Several dining questions

[D.P. Roberts]

So what questions about dining on Amtrak are there?

As I'm boarding the SWC (roomette) in Albuquerque around 4:30 PM, what do you think of my having written down my dinner order ahead of time, handing it to him and negotiating a time I'd like to eat, when he scans my ticket,? Then I could hand him my breakfast order when he puts my roomette into 'night mode'?Or am I over thinking the process?

First of all, your room attendant will not be the person who scans your ticket - you'll need to wait for the conductor (or assistant conductor) to scan your ticket. Make sure that this actually happens, or you could be in danger of losing any connecting trips (if they don't scan your ticket then they think you're not onboard, and assume you won't be showing up for your remaining legs of the trip).

Secondly, it would be nice if most trains actually carried the items from the menus online. From my experience on busy summer trains, they usually run out of one of the items shortly into the first meal, or are missing them altogether.

For example, on my trip last summer on the (Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, and Southwest Chief) I was onboard for 11-12 meals where dessert is served (lunches & dinners). I was really looking forward to my favorite dessert, which was listed on the menu for all 3 trains. I never had it even once. And my favorite dinner (which was supposed to be on the EB) wasn't there either.

Honestly, there are only 4-5 choices for each meal, and if they're out of stuff you're often reduced to 2-3 choices. It's one of the reasons I recommend an early seating for meals - you're much more likely to get what you want.

 

[Guest]

If I'm an your waiter, and I give you good or excellent service, and you "stiff" me, or worse yet, drop a couple of pennies on the table, I am EAGERLY waiting for you to return. And I hope you are hungry, because it's gonna take an HOUR for your omelette, French Toast, or WHATEVER it is you ordered.

That sounds like some good anecdotal evidence of servers doing disturbing things to the food of passengers who do not tip. Intentionally making someone wait for their food longer than is necessary, is disturbing. Makes me wonder what else, even MORE disturbing a server might do because they think I 'SHOULD' tip.

Here's a tip: Non-tippers, bring your own food!

At least you will know what's in it.

 

[Bjartmarr]

Does anybody know what the salary is for the various OBS positions? Are the various positions which include the possibility of tips (SCA, dining car server) paid about the same as those which generally don't (coach attendant, cook)?

 

[neroden]

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2013/08/tipless_restaurants_the_linkery_s_owner_explains_why_abolishing_tipping.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/abolish-tipping_n_5991796.html

http://kitchenette.jezebel.com/kentucky-restaurant-utilizes-interesting-alternative-to-1587892563

http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a23132/why-tipping-should-be-illegal-15603180/

Tipping as a general practice needs to end.

As for Amtrak -- pay varies but those in the tipped positions are *on average* paid as much or more as the non-tipped positions.

I tip very well for exceptional service, where the employee did something which wasn't a job requirement. (After all, Amtrak isn't paying them for that!) For instance, the extremely kind car attendant who spent a substantial amount of time digging out the ingredients lists for the dining car food for me -- he deserved to get paid for that and Amtrak sure wasn't paying him to do it. But that's different.

 

[Ryan]

Tipping as a general practice needs to end.

What business of it is yours how I spend my money? If you don't want to tip, don't. Nobody is telling you how to spend or not spend your money. The least you can do is return the favor.

 

[JayPea]

Tipping as a general practice needs to end.

What business of it is yours how I spend my money? If you don't want to tip, don't. Nobody is telling you how to spend or not spend your money. The least you can do is return the favor.

THIS!!!!!!! Especially the "The least you can do is return the favor" part. I don't care if I am the last passenger in the history of Amtrak to tip, I'm going to, based on the SERVICE and not on the salary a person makes. I would never tell anyone they should tip. My advice would be for anyone to use their own judgement and nothing more. I know I'm getting crankier in my advancing years, coming from a long proud line of males on my dad's side of the family with volcanic tempers and all, but I get increasingly annoyed by people telling ME what I should do based on THEIR experiences. When it comes to tipping unless I'm asking to borrow the money so I can pay the tip it's no one's business but my own. :angry:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

When it comes to tipping unless I'm asking to borrow the money so I can pay the tip it's no one's business but my own.

I actually did borrow money from someone to leave a tip. I had left dinner early because I was not feeling well and when I got back to my room I remembered that I did not leave a tip and so I text one of my dining companions and ask them to leave a tip and I'd pay them back, which I did.

