I returned today from my 7 night Amtrak marathon that started in Cleveland and encompassed traveling the Capitol Limited, Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, and the Lake Shore Limited. More on the trip will be in another post.
The reason for this is to know if anyone here has had or seen any troubles with the boarding agents at the gate in Chicago's Union Station. I have encountered and seen enough of a couple of those agents over the years that I go out of my way to use the Metro Lounge there, at an added expense that I don't normally need just to avoid those women. Unfortunately, it didn't work this time.
I was coming of a sleeper and connecting to the LSL but as a coach rider. I've done that before and get to board early as a user of the Metro Lounge. This time however, me and another woman, were escorted down to the platforms after the sleeper passengers but were told, nicely, to wait in the second waiting room and we would be escorted or allowed on the platform from there. After sitting, ignored, for 15 minutes while the boarding agent carried on a conversation with a maintenance worker, I went up and asked the person in charge how much longer it would be. Her comment was an indignant what was I doing in that waiting room. I told here we had been escorted from the Metro Lounge and were asked to wait there. She said, to go back, sit down and we would be told when to board. Later, she started over to the other waiting room to start allowing passengers to board. I stood up to get in the front of the line that was about to come in and she yelled across the room, in front of everyone, for me to take my seat. I told her I was just getting ready to get in line. Her comment was "no you weren't, you were heading for the platform". I guess another of her talents is mind reading. When I repeated that I was just getting ready to get in line, even though we were supposed to have boarded ahead of time she told me we were coach passengers and not entitled to anything of the kind. She then told me that there was a "misprint in the times table" concerning sleeper passengers riding coach in a subsequent trip being allowed to board early. In fact, she said its been a misprint for two years. I would love to find out if that is a true statement.
If I was wrong, then I accept that fact. But that woman was very rude and has no people skills at all. However, if I am right, I feel I should send a letter to the appropriate person concerning her behavior. She put a damper on what had been a very enjoyable experience extending over 5000 miles and 7 days. But, like I said, it's not the first time that I have seen such rudeness at that gate. I know it is a difficult job but as I've seen, they bring most of the trouble on themselves by playing little what my wife and I call "boarding ****s".
Any comments?
The reason for this is to know if anyone here has had or seen any troubles with the boarding agents at the gate in Chicago's Union Station. I have encountered and seen enough of a couple of those agents over the years that I go out of my way to use the Metro Lounge there, at an added expense that I don't normally need just to avoid those women. Unfortunately, it didn't work this time.
I was coming of a sleeper and connecting to the LSL but as a coach rider. I've done that before and get to board early as a user of the Metro Lounge. This time however, me and another woman, were escorted down to the platforms after the sleeper passengers but were told, nicely, to wait in the second waiting room and we would be escorted or allowed on the platform from there. After sitting, ignored, for 15 minutes while the boarding agent carried on a conversation with a maintenance worker, I went up and asked the person in charge how much longer it would be. Her comment was an indignant what was I doing in that waiting room. I told here we had been escorted from the Metro Lounge and were asked to wait there. She said, to go back, sit down and we would be told when to board. Later, she started over to the other waiting room to start allowing passengers to board. I stood up to get in the front of the line that was about to come in and she yelled across the room, in front of everyone, for me to take my seat. I told her I was just getting ready to get in line. Her comment was "no you weren't, you were heading for the platform". I guess another of her talents is mind reading. When I repeated that I was just getting ready to get in line, even though we were supposed to have boarded ahead of time she told me we were coach passengers and not entitled to anything of the kind. She then told me that there was a "misprint in the times table" concerning sleeper passengers riding coach in a subsequent trip being allowed to board early. In fact, she said its been a misprint for two years. I would love to find out if that is a true statement.
If I was wrong, then I accept that fact. But that woman was very rude and has no people skills at all. However, if I am right, I feel I should send a letter to the appropriate person concerning her behavior. She put a damper on what had been a very enjoyable experience extending over 5000 miles and 7 days. But, like I said, it's not the first time that I have seen such rudeness at that gate. I know it is a difficult job but as I've seen, they bring most of the trouble on themselves by playing little what my wife and I call "boarding ****s".
Any comments?
