Pet peeves while riding amtrak

[amtrakwolverine]

Im not talking about staff problems or Amtrak problems but things other passengers due that bother you.

Like coming back from LAX on the SWC the guy behind me had chewing tobacco out and was spitting it into a paper cup.

Coming home from the gathering on 352 the wolverine this child was crying on and off throughout the whole trip and the mother even changed the child's diaper ON THE SEAT YUCK.

 

[Guest]

Pigs that mess up the bathroom and can't even clean up after themselves or flush!This happens in sleepers too but not as often! :angry:

 

[rtabern]

Number one complaint would be screaming children -- especially when you pay the extra money to go in Business Class or use the Quiet Car to try and avoid that kinda thing. Other complaints are people who string their laptop cords across the aisle in the Sightseer Lounge. Speaking of, people who bug you 10 zillion times asking if there are outlets in the Sightseer Lounge. Also, people who make a big fuss they have to eat with other people in the dining car (get over it!) Probably some of my other biggest pet peeves are down at Chicago Union Station during the boarding process. DONT be shocked when you arrive at 7:05AM and the 7:00AM train to St. Louis has already left. And after 3 announcements that only seniors, those who are physically disabled, and those in business class line up -- almost every time you have atleast 5 people who try and go through. What don't they understand? :help:

 

[jmbgeg]

Number one complaint would be screaming children -- especially when you pay the extra money to go in Business Class or use the Quiet Car to try and avoid that kinda thing. Other complaints are people who string their laptop cords across the aisle in the Sightseer Lounge. Speaking of, people who bug you 10 zillion times asking if there are outlets in the Sightseer Lounge. Also, people who make a big fuss they have to eat with other people in the dining car (get over it!) Probably some of my other biggest pet peeves are down at Chicago Union Station during the boarding process. DONT be shocked when you arrive at 7:05AM and the 7:00AM train to St. Louis has already left. And after 3 announcements that only seniors, those who are physically disabled, and those in business class line up -- almost every time you have atleast 5 people who try and go through. What don't they understand? :help:

Screaming, crying or hyperactive children in sleeper cars can disrupt a serene journey.

 

[rtabern]

Number one complaint would be screaming children -- especially when you pay the extra money to go in Business Class or use the Quiet Car to try and avoid that kinda thing. Other complaints are people who string their laptop cords across the aisle in the Sightseer Lounge. Speaking of, people who bug you 10 zillion times asking if there are outlets in the Sightseer Lounge. Also, people who make a big fuss they have to eat with other people in the dining car (get over it!) Probably some of my other biggest pet peeves are down at Chicago Union Station during the boarding process. DONT be shocked when you arrive at 7:05AM and the 7:00AM train to St. Louis has already left. And after 3 announcements that only seniors, those who are physically disabled, and those in business class line up -- almost every time you have atleast 5 people who try and go through. What don't they understand? :help:

Screaming, crying or hyperactive children in sleeper cars can disrupt a serene journey.

It's even more fun when you are trying to do an 8-hour long Trails & Rails presentation all the way from Chicago to St. Paul with a screaming kid behind you the whole way... or a whole family playing a game of slap card games at the next table over. UGGGHH!!!

The worst had to be this boy... probably around 7 years old... with extreme A.D.D that I had on a trip earlier this year. Right out of Chicago his mom comes into the lounge car and tells the boy -- "listen to what the nice men are going to tell you" -- and then she goes back to her coach seat to take a nap. We were pretty much expected to baby sit this kid!! Between CHI and MKE, he probably came up to us in mid-narration sentence atleast 20 times. Around the Dells, I was hoping a junior ranger badge, an Amtrak coloring book, and a postcard would shut him up... but he actually came back 3 minutes later saying he didnt like the Amtrak activity book -- and wondered "if I have anything else" -- I said NO... Trails & Rails doesnt give us a lot of stuff besides brochures to hand out to people -- and the postcard and activity book actually came out of my own pocket. He then proceeds to rifle through my Trails & Rails book bag pulling everything out!!!

Hahahaha!!!

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Pigs that mess up the bathroom and can't even clean up after themselves or flush!This happens in sleepers too but not as often! :angry:

how about when they don't lock the door and then don't respond when you knock and you walk in on them.

