andersone
Conductor
Father used to say there were four men in the world you could trust
Jim Beam
Jack Daniels
George Dickle
and himself
Jim Beam
Jack Daniels
George Dickle
and himself
I'm in the fortunate position that too much alcohol makes me sleepy and not beligerent. So I can drink one more than's good for me without having to fear making a fool of myself. (but I still fear the headache the next morning)In my experience (both good & bad over the years), a couple beers will usually do the trick for a shorter trip if I feel in the mood for some imbibing. For a longer one, maybe a bit more. Beer IMO is way safer than getting sloshed on some hard liquor. Like the others said, don't get stumbling drunk or belligerent and you shouldn't have a problem.
Even those who aren't necessarily belligerent can do things like vomit when they're sick from the alcohol. I was talking to a commuter train conductor on a system that allows personal consumption of alcohol. He was joking that stainless steel vestibules are easier to clean up. I've seen groups bringing 12-packs of beer. I've heard about groups with a bottle of tequila just downing shot after shot. However, they do have exceptions for "event days" where they feel it might get out of hand because of the sheer number of passengers who might get drunk.I'm in the fortunate position that too much alcohol makes me sleepy and not beligerent. So I can drink one more than's good for me without having to fear making a fool of myself. (but I still fear the headache the next morning)In my experience (both good & bad over the years), a couple beers will usually do the trick for a shorter trip if I feel in the mood for some imbibing. For a longer one, maybe a bit more. Beer IMO is way safer than getting sloshed on some hard liquor. Like the others said, don't get stumbling drunk or belligerent and you shouldn't have a problem.
But I have many times prevented friends I was travelling with from going too far.
You left out the biggest: lawyersI won't condone this.
As I understand it, there are at least 2 reasons for the rule:
1. Revenue protection, as stated above.
2. Buying it on the train ensures that the person selling the liquor knows how much you have purchased, so that the Lounge car attendant
can judge when to cut the customer off. This may seem to be a "big brother" approach; but positive action by the attendant can prevent
the need to put you off the train in the custody of the local constable. And that's a good thing.
Tom
Do you have evidence of such lawsuits or is this more of an assumption on your part?If you hide the six additional drinks after buying one, the lawyesr will claim Amtrak must have served them. People will sue Amtrak when a drunk on the train does something even if Amtrak didn't serve the liquor. The drunk will sue Amtrak for "letting" him get drunk and not finding his alcohol and stopping him from consuming it. A teenager's parents who let someone give him a drink will sue Amtrak.
How did you come to that conclusion?The difference between US and European "nanny" rules is that the Europeans are trying to protect you from yourself whereas in the US they are trying to protect themselves from you and your lawyer.
No, he mentioned the liability issue in a subsequent post, which I would agree is the force behind the rule.You left out the biggest: lawyers
Amtrak can get sued if you consume too much then something happens and they served it. So if you hide the six additional drinks after buying one, the lawyesr will claim Amtrak must have served them.
People will sue Amtrak when a drunk on the train does something even if Amtrak didn't serve the liquor.
The drunk will sue Amtrak for "letting" him get drunk and not finding his alcohol and stopping him from consuming it.
A teenager's parents who let someone give him a drink will sue Amtrak.
The difference between US and European "nanny" rules is that the Europeans are trying to protect you from yourself whereas in the US they are trying to protect themselves from you and your lawyer.
I learned what sarcasm meant.Do you have evidence of such lawsuits or is this more of an assumption on your part?If you hide the six additional drinks after buying one, the lawyesr will claim Amtrak must have served them. People will sue Amtrak when a drunk on the train does something even if Amtrak didn't serve the liquor. The drunk will sue Amtrak for "letting" him get drunk and not finding his alcohol and stopping him from consuming it. A teenager's parents who let someone give him a drink will sue Amtrak.
How did you come to that conclusion?The difference between US and European "nanny" rules is that the Europeans are trying to protect you from yourself whereas in the US they are trying to protect themselves from you and your lawyer.
Remember the notorious cell phone talker put off and arrested in Oregon? Nearly 17 hours straight and wouldn't shut up even once warned that people were sleeping.I've actually seen drunk and obnoxious folks put off the train on several occasions. Not on corridor trains like the Cascades (which I ride) or Lincoln Service, but on the long distance trains I've seen it with some regularity.
The person has usually gotten far up on the obnoxious scale, and is often put into the hands of the local PD at some grade crossing which the conductor has coordinated with the dispatcher. So occasionally those "Conductor to the IC" announcements over the PA are to handle the drunks.
I always wonder what goes through the head of the person when they wake up the next morning in the hands of the Oakridge, OR Police.
Most conductors seem quite serious about maintaining the "family atmosphere." On my last trip on the Empire Builder in December, the conductor announced that if a certain individual kept swearing, he'd be put off at the next stop.
Two pints of bourbon though?This is a bit of an overreaction. The OP said nothing about "desperately" needing to drink. Many of us enjoy imbibing during a long trip. It doesn't mean we need to go to an AA meeting.If you can't make it to NYC without desperately needing to drink bourbon, in a place you know aren't allowed to drink, you need help (AA).
Enter your email address to join: