How strict is the weight on checked baggage?

[Shanghai]

On my last trip, I shipped by luggage home by UPS, directly to my house.

It cost $30. If I had to check it on Amtrak it would have been free

and if I was on an airplane it would have cost $25. I like the door-

to-door service.

 

[lionelhoguy]

On my last trip, I shipped by luggage home by UPS, directly to my house.

It cost $30. If I had to check it on Amtrak it would have been free

and if I was on an airplane it would have cost $25. I like the door-

to-door service.

How did you ship your bags? FedEx was over $60 a bag and that took 5 days, and even with the lateness of the EB lately that would not work.

 

[Guest]

Amtrak expects all employees to be able to lift 50lbs. All employees must demonstrate this whenever they take a physical, or at least they are supposed to. Employees are trained and expected to use correct lifting techniques to prevent injury.

Amtrak adheres to a strict policy for checked, as well as carry-on baggage, because back injuries are costly in addition to potentially permanent. From the baggage counter until it is returned to you, your bag has had to be lifted by an employee as many as five or six times.

As someone else stated, you have to pick a number and enforce it. Amtrak decided on 50lbs. as the limit in order to hopefully prevent work related injuries.

It's human nature when given an inch to try to take a mile. 53lbs. might not sound like much but try doing baggage work for a busy station for eight hours shifts. The extra pounds can take a toll on you.

That pretty much parallels my own thoughts.

Some real person, an employee, has to pick up this over weight bag, and could even have to lug it for a distance. I think it is so very inconsiderate to even ask such a question. Really taking some nice employee for granted, and totally not care about their welfare.