Dinner in your room, or "Room Service!"

[FormerOBS]

My best friend is someone I met in the lounge car of B&O's eastbound Capitol Limited, before Amtrak even existed. We didn't eat together, but both of us went to the lounge car after dinner where we met and talked about the RR and the various landmarks until the wee hours. That was over 40 years ago.

Tom

 

[spacecadet]

The last time I traveled LD (on the LSL and Empire Builder), it *was* treated as a selling point that you could eat in your room. The announcements made note of that fact. Maybe the trains were just particularly full those days.

Just to set the record straight, dining cars of the past more often than not had tables available for solo travelers and couples. You usually weren't forced to eat with other people except on the more pedestrian trains, and premiere trains did point this out in their advertising. Amtrak "simplified" the dining experience (really their serving experience) by standardizing on four-person tables that they'd fill up with anyone, strangers or not. So the desire to eat in private on trains certainly isn't some new, modern trend of people being anti-social. The social aspect was always borne of necessity and cost-savings, but if you could afford to book a premiere train, you could avoid it even in the old days. And even the second-tier trains would try to seat people individually unless the car filled up.

I personally don't mind eating with strangers provided they don't mind eating with me. On my last long distance trip, my wife and I got stuck at breakfast with a woman and her daughter who refused to even look at us. Never even said "hi" (we did to her). That is just an incredibly awkward situation, to be seated at a table for 30 minutes or more with people like that, and it makes it hard to enjoy a meal. I wish we had eaten in our room that day.

 

[Guest]

And think of the deaf passengers, the ones who speak with difficulty and are hard to understand. Many of them are friendly and try to connect with their tablemates. Sometimes the tablemates take deaf speech in stride. More often, though, they react with dismay and sometimes ask to be seated elsewhere. For a deaf passenger, the dining car is a crapshoot.

 

[pennyk]

One of my most memorable conversations in the dining car was when I was having lunch on my way to visit my dying father 7 years ago. I sat with a woman whose words I remember to this day. It was very therapeutic for me ........ but we are all different and those words may have offended someone else.

I am very much looking forward to having dinner in a dining car tonight.

 

[Anderson]

The last time I traveled LD (on the LSL and Empire Builder), it *was* treated as a selling point that you could eat in your room. The announcements made note of that fact. Maybe the trains were just particularly full those days.

Just to set the record straight, dining cars of the past more often than not had tables available for solo travelers and couples. You usually weren't forced to eat with other people except on the more pedestrian trains, and premiere trains did point this out in their advertising. Amtrak "simplified" the dining experience (really their serving experience) by standardizing on four-person tables that they'd fill up with anyone, strangers or not. So the desire to eat in private on trains certainly isn't some new, modern trend of people being anti-social. The social aspect was always borne of necessity and cost-savings, but if you could afford to book a premiere train, you could avoid it even in the old days. And even the second-tier trains would try to seat people individually unless the car filled up.

I personally don't mind eating with strangers provided they don't mind eating with me. On my last long distance trip, my wife and I got stuck at breakfast with a woman and her daughter who refused to even look at us. Never even said "hi" (we did to her). That is just an incredibly awkward situation, to be seated at a table for 30 minutes or more with people like that, and it makes it hard to enjoy a meal. I wish we had eaten in our room that day.

If I'm not mistaken, though, if a diner had tables for two then it had to drop two seats in that row; a line of such tables in a car would mean 36 seats instead of 48 (or 30 instead of 40). This wouldn't be as much of an issue if you had a twin-unit, but with a single diner? That's a problem.

 

[VentureForth]

I almost always get room service (and I tip, don't get me wrong) because 1. usually I'm working and I want to keep working through my meal and 2. I take the train because I hate to fly, not because I want to yuk it up with my fellow passengers about how novel the experience is. I'm just trying to get from Point A to Point B, folks!

That is EXACTLY what you pay the big bucks for, and you have every right in the world to do it.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

The only time I've eaten in my room was when the EB was running really late last summer (surprise!) and we were served KFC in our rooms. The meals had been sitting outside for at least an hour or so, so the food wasn't great, but I did enjoy eating in the room.

I know this is a "controversial" topic, so one time (also on the EB, different trip) we had a really good SCA who had to take every meal to a large party that took up several rooms. She was constantly running to the dining car and back for that group. When she had a free moment, I asked her about serving people in their rooms & her thoughts about offering it. Basically, her response is that the work day for a good SCA was already packed with more than enough work, and that when in-room meals were added in, she just had too much work to do & not enough time to do it.

