Water, coffee, general train excitement.

[Ryan]

The FDA rules as they apply to Amtrak have nothing to do with their government subsidy.

 

[VentureForth]

So, shouldn't they be applied to private enterprise? In other words, are all these coffee houses that let you use your own mug in violation of the FDA?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Amtrak has some special regulations applied to them as a result of some sorta anti amtrak crackdown that happened, I think under Bush.

 

[Ryan]

They are applied to private enterprise.

There's a whole set of rules on when and where you're allowed to reuse containers. It can be done under certain conditions. Obviously Amtrak doesn't feel that they meet those conditions and don't want to get shut down, so they insist on a fresh cup.

Other places either meet the conditions or aren't as concerned about violations.

 

[Ryan]

Amtrak has some special regulations applied to them as a result of some sorta anti amtrak crackdown that happened, I think under Bush.

I'd love to hear the details of that.

 

[dlagrua]

I bring along several paper coffee cups, some tea bags, Starbucks instant espresso coffee and a 200 watt immersion heater. The outlets on an Amtrak train will not support much more than about 300 watts before the circuit breaker trips. Typical immersion heaters can use 800 watts or more. Those will definitely blow the breaker. Always READ the label of any appliance before plugging it into a room receptacle.

 

[OBS]

Amtrak has some special regulations applied to them as a result of some sorta anti amtrak crackdown that happened, I think under Bush.

I'd love to hear the details of that.

The whole issue, including 5000 rules and regulations, was implemented in the early/mid 90's when the FDA was forced to step in and crack down on Amtrak management, who had become indifferent regarding both rodent control and insuring there was working refrigeration onboard Amtrak food service cars. Both issues had become sooo out of control that the agreement negotiated with Amtrak involved the threat of jail for Amtrak management if the issues were not brought under control.

After the agreement with the FDA was negotiated, OBS employees were flooded with pages of new rules, including the above coffee cup issue, as well as no longer warming baby's bottles, heating passenger's food, etc, etc.

 

[Karl1459]

I am a tea drinker, so I can tell you that there is NO hot water for tea available in the sleepers. The only reasonable way to get hot water is to go to the Cafe (downstairs in the Sightseer Lounge car), and ask for it.

(begin rant/) Even if you have your own container, they will put the hot water in an Amtrak paper cup. Then they have to account for the cup (check "hot water given away" on their list of exceptions). They do it this way even if you are getting a "refill" (more hot water, but using the original tea bag and cup) on a cup of tea that you purchased. It's a disgusting waste of time and resources for a cup of hot water, but their archaic accounting system and pathalogical fear of inside theft drive the system. (/end rant).

I think there are some exceptions to the rule that the only way to get hot water is to go to the cafe car (but it sounds like none of them apply to you):

1. You can go the Pacific Parlor Car (but only if you are in sleeper on the CS), and the attendant will usually fill your own cup with hot water quite cheerfully.
2. If a certain SCA named Charles (who I had on the EB a couple of years ago) is yours, you are very lucky, because he has an electric teakettle, which he keeps full and ready to plug in, in roomette #1 (along with a bunch of other goodies to enliven your trip).
3. You can ask your SCA to go to the cafe and get it for you (but I would never do this unless I were too disabled to go myself, and I would expect to tip for the service).

I always have my own thermal mug and tea bags with me for the trip, but I bow to the inevitable if I can't find an easy way to get hot water. For me, the inevitable is to relax in the Lounge Car with a hot Lipton tea (with lemon and sugar, which I never put in *good* tea). Not so bad after all!

I suspect the issue with a new cup has something to do with health and sanitation regulations, each state is different so Amtrak would have to follow federal rules or the most anal state rule.

Maybe I'll just light a camp fire in my roomette and boil a kettle. Won't use any electricity that way! Yes/no? Frowned upon maybe?

Seriously though, I'm going to look into lower-watt immersion heaters. I saw a few on amazon, just wish they got better reviews!

OT, We had a family friend, long passed, who flew DC-3's as a pilot about 1948 for United Airlines cargo/charter ferrying often nomadic jews from Iraq and Iran to Israel, and muslims back. Long story short on one flight there was fire next to a cargo door with a fresh goat roasting...

 

[Guest]

...

