Should they make the bed?

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DowneasterPassenger

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
May 9, 2009
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344
Location
Portland Maine
My companion and I had a wonderful trip to California that included a mostly very pleasant segment on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Los Angeles. I guess the Starlight is running a later schedule now, because it was roughly 11am to 11pm. Anyway we booked ahead and got the roomette for a reasonable price, partly because I wanted her to experience the Pacific Parlor car and partly because we just go to bed early and thought sleeping from sunset to midnight would be a good idea, before arriving in LA and transferring to our hotel.

Unfortunately the sleeping car attendant never came by to make up our bed. I folded down the two seats so we could lay down. The attendant was nowhere to be found. I looked in the upper bunk and found what appeared to be the dirty sheets and mattress used by someone the night before. We ended up laying down for a few hours of sleep on the unmade beds.

I wondered if it was standard procedure to leave the sleeper beds unmade unless the trip is a full overnight?
 
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My companion and I had a wonderful trip to California that included a mostly very pleasant segment on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Los Angeles. I guess the Starlight is running a later schedule now, because it was roughly 11am to 11pm. Anyway we booked ahead and got the roomette for a reasonable price, partly because I wanted her to experience the Pacific Parlor car and partly because we just go to bed early and thought sleeping from sunset to midnight would be a good idea, before arriving in LA and transferring to our hotel.

Unfortunately the sleeping car attendant never came by to make up our bed. I folded down the two seats so we could lay down. The attendant was nowhere to be found. I looked in the upper bunk and found what appeared to be the dirty sheets and mattress used by someone the night before. We ended up laying down for a few hours of sleep on the unmade beds.

I wondered if it was standard procedure to leave the sleeper beds unmade unless the trip is a full overnight?
Next time if the SCA is MIA, seek out the conductor, and ask him/her to "find" the SCA, and then ask the SCA to make up your bed.(s). It's in their job description. Now, if kids (adults) are constantly using bed, putting away, using, etc., there is a time when the SCA can just say no, but under your circumstances, it seems they were remiss.
 
I often take the Capital Limited from DC to Pittsburgh in sleeper. The train leaves DC somewhere around 5 p.m. and gets into Pittsburgh about midnight. The attendant always makes the bed for me while I am at dinner. There is also a call button in the sleeper to summon the attendant. I am sorry yours was a no-show, but there is no policy saying beds are only to be made up for overnighters.
 
If your journey was to end at 11pm (you departed), then I could envision that you were considered to be a "day trip" occupant of the roomette. With that, there is no clean sets of bedding put on-board, and the SCA isn't expected to convert your roomette to the night-time configuration.
 
:hi: One of those Invisible SCAs, :ph34r: that is rare on the CS IME! Please call Customer Relations :help: and report the details of your less than stellar service, you paid for First Class service, sounds like you got Zero Service! You may or may not get a Voucher for this but at the least they can make sure that Management on this route is aware of the Slacker SCA and perhaps will take action to either improve their performance or even give them the boot! :excl: Really no excure for this that I can see! :angry2:
 
If your journey was to end at 11pm (you departed), then I could envision that you were considered to be a "day trip" occupant of the roomette. With that, there is no clean sets of bedding put on-board, and the SCA isn't expected to convert your roomette to the night-time configuration.
While I've no doubt that the attendant would be happiest if those on board did not want their beds down, as the attendant is required to remake those beds before they leave the train, the simple reality is that as a paying customer you are entitled to the use of the beds even if you're only on board for a few hours in the afternoon.

And he most certainly should have had clean bedding, as again he had to make up all the beds before he can go home himself that night.
 
If your journey was to end at 11pm (you departed), then I could envision that you were considered to be a "day trip" occupant of the roomette. With that, there is no clean sets of bedding put on-board, and the SCA isn't expected to convert your roomette to the night-time configuration.
That's "baloney Tony". (it just came to me)
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They damn well better have enough linen to re-make that bed, several times as a matter of fact.

IF they really want to get anal about it, they can check the manifest, and see how many unique riders they will have for each room (ette)

I've never been in a sleeper that didn't go "home" without extra linen still ava.
 
