Exceptions to the 13-15 YO rule?

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norfolkwesternhenry

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
474
Location
Minneapolis, MN
I was looking at booking a ticket from MSP to CBS (Columbus, WI), and as I am 14, Amtrak rules state I must board and deboard the train at staffed stations. Since I last took this trip, the CBS station has since lost its attendant, so I can't travel there. I feel more than capable traveling by myself, are there any ways to get exceptions to the 13-15 unattended children rule? I know for the general public the rules are just fine, but I don't find myself as the general public. I am even writing a guide on traveling on Amtrak (I'll announce it here when I publish it). If there are any ways to travel unacompanied, I would love to hear them

Henry
 
The only exception I'm aware of is to intentionally lie about your age and/or situation. Even then you might be prevented from boarding or kicked off at some unexpected location down the line. I happen to think Amtrak's rules about handling UM's are silly and impractical, but it's clear that Amtrak staff consider unescorted children to be a major trip-ending problem. The risk of being forcibly removed and handed over to station staff or local authorities is real. Even if you think nothing will happen to you imagine what might happen to your parents or guardians? They could be end up being publicly humiliated or barred from future travel or even charged with a crime. Maybe nothing happens but a phone call and a quiet drive back home, but you just never know where these sorts of mistakes and misunderstandings might end up, especially if the right person happens to get the wrong idea about who allowed what and why.
 
Many years ago, as a child, I took at least one (maybe two) airplane flights by myself. I would have been 9 or 10 years old. One from Raleigh-Durham to, I believe, Chattanooga, and possibly another flight to Boston where I would have been picked up by relatives. I believe a stewardess escorted me on and off the plane and they checked up on me periodically during the flight. It seems clear to me that it was all arranged by my parents in advance. While the opportunity for trouble I guess is higher on a train than a plane, it seems silly to me that there are such restrictions on 14 year olds on Amtrak.
 
I was looking at booking a ticket from MSP to CBS (Columbus, WI), and as I am 14, Amtrak rules state I must board and deboard the train at staffed stations. Since I last took this trip, the CBS station has since lost its attendant, so I can't travel there. I feel more than capable traveling by myself, are there any ways to get exceptions to the 13-15 unattended children rule? I know for the general public the rules are just fine, but I don't find myself as the general public. I am even writing a guide on traveling on Amtrak (I'll announce it here when I publish it). If there are any ways to travel unacompanied, I would love to hear them

Henry
There are no exceptions.
 
Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
 
Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
In what part of the US Federal code is that a law?

Or is it just an Amtrak policy?
 
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Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
In what part of the US Federal code is that a law?Or is it just an Amtrak policy?
There is no federal code for minors in Amtrak. The post was most likely referring to a potential future code that could be caused by avocation from the public that would require Amtrak to allow those between a certain age and 16 to ride Amtrak alone unrestricted.
 
Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
In what part of the US Federal code is that a law?

Or is it just an Amtrak policy?
I think the reference was to the way that guns were allowed on Amtrak. Weren't they specifically disallowed by federal law, then specifically allowed by a federal transportation funding law?

I'm not sure that they're going to do anything specifically about unaccompanied minors on Amtrak. There's no specific law about airlines and unaccompanied minors - just specific airline policy that is fairly similar among different airlines.
 
Two different threads here:

1. Is the current policy appropriate? Maybe? Probably not? That said, I'm going going to trash a company too much for erring on the side of "avoid the lawyers and bad press" at the expense of providing a useful service.

2. Is there a way around the current policy, can you get away with breaking it? No. Just no. If you want to ride their trains, you get to play by their rules.
 
Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
Sorry if I was not clear. IIRC there was a rider attached to an Amtrak funding bill to require Amtrak to create a policy to carry guns (becoming unloaded in locked storage in checked baggage), Also IIRC there was another rider to another bill requiring Amtrak to handle certain pets.
 
Write your senators and congressperson. If the law will change to require a (more relaxed) change to the unaccompanied minor policy Amtrak will follow it. Be prepared to justify why it is important for the entire system, not just you. It worked for guns and dogs, should work for kids too.
Sorry if I was not clear. IIRC there was a rider attached to an Amtrak funding bill to require Amtrak to create a policy to carry guns (becoming unloaded in locked storage in checked baggage), Also IIRC there was another rider to another bill requiring Amtrak to handle certain pets.
A lot of these riders get thrown in because someone either wants to kill the bill or actually wants the rider. The current requirement that the National Park Service allows personal carrying of firearms came from a rider inserted into a credit card protection bill.
 
I was looking at booking a ticket from MSP to CBS (Columbus, WI), and as I am 14, Amtrak rules state I must board and deboard the train at staffed stations. Since I last took this trip, the CBS station has since lost its attendant, so I can't travel there. I feel more than capable traveling by myself, are there any ways to get exceptions to the 13-15 unattended children rule? I know for the general public the rules are just fine, but I don't find myself as the general public. I am even writing a guide on traveling on Amtrak (I'll announce it here when I publish it). If there are any ways to travel unacompanied, I would love to hear them

Henry
You have no options within Amtrak's rules. None. Zero. I would point out that the founder of this forum was younger than you, but as far as I know he didn't ask for any special dispensation from Amtrak. In fact, Amtrak sued him.

Your only option would be to lie about your age, but once you're 16, theoretically Amtrak can ask to see ID with date of birth at any time.
 
