, Sometimes we just put stuff in the closet out of sight. We haven't ever had a problem. In fact, once we dropped a small camera under the seats and the cleaning crew in L.A. found it, called us, and shipped it to use following identification. It's a good idea to have model and serial numbers stored someplace in case of need.
 
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Those booths are so cramped that I put my purse on the floor between my feet. I can't imagine hauling more stuff there.

I put my laptop and Kindle under a pillow or jacket and then close the curtain, using the velcro, and shut the door. You can't tell if someone is in there (or not) when the curtain and door are shut.

I put my phone in my purse and bring that to the diner, but everything else stays in the room.
 
My phone stays in the room when I go to the Diner simply because I am annoyed by ringing phones during a meal and do not want to contribute to the problem. Camera goes in the pocket with me, other valuables go under cover and curtains and door get closed.
 
Depends on the size of the valuables.

Small, easily taken portable stuff such as a cell phone, iPod or camera I normally take with me. If not, I secure it inside my luggage so that any larcenous types would have to stand by my seat/go into my room and rummage through my bags, hopefully attracting attention.

For large items such as laptops, especially if I've been using it at my seat and others know I have it, I use a Kensington cable security lock and loop the cable around my tray table supports or some other fixed object. I leave the cable connected from the time I first take the item out until I prepare to detrain. When I'm not using the laptop I slip it back in its case, but the cable stays connected. When I go to the diner or lounge car I leave the laptop behind, connected to the cable lock. True, these security locks will not stop a determined thief, but hopefully it will require enough time, effort, and noise to defeat it that someone nearby will notice.
 
Acela150 said:
MrFSS said:
I don't have any valuables. :(
Click to expand...
Mrs. FSS doesn't count?? :eek:

I close the curtains and put my laptop and camera well that's for me to know and you to try to find out. I've never had any issues in my years of travel. I've even left my laptop out going to the bathroom and cafe.
Click to expand...
Oh she always goes to the dining car with me, then all my assets are there, too!
 
MrFSS said:
Acela150 said:
MrFSS said:
I don't have any valuables. :(
Click to expand...
Mrs. FSS doesn't count?? :eek:

I close the curtains and put my laptop and camera well that's for me to know and you to try to find out. I've never had any issues in my years of travel. I've even left my laptop out going to the bathroom and cafe.
Click to expand...
Oh she always goes to the dining car with me, then all my assets are there, too!
Click to expand...
My mother said she had assets over a million dollars...when she worked in an office above the bank vault. :lol:
 
Same advice I give, Sarah. Velcro those windows and shut the door. With that said I still take my iPad and cell phone with me in a satchel. Oh and pills I take pills everywhere I go. Off to dinner here in a moment on the California Zephyr and plan to do just that. I also try to size up the people around me ahead of time I go a lot on trust basically most people are like me and don't want to take someone else's things. But the expensive things go with me. That's just the way it is. Honestly it's the only guarantee that everything is going to be with you when you want! Dang Nevada is BIG!!!!
 
Alternatively, you can compromise and just bring an iPhone which can do 90% of the job all your other electronic doodads do and put it in your pocket.
 
thanks for all the replies.... some suggested leaving the laptop under pillows or blankets.... but how trustworthy are the sleeping car attendants? (for example, compared to TSA agents...)
 
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