I think part of it is Amtrak's fault - the packaging they use just isn't friendly for carrying multiple meals through a crowded train. Everything should be able to fit into one bag (instead of multiple plastic-covered containers). Cans of soda, empty cups, and a bag of ice in another bag. That way, the SCAs could carry everything to the rooms in one trip & not have to worry about spilling or missing anything.

Part of the problem is the food - most of the amtrak diner food just isn't designed to be "to go." A sandwich or burger can easily be wrapped in paper and eaten in a roomette without utensils, but a plated meal that requires a knife and fork or has a very "liquid" side dish will be harder. Cold desserts are also a problem, as they could melt by the time your meal is finished. Fortunately, the Amtrak ice cream is usually frozen rock-hard, and you need to wait at least 30 minutes until a spoon can scrape a few chunks off the block.

Another problem (especially in my SCA's case) can be the passengers themselves. It sounds like most of you ask the SCA for in-room meals well ahead of time, and allow them to serve you whenever it's convenient. Many pax don't do that, and wait until the SCA is in the middle of a busy service stop to try to get their attention for meals. Also, it's a lot easier on the SCA if people remember all the condiments, salad dressings, silverware, etc. that they want ahead of time, instead of asking the SCA to make repeated trips to the dining car for things they forgot.

So no, I've never eaten a regular meal in my room. Count me in the group that thinks that eating with strangers is awkward. As support for that, I'd like to point out that 99.999% of regular restaurants do not require you to sit with strangers. However, the current arrangement just makes it difficult for most people on Amtrak to do otherwise.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Before I had my first meal in my room I had no idea how the SCA's would take it. So far they've actually been fine with it. Nobody seemed annoyed or bothered by the request. Although that may simply be a matter of who you get. I agree that it seems to go smoother when you mention your desire for room service as early as possible and allow the SCA to choose when it makes the most sense for them. I also recommend that you tip after each meal as opposed to the end of the trip as that seems to make a difference. I'm not sure why this would be a controversial topic. So far it seems to be working fine for me and I haven't had any problems to speak of.

 

[tonys96]

To each their own. As Venture says, it is a service you have paid for, should you wish to use it. Even though I freely admit to being THAT dining companion on one occurrence, as for me, I'll still take the Diner, especially on trips with the Tejanita, as she has an uncanny ability to talk with darned near everyone. And I wish I could apologize to the two ladies who were with me on that trip on the Eagle to Little Rock when I was a jerk.

 

[tomfuller]

On my first trip in a roomette (solo), I got on the SL in Tucson a little after 8PM. The SCA greeted me by name and told me that they had saved a steak for me. I went to the dining car and ordered my steak. Shortly after I cut my first piece of steak, there was a minor fire in the kitchen section. I was given a clear plastic cover for the plate and went back to my roomette. When the SCA came back for my plate I asked for and got my desert. Breakfast the next morning was at Phillipe's also by myself.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

I enjoy meeting new people in the diner, but am very uncomfortable talking about myself. Fortunately, it isn't that hard to ask the right questions as icebreakers that get people talking about themselves. I've met so many interesting people that way.

But since these are people you will probably never see again, how cool would it be to take on a whole new identity? "Hello! I'm a rocket scientist and work with NASA. I'm responsible for bringing astronauts back to earth safely. And what do you do?"

Of course, there is always the chance I'm sitting across the table from an actual rocket scientist that wants to talk shop! If that happens I would fake a cell phone call and say "Oops! Hate to eat and run, but I must return this emergency call from JPL in Pasadena. Buh bye!" Then eat all the rest of my meals for that trip in my room.

 

[SarahZ]

Telling people I worked in insurance always ended up with someone ranting my ear off (just what I needed while on vacation!), so I started telling people I was a student.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

Of course, there is always the chance I'm sitting across the table from an actual rocket scientist that wants to talk shop! If that happens I would fake a cell phone call and say "Oops! Hate to eat and run, but I must return this emergency call from JPL in Pasadena. Buh bye!" Then eat all the rest of my meals for that trip in my room.

You might end up across from "aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz" from The Big Bang Theory.

 

[Henry Kisor]

One way of stifling "what-do-you-do" questions is to say "I'm unemployed." The conversation will swiftly turn to something else. (This is not strictly a lie if you are retired.)

Or you could say "I'm a former professional climate change denier."

