Rode the Sunset Limited 05/28 from Chicago to LA. Sleeping car attendant Peggy advised us she was under orders to sequester the ice (we were told we would have to ring for her and request a cup of ice every time we needed some) and limit access to bottled water.
I've ridden Amtrak long distance trains (as recently as Nov. 2013) over 13,000 miles now (over the past 3 years) and I have never EVER had this occur. Was it just a case of having a 'control freak tip seeker' as a room attendant or has anyone else encountered such a thing recently?
This wasn't the only problem I had with this dreadful woman. I'll give you details if you wish, but meanwhile I'd like to hear your thoughts, please & thanks!
My wife and I were on this same train and I must say your evaluation of Peggy is quite odd. We found her very friendly and accommodating. There was always water available including that which she dropped off in our room. She sat and talked with us on several occasions. We did not require ice so I cannot speak to that situation. I did find several of the passengers in our car to be rather demanding and rude. I guess it just depends on how you approach a person.
Our car attendant on the eastbound SWC was also a nice guy and did have ice in a large styrofoam cooler on the shelf. I have problems with a public ice source since we had a couple of yahoos in our car who were coughing and drinking heavily while getting their cache of ice each day. Would rather see the ice sequestered. He did keep extra bottles of water in his room but they were available to grab if you needed more or requested additional bottles.
Yes , there seems to be an inconsistency among attendants.