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Rail Freak

Rail Freak

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Tampa Bay, Florida
I've done a fair amount of Amtrak travel over the past 3 years & have enjoyed it. My last trip was the only time I felt as if I were in an unsafe enviorment. I always try to stay alert in my surroundings but this was a very uneasy experience! What stations have you felt unsafe???
 
Rail Freak said:
I've done a fair amount of Amtrak travel over the past 3 years & have enjoyed it. My last trip was the only time I felt as if I were in an unsafe environment. I always try to stay alert in my surroundings but this was a very uneasy experience! What stations have you felt unsafe???
Click to expand...
I'd like to hear your experience.

I've been in Amtrak stations in San Diego, L.A., Albuquerque, Little Rock, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, NYC, New Haven Hartford, and Boston.

I don't recall having felt unsafe, although the Hartford station seemed the most deserted, and not well supervised/protected.
 
I've heard the Oakland Station is in a very dicey part of town and a couple years ago when the northbound Coast Starlight make its stop, announcements were made not to leave the platform area and to stay in site of security guards.

On the other extreme, the station in Norman OK is considered to be extremely safe because there are usually a variety of folks wandering the area plus the County Jail is right across the street.
 
bobnabq said:
Rail Freak said:
I've done a fair amount of Amtrak travel over the past 3 years & have enjoyed it. My last trip was the only time I felt as if I were in an unsafe environment. I always try to stay alert in my surroundings but this was a very uneasy experience! What stations have you felt unsafe???
Click to expand...
I'd like to hear your experience.

I've been in Amtrak stations in San Diego, L.A., Albuquerque, Little Rock, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, NYC, New Haven Hartford, and Boston.

I don't recall having felt unsafe, although the Hartford station seemed the most deserted, and not well supervised/protected.
Click to expand...

Well, it's funny you should be the one to ask, because the station I was refering to was ABQ! No offense, but true! It was an absolute zoo!!!!
 
The "Big Three" for Feeling Unsafe:

1A) The Bathrooms in NYP!!! :help:

1)Beaumont Slab in the Rain and Dark! :rolleyes: (Being replaced by a Million Dolar Amshak)

2)Sanderson's "Ghost" Station :eek: (Flag Stop)

3)Kansas City Union Station-(Closed up @ Midnight and put outside in the Rain and Cold by a "Security" Guard to wait for a Bus to Oklahoma that never Came!) :angry:

Honorable Mention: The Old Sunset Station in SAS when the area around the Station was Scary @ Night!) :unsure:
 
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Hmm, that wasn't my experience last summer in Albuquerque. I waited at the station for a couple of hours for a westbound Southwest Chief. The station was pretty busy, mostly with bus passengers, but I certainly didn't see any bad behavior.
 
We've been to many stations over the years and have only had safety concerns at NY Penn. We prefer changing trains in DC, if possible, when taking the Silver Meteor to FL.
 
Ispolkom said:
Hmm, that wasn't my experience last summer in Albuquerque. I waited at the station for a couple of hours for a westbound Southwest Chief. The station was pretty busy, mostly with bus passengers, but I certainly didn't see any bad behavior.
Click to expand...

I flew to ABQ & was there for about 5 hours to catch the westbound SWC. Hopefully, I just hit it on their worst day!
 
Most stations I have felt pretty safe - including ABQ, but I was there during the day when we were there for a service stop on the SWC. I was probably the most uncomfortable at the St. Louis station as I had arrived about 1:00 a.m. The cabs had seemed to have disappeared and there some real characters hanging around the area. There was security presence, but still, I was glad to get out of there sooner rather than later. On the flip side, when I left it was early in the morning and actually okay.

BTW, I'm curious as to what experiences people have had with New Orleans?

Dan
 
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dan72 said:
BTW, I'm curious as to what experiences people have had with New Orleans?
Click to expand...
I was just there last week. It seemed perfectly safe, though I was there in midafternoon both times. There was even an armed New Orleans police officer checking IDs of boarding coach passengers. Those of us in sleeper skipped that bit of security theater.
 
