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J

Jack Boudreaux

Train Attendant
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
44
I have always liked the train. I took one ten years ago from New Orleans to Los Angles. It was about a 2 day trip. We really enjoyed it. We just took the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington and didn't really like it at all. I know Amtrak is government owned and has no competition. It really showed on this trip. We had sleepers of course and the service was just terrible. Hot bottled water was the only thing we could drink without having to go to the lounge car. The bedding was terrible. The sheets must have been about 10 thread county and the bedding nothing more than a small foam pad. Service was always with a frown and half hearted. The food was terrible. I think Amtrak is missing the boat on why people would go with them rather than fly. You really should be pampered as much as possible on a train. The trains themselves need to updated. They are old, dirty and poorly designed. I'm sorry to say that next time we take a trip I will be flying. :(
 
For the same price as a first class domestic ticket, you will get pampered for 4 hours.

On Amtrak you will be given all the basics for 24. What you make of it is your business.
 
MrEd said:
no coffee and juice in your car ? Its normally located across from attendants room.
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Nope just hot bottled water. Yep right across from the attendant. Plus we had to ask permission from him to get the hot bottled water!
 
Jack Boudreaux said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
For the same price as a first class domestic ticket, you will get pampered for 4 hours.
On Amtrak you will be given all the basics for 24. What you make of it is your business.
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Ah that's the Amtrak attitude.
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If you want pampered, I suggest you look into purchasing some private varnish.

It will only set you back about, oh, sixty grand.

It costs money to be pampered for two days y'know? Amtrak is Amtrak, it isn't the Orient Express. We kind of had the American Orient Express, whatever happened to them.

Oh yeah, bankruptcy.
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
Jack Boudreaux said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
For the same price as a first class domestic ticket, you will get pampered for 4 hours.
On Amtrak you will be given all the basics for 24. What you make of it is your business.
Click to expand...
Ah that's the Amtrak attitude.
Click to expand...
If you want pampered, I suggest you look into purchasing some private varnish.

It will only set you back about, oh, sixty grand.

It costs money to be pampered for two days y'know? Amtrak is Amtrak, it isn't the Orient Express. We kind of had the American Orient Express, whatever happened to them.

Oh yeah, bankruptcy.
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You must be an Amtrak employee. Expecting more than hot bottled water for a 26 hour trip is hardly being pampered. Why not have a variety of things to drink and oh yea cold. What is varnish? The only varnish I know of goes on furniture. Amtrak is keeping you for a extended period of time they need to do more than provide you with hot water and a thin pad to sleep on. To heck with them. I rather be treated like cattle for a few hours than a day and night. I'm flying until they do more with their service.
 
Normally I find myself in agreement with most Amtrak detractors, but this post fails to hit the mark.

Jack Boudreaux said:
I have always liked the train. I took one ten years ago from New Orleans to Los Angles. It was about a 2 day trip. We really enjoyed it.
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Trains change, we change, and a decade old memory is ripe for rose colored glasses. I expect more today than I did a decade ago. Since then I've flown to Europe and Asia and seen firsthand what modern train systems are like. After that it's hard to be impressed with virtually anything Amtrak does.

Jack Boudreaux said:
I know Amtrak is government owned and has no competition. It really showed on this trip. We had sleepers of course and the service was just terrible.
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Most modern train systems are owned or at least subsidized directly or indirectly by the national and/or local governments. So are some airlines and many airports.

Jack Boudreaux said:
Hot bottled water was the only thing we could drink without having to go to the lounge car.
Click to expand...
So you asked and the SCA refused to bring you anything else?

Jack Boudreaux said:
The bedding was terrible. The sheets must have been about 10 thread county and the bedding nothing more than a small foam pad. Service was always with a frown and half hearted. The food was terrible. I think Amtrak is missing the boat on why people would go with them rather than fly. You really should be pampered as much as possible on a train. The trains themselves need to updated. They are old, dirty and poorly designed. I'm sorry to say that next time we take a trip I will be flying. :(
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Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see how flying gets you better thread counts or happy faces or full-hearted service. If you want to be pampered then maybe you could have chartered a private rail car that had a chance of meeting your unresearched expectations. Amtrak is little more than a bus on rails, just like it was ten years ago. *shrug*
 
Included hot meals, hot coffee, cold juice, sometimes you get a really god TAS like Gul who will pamper you. (He makes GREAT mimosas, given his limited resources.)

