Mystic River Dragon
Engineer
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2014
- Messages
- 4,456
I was in Philadelphia yesterday, having stayed over at the end of a lovely vacation coming back from Virginia, and had planned to take SEPTA from Philly to Trenton, where I connect to my light rail to go home. SEPTA was a mess, though, so I decided to splurge and take a Keystone, especially because I had a commitment yesterday evening and also had to be at work early this morning. Plus I pulled something a couple of days ago when tripping over my sneaker that I'd forgotten was there (note to self while stumbling across room: always put things where they belong), so my leg was sore and I knew Amtrak would be faster and more comfortable than commuter rail.
I got to 30th Street and bought my ticket with no problem, was taken down by a redcap (very nice, but not one I usually use--hint 1 as to what went wrong) and put on a Keystone ("a" Keystone, not "the" Keystone--hint 2). There was a Keystone train on both tracks (hint 3).
So obviously you know what happened--we pull out, and they announce the next station as Paoli, not Trenton.
Any other day, I would have just accepted it, taken a nice ride out to Harrisburg and either stayed over if there was a good hotel rate or come back and just considered it a nice, if long, joy ride. But I really did have to get back, and I came as close to panicking as I ever have on a train.
That's when the first wonderful conductor came along--I've seen him before, so I think he has been a Keystone conductor for a while. I showed him my ticket and explained what happened, and he told me not to worry, he would go figure something out, and I would be taken care of. A few minutes later, he came back and said he had arranged for the train to stop at Ardmore (a small station not too far out of Philly, but one that not a lot of trains, including that one, stop at) and had arranged for the next Keystone, which was coming through in about 20 minutes and didn't usually stop at Ardmore, to stop and pick me up and take me to Trenton.
The train stopped at Ardmore, he took my bag down the steps and showed me how to get to the other side, and when I shook his hand and thanked him, he said it was not a problem and that it was their fault and their job to straighten it out.
Then I walked to the other side and waited on the platform with a bunch of people who had been waiting for SEPTA forever. And then the Keystone came along, and the second wonderful conductor--a much younger one than the first, so maybe fairly new--showed up at the door and put the stairs down. I went up to him and showed him my ticket and explained I was the lady who had been put on the wrong train. He helped me up the steps, handed my bag up, pulled up the steps, and told me to find a seat and just relax and everything would be fine and they would take me to Trenton. What really impressed me was how he got me on the train and kept the 30 or so people who were yelling and saying "Can you take us to 30th Street?" on the platform and away from the train!
I got home in plenty of time, relaxed, and with a leg that ached a lot less than it would have if things hadn't gone as smoothly.
I have never had reason (good or bad) to call Customer Relations, but it was the first thing I did yesterday after getting home, and asked them to put a commendation in for the crews, and especially the conductors, on both those trains.
Some of you know I already had a soft spot for the Keystones. And they have even more of a place in my heart after yesterday.
I got to 30th Street and bought my ticket with no problem, was taken down by a redcap (very nice, but not one I usually use--hint 1 as to what went wrong) and put on a Keystone ("a" Keystone, not "the" Keystone--hint 2). There was a Keystone train on both tracks (hint 3).
So obviously you know what happened--we pull out, and they announce the next station as Paoli, not Trenton.
Any other day, I would have just accepted it, taken a nice ride out to Harrisburg and either stayed over if there was a good hotel rate or come back and just considered it a nice, if long, joy ride. But I really did have to get back, and I came as close to panicking as I ever have on a train.
That's when the first wonderful conductor came along--I've seen him before, so I think he has been a Keystone conductor for a while. I showed him my ticket and explained what happened, and he told me not to worry, he would go figure something out, and I would be taken care of. A few minutes later, he came back and said he had arranged for the train to stop at Ardmore (a small station not too far out of Philly, but one that not a lot of trains, including that one, stop at) and had arranged for the next Keystone, which was coming through in about 20 minutes and didn't usually stop at Ardmore, to stop and pick me up and take me to Trenton.
The train stopped at Ardmore, he took my bag down the steps and showed me how to get to the other side, and when I shook his hand and thanked him, he said it was not a problem and that it was their fault and their job to straighten it out.
Then I walked to the other side and waited on the platform with a bunch of people who had been waiting for SEPTA forever. And then the Keystone came along, and the second wonderful conductor--a much younger one than the first, so maybe fairly new--showed up at the door and put the stairs down. I went up to him and showed him my ticket and explained I was the lady who had been put on the wrong train. He helped me up the steps, handed my bag up, pulled up the steps, and told me to find a seat and just relax and everything would be fine and they would take me to Trenton. What really impressed me was how he got me on the train and kept the 30 or so people who were yelling and saying "Can you take us to 30th Street?" on the platform and away from the train!
I got home in plenty of time, relaxed, and with a leg that ached a lot less than it would have if things hadn't gone as smoothly.
I have never had reason (good or bad) to call Customer Relations, but it was the first thing I did yesterday after getting home, and asked them to put a commendation in for the crews, and especially the conductors, on both those trains.
Some of you know I already had a soft spot for the Keystones. And they have even more of a place in my heart after yesterday.