westbound from DEN, observation car: what if I have to pee?

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Norm DePlume

Guest
High season, I think (Sep. 1). I wanted to do the first couple of hours at least in the observation car.

Will I lose my seat if I go to the toilet?

And when should I go to get a seat...before train even leaves DEN?
 
If you're only going to be away from your seat a short period (5-15 mins), leave a sweater or jacket on your seat & maybe mention to the person next to you that you'll be right back so they can "watch" your seat.

Yes, I would get to the lounge before you leave Denver.
 
What is the protocol, so to speak, about occupying the SSL? In other words, is it considered rude or greedy to stay there for three hours? I'm thinking that since it's FC/FS, that long would be acceptable, but not all day, for example (unless several seats remain empty). What are the generally accepted guidelines, if there are any?

Thanks~
 
I would say after an hour or two, if it looks like people are looking for seats, maybe give up your seat at that time. Of course, I was so busy looking out the windows, I wasn't paying attention to people coming or going. :eek:
 
The more annoying thing is people who take up more than one seat, or block the tables so that they cannot be shared when there is a demand for the scenery.
 
What is really Annoying is when Oldsters (Definition: Anyone Older than me! :giggle: )either Fall Asleep in their Chair or Table in the Lounge or put Something on the Seats or Table to "Reserve" them while they Go to Eat, Take a Nap etc. and are Gone for a Long Period of Time! Another is when Hermits that don't want People around Hog a Table or Seat and in some instances tell a Lie that it's "Saved" for Someone who Never Appears! :help:

The Best Part of the Scenery on this Part of the Route IMO is the Climb up the Front Range out of Denver and the Trip through the Tunnels to Glenwood Springs which takes about 6 Hours from Denver! Lunch is served during this Time and one should give up their Seats or Table while going to the Diner! ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What corks me is when in high demand areas such as Donner Pass people take up valuable Lounge Car space beating on a computer or video game or watching a movie when folks are wanting to get in and actually watch the scenery.

PPC aside, I find the Lounge seats get rather uncomfortable after an hour or so encouraging me to move elsewhere. Now I do enjoy spending much of my time on the Coast Starlight in the PPC but after an hour or so in the swivel chairs I'll move to the booths or couchettes if the car is crowded and give someone else a chance to relax in the nicer chairs.
 
I think the best way to behave in this situation is to look at it from someone else's point of view.

If you wanted to sit in the SSL during the pretty scenery, but all the seats were full, would you want people to stay there all day? Or, would you want them to give other people a turn?

If you wanted a seat, even for just an hour or so, and you saw someone get up to go to the diner for lunch or dinner, would you want them to leave their stuff on their seat to prevent anyone else from taking it, or would you want to be able to sit there?

This situation, like almost all train travel etiquette questions, can be answered in the same manner - simply treat people as you would want to be treated.
 
DP, my thoughts exactly, but I just wondered what the generally-accepted guidelines were (2 hrs? 3? 30 min.? etc). I would never try to hold a seat if I were going to be gone longer than a couple of minutes, or try to stay there all day. I can't imagine anyone thinking it would be OK to actually take up two seats! Or use the car for playing video games. But I'm sure that happens at times.

I have accumulated enough AGR points for a bedroom and am hoping it also provides pretty good viewing. At least on the Viewliners, there's a window to the hall and then another window on the outer wall across the hall, so you have some degree of viewing out both sides of the train from the H unit, and IIRC the bedrooms as well. But the unanimous opinion on AU seems to be the SSL is the very best viewing.

Thanks~
 
I would not leave my coat if I were going to the restroom. The SSL is pretty busy, and I'd feel weird "saving" my seat when I know others are waiting. I wouldn't jump back into my place in line at a venue if I left to use the restroom either, and I feel like it's kind of the same principle.
 