 

[KmH]

Does anybody know what the salary is for the various OBS positions? Are the various positions which include the possibility of tips (SCA, dining car server) paid about the same as those which generally don't (coach attendant, cook)?

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/4493-amtrak-coach-attendants-salary/

http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Amtrak-Train-Attendant-Salaries-E2912_D_KO7,22.htm

 

[Guest]

Tipping as a general practice needs to end.

People often seem to forget that we, the customers, GET something for the tipping culture: it, as a form of profit sharing, allows restaurants and other service establishments to keep open longer hours than they would otherwise. Since the hourly payroll is small, they can afford to be open during the slack hours between the meal rushes, when the income rate is low. If they had to pay the workers as much during the slack times as during the rushes, it would not be profitable to stay open during the slacks and we would all pay the price, having no or fewer services available during the slack times.

Of course, exactly none of this applies to Amtrak, which pays the service staff (relatively) high hourly wages, even for the hours the diner is closed, and nevertheless does not keep the diner open except during the rushes. For what it is worth, I tip Amtrak staff anyway, both in the dining car and in the sleeper.

Guest

 

[Alice]

So what questions about dining on Amtrak are there?

As I'm boarding the SWC (roomette) in Albuquerque around 4:30 PM, what do you think of my having written down my dinner order ahead of time, handing it to him and negotiating a time I'd like to eat, when he scans my ticket,? Then I could hand him my breakfast order when he puts my roomette into 'night mode'?Or am I over thinking the process?

You're overthinking it.

I agree completely with SarahZ and RyanS. I do look online at the menu before I travel (under the "Routes" section on the Amtrak website) to see what may be generally (generally because it could change a bit before the trip) available so I won't be dithering in the dining car deciding what to have and holding everyone up. But when you get on the train, if your SCA doesn't mention how dinner is handled, just ask.

Remember, one of the best things about the sleeper car is not having to worry about all the details--any question you have will be covered!

I do not think Crabby is overthinking this. As I recall, he will be having some or all of his meals in his room. My experience is the SCA has plenty of interruptions between taking my order and giving it to the dining car, and having that slip of paper (with first and second choices, and sometimes vague choices like "anything special or different") gives me the best shot at getting the meal I most want. I let them tell me when it is convenient, usually they will have a definite idea based on things like when they expect the kitchen to get busy or the rest of their workload, I just like to know about when it will be so I'm ready. Usually the SCA thanks me for making their job easier.

That said, Crabby, I think you are worrying too much about this trip. It will be fine no matter what. You are taking some great trains, San Diego is a wonderful place to vacation year-round, you'll sleep well enough, you won't starve, you'll have whatever help you need whether you transfer in LA or Fullerton (both beautiful and interesting depots). If you don't make the Surfliner you want, you'll make a different one. Add to that, you have a friend waiting to meet you. And I'll repeat, you are coming to San Diego, how much perfection do you expect in one life?!

 

[FormerOBS]

Amtrak diner staff paid "even for the hours the diner is closed"??????????

Staff is paid for the hours actually worked. O.B.S. staff is paid when the diner is closed before departure when they are working taking on new stock, during preparation of the car for service, securing & cleaning the car prior to arrival, etc. Staff IS NOT paid for their rest time enroute, nor for their layover time at a distant turnaround point. They are far away from home & family. They are not able to sleep in their own bed, with their spouse, but are not compensated AT ALL for this disruption of their lives. If anybody thinks O.B.S.. staff members are paid for these times when the diner is closed, they are very much mistaken. The pay of kitchen staff is slightly higher than that of the other diner employees because their work is more specialized, and it's understood that they don't receive tips directly. Nevertheless, most diner crews have an arrangement that gives some tips to the kitchen staff.

It's true that tips aren't required, and every Amtrak O.B.S. employee knows that. There are times when you're doing your best to do a good job and give good service, no matter that you're not home for your kid's birthday, or no matter that you aren't really in the mood to be Mr. Jovial to strangers whom you'll probably never see again. That's the nature of the job, and everybody knows it's something you have to adjust to. So when a passenger acknowledges the employee's efforts by offering a gratuity, it certainly is appreciated.

