new york to chicago?

[tubaallen]

Bill,

Don't worry about being guilty of anything...I used to do the same thing before I worked....just thought I would share that side with you!

As for the seating in the diner (by the way, do you happen to know any more info about the book? I would be interested...) I don't really know what they do for sure. I would love to think that they tried to match people. But I do think that it is primarily the other way...I think that they give reservations out for the total seats they have available, and then the configurations are based on just who comes when. But don't quote me on all that....I'm just a lowly seasonal train attendant.

Allen

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Tuballen, I will look for the book at home tonight. It was a hardback book written,I think, by a sleeping car attendant.It was pretty good......I did not have reason to doubt much of anything in it except his take on dining car crews sizing people up.....will try to respond with more info on Monday (My computer is here at the office--I do not have one at home).

 

[tubaallen]

Great...that would be terrific Bill.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Tuballen, the book is called "Zephyr", by Henry Kisor. By TImes/Life Random House.1994, I believe. It is not exactly as I remembered---not actually written by an employee but by the author who himself takes a trip and interviews employees extensively. Thus, it is pretty much an employee's view of things.

As to the dining car, the steward on that trip was named Lela and she sort of tries to put people together she things will work well, as they appear in the diner later in the trip, after she has already observed them. She does not do anything like what we today might call "profiling", and she is only speaking for hersef. If she is has witnessed that somebody is a non-verbal type, she will probably not put him with somebody who she has already observed is exactly the opposite.

All in all, itis a great book and I bet you, of all people on this forum, would enjoy it the most.,

 

[tubaallen]

Ah yes, Bill. I have that one! That is a great book. However, believe it or not, I have never finished reading it....I usually get about half way through it, and then end up getting busy in my life. And I do sort of remember the discussion about "Lela" now that you mention it. I don't know...maybe Lela and a few others do it that way, but I don't think it is an understood way of handling it.