How about "reformed sex worker"? "State prison executioner"? "Bull semen technician"? This could go on all night!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

One way of stifling "what-do-you-do" questions is to say "I'm unemployed." The conversation will swiftly turn to something else. (This is not strictly a lie if you are retired.)

Or you could say "I'm a former professional climate change denier."

How about "reformed sex worker"? "State prison executioner"? "Bull semen technician"? This could go on all night!

So, when can we expect to see your autobiography with more details about all the professions you've had. :giggle:

 

[Anderson]

One way of stifling "what-do-you-do" questions is to say "I'm unemployed." The conversation will swiftly turn to something else. (This is not strictly a lie if you are retired.)

Or you could say "I'm a former professional climate change denier."

How about "reformed sex worker"? "State prison executioner"? "Bull semen technician"? This could go on all night!

Henry,

The risk, generally, is that the person you're talking to finds your (false) profession to be interesting. I'm not thinking of the "has the same profession" sort of trap, but rather that it's just someone who is genuinely interested in...well, whatever it is you're claiming.

 

[Henry Kisor]

If your interlocutor actually believes you, you could just make stuff up. How hard could it be? If someone finds your claim to have been a sex worker interesting, you could tell stories of going to Macy's with the Everleigh Sisters to choose overstuffed sofas for their parlors and complaining because they caught fire too easily from the gaslights.

 

[jnismith]

I have three nights alone on trains coming up.

As a 56 year old male, I think I telling my fellow diners that I am a sex worker will be difficult to get away with. Yes, I have worked for an insurance company, but that's a bit boring. My 12 years with an investment bank, I will skip over as in the UK, that's social exclusion.

So hey, I should just tell people I am a gentleman of leisure and change the subject

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, there's always the old standby, " I was with the CIA, but if I have to tell you any details, I'd have to kill you!"

I just say, if asked, that I' m a retired government employee and that I've had beaucoup jobs in my life!

.

Both are True!

 

[Big Iron]

Of course, there is always the chance I'm sitting across the table from an actual rocket scientist that wants to talk shop! If that happens I would fake a cell phone call and say "Oops! Hate to eat and run, but I must return this emergency call from JPL in Pasadena. Buh bye!" Then eat all the rest of my meals for that trip in my room.

You might end up across from "aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz" from The Big Bang Theory.

Maybe he can get the superliner bathrooms to work at altitude.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

I do not think a good SCA would see it as an imposition to bring a meal to your room, assuming that they were "tipped."

Would I tip when the meal is brought to my roomette, or leave it on the tray for when it is picked up?

Thanks

 

[SarahZ]

I do not think a good SCA would see it as an imposition to bring a meal to your room, assuming that they were "tipped."

Would I tip when the meal is brought to my roomette, or leave it on the tray for when it is picked up?

Thanks

It doesn't matter. Personally, I'd tip them as soon as they brought it, sort of like pizza delivery or room service.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I do not think a good SCA would see it as an imposition to bring a meal to your room, assuming that they were "tipped."

Would I tip when the meal is brought to my roomette, or leave it on the tray for when it is picked up?

Thanks

For In Room Meal Service I would leave a "small" tip each time that is above and beyond the normal tip given when you detrain. If you start feeding the Kitty early then that can result in improved service.

 

[oldtimer]

Well, there's always the old standby, " I was with the CIA, but if I have to tell you any details, I'd have to kill you!"

I just say, if asked, that I' m a retired government employee and that I've had beaucoup jobs in my life!

.

Both are True!

Jim, I didn't know that we were both employed by the same Company.

Think about it, for the last 42 years I have learned to never tell the fellow diners my employer. I have many stories to tell as I have only once refused to help. That was when I was asked by my own shop superintendent to go back to the Amtrak business car and check something out. The occupants of the car included the Chairman of the Board, the previous day I went toe to toe with him and he flinched. I didn't want to be on his turf. I told my boss I would go only under direct order and to be prepared for a massive time claim for interrupting my vacation in a non-emergency situation. He said "Never mind".

 

[railiner]

One way of stifling "what-do-you-do" questions is to say "I'm unemployed." The conversation will swiftly turn to something else. (This is not strictly a lie if you are retired.)

Or you could say "I'm a former professional climate change denier."

How about "reformed sex worker"? "State prison executioner"? "Bull semen technician"? This could go on all night!

Or how about "paperback writer"?

Oh, that's a famous song......

Hey, wait a minute....you did write a 'paperback', didn't you?