Riding Long Distance Alone

[cassie225]

Oh I forgot to mention we are on a viewliner. Last time my daughter didn't enjoy so much, but this time she said she bought games for us- Phase 10, travel monopoly and we will get Uno. She stayed in the room last time because her walking is very unsteady and we'll the train rocks , but she said she will go to lounge car and not just stay in the room. Coming up I had adopted grandson- he's 6 and his mom. They went back on the plane. Asked which ride he enjoyed more- plane or train- his answer TRAIN!! Even though it was almost 30 hours on the train. He loved it!! When he got back home he did a report and had pictures. I'm wearing them down. His mom loved it also-she said it was so relaxing.

 

[guest]

The H room on a Viewliner is a great compartment, and the top bunk isn't bad. It has its own window. Enjoy the Crescent!

 

[tim49424]

Actually, for the disabled, the H-room is priced the same as a roomette.

Last year I rode with my mom on the Empire Builder, she had H and I got a roomette, and she paid about $200 less than I did for her trip. I even traveled less miles as she had a round trip from CHI-PDX and I boarded in TOH.

This year, my mom, my sister and I are headed west on the EB, then south on the CS and east on the CZ, they have H and my mom paid for her room out to PDX with AGR, so I have nothing to compare my fare to. However, when you pay for a two zone trip in a sleeper, roomettes and H are indeed the same cost, 20,000 points.

Advice for those riding in H. After the SCA turns down your bed and leaves, lock your door until you wake in the AM. Two years ago, I was alone in H and a few minutes after bedtime, while I was drifting off to sleep, another male passenger opened my door by mistake. He thought it was another restroom. He apologized and closed it. Actually, we saw each other a couple days later at PDX Union Station and he recognized my walker and again apologized for his mistake. We both had a good laugh about it and discussed our trip until my ride came to pick me up.

 

[Swimmingcat]

Actually, for the disabled, the H-room is priced the same as a roomette.

Last year I rode with my mom on the Empire Builder, she had H and I got a roomette, and she paid about $200 less than I did for her trip. I even traveled less miles as she had a round trip from CHI-PDX and I boarded in TOH.

This year, my mom, my sister and I are headed west on the EB, then south on the CS and east on the CZ, they have H and my mom paid for her room out to PDX with AGR, so I have nothing to compare my fare to. However, when you pay for a two zone trip in a sleeper, roomettes and H are indeed the same cost, 20,000 points.

Advice for those riding in H. After the SCA turns down your bed and leaves, lock your door until you wake in the AM. Two years ago, I was alone in H and a few minutes after bedtime, while I was drifting off to sleep, another male passenger opened my door by mistake. He thought it was another restroom. He apologized and closed it. Actually, we saw each other a couple days later at PDX Union Station and he recognized my walker and again apologized for his mistake. We both had a good laugh about it and discussed our trip until my ride came to pick me up.

I learned at least once to always knock gently on restroom doors (lower level Superliners) before entering -- unless the door is obviously ajar -- I think I surprised someone in one who had not latched the door while they were using it . I think there's a 'vacant-occupied' sliding indicator on the outside but sometimes they're hard to read. I could see how one could think the "H" room is another restroom since it's at the end of that short corridor of restrooms IIRC. I'm glad it was something you could laugh about later!

 

[SarahZ]

Some of the doors have lights instead of a word, and they're hard to see with the hall lights reflecting on them. I always knock, especially since some people don't lock the doors anyway. Even though it's their fault, I'd still feel bad if I opened the door on someone.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

In coach, the "end room on the superliner's is a dressing room with a bathroom inside it. I had a little old man come in on me while I was dressing and said, oh sorry, I will just sit here and wait. He actually sat down on the little couch that was in there. I told him to get the hell out. He said, oh I am sorry were you dressing. Luckily I had just finished dressing when he walked in.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Sometimes the Restroom/Shower latches don't work. A friend I was riding with opened what he thought was a vacant Shower and there stood a woman completely raw, He said he couldn't get that door closed fast enough. That night at Dinner we were seated with a very pleasant woman and enjoyed nice conversation over the meal but Glenn seemed shy and apprehensive. It turns out that was the woman he walked in on :blush:

 

[tim49424]

Some of the doors have lights instead of a word, and they're hard to see with the hall lights reflecting on them.