I responded on the evening of the 21st, but when I hit "Post", the 'puter froze up & I couldn't get it to do anything at all till a couple hours ago. I think it's because I didn't tip the Gremlins.

Tom

 

[FormerOBS]

Wasn't able to edit the above. Those "relatively high wages" should be kept in context. If you count all of the employee's time from the time he/she arrives at the Crew Base until released to go home, you will find a lot of unpaid hours when the employee has no ability to spend time as he prefers, and is too far away from home to participate fully in life, as others do. For example, an Auto Train employee's round trip involves about 45 hours from arrival at the Lorton crew base until release from that crew base on the third day. But that employee is paid for about 28-30 hours. These figures vary, depending on job title.

Context, Folks. Context.

"That's", as Paul Harvey said, "the rest of the story."

 

[Guest]

The rest of the story is: Amtrak employees aren't alone in unpaid time getting to and from work, and preparing for it. There are also many other jobs that require being away from home for days. Nothing special about Amtrak employee's in that regard. Stop yer crying or find a new gig.

 

[SarahZ]

The rest of the story is: Amtrak employees aren't alone in unpaid time getting to and from work, and preparing for it. There are also many other jobs that require being away from home for days. Nothing special about Amtrak employee's in that regard. Stop yer crying or find a new gig.

Oh, look. It's the food service version of Godwin's Law. I was wondering when that tired phrase would show up.

 

[Ryan]

More bold statements from an anonymous guest. Stay classy, random stranger.

 

[keelhauled]

So what questions about dining on Amtrak are there?

As I'm boarding the SWC (roomette) in Albuquerque around 4:30 PM, what do you think of my having written down my dinner order ahead of time, handing it to him and negotiating a time I'd like to eat, when he scans my ticket,? Then I could hand him my breakfast order when he puts my roomette into 'night mode'?Or am I over thinking the process?

You're overthinking it.

I agree completely with SarahZ and RyanS. I do look online at the menu before I travel (under the "Routes" section on the Amtrak website) to see what may be generally (generally because it could change a bit before the trip) available so I won't be dithering in the dining car deciding what to have and holding everyone up. But when you get on the train, if your SCA doesn't mention how dinner is handled, just ask.

Remember, one of the best things about the sleeper car is not having to worry about all the details--any question you have will be covered!

I do not think Crabby is overthinking this. As I recall, he will be having some or all of his meals in his room. My experience is the SCA has plenty of interruptions between taking my order and giving it to the dining car, and having that slip of paper (with first and second choices, and sometimes vague choices like "anything special or different") gives me the best shot at getting the meal I most want. I let them tell me when it is convenient, usually they will have a definite idea based on things like when they expect the kitchen to get busy or the rest of their workload, I just like to know about when it will be so I'm ready. Usually the SCA thanks me for making their job easier.

Yeah but on the other hand the SCA is not always the one who actually scans the tickets. And besides, if he tries to "negotiate" times with the SCA while in the process of boarding he's just gonna hold up the whole line. A piece of paper is probably a good idea, but just hand it to the SCA when he comes around to introduce himself after the train has left and is on its way.

 

[FormerOBS]

I don't think I was crying. In fact, I distinctly DO NOT recall having to wipe away any tears when I wrote that last night. I said "everybody knows it's something you have to adjust to." And I never made any complaint about not being paid for the time spent going to and from work because I don't know of anybody who is. That's something our anonymous guest brought up. I simply said the idea of inflated pay for O.B.S. employees is, in itself, an inflated notion of reality. The job is not easy, and it's not a get rich quick scheme. For the entire time I worked at Amtrak I understood that I was only being paid for about 2/3 of the time that my life was under the control of Amtrak. I accepted it and didn't complain. I'm not complaining now --- just stating the mathematics of it.

I repeat, tips are not required, but they are certainly appreciated. Don't read anything else into it.

I stayed on that job for over 25 years because I really liked it and I was good at it. I loved my co-workers and my passengers, although there were some of both who tried my patience at times. Like now.

Tom (Yes, I have a name. Don't you?)

 

[Bob Dylan]

PANTS on FIRE!! 5 PINOCCIHOS!!!

Seriously??? Once again I'm amazed that an anonymous " Guest" bashes hard working employees that actually do the work!

And pulling made up figures out of the air such as the $100K+ per year for OBS, is either an evil troll working for the Koch Brothers, the masters of the "Big Lie", or a moron that believes crap like that that they read on the internet and hear on hate radio and tv!