 

[Steve4031]

I am sympathetic to children if I am in coach, but I resent in BC. The absolute worst was on the Acela in first class. I got on the train in New haven, and grabbed a nice window seat in a 4 seater. This was the only open seat. I was about to set my Ipod down, and noticed this gooey substance on the table. I notified the attendant, and she came to clean it off. Then this women sitting in the seats behind me made this big syrupy apology, saying she had moved up there to feed her baby. Yuck. I stared daggers at her. This was not why I paid the supplement for FC on the Acela.

To make matters worse, the female attendant came back after wiping the table and participated in a ooey gooey baby conversation, ignoring me like I was some cretin for not liking kids in FC. After a few minutes, I pointedly asked for a pepsi and warm nuts. She was somewhat taken aback, but realized I was a knowledgeable, frequent rider, and that I was about to enter letter writing mode. She played make up the rest of the way to NYP. I really was not interested.

 

[rrdude]

Conductors who are on the platform, waiting for their train to come, and you ask them "Do you know if this is # 785" ......Answer..."I don't know...." then he sits across from you on the platform, at track 9. The message board reads "Train # 785 is due in 20 minutes late."

Then a Surfliner pulls in five minutes later. The conductor gets up, and boards the train that just came in, not saying a word.

Moments later over the PA, "Last call for train # 785, track 9, all aboard!"

The "hairy eyeball" is NOT an accurate enuff description of how I looked at the SAME conductor as I boarded # 785, on track 9. What an asshat.

What is it about "common courtesy" that he couldn't have just said as he got up to board the train, "this is train # 785......"

 

[Acela150]

Riders that don't use headphones on there ipods or laptops. While on AE 2164 back in July there was a family and they all had ipads with no headphones and watching videos on youtube at the loudest level. I politely asked them use headphones or turn it down. I got a polite response of F*&k off. I also can't stand passengers in FC on AE that give $2 tips or no tips at all. These FCA's work their rear end's off, and they get $2?? I always give $20. $10 each. They earn it!

Steve

 

[LA Resident]

Conductors who are on the platform, waiting for their train to come, and you ask them "Do you know if this is # 785" ......Answer..."I don't know...." then he sits across from you on the platform, at track 9. The message board reads "Train # 785 is due in 20 minutes late."

Then a Surfliner pulls in five minutes later. The conductor gets up, and boards the train that just came in, not saying a word.

Moments later over the PA, "Last call for train # 785, track 9, all aboard!"

The "hairy eyeball" is NOT an accurate enuff description of how I looked at the SAME conductor as I boarded # 785, on track 9. What an asshat.

What is it about "common courtesy" that he couldn't have just said as he got up to board the train, "this is train # 785......"

If it's the conductor who I think it is--and I ride the Surfliner a LOT--he's been rude to so many hundreds of riders over the years that I'm surprised someone hasn't tried to throw him off a moving train!! He is really the exception among conductors on the Surfliner and a lot of us don't understand how he continues to keep his job! (Even other conductors have complained about him!)I feel bad for Amtrak because there are quite a few passengers whose first experience will train travel will come from being face-to-face with this cretin, and their perception of Amtrak becomes set in a negative way.

 

[LA Resident]

Im not talking about staff problems or Amtrak problems but things other passengers due that bother you.

Like coming back from LAX on the SWC the guy behind me had chewing tobacco out and was spitting it into a paper cup.

Coming home from the gathering on 352 the wolverine this child was crying on and off throughout the whole trip and the mother even changed the child's diaper ON THE SEAT YUCK.

Riders--especially on short-distance commuter-type lines--who are sprawled across both seats despite an almost-capacity train and despite conductor announcements warning of crowds, and who shoot you dirty looks when you try to sit down. I've given up asking politely and now simply tell them to move their bags, laptops, food, whatever, because I'm going to sit down. The worst are the professional types out of Los Angeles going back to Orange County at night and who believe they have a God-given right to two seats for the price of one!

 

[AlanB]

I also can't stand passengers in FC on AE that give $2 tips or no tips at all. These FCA's work their rear end's off, and they get $2?? I always give $20. $10 each. They earn it!

I've met a few attendants that don't work their rear end's off on Acela FC, trust me.

The majority however do a halfway decent job and therefore get a tip from me.

And then, like anyplace else, there are a few who are just outstanding like Mr. Johnson and quite probably my favorite attendant, Wilson. There was a period of time where I hadn't seen Wilson in like 2 years at least, in part because of the Acela brake problem and in part because of my schedule. I got lucky one day and bumped into him while riding with AU member Diesteldorf to Boston. Chris couldn't believe it when Wilson walked down the aisle carrying my glass of white wine without my having even opened my mouth. After all that time, Wilson still remembered what I liked to drink.