Usually the time the service is acceptable. Sometimes it is phenomenal. Other times it sucks.

Varnish, in other words, private cars where you can put in whatever amenities you wish to have. Wine coolers and down pillows, Egyptian cotton sheets, whatever.

I'd rather pay money to make my own adventure then have to pay money to feel violated, cramped, and generally non-human.
 
Jack Boudreaux said:
I have always liked the train. I took one ten years ago from New Orleans to Los Angles. It was about a 2 day trip. We really enjoyed it. We just took the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington and didn't really like it at all. I know Amtrak is government owned and has no competition. It really showed on this trip. We had sleepers of course and the service was just terrible. Hot bottled water was the only thing we could drink without having to go to the lounge car. The bedding was terrible. The sheets must have been about 10 thread county and the bedding nothing more than a small foam pad. Service was always with a frown and half hearted. The food was terrible. I think Amtrak is missing the boat on why people would go with them rather than fly. You really should be pampered as much as possible on a train. The trains themselves need to updated. They are old, dirty and poorly designed. I'm sorry to say that next time we take a trip I will be flying. :(
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, you hit upon the most glaring defect in Amtrak service: the consistent inconsistency of service, esp. in the sleepers where you are paying an arm and a leg for the trip, unless you have enough Amtrak Guest Reward points (and even there, you've paid in other ways to earn them).

We took the Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and Coast Starlight recently. The Southwest Chief service was so-so, the diner the equivalent of a Denny's, the hot water kaput in the sleepers, but the SCA very friendly and helpful. The Empire Builder was a waste of money from the get-go: surly waiters, balky lights, toilet and doors in sleepers, an all-but-non-existent SCA until the arrival in Portland where he took our bag out to the platform and waited for a tip. (I hope he remained surprised that entire day when his hand returned to his side empty.) The Coast Starlight was a dream, though, with a great SCA, a room without defects, and food and dining waiters the equivalent to a nice restaurant.

But our bottom line is the same as yours: until you can be assured of consistent service, why shell out thousands of dollars (in our case) on a crap shoot?

The apologists for Amtrak, and there are many on this forum, should try and figure out a way to get Amtrak to offer reliable, consistent service rather than setting up a straw man in airline service to defend the rail system. The only thing Amtrak has going over airlines in most cases is the lack of security--and if that changes some day, no one will be riding Amtrak unless it ups its quality.
 
And before you reply, let me just say this is perhaps the silliest thing I have read on these boards...

Amtrak is keeping you for a extended period
Click to expand...
Amtrak isn't keeping you anywhere. Did they handcuff you to the train? If the service is so abominable that you can't stand it one second longer, then get off. Trust me, nobody is going to stop you from short boarding.
 
Jack Boudreaux said:
I have always liked the train. I took one ten years ago from New Orleans to Los Angles. It was about a 2 day trip. We really enjoyed it. We just took the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington and didn't really like it at all. I know Amtrak is government owned and has no competition. It really showed on this trip. We had sleepers of course and the service was just terrible. Hot bottled water was the only thing we could drink without having to go to the lounge car. The bedding was terrible. The sheets must have been about 10 thread county and the bedding nothing more than a small foam pad. Service was always with a frown and half hearted. The food was terrible. I think Amtrak is missing the boat on why people would go with them rather than fly. You really should be pampered as much as possible on a train. The trains themselves need to updated. They are old, dirty and poorly designed. I'm sorry to say that next time we take a trip I will be flying. :(
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

I would suggest that you call Amtrak, hold for a live agent, ask to be transferred to Customer Relations. Tell them all about it, make sure you give dates, ticket or reservation # if you have it & the name, if you remember, of the Sleeping Car Attendant.

