how do you wake up if your train arrives around 4AM?

[brianpmcdonnell17]

About 2 weeks ago I was on train 91 and the conductor issued seat checks to all the passengers in the lounge car and had us put them on the edge of the table. This was also a very serious conductor though; we were running about 3 hours late and she eliminated the usual unscheduled smoke stop at Columbia and the scheduled one at Savannah.

 

[neroden]

The conductor or car attendant is supposed to wake you up, but they're not reliable.

I set an alarm on my tablet, which is connected to my headphones, which I am wearing while asleep. Wakes me up *very* reliably. If alarms don't wake you up, you may have a problem, and you should ask the car attendant and the people seated next to you to assist.

 

[ToniCounter]

The conductor or car attendant is supposed to wake you up, but they're not reliable.

I set an alarm on my tablet, which is connected to my headphones, which I am wearing while asleep. Wakes me up *very* reliably. If alarms don't wake you up, you may have a problem, and you should ask the car attendant and the people seated next to you to assist.

Update: I arrived at my destination without any problems. Below is what I randomly typed just before the stop and also while riding in my friend's car on the way home. (didn't edit anything, not time to do it yet, so this is the raw notes that I have in my phone)

* * *

The Amtrak conductor didn't bother to wake me or anybody else up. I woke up around 3AM after my phone started vibrating in my shirt pocket. Google Maps showed that he train was about 43 miles out. For the next 50 minutes or so, nobody walked down the aisle. I was in the very first row aisle seat, staring at the door. The train was unusually quiet, probably because it was only doing 50 to 60mph most of the way, according to the GPS Test app on my phone.

It slowed down a few miles ahead of the station. The conductor was still nowhere to be see. The whole car was quiet, so I assumed that I was the only one getting off here? I kind of half expected to see him or anybody else walk through the door in front of me. Well, nobody was there. I finally sat up straight as the train slowly came to a noisy full stop.

I looked out the window and there were a family of 4 and an elderly couple waiting to board the train. The lady sitting in the window seat opened her eyes and said "where are we? is this your stop?" I said yes and we said goodbye. She was going all the way to the end of the line. I grabbed my backpack and carry-on case and got off the train.

That's when I finally saw the conductor. He said something about thanking me for riding Amtrak I just nodded and gave him a smile. There were several people who got off from the sleeping cars and me and two other people from coach.. that was it.

I looked around but my friend was nowhere to be seen. I walked out to the front of the station and still didn't see him. Then I noticed a car with its engine running and parking lights on. It was dark, but I saw the my friend sleeping in the driver's seat. I knocked on the windshield and he looked startled. I got into the car. Apparently he got here almost an hour ago and started sleeping in the parking lot.

We exited the parking lot and headed towards the interstate. Instead of taking me home, my friend and I drove to IHOP.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Please call Customer Relations and let them know about the Conductor that didn't do his job!

Even though you indicate they thanked you for riding Amtrak, not waking up detraining passengers is negligence on the part of the crew!

Glad your phone woke you up, carry bys are not fun, especially in the wee Hours!

 

[ScouseAndy]

Is it possible that the conductor did stir you, but by the time you came round he had moved on to the next coach? I am an extremely heavy sleeper also and my partner is forever waking me for early starts and 2 minutes later I will go down stairs and say "why didnt you wake me?" as I have no recollection of her doing it

 

[Asher]

OK, I get it. The answer is put a vibrating alarm in your pocket.

 

[Seaboard92]

I've had a sca before on 98 that didn't even come to get me off till the station stop was halfway over. And it was a ten minute stop. And the scarier thing was I had enough time to walk back to the coaches detrain then walk back up to take photos of the engine. And on my return from the engine he made an appearance at the door wondering how I got off and asking for a tip.

