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bgiaquin

Service Attendant
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
219
Location
Minnesota
Devil's Advocate first brought up creepy seatmates and people you might have to sit by in the now locked "Two seats for one person" thread, so that prompted me to start a new thread about seatmates whether they were weird, creepy, rude, smelly, annoying, interesting or anything else you want to use to describe them. I have one good story. Coming home to MN from Whitefish on the EB I had to sit next to an oil worker going to Minot. He got on in E. Glacier and of all people he sat next to me. He drank Jack Daniels and chewed his gross tobacco all day long and talked to me about how many women he has had. Aint he a real character? Would anyone else care to share their stories?
 
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On the way home from ABQ a few years ago, I had a window seat to myself all the way from ABQ to Trinidad. Hooray!

In Trinidad, however, two young, Amish (maybe Mennonite?) men boarded. One was placed next to the gentleman in front of me, and the other was placed next to me.

I'm not sure what their religion states about talking to/sleeping next to a woman not of their faith/culture, or a woman in general even, so while I was sorting through the possible awkward situation in my brain, the smell hit me. The young man next to me smelled like a mixture of body odor and something I still can't identify. It was strong.

I knew there was no way I could survive that all the way to Chicago, and I felt bad that they were separated, so I asked if he and his friend/brother/whatever would like to take my seat and then I would sit next to the other gentleman. They didn't speak English, so I communicated in a series of hand gestures. They nodded to me and seemed grateful.

I could still smell it all the way home, so relaxing/sleeping was difficult. I spent a lot of time with my face buried in my blanket. My seatmate kept asking if I was cold. :D
 
Some time ago while in the Navy, I was on the San Diegan (I think-shortly before Amtrak) headed home to Los Angeles from San Diego. A middle-age woman sat next to me and offered to share her flask. Must be that "man in uniform" thing! Anyway, I was all of 19 at the time and declined. Older women wasn't my thing then!
 
I thought I was so smart taking the front seat with all the floor space in front of it. I had both seats to myself and hoped to get a decent night's sleep.

Got up to get lunch in the café and got back to a huge and not-so pleasantly fragrant seatmate (who I'll call King).

I finally told King that I'd move back because I'd like two seats (the car was half empty), but he said no, he'd move. I felt bad for him because he really needed that front space and I didn't but he insisted on moving.

Then I realized that I was right next to the restrooms that would be busy all night. It was not a great night.
 
My favorite seat mate was the very cute young woman on the Lake Shore Limited who kept falling asleep on my shoulder during the night, even to grasping my arm, and waking up with an embarrassed start every hour or so. She would move as far away from me as she could (and I don't blame her; I'm a homely septuagenarian) but soon creep back and resume snuggling up. I didn't mind. Having a pretty young lady lean against me was not exactly a terrible thing. In the morning she apologized profusely and red-facedly and asked the conductor to give her another seat. She wouldn't look me in the eye all the way to New York. Poor thing.
 
Coach LAX to PDX several years ago had a lady next to me suffering an anxity attack. After figuring out what was going on I was able to get her to talk (just talk... and talk...) and this keept her calmed down. Fortunatly for my ears she got off about San Jose.
 
I have many memorable seatmate stories but guess I go with this one:

On a traveler inspired "Loophole" AGR trip from KWD-CBS ( 1 Zone Award) upon arrival into PDX we found out the the #28 Sleeper was bad ordered and that wed have an improvised "sleeper" from PDX-SPK! We were placed in the rear of the #28 Coach (it was a SOld Out Sleeper), given our delicious Box Dinner by the SCA and prepared to Roll out for SPK where we would be moved to one of the #8 Sleepers! I was lucky cause I had no seatmate!

Just as the horn and the " all aboard!" call sounded, a really huge guy in a jump suit waddled down the aisle, threw a bag in the overhead and set down on the aisle seat next to me!

He had two six packs of beer ( I think it was Olympia) and offered me a beer which I politely declined! He proceeded to pop a top and swig down a couple with appropriate sound effects and then we started chatting, the usual train small talk! By the time we stopped in Vancouver across the River he had slurped down Twp more beers and eaten one of the box dinners and asked me if I wanted mine???

After finishing off the first six pack he went to sleep and started snoring loudly along with a few grunts, groans and passing of gas! The Coach was full so I got up and went to the Lounge for some fresh air ( LOL) where I proceeded to eat my dinner!