Well, as a former elementary school teacher, by the time I need a restroom break, it would be past time to give up my seat anyway! (The occupation demands well-trained bladders.) I'm not so worried about the restroom break; was thinking more about like buying a drink or something there when I mentioned the couple of minutes.

I'm surprised no one told the OP, "By the time you need to pee, it's time to give up your seat." ??
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just remember, it's not your seat. It's an open seat to be shared in a public area. I probably wouldn't do it, and wouldn't recommend doing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if that sweater left to "reserve" the seat somehow slipped off on to the floor.
 
Sorcha said:
D.P. Roberts said:
This situation, like almost all train travel etiquette questions, can be answered in the same manner - simply treat people as you would want to be treated.
Click to expand...
Fixed that for you. :)
Click to expand...
Precisely!

crescent2 said:
Well, as a former elementary school teacher, by the time I need a restroom break, it would be past time to give up my seat anyway! (The occupation demands well-trained bladders.) I'm not so worried about the restroom break; was thinking more about like buying a drink or something there when I mentioned the couple of minutes.
I'm surprised no one told the OP, "By the time you need to pee, it's time to give up your seat." ??
Click to expand...
I'm reminded of yet another elementary school phrase (my wife is an elementary school teacher). As her kids always say, "If you move your feet you lose your seat!"
 
Right, and if you push, you go to the back of the line!

Of course I know it's not "my" seat. Likewise, technically, it's not anyone else's seat either, but I think everyone understood what was meant. I get the manners thing.

My rear probably won't lift from the seat until it's time for me to leave. Water is my preferred drink and I'll likely have a small bottle with me. I doubt I'll need a potty break. I just wondered what the generally accepted time frame ("What do most of the Romans do?") was for sitting in the SSL, as it's apparently a popular spot on the CZ. And the OP had asked about what to do when a restroom break is needed, so I thought the time frame question was closely related.

Depending on circumstances at the time of course, I'll probably try A-Blue's one to two hour suggestion. I pinky-promise not to hog the SSL!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OlympianHiawatha said:
What corks me is when in high demand areas such as Donner Pass people take up valuable Lounge Car space beating on a computer or video game or watching a movie when folks are wanting to get in and actually watch the scenery.
PPC aside, I find the Lounge seats get rather uncomfortable after an hour or so encouraging me to move elsewhere. Now I do enjoy spending much of my time on the Coast Starlight in the PPC but after an hour or so in the swivel chairs I'll move to the booths or couchettes if the car is crowded and give someone else a chance to relax in the nicer chairs.
Click to expand...
:cool: :hi:
 
I don't know if it's THAT popular. There are always seats on the "wrong side" that you could turn your head around at. I spend most of the time on trips in the lounge car, and by that I mean almost everything but meals during daylight hours and napping if I get bored with the scenery. But I generally do sleeper trips towards the off season.
 
I mostly travel the popular western trains during busy summer travel season. I rarely spend any time in the LSL because I usually have a really hard time finding a seat. Most of the time, if my wife and I go together, we usually can't even find seats together. So, when I finally do find a seat, I feel bad keeping it for too long, watching everyone else "hovering" for a seat.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
jimhudson said:
What is really Annoying is when Oldsters (Definition: Anyone Older than me! :giggle: )either Fall Asleep in their Chair or Table in the Lounge or put Something on the Seats or Table to "Reserve" them while they Go to Eat, Take a Nap etc. and are Gone for a Long Period of Time! Another is when Hermits that don't want People around Hog a Table or Seat and in some instances tell a Lie that it's "Saved" for Someone who Never Appears! :help: The Best Part of the Scenery on this Part of the Route IMO is the Climb up the Front Range out of Denver and the Trip through the Tunnels to Glenwood Springs which takes about 4 Hours from Denver! Lunch is served during this Time and one should give up their Seats or Table while going to the Diner! ;)
Click to expand...
Travel time on the CZ between Denver and Glenwood Springs is closer to 6 hours than 4 hours.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top