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Ispolkom said:
Hmm, that wasn't my experience last summer in Albuquerque. I waited at the station for a couple of hours for a westbound Southwest Chief. The station was pretty busy, mostly with bus passengers, but I certainly didn't see any bad behavior.
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I'm in and out of there a lot because right next door is where all the city buses meet every 20 to 30 minutes (and then head out all over the city). There are transit cops and city cops in the area patrolling on foot and by car. Bus drivers and cops often stop in the station to buy from the small cafe/shop. There are some strange looking folks in that area, but in the four years that I've used this area I've never been approached for change or felt uncomfortable, me being a disabled senior citizen.

Now, having lived from Maine to California to Florida and numerous places in between, I will say that a lot of the locals fit into a category all their own in their appearance and dress. Just mark it up to some still living in the wild west. But, again, I've not heard of any crime, etc on the local news regarding that area. In fact I've had some good conversations with some of the strangest looking folks. One thing I've learned about the locals here ~ many won't start a conversation with you but if you approach them they'll be quite friendly.
 
Rail Freak said:
I've done a fair amount of Amtrak travel over the past 3 years & have enjoyed it. My last trip was the only time I felt as if I were in an unsafe enviorment. I always try to stay alert in my surroundings but this was a very uneasy experience! What stations have you felt unsafe???
Click to expand...
I'd like to hear your experience.
 
I don't think you can beat this (true) story.

In the late '70s, we decided to take a train trip with our two young (sub 5 year old) boys from El Paso to Disneyland. We were taking a sleeper to LA, then renting a car to drive to Aneheim. Now remember, this was in the days long before cell phones and internet.

I dreaded the long drive from LA to Anaheim so, while looking at a map, I saw that I could get off in Pomona, rent a car there, and drive a much shorter distance. So I called Amtrak (no online booking) and changed our destination to Pomona. Then I called the (?) rental car company to have a car there when we arrived. No problem.

The whole trip started out wrong. A friend was taking us to the El Paso station. I had called ahead and Amtrak said the train would be a few hours late. No big deal. We stayed at the friend's house until it was time to go - about 40 minutes before it was due in. When we arrived, there was the train and it looked like just about everyone had boarded. We had the two kids plus luggage and ran as fast as we could to it. Just as we were out of steam (pun intended), we got close enough to reach a car attendant. He told us that the train was the eastbound - on time - and our late westbound wasn't due for 30 minutes as we had thought. On the train ride (Amtrak had really badly maintained equipment in those days), we lost air conditioning, then all power in the car. In the dark, my oldest got sick and threw up on the bed so the next morning we were tired and irritable. Upon arrival in Pomona, we got off. She had the kids while I unloaded the luggage with the help of the SCA and we had plenty with two kids, one in diapers.

As the train left, I looked around the station. It was all boarded up; the only phone was ripped off the wall; the area was desolate and run down and there was no rental car. I noticed an open combination Trailways station/ travel agency across the street so we dragged all the stuff and went there. I explained the situation to the guy there and he let us use the phone to call the car company. No answer. Apparently the nearest office was closed on Sunday and they had forgotten to tell me that. Agghh! So we called Hertz and they agreed to come pick us up, take us to their office and rent us a car. However, they closed at 5:30PM so we'd have to return it 2 hours before our return train arrived.

While we were waiting, I looked around the area of the station and decided this was not a place to be waiting for a train at 7:30PM in the dark (not DST time). I asked the agent if the area was safe. He said "I am the only one here who does not carry a gun". Then he reached under the counter and pulled out the biggest pistol I ever saw. He said "I keep mine under the counter!"

Needless to say, as soon as we got to the hotel, I arranged to return the car at the LA station and called Amtrak and arranged to return home from LA. Good thing! The train was 2 hours late out of LA and we would have been waiting in the dark with no communication for 2 extra hours not knowing when or if a train was coming. Other than the start, it was a wonderful trip. And returning the car to LA was a breeze. Hertz had a drop-box and special parking spots at the station. It was well-lighted and the kids could run around in safety. Amtrak sent me a check for a few hundred dollars in compensation for the hot, dark sleeper.
 
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me_little_me said:
I don't think you can beat this (true) story.