 

[Lonestar648]

Having traveled almost weekly since the 1970's, I learned quickly not to rely on another human even though 95% of the time they do their job, it is the other 5% that gets you in trouble. I know. And excuses are not excepted, so ultimately, you are responsible. These days I set the alarm on my phone and I also set portable alarm just in case. Most of the time the SCA or Conductor does make sure you are awake. I also do not trust the wake up calls in hotels, which are very reliable, but just one glitch can ruin your day. Rely on yourself and be responsible by planning ahead. Oh, I will ask if the SCA is going to wake me, if not (because he is "off duty") I ask the conductor if he will knock on my door and why. Some thank me since they didn't know the SCA was sleeping through my stop (though not too long ago SCA was to be up for every passenger getting on and off).

 

[JayPea]

My early morning stops have always involved Spokane. Eastbound whether from Seattle or Portland the EB has for me arrived around midnight so I am always awake then. I guess it helps that I have worked the graveyard shift at my place of employment for over 18 years so am used to being awake at night. And I always travel coach and have trouble sleeping in coach anyway. Last year, however, I and my uncle were on the last leg of a lengthy trip the last segment of which was from Seattle to Spokane. We happened to be in a roomette this time, in the trans-dorm. When it was time to get off at Spokane the SCA was nowhere to be seen. So we opened the door and set the stool out ourselves. For all I know when the EB left Spokane later that morning the door was still open and the stool was still sitting on the platform. Westbound the EB is scheduled to arrive around 1:30 into Spokane. In those instances I set the alarm on my phone though have never needed it as the coach attendant has always alerted me in advance.

 

[ToniCounter]

 

[ehbowen]

I have a solution. I snore all night keeping everyone else awake. They are more than happy to wake me to tell me it is time to get off. Some are so generous, they tell me 3 hours in advance of my stop!

A few people even loaned me their pillows so I could sleep better. They just laid them on my face. That's why I love trains! People share.

Back in my Navy days I was billeted in an enlisted men's dorm...4 men to a room; 4 rooms to a quad. One Sunday morning at 7 am sharp the loudest and most annoying alarm I have ever heard sounded in the room next door. It woke all four of us up from a sound sleep. Nobody silenced the alarm; it just kept going. We pounded on the door, asking the occupants to shut off the noise; nothing happened. By this time the other rooms in the quad were up as well. The alarm kept going for more than an hour, until we were all certain that nobody (alive!) was in the room. We went to the Master at Arms office, asking them to bring a key to shut off the alarm which had obviously been left on by occupants who were spending their weekend elsewhere. The MAA came out to the quad, heard the godawful noise pouring from the locked room, and agreed that someone must have left the alarm unattended. He unlocked the door...only to find, in the bunk right next to the offending alarm, one of our shipmates snoring loudly, oblivious to the noise, to us, to the MAA, to everything.

True story. Late 1983. NTC Orlando Nuclear Power School Berthing.

 

[ToniCounter]

I have a solution. I snore all night keeping everyone else awake. They are more than happy to wake me to tell me it is time to get off. Some are so generous, they tell me 3 hours in advance of my stop!

A few people even loaned me their pillows so I could sleep better. They just laid them on my face. That's why I love trains! People share.

Back in my Navy days I was billeted in an enlisted men's dorm...4 men to a room; 4 rooms to a quad. One Sunday morning at 7 am sharp the loudest and most annoying alarm I have ever heard sounded in the room next door. It woke all four of us up from a sound sleep. Nobody silenced the alarm; it just kept going. We pounded on the door, asking the occupants to shut off the noise; nothing happened. By this time the other rooms in the quad were up as well. The alarm kept going for more than an hour, until we were all certain that nobody (alive!) was in the room. We went to the Master at Arms office, asking them to bring a key to shut off the alarm which had obviously been left on by occupants who were spending their weekend elsewhere. The MAA came out to the quad, heard the godawful noise pouring from the locked room, and agreed that someone must have left the alarm unattended. He unlocked the door...only to find, in the bunk right next to the offending alarm, one of our shipmates snoring loudly, oblivious to the noise, to us, to the MAA, to everything.

True story. Late 1983. NTC Orlando Nuclear Power School Berthing.

I absolutely believe you. I'm the same way. My dad is the same way.(although he had a perfect excuse because he was in artillery for 35 years before retiring... the artillery boys can sleep through ANYTHING!)