I was looking at booking a ticket from MSP to CBS (Columbus, WI), and as I am 14, Amtrak rules state I must board and deboard the train at staffed stations. Since I last took this trip, the CBS station has since lost its attendant, so I can't travel there. I feel more than capable traveling by myself, are there any ways to get exceptions to the 13-15 unattended children rule? I know for the general public the rules are just fine, but I don't find myself as the general public. I am even writing a guide on traveling on Amtrak (I'll announce it here when I publish it). If there are any ways to travel unacompanied, I would love to hear them

Henry
You have no options within Amtrak's rules. None. Zero. I would point out that the founder of this forum was younger than you, but as far as I know he didn't ask for any special dispensation from Amtrak. In fact, Amtrak sued him.

Your only option would be to lie about your age, but once you're 16, theoretically Amtrak can ask to see ID with date of birth at any time.
Actually, I don't believe any passengers are required to have ID that shows date of birth. In fact, I think that passengers who are 16 and 17 don't need any ID whatsoever if they come with tickets and don't check bags.
 
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Those 18 and over riding Amtrak are required to carry TSA approved ID. Amtrak may randomly check passenger ID for security reasons. Those minors under 18 should carry a TSA approved ID which can be their official High School or College ID which does not have their DOB, but does officially identify them with a photo and is approved by the TSA.
 
If the trend is more stations being unattended this is going to be a bigger issue in general (of course if the LD system gets shut down most of those unattended stations will be closed anyway).
 
With more and more stations unstaffed and with the policy of no over night travel or change of trains, it is unlikely minors under the age of 16 will be able to travel unaccompanied. Less liability for Amtrak to manage, so with more and more trigger happy parents filing law suits against anyone gets that near their children.
 
With more and more stations unstaffed and with the policy of no over night travel or change of trains, it is unlikely minors under the age of 16 will be able to travel unaccompanied. Less liability for Amtrak to manage, so with more and more trigger happy parents filing law suits against anyone gets that near their children.
Does anyone have an example of an actual parent suing Amtrak over someone approaching their child? I know it's fun and easy to just assume everyone in the country is a raving lunatic, especially in the current climate of alternative facts and fake news, but I've asked for some sort of evidence of this problem multiple times, and so far as I am aware nobody has ever been able to produce anything verifiable.
 
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Those 18 and over riding Amtrak are required to carry TSA approved ID. Amtrak may randomly check passenger ID for security reasons. Those minors under 18 should carry a TSA approved ID which can be their official High School or College ID which does not have their DOB, but does officially identify them with a photo and is approved by the TSA.
I looked up the rule, and Amtrak says that ID is needed to purchase tickets, check in baggage, or pick up tickets. I guess using a credit card gets around that, but most kids can't get their own credit cards.
 
Those 18 and over riding Amtrak are required to carry TSA approved ID. Amtrak may randomly check passenger ID for security reasons. Those minors under 18 should carry a TSA approved ID which can be their official High School or College ID which does not have their DOB, but does officially identify them with a photo and is approved by the TSA.
I looked up the rule, and Amtrak says that ID is needed to purchase tickets, check in baggage, or pick up tickets. I guess using a credit card gets around that, but most kids can't get their own credit cards.
But, their parents have credit cards and can buy the tickets for them. They can carry the eTicket printout. From a practical standpoint, there is no ID required for passengers under 18 to ride Amtrak.
 
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With more and more stations unstaffed and with the policy of no over night travel or change of trains, it is unlikely minors under the age of 16 will be able to travel unaccompanied. Less liability for Amtrak to manage, so with more and more trigger happy parents filing law suits against anyone gets that near their children.
Does anyone have an example of an actual parent suing Amtrak over someone approaching their child? I know it's fun and easy to just assume everyone in the country is a raving lunatic, especially in the current climate of alternative facts and fake news, but I've asked for some sort of evidence of this problem multiple times, and so far as I am aware nobody has ever been able to produce anything verifiable.
Sorry we don't have access to Amtrak's legal department records. But this is America and if something did happen to a minor traveling alone on Amtrak you can bet your ass they would sue.
 
Quote from the AMTRAK Web Site

Photo ID Required

Amtrak customers 18 years of age and older must produce valid photo identification when:


  • Obtaining, exchanging or refunding tickets

  • Storing baggage at stations


Checking baggage
Sending Amtrak Express shipments
Onboard trains, in response to a request by an Amtrak employee
Please note that unaccompanied children 16 - 17 must also produce valid photo ID when purchasing tickets, obtaining travel documents and checking baggage.

Random Ticket/ID Checks

Following federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines, we regularly conduct random ticket verification checks onboard trains to ensure that passengers are properly ticketed. Please be prepared to show valid photo identification to a member of the onboard crew upon request.
 
Those 18 and over riding Amtrak are required to carry TSA approved ID. Amtrak may randomly check passenger ID for security reasons. Those minors under 18 should carry a TSA approved ID which can be their official High School or College ID which does not have their DOB, but does officially identify them with a photo and is approved by the TSA.
School or college ID cards are not TSA approved for travel.

TSA does not require passengers under 18 to have ID. Airlines may have their own ID requirements for passengers under 18. Technically, TSA does not "require" ID. They have a procedure to identify passengers who do not have ID.
 
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