In the late '70s, we decided to take a train trip with our two young (sub 5 year old) boys from El Paso to Disneyland. We were taking a sleeper to LA, then renting a car to drive to Aneheim. Now remember, this was in the days long before cell phones and internet.

I dreaded the long drive from LA to Anaheim so, while looking at a map, I saw that I could get off in Pomona, rent a car there, and drive a much shorter distance. So I called Amtrak (no online booking) and changed our destination to Pomona. Then I called the (?) rental car company to have a car there when we arrived. No problem.

The whole trip started out wrong. A friend was taking us to the El Paso station. I had called ahead and Amtrak said the train would be a few hours late. No big deal. We stayed at the friend's house until it was time to go - about 40 minutes before it was due in. When we arrived, there was the train and it looked like just about everyone had boarded. We had the two kids plus luggage and ran as fast as we could to it. Just as we were out of steam (pun intended), we got close enough to reach a car attendant. He told us that the train was the eastbound - on time - and our late westbound wasn't due for 30 minutes as we had thought. On the train ride (Amtrak had really badly maintained equipment in those days), we lost air conditioning, then all power in the car. In the dark, my oldest got sick and threw up on the bed so the next morning we were tired and irritable. Upon arrival in Pomona, we got off. She had the kids while I unloaded the luggage with the help of the SCA and we had plenty with two kids, one in diapers.

As the train left, I looked around the station. It was all boarded up; the only phone was ripped off the wall; the area was desolate and run down and there was no rental car. I noticed an open combination Trailways station/ travel agency across the street so we dragged all the stuff and went there. I explained the situation to the guy there and he let us use the phone to call the car company. No answer. Apparently the nearest office was closed on Sunday and they had forgotten to tell me that. Agghh! So we called Hertz and they agreed to come pick us up, take us to their office and rent us a car. However, they closed at 5:30PM so we'd have to return it 2 hours before our return train arrived.

While we were waiting, I looked around the area of the station and decided this was not a place to be waiting for a train at 7:30PM in the dark (not DST time). I asked the agent if the area was safe. He said "I am the only one here who does not carry a gun". Then he reached under the counter and pulled out the biggest pistol I ever saw. He said "I keep mine under the counter!"

Needless to say, as soon as we got to the hotel, I arranged to return the car at the LA station and called Amtrak and arranged to return home from LA. Good thing! The train was 2 hours late out of LA and we would have been waiting in the dark with no communication for 2 extra hours not knowing when or if a train was coming. Other than the start, it was a wonderful trip. And returning the car to LA was a breeze. Hertz had a drop-box and special parking spots at the station. It was well-lighted and the kids could run around in safety. Amtrak sent me a check for a few hundred dollars in compensation for the hot, dark sleeper.
Click to expand...
Back in the late 80's I hung out with a bunch of railfans, known as the "Pomona Gang," there at the Pomona SP station most Friday nights for a couple hours, usually leaving after the e/b Sunset left. The station was dark, boarded up, with no phones. The platform lighting was sketchy. The station parking lot was filled with trucks and trailers from some company that kept them there and it was away from major streets (Garvey is right beside it, but depressed for the underpass under the tracks). In fact, the parking lot was a lot of trouble to navigate through, so most of us drove down the platform to get to the parking lot! It was a notoriously dangerous area, but there were often 10 or 12 of us, we were young (and some of us packed) so didn't feel particularly threatened. We were kind of the defacto Amtrak information service there on Fridays.

It was not a nice place to be and looked it. I sure would not want to be hanging out there with 2 little kids. It looks a lot better now, based on seeing it from the Sunset last year. The station building has been rehabbed (don't know what they use it for) and the trucks no longer are parked in that lot.

BTW, that was when the Southwest Chief was still running via the AT&SF 3rd district instead of through Fullerton and stopped at the Santa Fe Pomona station on the north end of town, which was staffed (although closed by the time Sunset was due) and it looked a WHOLE lot better. Usually after the Sunset left and we broke up, one of us would swing up past the Santa Fe station, because there regularly were passengers that went to that station instead of the abandoned-looking SP station where the Sunset stopped. So we often found people waiting for a train that would never come, and told them their only option was to take a cab (or call someone) to take them to Indio (about 80 miles, IIRC), the next stop. If they left immediately, they could beat the Sunset there.