While I have not had vast experience with riding Amtrak, there were some issues with our first train ride. I called them & they sent out a voucher. About 5 months had elapsed between our first experiences & the next one. It was much improved, & we were impressed.

I do agree they really need to replace the bedding & padding too.

Amtrak is attempting to refurbish & purchase new equipment.

The 'stimulus funds' have provided funds to rebuild/refurbish damaged equipment, but no new purchases.

Congress must approve any funding, & at this time they have not responded to these requests to purchase new equipment. Please come back & let us know the results after you call them.

FYI, this board is not connected in any way to Amtrak, it's a discussion board about Amtrak. (just in case you didn't know that, not trying to be rude or anything)

I hope you try again, & have a better result!!
 
guest said:
Jack Boudreaux said:
I have always liked the train. I took one ten years ago from New Orleans to Los Angles. It was about a 2 day trip. We really enjoyed it. We just took the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington and didn't really like it at all. I know Amtrak is government owned and has no competition. It really showed on this trip. We had sleepers of course and the service was just terrible. Hot bottled water was the only thing we could drink without having to go to the lounge car. The bedding was terrible. The sheets must have been about 10 thread county and the bedding nothing more than a small foam pad. Service was always with a frown and half hearted. The food was terrible. I think Amtrak is missing the boat on why people would go with them rather than fly. You really should be pampered as much as possible on a train. The trains themselves need to updated. They are old, dirty and poorly designed. I'm sorry to say that next time we take a trip I will be flying. :(
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, you hit upon the most glaring defect in Amtrak service: the consistent inconsistency of service, esp. in the sleepers where you are paying an arm and a leg for the trip, unless you have enough Amtrak Guest Reward points (and even there, you've paid in other ways to earn them).

We took the Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and Coast Starlight recently. The Southwest Chief service was so-so, the diner the equivalent of a Denny's, the hot water kaput in the sleepers, but the SCA very friendly and helpful. The Empire Builder was a waste of money from the get-go: surly waiters, balky lights, toilet and doors in sleepers, an all-but-non-existent SCA until the arrival in Portland where he took our bag out to the platform and waited for a tip. (I hope he remained surprised that entire day when his hand returned to his side empty.) The Coast Starlight was a dream, though, with a great SCA, a room without defects, and food and dining waiters the equivalent to a nice restaurant.

But our bottom line is the same as yours: until you can be assured of consistent service, why shell out thousands of dollars (in our case) on a crap shoot?

The apologists for Amtrak, and there are many on this forum, should try and figure out a way to get Amtrak to offer reliable, consistent service rather than setting up a straw man in airline service to defend the rail system. The only thing Amtrak has going over airlines in most cases is the lack of security--and if that changes some day, no one will be riding Amtrak unless it ups its quality.
Click to expand...
Exactly. The Amtrak fan boys or employees above don't get it. We did pay an arm and a leg for a sleeper. What I meant by being pampered were sheets that were not paper thin so you could see the material on the pillow and foam pad that about a million other people have slept on. I got a sleeper so we would not have to deal with coach. So if I want a coke at 9:00 I have to walk to the "Lounge Car" and deal with the folks I didn't want to have to deal with? Much needed room for improvement on Amtrak. It sucks. A good example how government usually makes things worse.
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
And before you reply, let me just say this is perhaps the silliest thing I have read on these boards...
Amtrak is keeping you for a extended period
Click to expand...
Amtrak isn't keeping you anywhere. Did they handcuff you to the train? If the service is so abominable that you can't stand it one second longer, then get off. Trust me, nobody is going to stop you from short boarding.
Click to expand...
Dummy, I paid a premium to ride on Amtrak. They should give me some service. If I would have got off at Atlanta would they have refunded me the rest of my trip? Trust me, if they suck you need to let them know. You sound like a typical employee of Amtrak. What do you do for a living?
 
Jack Boudreaux said:
The Amtrak fan boys or employees above don't get it.
Click to expand...
I may be a fan of passenger rail but I'm hardly an Amtrak fanboy. Have you seen my other posts?