But anytime I've ever been on the train with either Mr. Johnson or Wilson, my glass never goes dry, unless I wave them off. If it's in the galley, you'll never want for anything with either of these exceptional FC attendants.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I'm going to chime in as well on the pigs who don't clean up after themselves in the shower. These are the creatures who will throw their towels on the floor and not in the bag, sling water everywhere and not dry up after themselves and leave slimy soap bars in the stall. I could go on about males with bad aim who leave the seat down but will leave it at that :angry2:

 

[Freckles68]

HA, there was a sort of similar thread over on FT that I kind of went off in. So I will reproduce it here since it's even more appropriate:

The fact that the so-called Quiet Car is NEVER QUIET and no one either enforces the rule OR makes the fact that it's the Quiet Car clearly evident at every stop. It doesn't help to just say it at the beginning of the run. Every stop, people get on and have no idea it's the Quiet Car, and the barely audible announcement that the second car is the Quiet Car is USELESS... who actually counts cars and knows which number car they're in?

Also, people with kids glare at you when you tell them it's the Quiet Car and say "but they're kids, they can't stay quiet, you CHILD-HATING MONSTER." Well, that's fine... but then DON'T SIT IN THE QUIET CAR!

Then there's the idiots who have nonstop loud conversations the whole trip... again, I totally understand that when you're traveling with a companion, it's hard to not converse... but then DON'T SIT IN THE QUIET CAR!

And then of course there's the cellphone-talkers, who just can't help but make call after call. One time a woman spent practically the entire DC-NY trip planning her wedding. Call after call to caterers, florists, dress shops, friends, family etc. Yes, she made all these calls IN THE QUIET CAR!

NONE of these people stop yapping when you remind them of where they're sitting... they act like you have no right to ask them to keep it down. But people, if you want to talk or make a call or have your kids babbling nonstop, that's OK. Just DON'T DO IT IN THE QUIET CAR!

I think at every single stop, the conductor should loudly announce, as he enters the Quiet Car to check tickets, that this is the G-D-M-F'in QUIET CAR and this is how it's gonna go down, yo.

I feel better now. Thank you for the opportunity to get this off my chest.

 

[greatcats]

Gosh, one of the above posters who bemoaned $2 tips has me feeling guilty. Two + years ago I was on First Class Acela New York to Washington. I was served lunch and a drink by the attendant and the service was pretty good. I gave him $2 when I got off. He thanked me, but I would go back and give him a few more bucks after this guilt trip has been laid on me! Since I am a tour bus driver who appreciates tips off the cruise ship passengers, I promise to do better next time. I always leave a normal restaurant tip in dining cars and tip the sleeper attendants something, from modest to generous, depending on the service.

 

[PerRock]

no offence to rtabern; but personally I dislike the ongoing announced 'ramblings' of the trails & rails on the EB. Mind you I do like the fact that they are on and usually know a fair bit about what we are seeing, but does it have to be blared throughout the entire car at top volume (I guess if you wanted people to hear it it does...)? I think my favorite T&R presentation was a park ranger who came in and set up a little hands-on museum display thing about Lewis & Clark; and the Rangers on board during Glacier were nice. But the guy rambling on about cattle farming as we went across the Montana was really quite annoying.

On a side note I was thinking about the T&R guys and recall getting into an argument with one over what the last car on the private train we passed was. It had the little platform on the back; I said it was a Business car (and that's what the side of the car said as well) but the T&R guy insisted that it was an Observation car.

And on another side note I find it funny that I don't think I've ever seen rtabern doing T&R on the EB as I was taking it a couple times a year for a while between CHI & LSE

Another peeve is the guys who set up camp in the cafe car with their laptops; don't buy anything and won't let others share the table. Many times have I come into a car seen a lone half of a table with a guy on his computer on the other side, gotten some stuff from the cafe and asked if I could sit down, only to be told to bug off.

Ooh and the car attendants who think they rule the train! On my EB trip to PDX my family went coach, and was one car behind the SSL (I think they've rearranged the consist since then) The Conductor allowed us to sleep in the SSL over night as we could spread out more and stretch, however I recall being told off shortly there after by our attendant that after a certain time we were not allowed to leave our seats.

Ya I know that is technically staff...

And the people who think they know everything about trains. There have been many times (usually in the CHI waiting room) when I've overheard or been told by someone a number of facts about the train and half of them are wrong. I remember someone turning to me and telling me that it was nice that the wolverine was now using Viewliners, and when I tried to point out that that wasn't the case they continued to insist that it was. Usually when I overhear it I just smile to myself and shake my head and hope that I'm not stuck next to that person on the train.