Finally, I'd bet anything that that rental car company, if they tried to show up, went up to the Santa Fe station, didn't find you, and bagged it.
 
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I walked around ABQ a bit once during my first SWC trip from CHI to FLG, and I had actually walked a couple blocks to a local flower shop to get a rose for the girl who I was meeting (who is now my girlfriend). The shop owner seemed nice and so did the hot dog vendor who sold me and this lady travelling from I think Philly to LA (never got her name). They weren't the greatest hot dogs, but they were half as expensive as the ones onboard the train!
 
How safe is the station and surrounding area around the Emeryville station? I will be taking the CS from LAX and arriving there around 10pm. I am stayinf at the Hilton Garden Inn and would like to walk that short distance (it looks doable on google maps). I know that motel offers a free shuttle but just until 10:30pm. I am just concerned if the train is running late. Thanks
 
bobnabq said:
Rail Freak said:
I've done a fair amount of Amtrak travel over the past 3 years & have enjoyed it. My last trip was the only time I felt as if I were in an unsafe enviorment. I always try to stay alert in my surroundings but this was a very uneasy experience! What stations have you felt unsafe???
Click to expand...
I'd like to hear your experience.
Click to expand...

I flew into Alb. to catch the SWC. Got to the station around 1:30 or 2 pm. As I left the cab, there were about 8 people (teens/early twenties, male & female) huddled by the entrance. They looked like they were in some type of transaction with money being exchanged, hands going in & out of pockets. As I approached they all stopped & looked up at me, which I thought was strange, but didnt think much of it. After getting my tickets, I went to the cafe. While eating, Idid the usual people watching routine & noticed those 8 or so people from the outside huddle were now split up & constantly coming in & out of the front door, back door, bus side, bathrooms, I mean, they were acting like they were wired for sound. If ya know what I mean!!! In the cafe portion, one kid was sitting at a table & falling asleep & i thought he was gonna fall in the floor at any second. Another kid was walking around the entire station constantly checking the change returns in all machines(he did this for hours!!!) After eating, I sat in the waiting area & watched as this group kept canvassing the station, in & out,back & forth. I was approached three different times for money. There were others that noticed the weird behavior as well. Then a drunk couple (man & woman) in their 50s got into a fist fight. She Won!!!! :giggle: A girl was sitting across from me slobbering all over herself! She was definitely buzzed on something. Meanwhile the other group kept wandering all over the place. I saw one cop walk thru all afternoon &,of couse everyone disappeared till he left! Oh, I almost forgot about the guy dressed as a girl!!! I grew up in the 60s & 70s, but this was wierd!!! :unsure:

I was glad to get the hell out of there. BTW the train was 2 hours late due to the detour thru Tx.
 
There is a creepy old guy that hangs around the KIN station! (Oh wait - that;s me!
laugh.gif
)
 
Agree with jimhudson about the restrooms at NYP. Can't something be done to improve this situaton? Some new bathrooms, perhaps?
 
jimhudson said:
1A) The Bathrooms in NYP!!!

1)Beaumont Slab in the Rain and Dark! (Being replaced by a Million Dolar Amshak)

2)Sanderson's "Ghost" Station (Flag Stop)

3)Kansas City Union Station-(Closed up @ Midnight and put outside in the Rain and Cold by a "Security" Guard to wait for a Bus to Oklahoma that never Came!) :angry:

Honorable Mention: The Old Sunset Station in SAS when the area around the Station was Scary @ Night!) :unsure:
Click to expand...
1A. NYP is kind of like a sketchy 1980's mall masquerading as a dismal and depressing train station. Too bad they can't use Grand Central Terminal instead.

1. Don't get me started on Beaumont!

2. Sanderson is so small that there's not really a "bad" part of town to worry about. In fact there's hardly anyone around besides a handful of folks making use of the post office across the street. The only real threat is that the building might just fall over on top of you if there's a gust of wind. There is a big sign on the front of the station talking about how the building is expected to be repaired and renovated as part of some small town revitalization project. From the looks of it I don't think that project ever got off the ground. Oddly enough there is a portion of the building that is still being used by Union Pacific. It even has air conditioning.