Half of them when I've been on board were burned out, making them useless.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Sometimes the Restroom/Shower latches don't work. A friend I was riding with opened what he thought was a vacant Shower and there stood a woman completely raw, He said he couldn't get that door closed fast enough. That night at Dinner we were seated with a very pleasant woman and enjoyed nice conversation over the meal but Glenn seemed shy and apprehensive. It turns out that was the woman he walked in on :blush:

Several years ago on the EB not one single restroom lock worked. The TA said he knew about it. There were lots of embarrassed pax on that trip!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Sometimes the Restroom/Shower latches don't work. A friend I was riding with opened what he thought was a vacant Shower and there stood a woman completely raw, He said he couldn't get that door closed fast enough. That night at Dinner we were seated with a very pleasant woman and enjoyed nice conversation over the meal but Glenn seemed shy and apprehensive. It turns out that was the woman he walked in on :blush:

Several years ago on the EB not one single restroom lock worked. The TA said he knew about it. There were lots of embarrassed pax on that trip!

That would seem to be a pretty important maintenance item. Did they at least put up signs informing passengers that the doors were not lockable and that they should knock first?

 

[SarahZ]

Some of the doors have lights instead of a word, and they're hard to see with the hall lights reflecting on them.

Half of them when I've been on board were burned out, making them useless.

One of the worst SCAs I've ever had saw me tapping lightly on the shower room door. He got all snarky and said, "The light would be ON," to which I replied, "I don't like to assume. It's polite to knock first."

Which reminds me. I need to write that trip report. It's the first time I've skipped tipping an SCA.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

Whenever I go into the bathroom or shower, I double-check to make sure the door is latched. But sometimes that doesn't work, either. On my last trip, when I opened the shower curtain after my shower, I saw someone elses toiletries on the counter. Apparently, the lock had vibrated open. Someone had come in while I was showering, put their stuff down and left. Gave me kind of a creepy feeling!

But the next morning, I walked in on someone else in that same shower room. She said, "I KNOW I locked that door! I even double checked it".

One word - DUCT TAPE! (OK, 2 words!)

 

[iggy]

"Creeps are rare on Amtrak trains"

Not sure I would fully agree with that statement. That being said I have seen plenty of single women travel in coach and sleepers without incident. Since starting actively riding Amtrak since 2006 - I have only seen a couple of situations - some could have been handled better.

It was pointed out above that with a roomette you have the option to lock your door. In every case when I have ridden the locks on these doors work. Just be careful you can easily pinch a finger when locking. Bathroom locks can be hit and miss. Keep in mind many times the locks work - but it is easy to think they are secured when they are not - good to get in the habit of double checking. On a recent Lincoln Service trip a young woman didn't fully lock the door - light did work when properly locked. Since the door was not locked properly it kept sliding open. Hopefully the young man in front of the door was her boyfriend / husband - if not he definitely got a view. I've been on both ends of the bathroom lock issue - once when I didn't get the door fully secured and another when I didn't knock - saw no light and opened the door. Knocking may sometimes annoy some passengers - better than opening a door on them while they are busy - I'm sure that would aggravate them more.

Many sleeper attendants will be happy to bring your meals to your room - be sure to tip kindly if you choose this option. If you aren't into the diner community seating or having to eat with strangers. Most dinner companions - although strangers can turn into great conversations.

Also keep in mind in sleepers there are less people to deal with - so less chance of incidents. There is also the diner and observation cars ( on most routes ) in-between sleepers and first coach car.