In a few minutes the SCA came through the lounge and I asked him about this guy and he told me that he was a freight engineer on this route who was dead heading to SPK and a frequent rider!

By the time we got to SPK ( On Time! Those were the days!) the guy had finished the other six pack and the SCA woke him up! I grabbed my stuff, de-trained and headed up the platform to the Seattle Section which had arrived early! (believe it or not!) The SCA had a manifest, asked mey name and told me room 8 in the Sleeper next to the Diner! ( I was the first one to arrive and board!) As things progressed there were more passengers with Bedrooms from the PDX Sleeper than there were Bedrooms so the unlucky ones were assigned Roomettes either in the Transdor or one of the three SEA Sleepers! ( it was August)

I heard much complaining in the Sleepers, Diner and Lounge during the Journey to CHI from those displaced from their Rooms on the #28 Sleeper!

Me? I was glad to have a room and received a nice Voucher for $300 for future travel from AGR and also was allowed to stay in my room from CBS-CHI for the On Time Arrival! ( Those were the days my friend!)
 
Many years ago, I was on the LSL (in coach :eek: ) when a beautiful young woman sat in the aisle seat next to me. It was late at night (this was the old schedule) so it may have been like TOL or CLE. Because i had the window seat, I offered her to switch seats. She thanked me but said she wasn't going to far. So like a gentleman :p I offered that I wouldn't mind if she leaned on my shoulder during the overnight. She accepted! :)

She got off during the night! :( : (Maybe in Erie.)

Last October I had to sit next to a bunch of AU folks - does that count? :p
Oh, the horrors!!! :giggle: (Uh, as I recall, you also sat next to your wife many times.... :ph34r: )
Both were weird! :D
 
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I've had my share of interesting seat mates. Some beautiful young women as described by the_traveller and Henry Kisor.

But then there was the lady on the Carolinian. Hardly a PYT (see: Michael Jackson), we were travelling from Raliegh to Kannapolis, and she talked my head off. She talked about how she used to bring beer and lunch out to the train crews 'back in the day'. Talked about how she was about to marry some uber-rich dude. I had my tray table down to charge my cell phone and offered to let her charge hers on my tray. She accepted the invitation for that, her snack tray, her hard candy, and anything else she could put on MY tray. Then I had my earphones in, listening to my scanner. She wanted to listen, too.

In the end, I never got much rest and somehow ended up with a half dozen butterscotch candies in my jacket pocket.

My favorite seat mate was a guy that was travelling just to visit a model railroad shop somewhere in NC. He was extremely shy and didn't want to talk much - until we started talking trains.
 
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Good idea for a thread!

I've had some great seat mates from the diner to Acela and Regionals. I have so many stories the list goes on and on and on.

One time I was coming back from Boston on an Acela train in FC. The person that sat across from me from BBY to NYP didn't say much of anything to me. The guy from NYP to PHL was from Finland and we had a great conversation about the differences in the cultures. He also taught me some Finnish which of course I now forget but that was a cool trip!
 
My very best seatmate (other than ones that were travelling with me) was on the TE from FTW to LVW. He got on in DAL (full train) and dropped a styrofoam cooler on the floor, introduced himself, asked if I wanted any ice from his cooler, and asked me if I would mind keeping an eye on it, as he was going to the SSL to watch an instructional video on his laptop for work. He was still watching it when we arrived in LVW, as I went to the SSL to tell him I was leaving the train. SO I had a seatmate (as such) but still got to spread out over both seats, and got free ice for my Diet Cokes.
 
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Opening up to dining seatmates, I had the honor to dine with a couple of boy scouts with their leader, part of a large group heading to or from a service project in New Mexico. These boys were so polite and respectful, I was really impressed.
 
