attendant nowhere to be found and I had to make my own bed

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Mar 24, 2017
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We were on an overnight train. The attendant greeted us at the first station. Finished dinner at about 7:50pm. By 10pm, we were ready for bed. However, we felt very stupid and couldn't figure out how to lower the top bunk. None of the other passengers had their door open, so we couldn't ask for help. Another 30 minutes went by, we went up and down the train... finally found the conductor(?) who said she would get the attendant to help us. Another hour went by, nobody showed up. Eventually, we managed to get the top bunk down and finally went to sleep.

So.... here's my question. Were we supposed to do that ourselves? Or was the attendant to do it?(or at least show us how?)

Getting off the tomorrow afternoon.. good night!
 
Were we supposed to do that ourselves?
No, you should not have been left alone with no option but to do it yourselves.

Or was the attendant to do it?
Yes, the attendant should have volunteered to do it for you without requiring you to ask or inquire with anyone. Making and stowing beds is a core function of the sleeper attendant's job.
 
We had an experience on the Autotrain once where the attendant disappeared and didn't come back to put the beds up in the morning. Never had one disappear for the bed put down. Just to be sure the tipping protocol has changed. We usually tip the SCA when the bed goes down and when it goes back up. Normal times to put the bed down are after dinnertime to 10PM. After 10PM most SCAs want to call it a day but stay up to received passengers along the way. If the manifest shows no passengers will be boarding for a while, some SCA's will take a short rest or even sleep. You have a call button in your room for the SCA. Did you use it?
 
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We had an experience on the Autotrain once where the attendant disappeared and didn't come back to put the beds up in the morning. Never had one disappear for the bed put down. Just to be sure the tipping protocol has changed. We usually tip the SCA when the bed goes down and when it goes back up. Normal times to put the bed down are after dinnertime to 10PM. After 10PM most SCAs want to call it a day but stay up to received passengers along the way. If the manifest shows no passengers will be boarding for a while, some SCA's will take a short rest or even sleep. You have a call button in your room for the SCA. Did you use it?
I thought the 'protocol' was to tip the attendant, as you detrain, at the conclusion of your trip? :unsure:
 
On my most recent trip on the Sunset (Febuary this year) I was in the Transdorm. The sleeper attendant from the sleeper next door greeted me when I boarded the train, and I never saw her again. I came back from dinner, left my door open, and from 8:30 - 9:30 never saw her (I would Ocassionally look into the sleeper one car back to see if She was there but I never did. At 9:30 I rang the call button... No one ever came. I rang the bell again and finally about 10:00 one of the servers from the dining car (remember I was in the dorm) came and asked if I needed anything and she was really nice and put my bed down for me.

- oh yeah... I tried to make the bed myself (I know how to do it), there was no bedding in the upper bunk so I couldn't!

Now that is far from typical, I've gotten pretty lucky and had mostly good to great service in the sleepers.
 
Generally, the SCA locates them selves in Room 1 if there isn't anything they need to do. Unfortunately, I have run across some SCA that go "Off Duty" at 9PM and will do nothing after that point. They are very polite and helpful until locked into room 1. It is rare, but in all my travels I have run across the SCA MIA. Not only did I not tip him, but I contacted Customer service to report him.

In the dorm car, I learned that the Call Button only rings in the Dorm Car unless a switch is pressed by the OBS in the Dorm Car to also ring in the adjoining sleeper. I have found that the SCA for the adjoining sleeper has a tendency to forget the few extra rooms in that car. Maybe because there are few rooms occupied on many trips, maybe because the SCA is trying to handle all the requests in the full sleeper.
 
I once had an SCA greet me and introduce himself as the EB left Chicago. The next time I saw him was when we arrived into Portland ar the door looking for his tip - 3 days later! :eek: We had to set our bed both at night and reset it in the morning ourselves both days! (Yes, I know how to do it.)

He received no tip, but he did get a letter to Customer Relations! (Actually I sent it to the President of Amtrak, because it was so out of the ordinary - along with all the other things that happened during that trip - and I received a personal call! :) )
 
I've had a SCA who I only seen once when boarding. I boarded the train, went to the diner had dinner. I had to make my bed and he was supposed to get me thirty minutes before my stop but I travel the route often so I looked out and we were ten minutes out. No sign of him. We arrive in the station no sign of him for five minutes. So I popped the trap put my stuff on the ground. Buttoned it up and shut the door behind me. Only then did he come to ask how I got off and put his hand out. Do not follow my example
 
I too was wondering if you pressed the Call button in your room?
That was the first thing we tried... but after pressing it several times, nothing happened... that's when we went and found the conductor... then nothing... didn't want to go hunt the conductor again because didn't want to be seen as troublemakers. :D

the SCA was still a no show during breakfast AND lunch... so we had to make out own beds and return them back to sitting position this morning.