So sorry to hear of your lack of service. My last time out, despite delays on several legs, my SCA's on all five legs were fantastic, and I wrote and told Amtrak so. Good service needs to be brought to Amtrak's attention as much as poor service does. In relation to your post, my first and shortest leg was Mt. Pleasant, IA to Chicago, generally can be done in about five hours. Anyway, my SCA (Don) comes by for the usual intro after I board and tells me after lunch he can come by and put my bed down if I wanted to take a nap before Chicago. I NEVER sleep in daylight hours on the train so there was no need to take him up on it, but I was impressed with the offer just the same. :cool:
 
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That's "baloney Tony". (it just came to me)
laugh.gif
laugh.gif
They damn well better have enough linen to re-make that bed, several times as a matter of fact.
Where would they keep all this extra linen? I have traveled on the Viewliners quite a few times over the years, and I have never seen very much in the way of clean spare linen in that small closet between the roomettes and the bedrooms.

Are the SCA really suppose to convert all the roomettes into beds, even for passengers scheduled to depart during the evening hours (ie, not expected to sleep)? I am not saying that if a SCA was asked to, they should say "no", but rather if the SCA should be expected to do this without being asking? I bring that up because the OP was complaining that it didn't happen automatically, not that they asked and were flatly refused.
 
That's "baloney Tony". (it just came to me)
laugh.gif
laugh.gif
They damn well better have enough linen to re-make that bed, several times as a matter of fact.
Where would they keep all this extra linen? I have traveled on the Viewliners quite a few times over the years, and I have never seen very much in the way of clean spare linen in that small closet between the roomettes and the bedrooms.

Are the SCA really suppose to convert all the roomettes into beds, even for passengers scheduled to depart during the evening hours (ie, not expected to sleep)? I am not saying that if a SCA was asked to, they should say "no", but rather if the SCA should be expected to do this without being asking? I bring that up because the OP was complaining that it didn't happen automatically, not that they asked and were flatly refused.
In addition to the closets, we used to keep a bag or two in the roomette we were assigned to. But, I must add, I never worked a Viewliner...

But there is far more room on a train that meets the eye.
 
I would just make it myself if the SCA is not around. It's not that hard to do (assuming the sheets/blanket on the matress on the top bunk are not left over from the previous passengers in that roomette).
 
Sorry to hear about your sub-par experience. Sounds like the SCA screwed up royally. If you call Amtrak you might get some sort of voucher toward future travel after explaining the lack of sleeper service you experienced for a supposedly "first class" sleeper ticket. I know it's not fun but calling in these sorts of complications to headquarters is an important part of getting better service down the road. The more this costs Amtrak in time and vouchers the more seriously they'll take it in the future. You didn't choose to be ignored by your SCA, but you can still choose to do something about it.
 
Are the SCA really suppose to convert all the roomettes into beds, even for passengers scheduled to depart during the evening hours (ie, not expected to sleep)? I am not saying that if a SCA was asked to, they should say "no", but rather if the SCA should be expected to do this without being asking? I bring that up because the OP was complaining that it didn't happen automatically, not that they asked and were flatly refused.
No, on a train run like the one being discussed here with a late arrival, the SCA shouldn't just go setup every bed just in case. And in fact doing so would probably upset a lot of people, I know that I wouldn't be happy to find my room converted to beds in this case.

But the SCA most certainly should be around and should if requested, put down the beds for anyone making such a request under the circumstances being discussed here. A really good SCA would be sure to offer to do up the beds to all their passengers.
 
My companion and I had a wonderful trip to California that included a mostly very pleasant segment on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Los Angeles. I guess the Starlight is running a later schedule now, because it was roughly 11am to 11pm. Anyway we booked ahead and got the roomette for a reasonable price, partly because I wanted her to experience the Pacific Parlor car and partly because we just go to bed early and thought sleeping from sunset to midnight would be a good idea, before arriving in LA and transferring to our hotel.

