Booze in the Sleeper Car

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vagabond

Train Attendant
Joined
Jul 5, 2008
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If I wanted to bring a bottle of wine on a cross country sleeper car trip do I need to be sneaky or is this no problem?

Funny the last minute details I’m starting to think about as my Sunset Limited trip quickly approaches …
 
vagabond said:
If I wanted to bring a bottle of wine on a cross country sleeper car trip do I need to be sneaky or is this no problem?
Funny the last minute details I’m starting to think about as my Sunset Limited trip quickly approaches …
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According to Amtrak:

Private stock:

You may bring aboard your own private stock of alcoholic beverages subject to the following limitations:

You may consume private stock alcoholic beverages only in Sleeping Car accommodations for which you have a valid ticket.

You may not consume private stock alcoholic beverages in any public areas.

Enjoy your SL trip.

Mike
 
as long as you drink it in your room your fine. if you try to drink it else where on the train. then theres going to be problems.
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
Or become drunk and walk about the train. But in that case, you're unlikely to get out of your car.
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walking drunk is hard enough try doing it on a moving train. although sense the train sways from side to side you make look normal :D

how to spot a drunk on a train. the only person who can walk on a moving train without grabbing onto something :D
 
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As my 1st grade teacher taught me, it is OK as long as you bring enough for everyone. :D
 
Tony said:
As my 1st grade teacher taught me, it is OK as long as you bring enough for everyone. :D
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And that was certainly true when I watched a couple get married in the Sightseer Lounge car as the Cardinal rolled through the New River Gorge a few years back. Free champagne for all the adults in the car! :)

The groom even brought the leftover champagne into the dining car at dinner later that night and again most of the sleeper car pax got some more free champagne with their dinner. :)

The only question I have is, "why would your first grade teacher tell you to bring booze at all, much less enough for everyone?" :unsure: :lol:
 
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AlanB said:
Tony said:
As my 1st grade teacher taught me, it is OK as long as you bring enough for everyone. :D
Click to expand...
And that was certainly true when I watched a couple get married in the Sightseer Lounge car as the Cardinal rolled through the New River Gorge a few years back. Free champagne for all the adults in the car! :)

The groom even brought the leftover champagne into the dining car at dinner later that night and again most of the sleeper car pax got some more free champagne with their dinner. :)

The only question I have is, "why would your first grade teacher tell you to bring booze at all, much less enough for everyone?" :unsure: :lol:
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On the EB- we had this crazy Russian who bought several hundred dollars of wine in the Diner, and brought it all back to our coach and pushed us all into having a glass.
 
KISS_ALIVE said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
Or become drunk and walk about the train. But in that case, you're unlikely to get out of your car.
Click to expand...
walking drunk is hard enough try doing it on a moving train. although sense the train sways from side to side you make look normal :D

how to spot a drunk on a train. the only person who can walk on a moving train without grabbing onto something :D
Click to expand...
I resemble that remark! :p When I took my one and only Crescent trip to Birmingham in July, I could walk just fine without holding on though I knew enough to be ready to hold on if there was a sudden jolt so I didn't fall on anybody so if anything happened, it'd be me getting hurt no one else.

BTW-Why doesn't Amtrak allow private alcohol in other parts of the train aside from the possibility of drunkeness and the smell? I don't drink now and probably never will, but I'm still curious.
 
They allowed it on the Adirondack when I rode a couple weeks ago. Bunch of people brought their own wine and cheese into the dome car.
 
vagabond said:
If I wanted to bring a bottle of wine on a cross country sleeper car trip do I need to be sneaky or is this no problem?
Click to expand...
Brought about a case and a half back with me from Oregon a few years back no problems.

Then again, they had a free wine tasting back then....
 
MattW said:
BTW-Why doesn't Amtrak allow private alcohol in other parts of the train aside from the possibility of drunkeness and the smell? I don't drink now and probably never will, but I'm still curious.
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They don't want private alcohol in public areas of the train (everything outside of your sleeper, according to yesterday's coach attendant) because they want to be able to cut you off. I imagine that there are liability problems involved. What I don't understand is why sleepers are excepted. Not that I'm complaining...

I'd argue that wedding champagne toasts and crazy Russians (especially crazy Russians) are the exceptions that prove the rule.

But back to Vagabond's original question: I always bring a portable bar on cross-country trips (gin, vermouth, whiskey, bitters, cocktail shaker, etc.), and have never had problems in sleeper class.
 