Since when is $40-50K, the Average OBS compensation, an exhorbiant salary?

Even here in Low Wage Austin, Texas where 40% of the people live in poverty and have no health care, the median income is 66K+ which means 40% of the people make 80% of the money! And of course the top 10% in this country make and have 90% of the wealth, most of which is taxed as capital gains or NOT TAXED @ all!

I'm waiting on the usual suspects to support the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour ( over 50% of whom are working adults, not teenagers starting out!), or even eliminate it, which gives a person an income of over 14K a year, truly LOTS of MONEY! And as for Health care,Pensions, Sick Leave, Vacation, Holidays etc., " Let them eat Cake!"

Disclaimer: I'm one of those retired civil servants with a guaranteed pension and good health insurance, only took me 40+ years of working for less than the median income to earn it, guess I' m just one of those welfare leeches you hear about on Rush's show!

( he makes $50+ Million a year, so what he says must be true!!)

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

if he tries to "negotiate" times with the SCA while in the process of boarding he's just gonna hold up the whole line. A piece of paper is probably a good idea, but just hand it to the SCA when he comes around to introduce himself after the train has left and is on its way.

That's my idea. Somewhere I read that the SCA "orients" me to the roomette and it's features. I thought that would be the time to hand him my meal request (not during the actual boarding).

 

[FormerOBS]

Thanks, Jim.

Recently a fellow told me with a straight face that President Obama was going to pass a law (any fifth grader should be able to tell you Presidents don't pass laws and this President can't get the lawmakers to give him the time of day) that would require everybody to vote in every election. I told him in no uncertain terms how preposterous that was. He said it must be true because he heard it on the radio.

People should remember that some of these figures about compensation are distorted by a few factors. It's been said that Amtrak RR workers make more money than their counterparts in other countries. However, that compensation includes such contractually guaranteed items as health insurance, retirement, etc. Even so, Amtrak employees do contribute significantly to these things, so that the employer's contribution is far from 100%. In other countries there are government social programs that provide health care, housing, pensions, and other similar services. So it is not necessary for the Railway to provide them or pay the employee sufficiently to provide them for himself and his family. Therefore, the overseas RR employee can receive a smaller paycheck and still enjoy a similar or better quality of life.

I also agree that very hard-working people receive lower pay than many Amtrak employees. Nobody should construe my comments to imply that I think those folks' employers are justified in victimizing them that way.

As for the question about whether dining car staff do anything to "sabotage" food or slow down the service to non-tippers (possibly posed by the same unnamed guest), I'd rather just let you keep on wondering about that. Why spoil the fun by answering?

Tom

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

if he tries to "negotiate" times with the SCA while in the process of boarding he's just gonna hold up the whole line. A piece of paper is probably a good idea, but just hand it to the SCA when he comes around to introduce himself after the train has left and is on its way.

That's my idea. Somewhere I read that the SCA "orients" me to the roomette and it's features. I thought that would be the time to hand him my meal request (not during the actual boarding).

That does sound very sensible. I'm sorry, Crabby--I didn't realize about your eating mainly in your room. But the most important point still is to enjoy the trip and not worry! I overthink everything in "real life," but the minute I get into my roomette, I stop worrying until I get off the train again!

 

[OBS]

Crabby- my suggestion, having worked a few sleeping cars, would be to just let him know you would like to eat in your room when he comes around and that he would probably prefer to wait and worry about your order when you are ready to eat...He can then update you as well to any changes there may be on the menu, etc...

 

[SarahZ]

Crabby- my suggestion, having worked a few sleeping cars, would be to just let him know you would like to eat in your room when he comes around and that he would probably prefer to wait and worry about your order when you are ready to eat...He can then update you as well to any changes there may be on the menu, etc...

This is why I said Crabby may be overthinking it. It wasn't meant to be a criticism.

I've heard SCAs tell disabled passengers, as they greet them, that they will come around to get their orders. The SCA sometimes has to juggle several requests to eat in-room, and (as others have mentioned) certain menu items may not be available by the time you order, so it's best to let the SCA take the wheel on this one.

 

[OBS]

Totally agree Sarah...

 

[Anderson]

Just a gentle reminder not to feed either the trolls or the guests who wander in and post rudely.