I guess that's good for now....

peter

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Ooh and the car attendants who think they rule the train! On my EB trip to PDX my family went coach, and was one car behind the SSL (I think they've rearranged the consist since then) The Conductor allowed us to sleep in the SSL over night as we could spread out more and stretch, however I recall being told off shortly there after by our attendant that after a certain time we were not allowed to leave our seats.

Ya I know that is technically staff...

If the conductor gave you permission and a car attendant says otherwise I would tell them to take it up with the conductor sense the conductor is the REAL BOSS of the train.

 

[guestlsa]

I so waiting for this topic. I got lot of pet peeves and most one is the smokers! i hate when the train is late period and the smokers when to get off at every stop but then wanna nag to death about when going to get where they going(well we could get there if you were to stop smoking at every stop).Kids are another pet peeve and I am mother of 2 yr old boy...they mess up the toliets and they spill everything on the floor and parentsrefuse to clean up. My last one (right now) folks who know train is busy but wanna sit by themselves..............you only pay for one ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Pigs that mess up the bathroom and can't even clean up after themselves or flush!This happens in sleepers too but not as often! :angry:

Agreed.

Any I think the Viewliners are the very best design, hands down. Everyone has their own toilet, and how one takes care of it (or not), affects only that person.

 

[Guest]

Screaming, crying or hyperactive children in sleeper cars can disrupt a serene journey.

Screaming, yelling, door slamming, and totally inconsiderate adults in sleeper cars constantly disrupting a serene journey.

h34r:

 

[rrdude]

could go on about males with bad aim who leave the seat down but will leave it at that :angry2:

Now hold on a minute Missy, and that's exactly what you HAVE to do, HOLD On!

Of course I raise the seat, (just like every male who posts here, right?) but "aim" is tricky when traveling full speed, or over some rough track at slower speed.

 

[rrdude]

Pigs that mess up the bathroom and can't even clean up after themselves or flush!This happens in sleepers too but not as often! :angry:

Agreed.

Any I think the Viewliners are the very best design, hands down. Everyone has their own toilet, and how one takes care of it (or not), affects only that person.

I have changed my opinion 180 degrees on the toilet in the room, as the Viewliner roomette is configured.

Yuck with a cap Y!

Get that stink-factor OUT OF MY ROOM. Ever look at the area "around" the toilet, when the sun is shining in the window? I'll leave that to your imagination.

Let's just say that most males don't hit the target 100% of the time, even when standing still. Now add the train-movement factor in....

I won't go into detail, but put it rather bluntly. "There's pee and pee-spay" everywhere you don't want it to be in a Viewliner roomette. You just might not notice it.

 

[352]

Coming home from the gathering on 352 the wolverine this child was crying on and off throughout the whole trip and the mother even changed the child's diaper ON THE SEAT YUCK.

I'm curious where on the train you'd have her change the kid, I have never seen a changing table on the wolverine line.

 

[rrdude]

Coming home from the gathering on 352 the wolverine this child was crying on and off throughout the whole trip and the mother even changed the child's diaper ON THE SEAT YUCK.

I'm curious where on the train you'd have her change the kid, I have never seen a changing table on the wolverine line.

'Member, this topic was just asking about pet peeves, not really judging the merits of them, justifying, or explaining reason behind..........

As a father of five, that's the first thing I thought of too. Lord knows I've changed a diaper or two where I didn't want to.

Once you have kids, it's a whole other story on your "level of tolerance" for things other parents do / don't do / put up with.

I can't imagine anyone liking to hear a crying kid for four hours, or four days. But until you have walked-the-walk, (i.e. had kids) it's difficult to empathize with parents who are having "issues" with their kids.

Now, I'm not endorsing the mom/dad who basically "let their kids run rampant" and bug the shi* out of other paying pax, I'd like to slap those parents silly.

But a couple of years after my first kid was born, when I was on a plane alone, and a mom sat next to me with a crying infant, my level of understanding was a on such a different level, it's hard to explain.

 

[guest]

could go on about males with bad aim who leave the seat down but will leave it at that :angry2:

Now hold on a minute Missy, and that's exactly what you HAVE to do, HOLD On!

Of course I raise the seat, (just like every male who posts here, right?) but "aim" is tricky when traveling full speed, or over some rough track at slower speed.

Isn't that what your fancy GPS is for? :lol: