Those that work in restaurants with sit down service can choose the place they want to work. Many prefer to work at Denny's or IHOP verses say a Chili's or Olive Garden. Either location is hard work, but the tipping is generally better at the higher priced restaurants. Some Restaurants the servers share a portion of their tips with the bus boy helping them clear tables and the cooks in the kitchen. Now on Amtrak, the servers are paid a nicer salary and benefits, but the working conditions are different. Yes, they choose Amtrak instead of Olive Garden, but also, they are not home every night to be with family, to take care of family needs, so they care compensated for this inconvenience. Most people could not work the days/hours that the Amtrak staff works because they couldn't be away from their homes. The Amtrak staff have found a way to make it work so their can earn their wages and tips. I have found some terrific people working in the DC. Unfortunately, there are some who have a bad attitude that ruin the others. I tip the servers when they do a good job, are friendly, and especially when they remember me. Having traveled away from home for years and years, over 40 weeks a year, I understand the sacrifices that are made to support the family. Maybe, they have a child in school with ever possible dollar trying to pay the expenses because the available credit is almost maxed out. I don't have a lot of money, but I appreciate the service received and the effort required.
Working conditions certainly ARE different on a train. DC staff are often tasked with working all three meals. They have no choice but to work overtime, especially when trains are late. On LD runs they must be away from home up to six days in a row. They must balance those trays with the strength of a gymnast and the grace of a ballet dancer despite the rock/roll of a train on sometimes questionable track. They survive in a bureaucratic nightmare where creativity, once cherished, is now frowned upon--and where the employee handbook is literally 806 pages thick!. They get stiffed tip-wise a lot more often than wait staff in stationary restaurants do.
And despite all this, when I was younger I would have given anything to work on a LD train. Regrets. Never happened.
Other OBS staff work hard too, sometimes lucky to get four hours of sleep several nights in a row.
Even though they may make more per hour and get better benefits than many people, I don't begrudge anyone working on board Amtrak trains a decent tip unless they go out of their way to show me disrespect.