Holiday rail horror story

[Ryan]

They do. They have cell phones, and the appropriate numbers are in the Blue Book. There is no way that Amtrak just forgot about one of its trains and didn't have comms with it for a while day. It's ridiculous on the face of it.

 

[penguinflies]

Trivial fact, 301 and 304 have been running with 4 coaches and a cafe car, but it appears Amtrak is only staffing 3 employees per trip. That number includes the LSA. One announcement on 304 reported that they couldn't open all the doors upon arrival at Chicago because of the way they were staffed.

 

[Steve4031]

That's typical. At least on today's 304 the lsa opened the door for bc and helped with luggage.

 

[Triley]

Trivial fact, 301 and 304 have been running with 4 coaches and a cafe car, but it appears Amtrak is only staffing 3 employees per trip. That number includes the LSA. One announcement on 304 reported that they couldn't open all the doors upon arrival at Chicago because of the way they were staffed.

Them's the breaks. Unfortunately there is nothing wrong with the practice. It's unpractical to have a conductor in car to open every door. It even happens on the corridor where, for example....train 190 only has 1 Conductor, 1 Assistant Conductor (you have two between PHL and NYP, and occasionally NYP-NHV), and 1 LSA, and that train regularly operates with 7 coaches including business class and the Cafe. Stops like New London could really use a third set of doors open, or especially at West Kingston before the high platform opened, but...Oh well, rarely happened!

That's typical. At least on today's 304 the lsa opened the door for bc and helped with luggage.

Don't expect that to happen on a regular basis. For those who don't know, it's crossing crafts which many people frown upon heavily, and even worse since it's not part of the job description of an LSA to detrain passengers"? Well, if I injure myself or a passenger gets injured by falling down the stairs at a door I opened, the company is not going to look favorably about the incident. Now, I do it anyway after making sure the conductor tells me to do so, that way if something does happen I can say I was following orders and I should be in the clear.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Trivial fact, 301 and 304 have been running with 4 coaches and a cafe car, but it appears Amtrak is only staffing 3 employees per trip. That number includes the LSA. One announcement on 304 reported that they couldn't open all the doors upon arrival at Chicago because of the way they were staffed.

Conductor

Assistant Conductor

LSA Cafe Car

Engineer

Range of control for a conductor is three cars. If the cafe has seating for Business Class. 5 cars total equal 2 conductors. You could add one car (coach or baggged) with out adding crew.

Not sure why that a issue. On NY trains that the level of staffing and it seem to working fine. Even with out the LSA pitch in. Yes at high level platform the staff can push button and open all doors, but only at a few stations For that option.

 

[Dan O]

Dude, some quick advice- send two copies of the letter, one through regular mail and one certified, and reference that you did this in the letter.

Good advice. I will do that. I suppose the certified mail gives me proof of receipt which can be used later if I do not get a response?

Well, technically certified only gives you proof of mailing. Actually, send it "certified mail, return receipt requested". I do this *all the time* for important financial documents. Then you'll get an actual receipt proving that it was delivered.

Proof of receipt just shows that someone signed for it. If no one replies it could be that it never was routed to the correct person/department and is sitting someplace.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

The main purpose of sending things certified mail is that it singles out your letter as important versus the mountain of regular first class mail. It does also give proof of mailing, requesting a return receipt (I always do that with a certified mailing such that I forget it's not automatic) gives proof that the letter is received and signed for.

But it also flags the letter as important for attention. A certified non-legal (I.e. From a lawyer) is a relevant document used to start a chain of correspondence for legal purposes. (" I sent Mr. Moorman a letter documenting this safety issue before I felt that I needed to take legal action/go to the press to get this travesty noticed, but he didn't respond at all! I have proof Amtrak recieved it, too!")

When I receive certified letters from anybody, I take them seriously, and get to them immediately. Besides bills, most other mail is either roundfiled or glanced at when I find it convienent. Certified mail is not taking action, but it is a preemptive step to taking action, and you have no need to use the extra cost of its service unless you are serious about taking action.

A second, non-certified letter is standard procedure. It ensures delivery if the recipient were to reject the certified letter. Government agencies, as a general rule, do not reject certified mail (it goes on record as rejected, which doesn't look good, and is a way to establish malfeasance), but following the procedure again lends credence to the seriousness of your intentions.

The more organized and calm you appear, the more effective the letter. It makes it very different than the usual mass "I am a citizen! A taxpayer! I pay your salary! Now hear me roar!" Garbage they get all day long.

I also use it for tax returns, which always have my corporate ID or SSN on every page, which are numbered, with a cover letter explaining what's supposed to be inside, and a request for an immediate letter if something I say is included isn't. I haven't ever been audited despite my cash business. *knocks on wood* Why? 1) I happen to report every penny. 2) when my return is as organized as mine is, they tend to assume my ledgers are as well (they are) and an audit of well done books makes it hard to find anything (if there was anything to find- I find it easier to tell the truth then make up a paper trail).

 

[SANSR]

Touché

 

[MikefromCrete]

Trivial fact, 301 and 304 have been running with 4 coaches and a cafe car, but it appears Amtrak is only staffing 3 employees per trip. That number includes the LSA. One announcement on 304 reported that they couldn't open all the doors upon arrival at Chicago because of the way they were staffed.

I would think all Amtrak Midwest Corridor trains are staffed that way. Four people, actually, counting the engineer. The exceptions would be the Hiawathas which don't have a cafe car and thus only three employees on the train.

 

[neroden]

Trivial fact, 301 and 304 have been running with 4 coaches and a cafe car, but it appears Amtrak is only staffing 3 employees per trip. That number includes the LSA.

So you're saying, no assistant conductor?
That puts them in a position where they really cannot put customers in a car which is going to be set out on the mainline (As described in the original horror story) because they're too short-staffed to have an active employee in both halves. If the conductor's outdoors doing coupling and uncoupling and the engineer's in the loco, you need two more employees to take care of a separated train if there are people in both halves. Four employees works. Three doesn't.

In a situation with no assistant conductor, it becomes imperative if the train is split (and not located at a platform) to keep all passengers in the section of the train with the cafe car at all times.

 

[Dan O]

The main purpose of sending things certified mail is that it singles out your letter as important versus the mountain of regular first class mail. It does also give proof of mailing, requesting a return receipt (I always do that with a certified mailing such that I forget it's not automatic) gives proof that the letter is received and signed for.

My experience varies a bit regarding this. Working for a govt agency, when we receive a certified letter my only thought is that someone wasted several bucks when 47 cents would have done as much. It doesn't single it out for any kind of special attention.

 

[penguinflies]

I would think all Amtrak Midwest Corridor trains are staffed that way. Four people, actually, counting the engineer. The exceptions would be the Hiawathas which don't have a cafe car and thus only three employees on the train.

Forgot about the Engineer. Never witnessed the Engineer open doors at the termination points of St. Louis or Chicago, either in the 4-car configuration or when Amtrak adds an additional coach car on the route.