I am so tempted to use the Soup Na-zi's voice(from Seinfeld) and shout "NO TIP FOR YOU" at the end of the journey... but I'm afraid the SCA won't be there to hear it anyway. :( Maybe I'll just write it on a post-it.
 
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I have always had pretty good luck with the SCA letting down and making up the beds. The few times I have tried to do it I have noticed that it is not that easy, and if you are getting old (like me) you can hurt your back. Wonder how Amtrak would respond to a back injury from a passenger who had to put down his bed because the SCA was not around? That could get interesting.
 
I have always had pretty good luck with the SCA letting down and making up the beds. The few times I have tried to do it I have noticed that it is not that easy, and if you are getting old (like me) you can hurt your back. Wonder how Amtrak would respond to a back injury from a passenger who had to put down his bed because the SCA was not around? That could get interesting.
it's a good thing that I have my family attorney's phone number on speed dial on my phone. I didn't put his name in the contact list, instead, I put "Ambulance" as his name. If I say "Hey, Siri, call Ambulance" then it goes straight to my attorney without me having to touch the phone.
 
If the SCA asks for a tip and doesn't deserve one. I normally say "Why do deserve a tip?" Especially when they disappear.
well.. what you know.. the SCA showed up at my door just 10 minutes before

my stop and said "aren't you glad the delay is only 4 hours and not 5 hours?"

I smiled and said "we slept sitting upright all night because we didn't know how

to fold down the beds and couldn't find you...we emailed Amtrak customer

relations this morning..."

I did leave 20 as a tip. Yup, a 20 paper bill... Swedish kronor, which I always

carry for situations like this. (which is about 2 US dollars) Sometimes the

bad waiters/waitresses had no idea and think that Swedish money was worth

a lot of money... wish I could see their faces when they go up to one of those

Travelex currency exchange booths at airports(do they even have those at

train stations in the US?)

oh, and the Swedish 20 kronor bills also have a picture of and old woman

who looked like she was thinking "You think you deserve a tip!!!???" I got

a bunch of them when I was travelling in Sweden a few years ago. :)

Now I always carry a few, just in case of bad waiters/waitresses and

last but not least, bad Amtrak SCA! :)

(see pic attached and you'll see what I mean)

sweden_sr_20_kronor_2014.00.00_bnl_pnl_b_101772170_f.jpg
 
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I have some decades-old Swedish kroner, which I tried to spend last summer in Stockholm. Clerk said those old bills were no longer legal tender -- I would have to take them to a special bank hq to exchange them, and then only if I had a mininum currency amount, which I don't.

So these 100 kroner bills will make good tipping agents for NON-service rendered in the future.
 
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I have some decades-old Swedish kroner, which I tried to spend last summer in Stockholm. Clerk said those old bills were no longer legal tender -- I would have to take them to a special bank hq to exchange them, and then only if I had a mininum currency amount, which I don't.

So these 100 kroner bills will make good tipping agents for NON-service rendered in the future.
some bad waiters actually seem happy to get

Swedish 20 kronor bills from me... probably

because it's like a novelty to them. :)

I kind of thank the Swedish people for opting

out of the Eurozone. :D
 
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Susan, seems interesting you did not name the overnight train.
since I just got off the train, I don't want to risk the chance of

being identified by the SCA who may or may not read this forum?

This makes no difference. So what, if he does read this forum? Given such poor service, I think he would not even bother to do so.

And, if you had an issue with this SCA, your fellow train mates likely did as well.
 
I've had a SCA who I only seen once when boarding. I boarded the train, went to the diner had dinner. I had to make my bed and he was supposed to get me thirty minutes before my stop but I travel the route often so I looked out and we were ten minutes out. No sign of him. We arrive in the station no sign of him for five minutes. So I popped the trap put my stuff on the ground. Buttoned it up and shut the door behind me. Only then did he come to ask how I got off and put his hand out. Do not follow my example
I obviously agree that he shouldn't have done what you did, but please, for everyone's sake, don't do that again. If you sat in the station for five minutes you had time to look for an open door.