3. Can't really comment since I've never been to KC's Union Station.

4. The Sunset Station area still has the odd panhandler from time to time along Commerce street and if you head east from the station you'll see a whole lot of bad side of town that is probably not safe on foot at night. But, if you remain West of the tracks and North of the station you should be fine and heading back and forth between the station and downtown is both easy and relatively safe. The Sunset Station area has private security that is mainly there to keep the buildings protected from theft and vandalism but also helps to cut down on the riffraff.
 
Hi,

I found Emmeryville to be fine, the area around the station seemed quiet at night. New Orleans station felt a little more "interesting", but I felt fine to walk back to the station in daytime from the french quarter. One can always just be in the wrong place at the wrong time... I try to expect the best from my fellow humans when travelling, rather than imagining a bad outcome from unfamiliar places. It is the little differences that make things memorable...

Ed :cool:
 
NETrainfan said:
Agree with jimhudson about the restrooms at NYP. Can't something be done to improve this situaton? Some new bathrooms, perhaps?
Click to expand...
Actually the restrooms in NYP were just rebuilt within the last year.

This is not to suggest that you still can't find someone taking a shower in the sink.
 
dan72 said:
Most stations I have felt pretty safe - including ABQ, but I was there during the day when we were there for a service stop on the SWC. I was probably the most uncomfortable at the St. Louis station as I had arrived about 1:00 a.m. The cabs had seemed to have disappeared and there some real characters hanging around the area. There was security presence, but still, I was glad to get out of there sooner rather than later. On the flip side, when I left it was early in the morning and actually okay.

BTW, I'm curious as to what experiences people have had with New Orleans?

Dan
Click to expand...
My Wife and I traveled from Chicago to New Orleans and back last April. While we had a roomette, we did not stay in the Magnolia Lounge because it was so crowded. There was a security guard who went through and checked to see if everyone had tickets. At no time did my wife or myself feel unsafe...we just had fun watching the coach passengers who came with enormous amiounts of luggage.
 
jimhudson said:
The "Big Three" for Feeling Unsafe:

1A) The Bathrooms in NYP!!! :help:

1)Beaumont Slab in the Rain and Dark! :rolleyes: (Being replaced by a Million Dolar Amshak)

2)Sanderson's "Ghost" Station :eek: (Flag Stop)

3)Kansas City Union Station-(Closed up @ Midnight and put outside in the Rain and Cold by a "Security" Guard to wait for a Bus to Oklahoma that never Came!) :angry:

Honorable Mention: The Old Sunset Station in SAS when the area around the Station was Scary @ Night!) :unsure:
Click to expand...
OK, this topic makes me nervous. This is one BIG concern I have, travelling with my kid. Luckily, our destinations are "big" ones (Chicago, New York, etc)., I worry about arriving and being booted out onto the streets!! Glad someone asked this, and we will avoid the bathrooms at NYP :)

I am not too concerned about regular "Be careful in the big city", but more about being left somewhere...
 
AlanB said:
NETrainfan said:
Agree with jimhudson about the restrooms at NYP. Can't something be done to improve this situaton? Some new bathrooms, perhaps?
Click to expand...
Actually the restrooms in NYP were just rebuilt within the last year. This is not to suggest that you still can't find someone taking a shower in the sink.
Click to expand...
Exactly. They could be rebuilt every year and it would improve nothing that's actually wrong with them.

Lazy Z said:
OK, this topic makes me nervous. This is one BIG concern I have, travelling with my kid. Luckily, our destinations are "big" ones (Chicago, New York, etc)., I worry about arriving and being booted out onto the streets!! Glad someone asked this, and we will avoid the bathrooms at NYP I am not too concerned about regular "Be careful in the big city", but more about being left somewhere.
Click to expand...
This brings up an interesting question. How exactly does one go about avoiding the sketchy restrooms at NYP? I looked and looked but only saw two sets of restrooms that appeared to be of equal "quality" and neither was appealing in the slightest. There were no nicer options that I could see.
 
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