Jack Boudreaux said:
A good example how government usually makes things worse.
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Yeah, if only the government had stayed out and let passenger rail fail completely. Then you'd have nothing to complain about would you? Maybe if you had a clue of how well government funded trains can work in places like Japan, Germany, and France you might not sound so ignorant.
 
daxomni said:
Jack Boudreaux said:
The Amtrak fan boys or employees above don't get it.
Click to expand...
I may be a fan of passenger rail but I'm hardly an Amtrak fanboy. Have you seen my other posts?

Jack Boudreaux said:
A good example how government usually makes things worse.
Click to expand...
Yeah, if only the government had stayed out and let passenger rail fail completely. Then you'd have nothing to complain about would you? Maybe if you had a clue of how well government funded trains can work in places like Japan, Germany, and France you might not sound so ignorant.
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You are the ignorant one. When you pay out your nose for a room on a train you should be reasonably comfortable for the trip. I got warm water and a pad. I might as well be riding on North Korean lines. Maybe government should get rid of the trains if they are going to recreate the Holocaust with every trip. It is a scam right now.
 
I have ridden a number of Long Distance Amtrak trains, either because I enjoy it or because it is so much better than the alternatives:flying or driving.

Most of my rides have been pleasant and left me wanting to ride again, some have been lousy. Most Amtrak equipment is old but some has been well restored. Many Amtrak employees seem to enjoy their jobs and try to make you enjoy your trip - then there are the others :(

Riding Amtrak is a crap-shoot - and it sounds like Jack B threw boxcars!
 
Ispolkom said:
A remarkably fast proof of Godwin's Law. I suppose the thread is closed now.
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LOL! You know how hard is it for your sleeper customers to be able to get a cold diet coke at anytime? I would have been willing to pay for it. How hard is it get sheets thick enough not to be able to make out the prison black and white strips on your pillow? I could go on and on. The whole experience was really bad. I will not do it again unless big changes are made.
 
Jack Boudreaux said:
Ispolkom said:
A remarkably fast proof of Godwin's Law. I suppose the thread is closed now.
Click to expand...
LOL! You know how hard is it for your sleeper customers to be able to get a cold diet coke at anytime? I would have been willing to pay for it. How hard is it get sheets thick enough not to be able to make out the prison black and white strips on your pillow? I could go on and on. The whole experience was really bad. I will not do it again unless big changes are made.
Click to expand...
You're the one who compared not getting a cold diet Coke to the Holocaust. You lose.

PLONK!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I work for a living, that's all you need to know.

You paid for twenty some hours of service... Divide your ticket by the number of people then by the number of hours. I'll use a recent trip I took on the LSL from BOS to CLE.

Two people divided by 460' 230 per person, we spent about fifteen hours on the train.. That means we each paid $15.34 per hour per person... And that was an expensive trip, had my miter not been along I would have done coach.

When you actually run the numbers, you aren't paying all that much for your service.
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
I work for a living, that's all you need to know.
You paid for twenty some hours of service... Divide your ticket by the number of people then by the number of hours. I'll use a recent trip I took on the LSL from BOS to CLE.

Two people divided by 460' 230 per person, we spent about fifteen hours on the train.. That means we each paid $15.34 per hour per person... And that was an expensive trip, had my miter not been along I would have done coach.

When you actually run the numbers, you aren't paying all that much for your service.
Click to expand...
Awe! An Amtrak government employee. You guys suck!
 
Amtrak employees are not government employees, it's a common enough mistake. They are employees of the National Passanger Rail Corporation, whose sole investor is the US Congress. They are a corporation just like any other, the controlling share and thus cash cow, is the US Congress.

Amtrak is a political hot potato. That's about as far as the connection between Amtrak employees and government goes.
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
Revised statement, THIS is now the silliest thing I have ever seen on these boards.
Maybe government should get rid of the trains if they are going to recreate the Holocaust with every trip.
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I'm done with the Amtrak nightmare. Those of you that are reading, save your money and skip this joke. When it is 12:00 at night and you are thirsty, hungry or hot and sweeting you will pledge never to do this again. Take my experience and skip the pain. If you can get your money back do so right away.
 
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