Unfortunately the sleeping car attendant never came by to make up our bed. I folded down the two seats so we could lay down. The attendant was nowhere to be found. I looked in the upper bunk and found what appeared to be the dirty sheets and mattress used by someone the night before. We ended up laying down for a few hours of sleep on the unmade beds.

I wondered if it was standard procedure to leave the sleeper beds unmade unless the trip is a full overnight?
Usually the rooms would have been made up by your boarding at 11:00 a.m. Maybe the previous passanger only detrained in Emeryville or Oakland.

I took the CS SEA-LAX in February during its revised schedule. On the final day of travel, I let my SCA now that I would like the bed down after dinner. It was no problem. This was a request you could have made when boarding in Oakland.
 
My companion and I had a wonderful trip to California that included a mostly very pleasant segment on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Los Angeles. I guess the Starlight is running a later schedule now, because it was roughly 11am to 11pm. Anyway we booked ahead and got the roomette for a reasonable price, partly because I wanted her to experience the Pacific Parlor car and partly because we just go to bed early and thought sleeping from sunset to midnight would be a good idea, before arriving in LA and transferring to our hotel.

Unfortunately the sleeping car attendant never came by to make up our bed. I folded down the two seats so we could lay down. The attendant was nowhere to be found. I looked in the upper bunk and found what appeared to be the dirty sheets and mattress used by someone the night before. We ended up laying down for a few hours of sleep on the unmade beds.

I wondered if it was standard procedure to leave the sleeper beds unmade unless the trip is a full overnight?
Usually the rooms would have been made up by your boarding at 11:00 a.m. Maybe the previous passanger only detrained in Emeryville or Oakland.

I took the CS SEA-LAX in February during its revised schedule. On the final day of travel, I let my SCA now that I would like the bed down after dinner. It was no problem. This was a request you could have made when boarding in Oakland.


I have a roomette on the Texas Eagle leaving Chicago in June...... SHOULD I pack a couple of twin sheets just in case? :huh:
 
My companion and I had a wonderful trip to California that included a mostly very pleasant segment on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Los Angeles. I guess the Starlight is running a later schedule now, because it was roughly 11am to 11pm. Anyway we booked ahead and got the roomette for a reasonable price, partly because I wanted her to experience the Pacific Parlor car and partly because we just go to bed early and thought sleeping from sunset to midnight would be a good idea, before arriving in LA and transferring to our hotel.

Unfortunately the sleeping car attendant never came by to make up our bed. I folded down the two seats so we could lay down. The attendant was nowhere to be found. I looked in the upper bunk and found what appeared to be the dirty sheets and mattress used by someone the night before. We ended up laying down for a few hours of sleep on the unmade beds.

I wondered if it was standard procedure to leave the sleeper beds unmade unless the trip is a full overnight?
Usually the rooms would have been made up by your boarding at 11:00 a.m. Maybe the previous passanger only detrained in Emeryville or Oakland.

I took the CS SEA-LAX in February during its revised schedule. On the final day of travel, I let my SCA now that I would like the bed down after dinner. It was no problem. This was a request you could have made when boarding in Oakland.


I have a roomette on the Texas Eagle leaving Chicago in June...... SHOULD I pack a couple of twin sheets just in case? :huh:
Absolutely NOT!

There is no need to burden yourself with packing add'l sheets, towels, or washcloths, Amtrak provides that, plus soap. All you need are your personal hygiene items: Toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, "girl stuff",
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etc., etc..........

Of course, if this is your first trip, there are some GREAT THREADS here on items you might want to consider bringing, like a small flashlight, slippers (for midnight run to the potty) hand sanitizer, power strip, (good idea for any trip, yet I always forget) etc., etc.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I will certainly now try writing a letter to Amtrak!
I hate to say it, but I don't think Amtrak responds to most letters at this point. I'm not sure they even read them. And it's quite doubtful that they take any specific action as a result of receiving them. That's not to say it's impossible to contact Amtrak, just that you're probably better off calling them. For whatever reason that's the easiest way to get their attention. Even if they only give you a ten dollar voucher or something I'd still consider that a victory. If nothing else it will create a paper trail that might finally come back to haunt the staff member who went MIA.
 
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