But the standard sleeper urn coffee is OK with me. Nothing special, but it does the job.

+1

 

[Big Iron]

Dear god this is so retarded. If you don't like the steak do you bring your own beef and a grill to cook it?

Thanks for your mature input. You really know how to make a newbie feel welcome I'm sure you already know this, but a French press looks like this:

ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1397435018.874308.jpg

It's not like it's a Mr. Coffee machine (or a steak and accompanying George Foreman).

And it makes a great cup of coffee.

 

[Cina]

And it makes a great cup of coffee.

Yes it does! Better quality and no pesky filters

As far as regulations, it doesn't surprise me that Amtrak has special ones imposed by the FDA; that explains the stringent adherence to quirky rules. It's still annoying though, like when you have to wind your way through all those velvet ropes at the bank when there's no one else in line.

 

[Slasharoo]

Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.

 

[me_little_me]

Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.

Starbucks? My sympathies.

 

[roger]

Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.

Starbucks? My sympathies.

I suppose you prefer Folgers Instant and CoffeeMate? :giggle:

 

[Green Maned Lion]

No, I assume he prefers good strong coffee, as opposed to the dishwater Starbucks or Dunkin turn out.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Starbucks has been serving burnt coffee for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure if it's the roasting stage or the brewing stage that's messed up but it tastes horrible to me. Which I suppose is why everyone orders some sort of flavoring to make it more palatable. I'm not even close to being a coffee snob and I cannot drink Starbucks. It's a mystery to me how it became so popular.

 

[tricia]

Starbucks has been serving burnt coffee for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure if it's the roasting stage or the brewing stage that's messed up but it tastes horrible to me. Which I suppose is why everyone orders some sort of flavoring to make it more palatable. I'm not even close to being a coffee snob and I cannot drink Starbucks. It's a mystery to me how it became so popular.

Young friend of mine used to call Starbucks "Charbucks."

 

[PRR 60]

Hmm. How do you explain how some of us really, really like Starbucks coffee? Maybe because people have individual tastes, and when it comes to what a person likes, there is no right or wrong.

 

[Guest]

PRR 60 is right, of course. There's no accounting for taste. Me, I think Starbucks tastes like oil sump drippings. But I know people who love the taste of oil sump drippings. Vive la difference.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Drinking pre-brewed Starbucks black and liking it remains a rare quality in my experience. The Starbucks that everyone raves about is full of candy flavored additives and barely tastes like coffee at all. There's no shame in that, to be fair, but let's not pretend it's about good quality coffee.

 

[Cina]

Agreed; I buy all my coffee from a local coffee house/roaster. They have some dark roasts, but Starbucks doesn't taste dark or strong, just bitter. I usually drink coffee black but if I have to stoop to Starbucks I have to get some sort of latte.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Wegman's espresso beans are a good starting point.

 

[oregon pioneer]

My husband's brother-in-law owns a coffee roaster on an island in Washington state. He is also a trained chef. He says Starbucks scorches its coffee for the same reason that chain restaurants produce mediocre food: it's easier to maintain unifoirmity over a large supply chain that way.

Some folks like Starbucks (like my sister back east). As for myself, I will drink a Starbuck's latte if that's all that's available, but I lovelovelove Bro-in-law's coffee, and try to buy from a small shop if possible. If they serve scorched coffee, I just don't go back.

 

[Cina]

Aaand as I type this I'm drinking gas station coffee because i left my good hot thermos-full at home when I left for work. Living in a small town has it's perks, but readily available quality coffee isn't one of them. I think I'll pack my french press and coffee, but who knows if I'll actually have the gumption to go get hot water and brew it. This is the line in the sand between snobbery and laziness :lol:

 

[me_little_me]

Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.

Starbucks? My sympathies.

I suppose you prefer Folgers Instant and CoffeeMate?

No. I drink good coffee - black and no sweetener. If you can't drink coffee like that, you are not drinking coffee; you are drinking coffee masked by milk, cream, sugar and/or artificial ingredients - aka Staryucks.

Your comment does remind me of a visit to my relatives in Italy. My cousin asked if we wanted a latte. Knowing how much the Italians treasure their coffees and how they make them with pride and care, I couldn't wait for my first homemade Italian latte!

What a comedown to find out she heated a cup of milk in the microwave and added instant coffee!