Some school IDs might have DOB, but there's never been anything terribly consistent about school IDs since there's never really been any standards.
As I said previously, ID is not required for passengers under 18 if subject to on board checks, and school ID's are not "TSA approved."
School ID's are OK for Amtrak, but not for TSA. That was my issue. You said (twice) that school ID's are "TSA approved," They are not.
I feel like I am able to travel alone on Amtrak. I handle all Amtrak travel for over 100 family members, I'm even writing a book about traveling on Amtrak. I think there should be an interview to see if a child is capable of traveling on their own. Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm not capable, but since I'm in charge of everything when traveling with family on a train, and never once have I booked the wrong ticket, station, been on the wrong train, or been left behind.
I don't think anyone here thinks you're incapable. But for you to travel alone breaks a rule. Responses in this thread have outlined what the consequences are likely to be if you're caught breaking that rule. That folks here think it's not a good idea for you to break that rule doesn't mean they think you're incompetent to ride alone.
Sorry, Henry. It isn't about you and I am sure you are perfectly capable. I myself rode from Los Angeles to Chicago on the Super Chief by myself when I was 15. Santa Fe had no policy against it, so it was perfectly all right then.
But they're not going to make an exception for you or anyone else. Like others said, don't take it personally. Nobody in Amtrak is judging you by denying you the option to ride alone outside the standard policy. You're going to be old enough to ride alone anywhere on Amtrak in short order anyways. Why are you sweating it now?
To be effective, a policy must be short, simple, and easy to understand and implement with little room for misinterpretation (an interview would be both impractical and much too subjective). It cannot allow for every contingency, but that means some persons such as yourself - who may very well be able to travel alone - cannot get an exception.
thats why I started the thread, to see if there was some way to interview to get a sort of pass to travel unaccompanied, by proving my abilities to travel.
There already is an interview required for Amtrak's existing unaccompanied minor policy between two staffed stations. They've determined that this is the way they're going to operate, even if both stations are staffed Also - I was reading somewhere that the designated wristband might have been discontinued because it might mark out minors without guardians.
Now you're just being silly or perhaps stubborn. Perhaps you're not trying to be, but do you understand how strange that sounds to anyone who has dealt with real world customer service? That's just naive to think that Amtrak is going to devote an hour of an employee's time interviewing a 15 year old. With their current policy it's probably just a few questions asking if the minors knows where they're going, who is meeting them, and if they can follow/remember directions.
The CEO and his executive staff can grant executive orders.
Sure. I'm sure an executive order was probably what set the current Amtrak unaccompanied minors policy as well as what set the previous one. However, it's a really, really long stretch to think that they're going to implement an executive order to grant one minor (who can wait less than a year for that right) the right to ride alone.
I guess it is technically different, as alcoholic beverage sales/consumption age is regulated by law, and one could easily get a license suspended or even revoked for deliberately serving alcohol to a minor.