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In 2002 I was on the night train from Wellington to Auckland, New Zealand. That train, which had about five cars, sparsely populated, was discontinued a year or so later. The rear of the train was sort of an observation,, with two red kind of velvety coaches at the back of the car. I sat on one and a very regal Maori lady named Beatrice kept my attention. She kind of acted like the queen bee and dispensed strong opinions on everything from politics, native culture, and Catholicism. We both ended up spending a rather restless night on our respective couches, not in the coaches,
 
Back in the 1980's before I could afford to travel by sleeper, I boarded what was likely a Silver (do not remember) in Baltimore for a trip to Winter Park. I was given a window seat. Shortly after I sat down, a scruffy young man sat down next to me. He smelled like body odor and cigarettes. Yuck. I determined that he was a maintenance worker that the stadium in Baltimore and just got off work, without showering. I ended up sitting in the lounge for quite a while. Somehow I learned that it was possible to upgrade to a sleeper. I spoke to the conductor and unfortunately, nothing was available at that time, but he told me to wait until the next stop, somewhere in North Carolina. Fortunately, there was a no show and I was able to get a sleeper - just in time for dinner. My memory is pretty hazy, but I seem to recall that I had dinner on a tray, with complementary wine and I ate it in my tiny room. I refer to the room as a slumber coach but I am not sure what it was called. It was a room for one with a toilet under the bed.

That was my one and only time that I upgraded from coach to sleeper and I was very pleased.
 
Penny NOT in a sleeper! :eek:

Yes, it was a Silver and a slumbercoach. (That was my first experience in a room also, from NYP to TPA.) It sounds like you are describing the cafeteria meals they had on the Silvers.
 
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The one time I took the Hiawatha to MKE, I ended up seated next to some crazy lady.

She insisted that we sit on the right hand side of the train, so that we could "see the lake".

I stared out the window for the hole ride, but the lake was never to be seen.

I'm still bitter.
 
PRae_Train...Probably headed to/from Philmont Scout Ranch in NE New Mexico. A lot of Scouts use the SW Chief for that purpose. Ran into a couple last night at LA Union Station as I was headed to my Metrolink train for the commute home.

Hmmm...does "Quote" not work? Sure I clicked that to post my response.
 
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Awww, I didn't think my simple question topic was going to produce a spin off! :) All the stories I have read so far, I'm all in favor of lobbying Amtrak for the ability to buy a second seat anyone without a disability or of size. BO and Cigarets seems to to be the biggest problem. Maybe the urge to vomit from having a neighbor with bad hygiene counts as a medical condition? I can't control the gag reflex that the smell produces.
 
The one time I took the Hiawatha to MKE, I ended up seated next to some crazy lady.

She insisted that we sit on the right hand side of the train, so that we could "see the lake".

I stared out the window for the hole ride, but the lake was never to be seen.

I'm still bitter.
Depending on daylight, you should have been able to see the lake for a bit a couple miles south of MKE station. Otherwise, though, you're right, no lake to be seen. Well, no Great Lake to be seen.
 
The one time I took the Hiawatha to MKE, I ended up seated next to some crazy lady.

She insisted that we sit on the right hand side of the train, so that we could "see the lake".

I stared out the window for the hole ride, but the lake was never to be seen.

I'm still bitter.
LMAO!!! Thanks for the laugh Ryan! Made my day! :)
 
The one time I took the Hiawatha to MKE, I ended up seated next to some crazy lady.

She insisted that we sit on the right hand side of the train, so that we could "see the lake".

I stared out the window for the hole ride, but the lake was never to be seen.

I'm still bitter.
48143_10101457120466004_1541257659_n.jpg
 
The one time I took the Hiawatha to MKE, I ended up seated next to some crazy lady.

She insisted that we sit on the right hand side of the train, so that we could "see the lake".

I stared out the window for the hole ride, but the lake was never to be seen.

I'm still bitter.
Depending on daylight, you should have been able to see the lake for a bit a couple miles south of MKE station. Otherwise, though, you're right, no lake to be seen. Well, no Great Lake to be seen.
Which I didn't know, since I'd never been on the Hiawatha. I figured if we DID go near the lake, the right side would be the best side for viewing. I've sent him a zillion pictures of Lake Michigan since that trip, but, as he says, he's still bitter. ^_^ He's never going to let me live that down. Ever.
 
Opening up to dining seatmates, I had the honor to dine with a couple of boy scouts with their leader, part of a large group heading to or from a service project in New Mexico. These boys were so polite and respectful, I was really impressed.
Far from the ones I encountered on the SWC a few years ago. They had overtaken the Lounge as we left Kansas City and the Conductor finally came in and firmly told them not to sit on the tables and watch their language and tone of voice. And their siege of the Lounge resumed first thing next morning; needless to say it was a much quieter and happier train after we left Raton.
 
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