I have a recommendation to make

[Bill Haithcoat]

The recent post on overbooking reminds me of the "Airline" show which is shown on A&E on, I believe, Sunday night at 10 p.m. and Monday night at 10 p.m., at least locally.(ATL).

Check it out---it shows all manner of interesting problems which Southwest Airlines encounters about overbooking, missing luggage, drunken passengers, and a thousand other things. Sometimes you will be rooting for the passenger, sometimes for the airline. No doubt many of these same scenes are played out everyday on Amtrak and every other commercial transportation company in the world.

Bot for anybody with an interest in any kind of public transportatoin, it is most entertaining. And sometimes it will give us an insight into the transportation company's point of view we would not have otherwise had.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Bill,

While I was in Chicago a weekend ago I couldn't fall asleep one night because this show running a marathon. You are right, it's a very intresting show! After watching them, I couldn't help but wonder why Southwest would allow them to film this show bassed on there company. Yes it's great advertising, but I also think the general public looks more closely and remembers the negitive stories then the positive ones. But your right it's a very good show !

 

[Steve4031]

Often, I observe interesting scenarios at the train station. When I boarded 58 in March in New Orleans, I observed a very good looking lady walking quickly down the platform, Then I saw a man struggling to carry three bags following behind her. She handed her ticket to the attendant, and demanded to be directed to her room. She disappeared into the sleeper, and then the man worked with the attendant to store the luggage in the luggage racks before joining his companion.

About 10 minutes before departure, she stepped of the car, asked the attendant where she could by a diet coke. The attendant said, "we sell Pepsi products in the lounge car." The lady waived him off, and strutted into the station. She was wearing heals, and as I looked at my watch and remembered the location of the pop machines by the public washrooms, I hoped that she had correct change. Then the man got off with a funny look on his face, and asked the attendant where she had gone. He followed her into the station. By now, it was 7 minutes until highball. I went back inside. My buddy speculated that they would both miss the train, and suspected that they had had an argument before getting to the station. He believed that she was possibly a hooker who was making a slick escape by trying to ditch the man on the train. We both listened for the sound of people boarding. We heard nothing. The door slammed, "highball 58" blared from my scanner, the whistle blasted twice, and 58 departed right on time.

About thirty minutes later, I asked that attendant if the couple had made it back. "I don't know" he said. I envisioned another argument in the station, and then the discussion with the ticket agent in New Orleans as to how to recover the luggage.

 

[battalion51]

I still think its freakin hilarious when people will drink either Coke or Pepsi products, but not both. I've witnessed passengers nearly screaming at LSA's for not having Coke products, but what the heck is he supposed to do, he just sells the stuff, he's not the guy deciding what to buy. :lol:

 

[AlanB]

I still think its freakin hilarious when people will drink either Coke or Pepsi products, but not both. I've witnessed passengers nearly screaming at LSA's for not having Coke products, but what the heck is he supposed to do, he just sells the stuff, he's not the guy deciding what to buy. :lol:

Hey, I'm one of those. Love Coke, can't stand Pepsi. Thankfully Pepsi also makes Siera Mist, which I can drink.

On a similar note, just a month ago I witnesed a young girl, give the LSA on a Regional a very hard time. Seems she only drinks Pepsi from cans, not glass bottles. Since she was riding in Business Class, like I was, she was entitled to a free softdrink.

However the lounge inventory is set up such that the small glass bottles are the freebees, while the cans must be sold and accounted for. If the attendant doesn't return to base with the correct amount of cash & inventory, he/she gets to pay for the missing stuff. So while they can give away the glass bottles, they can't give away the cans.

After a rather heated argument and a fair amount of muttering under her breath, the young lady elected to purchase the can of soda, rather than take the free bottle. :blink: She even spent 10 minutes complaining to her friend once she returned to her seat.

Personally I've always felt that all soda tasted better in a bottle, but hey what do I know. :lol:

 

[battalion51]

I think it's something about the way the drink interacts with the glass that makes it taste better. I have to say I'm enjoying my World Series Championship Cokes.

 

[AlanB]

I think it's something about the way the drink interacts with the glass that makes it taste better. I have to say I'm enjoying my World Series Championship Cokes.

I agree.

 

[engine999]

Didn't Amtrak use to carry coke products (maybe 2 years ago)?

 

[battalion51]

For as long as I've been a rider (almost three years now) it's been all Pepsi. Now back in the day, mid to late 90's they carried both Coke and Pepsi products.

 

[Anthony]

Didn't Amtrak use to carry coke products (maybe 2 years ago)?

As long as I can recently remember, Amtrak has carried Pepsi products. However, I do recall around ~1996 they had Sprite available in the dining car. I remember the first place I heard of Storm (remember that?) was on Amtrak.

 

[Viewliner]

Yeah, I've got to agree on coke being better than pepsi, but if that's all they have (like is the case at my school), I'll drink it. It's been Pepsi in all of the years I've been riding. The only time I had Coke on board, was when I brought a few 8 oz cans that I bought in Publix before going home.

 

[engine999]

My memory is probably lapsing from my trip I took in 1996.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

Pepsi all the way

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

They should serve Mikes hard Lemonade

 

[tp49]

They should serve Dixie and Turbo Dog too...

 

[IceColdMintJulep]

Dr. Pepper for me, thanks. All I have to choose from on Altus Air Force Base is Coke, so I don't drink it anywhere else except at work. The two who missed their train reminds me of the time I was on the Desert Wind and we stopped in Vegas. The tell everyone to stay in the station so you can hear the boarding announcement, but some people aren't satisfied with the slots in the station. Anyway two ladies went off across the street to gamble and lost. If that wasn't bad enough, one of them ran after the train and grabbed onto a handrail at the end of the train. The attendent yelled at her to let go. She finally did, when she realized that the fuel truck was coming up fast and she couldn't fit in-between. Stupid is is Stupid does!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

bmlock's posting kind of gets us back to the point of this entry. And this to remind us the weekend is coming on again, and to watch this program, if possible. Here, in ATL, at least, it comes on Sunday 10 p.m and Monday 10p.m. on A&E, lasts an hour.

It can make you feel kind of relieved to see that all the problems are not on(or with) Amtrak....the airlines certainly have their share, as well.

The human drama of "Airline" is quite interesting. Again, I do suggest checking it out.