I'd argue that wedding champagne toasts and crazy Russians (especially crazy Russians) are the exceptions that prove the rule.
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He told us the KGB was after him so he couldn't take planes... that he could get on trains without being tailed though...
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
I'd argue that wedding champagne toasts and crazy Russians (especially crazy Russians) are the exceptions that prove the rule.
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He told us the KGB was after him so he couldn't take planes... that he could get on trains without being tailed though...
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Ok, now the story about Amtrak Special Agent Pat is starting to make sense... :blink:
 
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PetalumaLoco said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
I'd argue that wedding champagne toasts and crazy Russians (especially crazy Russians) are the exceptions that prove the rule.
Click to expand...
He told us the KGB was after him so he couldn't take planes... that he could get on trains without being tailed though...
Click to expand...
Ok, now the story about Amtrak Special Agent Pat is starting to make sense... :blink:
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Well, according to him. He was a USSR vet from the 1980 Afghan War and defected to the US during peristroyka. He and a few buddies got into US business... they did well but one of his buddies disapeared after a flight. Then a second. Then he said he found himself being tailed on a plane of his own. Thats when he started taking trains, because apparently the KGB can't track what train you're on...
 
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We had a fellow on the Southwest Chief coming from Los Angeles to a small town east of Kansas City and he was drunk in his room the entire trip including throwing up all over the wall and floor outside his Roomette.. Once in a while we could see him bleary eyed waiting for the rest room, he was in bad shape.

Going out on the Empire Builder last year we had a whole tour bunch from Puerto Rico and they were drinking from 7 a.m. until late at night the whole trip. Very loud and unruly.

Drinking is fine, please don't abuse it.

Way back in the early 70's on the Canadian National to Toronto from Chicago we had a woman removed from the train and left standing in a tiny town due to her over-abuse of alcohol and her determination to ride in the parlor car with a coach ticket. After several tires she was put off the train.. If I hadn't observed it I wouldn't have believed it.
 
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Larry H. said:
We had a fellow on the Southwest Chief coming from Los Angeles to a small town east of Kansas City and he was drunk in his room the entire trip including throwing up all over the wall and floor outside his Roomette.. Once in a while we could see him bleary eyed waiting for the rest room, he was in bad shape. Going out on the Empire Builder last year we had a whole tour bunch from Puerto Rico and they were drinking from 7 a.m. until late at night the whole trip. Very loud and unruly.

Drinking is fine, please don't abuse it.

Way back in the early 70's on the Canadian National to Toronto from Chicago we had a woman removed from the train and left standing in a tiny town due to her over-abuse of alcohol and her determination to ride in the parlor car with a coach ticket. After several tires she was put off the train.. If I hadn't observed it I wouldn't have believed it.
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so much for amtrak cutting you off if you drink too much.
 
MattW said:
KISS_ALIVE said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
Or become drunk and walk about the train. But in that case, you're unlikely to get out of your car.
Click to expand...
walking drunk is hard enough try doing it on a moving train. although sense the train sways from side to side you make look normal :D

how to spot a drunk on a train. the only person who can walk on a moving train without grabbing onto something :D
Click to expand...
I resemble that remark! :p When I took my one and only Crescent trip to Birmingham in July, I could walk just fine without holding on though I knew enough to be ready to hold on if there was a sudden jolt so I didn't fall on anybody so if anything happened, it'd be me getting hurt no one else.

BTW-Why doesn't Amtrak allow private alcohol in other parts of the train aside from the possibility of drunkeness and the smell? I don't drink now and probably never will, but I'm still curious.
Click to expand...

I imagine because they'd rather sell it to you! :eek: :p
 
Funny thing about rules. I can buy a Bud in the cafe car and drink it anywhere on the train. I can bring my own Bud and drink it in my room. I just can't bring my own Bud and drink it anywhere but my room.

So what beer brands are sold on board?
 
Ispolkom said:
They don't want private alcohol in public areas of the train (everything outside of your sleeper, according to yesterday's coach attendant) because they want to be able to cut you off. I imagine that there are liability problems involved. What I don't understand is why sleepers are excepted. Not that I'm complaining...
I'd argue that wedding champagne toasts and crazy Russians (especially crazy Russians) are the exceptions that prove the rule.

But back to Vagabond's original question: I always bring a portable bar on cross-country trips (gin, vermouth, whiskey, bitters, cocktail shaker, etc.), and have never had problems in sleeper class.
Click to expand...
Two points - 1) Any time there is a rule with an exception, then the rule is pointless. Like cellphones and driving. Unless you're a cop. Or a city worker. Or a school bus driver. Or between 34 and 42 years old on Thursdays. 2) Can folks really bring in their carry on that much booze to get smashfaced?

Finally, I suppose that if you're in a public area, then you wouldn't be consuming alcohol after the cafe closed, thus attempting to bring the BAC of the heavy-drinking coach pax to a level manageable by one attendant per two coaches. At least in a sleeper, you can really sleep it off without bothering anyone.
 
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