Everyone has their favorite story of the fascist-in-training Amtrak Employee. Well, here's one who works for Southwest Airlines:
https://gma.yahoo.com/family-booted-off-southwest-airlines-dad-tweeted-rude-233427897--abc-news-travel.html
Now, I will say that this Dad isn't blameless: From what I can read, he was apparently bending the rules on preboarding. But in his defense, I would say(1) the rule is stupid, and (2) the rule wasn't clear, because the rude gate agent allowed him to board the plane early with his kids, and (3) I generally think that in **most** cases bending these sort of rules is perfectly OK. The problem started when he tweeted the incident before takeoff, specifically naming the gate agent. (But first name only, which means this won't follow her through life in google.) That was stupid, he should have waited until after he was on the ground at the end of the flight. However, the airline made it worse by condoning this obvious case of petty personal payback on the part of the rude gate agent. And this was on Southwest Airlines, which, in my opinion, usually has decent quality service and help, at least as compared to the other discount airlines.
The closest I've seen to such a performance on Amtrak was on a very crowded Silver Star a couple of years ago, when a conductor with a bad attitude got into an altercation with a passenger with a bad attitude over the fact that the diner space for coach passengers was filled up, so the passenger and his family were out of luck regarding dinner. (I got screwed that way, too, I happened to be in the cafe car for a drink, so I added a pizza to my order when I heard the announcement, which wasn't heard in our coach because the PA wasn't working.) Anyway, at least Southwest let the guy and his kids fly; the guy on the Silver Star, and his family were put off the train at and unscheduled stop in southside Virginia, and the "taxi" that met them has flashing red and blue lights. I didn't hear the words that were spoken between the conductor and this passenger, so I can't judge whether what the conductor did was justified.
I personally think this is an unpleasant spinoff from 9/11. The first time in decades of traveling that I encountered employees on a power trip was in October 2001 waiting in an endless line in SFO waiting for a flight home with my family (including a cranky 10 year old). Some folks in the line started complaining to an airline employee who was moving people ahead in some sort of arcane system that appeared to give some people an advantage over others. The airline employee then threatened the complainers with arrest. That really made me feel warm and fuzzy bout United Airlines. (The argument we had with the gate agent about our reservations didn't help, either, but in the end, they let us all on the plane, so I guess at least at that point, gate agents hadn't yet gotten the idea they could intimidate the cattle, I mean passengers, with fearmongering about "safety." I tell you, it's getting to the point that you risk arrest by showing the least little bit of anger.
Anyway, this is what Amtrak is competing with.
https://gma.yahoo.com/family-booted-off-southwest-airlines-dad-tweeted-rude-233427897--abc-news-travel.html
Now, I will say that this Dad isn't blameless: From what I can read, he was apparently bending the rules on preboarding. But in his defense, I would say(1) the rule is stupid, and (2) the rule wasn't clear, because the rude gate agent allowed him to board the plane early with his kids, and (3) I generally think that in **most** cases bending these sort of rules is perfectly OK. The problem started when he tweeted the incident before takeoff, specifically naming the gate agent. (But first name only, which means this won't follow her through life in google.) That was stupid, he should have waited until after he was on the ground at the end of the flight. However, the airline made it worse by condoning this obvious case of petty personal payback on the part of the rude gate agent. And this was on Southwest Airlines, which, in my opinion, usually has decent quality service and help, at least as compared to the other discount airlines.
The closest I've seen to such a performance on Amtrak was on a very crowded Silver Star a couple of years ago, when a conductor with a bad attitude got into an altercation with a passenger with a bad attitude over the fact that the diner space for coach passengers was filled up, so the passenger and his family were out of luck regarding dinner. (I got screwed that way, too, I happened to be in the cafe car for a drink, so I added a pizza to my order when I heard the announcement, which wasn't heard in our coach because the PA wasn't working.) Anyway, at least Southwest let the guy and his kids fly; the guy on the Silver Star, and his family were put off the train at and unscheduled stop in southside Virginia, and the "taxi" that met them has flashing red and blue lights. I didn't hear the words that were spoken between the conductor and this passenger, so I can't judge whether what the conductor did was justified.
I personally think this is an unpleasant spinoff from 9/11. The first time in decades of traveling that I encountered employees on a power trip was in October 2001 waiting in an endless line in SFO waiting for a flight home with my family (including a cranky 10 year old). Some folks in the line started complaining to an airline employee who was moving people ahead in some sort of arcane system that appeared to give some people an advantage over others. The airline employee then threatened the complainers with arrest. That really made me feel warm and fuzzy bout United Airlines. (The argument we had with the gate agent about our reservations didn't help, either, but in the end, they let us all on the plane, so I guess at least at that point, gate agents hadn't yet gotten the idea they could intimidate the cattle, I mean passengers, with fearmongering about "safety." I tell you, it's getting to the point that you risk arrest by showing the least little bit of anger.
Anyway, this is what Amtrak is competing with.