I'm not trying to be nasty, but regardless of what he did, you set an incredibly bad example. Just because you work excursions and you know how to use the trap doors doesn't mean you should. You should know better than many others, don't touch the equipment unless you're part of the operating crew or you are asked to do so in an emergency situation. Even as an employee for Amtrak, I will not touch the emergency handle (on Amfleet I's to open the door), nor would I dream of opening a trap unless I'm asked. I'm pretty sure it could be considered illegal to do so, if only to keep yourself from being injured, or any other passengers who may come along and try to detrain.

Anyway...I definitely hope you handled things through the proper channels when you got home. Sorry for your experience.
 
I've had a SCA who I only seen once when boarding. I boarded the train, went to the diner had dinner. I had to make my bed and he was supposed to get me thirty minutes before my stop but I travel the route often so I looked out and we were ten minutes out. No sign of him. We arrive in the station no sign of him for five minutes. So I popped the trap put my stuff on the ground. Buttoned it up and shut the door behind me. Only then did he come to ask how I got off and put his hand out. Do not follow my example
I obviously agree that he shouldn't have done what you did, but please, for everyone's sake, don't do that again. If you sat in the station for five minutes you had time to look for an open door.
I'm not trying to be nasty, but regardless of what he did, you set an incredibly bad example. Just because you work excursions and you know how to use the trap doors doesn't mean you should. You should know better than many others, don't touch the equipment unless you're part of the operating crew or you are asked to do so in an emergency situation. Even as an employee for Amtrak, I will not touch the emergency handle (on Amfleet I's to open the door), nor would I dream of opening a trap unless I'm asked. I'm pretty sure it could be considered illegal to do so, if only to keep yourself from being injured, or any other passengers who may come along and try to detrain.

Anyway...I definitely hope you handled things through the proper channels when you got home. Sorry for your experience.
You're talking to the guy who claims to carry Amtrak keys and volunteer to "fix" issues. I doubt he's going to listen to you about opening a door.

However... I agree. :)
 
If the SCA asks for a tip and doesn't deserve one. I normally say "Why do deserve a tip?" Especially when they disappear.
well.. what you know.. the SCA showed up at my door just 10 minutes before

my stop and said "aren't you glad the delay is only 4 hours and not 5 hours?"

I smiled and said "we slept sitting upright all night because we didn't know how

to fold down the beds and couldn't find you...we emailed Amtrak customer

relations this morning..."

I did leave 20 as a tip. Yup, a 20 paper bill... Swedish kronor, which I always

carry for situations like this. (which is about 2 US dollars) Sometimes the

bad waiters/waitresses had no idea and think that Swedish money was worth

a lot of money... wish I could see their faces when they go up to one of those

Travelex currency exchange booths at airports(do they even have those at

train stations in the US?)

oh, and the Swedish 20 kronor bills also have a picture of and old woman

who looked like she was thinking "You think you deserve a tip!!!???" I got

a bunch of them when I was travelling in Sweden a few years ago. :)

Now I always carry a few, just in case of bad waiters/waitresses and

last but not least, bad Amtrak SCA! :)

(see pic attached and you'll see what I mean)

sweden_sr_20_kronor_2014.00.00_bnl_pnl_b_101772170_f.jpg
I gotta be honest. You're a great troll for that! Kudos!

I've had a SCA who I only seen once when boarding. I boarded the train, went to the diner had dinner. I had to make my bed and he was supposed to get me thirty minutes before my stop but I travel the route often so I looked out and we were ten minutes out. No sign of him. We arrive in the station no sign of him for five minutes. So I popped the trap put my stuff on the ground. Buttoned it up and shut the door behind me. Only then did he come to ask how I got off and put his hand out. Do not follow my example
I obviously agree that he shouldn't have done what you did, but please, for everyone's sake, don't do that again. If you sat in the station for five minutes you had time to look for an open door.
I'm not trying to be nasty, but regardless of what he did, you set an incredibly bad example. Just because you work excursions and you know how to use the trap doors doesn't mean you should. You should know better than many others, don't touch the equipment unless you're part of the operating crew or you are asked to do so in an emergency situation. Even as an employee for Amtrak, I will not touch the emergency handle (on Amfleet I's to open the door), nor would I dream of opening a trap unless I'm asked. I'm pretty sure it could be considered illegal to do so, if only to keep yourself from being injured, or any other passengers who may come along and try to detrain.

Anyway...I definitely hope you handled things through the proper channels when you got home. Sorry for your experience.
I do agree. If you were to get hurt and try to turn on Amtrak it wouldn't go far.
 
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