4 In A Roomette

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Ryan I see your point about unaccopanied minors. How I was looking at it was true sleeper service. Aren't those minors supposed to be off the train by a certain time?? I think it's 11 or midnight. Correct me if I'm wrong.
i'm pretty sure it's 9:05pm. Having been riding unaccompanied for many years, i know that they bumped it from 9:00pm to 9:05pm specifically to accomodate the Surfliner that got into LA at 9:05pm on weekdays, before the new schedules
 
You can never know what someone else's situation is. I have one kid, and unless you catch her at a bad time you have to really pay attention and know autism to even know she's a special needs kid. She's also bi-polar. In her high manic phase or during bad times, she can run professionals right into the ground in short order. When she's level she just seems precocious and a bit oblivious to social mores and personal boundaries.
 
You can never know what someone else's situation is. I have one kid, and unless you catch her at a bad time you have to really pay attention and know autism to even know she's a special needs kid. She's also bi-polar. In her high manic phase or during bad times, she can run professionals right into the ground in short order. When she's level she just seems precocious and a bit oblivious to social mores and personal boundaries.
This is also a great point. As someone in education, I get tired of hearing people (not on here, but in every day life) see some poor kid acting out in public and make completely baseless, ignorant judgements about the child, the parents, etc. Not only do these enlightened folks have NO clue whatsoever about what type of discipline the child faces at home, they also have no idea if the kid has a cognitive disability, has Autism, has a behavior disorder, etc. People generally assume the kid is spoiled--I try to take the other approach and assume the parent is doing the best he or she can, while not ruling out the very real possibility that there are factors in play beyond the kid's control that may be causing him or her to act out.

When I'm on a train, witnessing a parent obnoxiously threatening or constantly yelling at their child is much more likely to result in a complaint to the conductor from me than any noise the child could possibly make.
 
Sometimes people are traveling for need not for fun. This may have been the best way for this woman to get to where she needed to get. It's a no win for her. She's not welcome on a plane, in coach, or in the sleeper. What if somebody in her family is dying or in the hospital?

I don't think Im required to babysit. If she's doing her best be patient and close your door. I wouldn't like it either, but I would deal with it. Now if the kids are running wild, she's gonna get the look. If its contained to

The roomette, ok. The baby vomiting sucks. But they do that.
 
Whatever the reason for it, I can't stand the sound of a shrieking child clattering up and down the aisles/hallways. I understand there are reasons for shrieking that aren't necessarily because they're a "bad kid", but that doesn't keep the sound from annoying me. A shrieking child obviously needs some kind of attention, and since I'm not its parent, I'm in no position to stop it. That makes it even more annoying, knowing I just have to put up with it and wait for it to stop. It's like a construction crew jackhammering at 7:00 a.m. on my day off.

I'll be the curmudgeon with the closed door and iPod plugged in my ears. ;)

Edited because there's no way to write that without making it sound like I hate kids, which is far from the truth. I hate noise. Noisy adults annoy me just as much, if not more.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Edit: And really, would you rather the woman have to tried to deal with the kids in coach? If they couldn't afford a bedroom, sounds like they did just fine.
Yes, I would. Sleeper passengers paid extra for the quiet and comfort of a sleeper. Not to be bothered by this situation.
Than shut your door and mind your own business. Try walking a mile in someone else's shoes, rather than try to (falsely) claim that they were breaking the rules.

You paid for a room and you got a room.
I *have* walked in those shoes ... and knew to control my kids. True, I could shut the door, but I paid for the entire car - facilities, coffee, ice, juice etc - and if I choose to go there then they are in my business and while I will extend some courtesy, that courtesy will end. How about SHE shut her door and stop that madness ....
 
Edit: And really, would you rather the woman have to tried to deal with the kids in coach? If they couldn't afford a bedroom, sounds like they did just fine.
Yes, I would. Sleeper passengers paid extra for the quiet and comfort of a sleeper. Not to be bothered by this situation.
Than shut your door and mind your own business. Try walking a mile in someone else's shoes, rather than try to (falsely) claim that they were breaking the rules.

You paid for a room and you got a room.
I *have* walked in those shoes ... and knew to control my kids. True, I could shut the door, but I paid for the entire car - facilities, coffee, ice, juice etc - and if I choose to go there then they are in my business and while I will extend some courtesy, that courtesy will end. How about SHE shut her door and stop that madness ....
I couldnt agree more, Dave. It is incumbant upon HER to control the children, and if that means closing her door so they do not disturb others, that is the right thing to do. Yes, it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a parent to act as a parent and accept responsibility for their decisions and not expect the rest of society to shrug and go "Oh Well" when the kids intrude into other people's lives.
 
Whatever the reason for it, I can't stand the sound of a shrieking child clattering up and down the aisles/hallways. I understand there are reasons for shrieking that aren't necessarily because they're a "bad kid", but that doesn't keep the sound from annoying me. A shrieking child obviously needs some kind of attention, and since I'm not its parent, I'm in no position to stop it. That makes it even more annoying, knowing I just have to put up with it and wait for it to stop. It's like a construction crew jackhammering at 7:00 a.m. on my day off.

I'll be the curmudgeon with the closed door and iPod plugged in my ears. ;)

Edited because there's no way to write that without making it sound like I hate kids, which is far from the truth. I hate noise. Noisy adults annoy me just as much, if not more.
I get you. Kiddo's got certain tones of voice (well before the shrieking stage, this is the warning stage) that by themselves elicit a PTSD reaction in me. A ringing phone does it, too, because I've had way too many calls from the school about her. Sometimes logic works, sometimes just giving in to what she's wanting works, and sometimes it's something that just isn't possible and I have to deal with the fall-out. Sometimes that reaction is worse than others and sometimes she calms down and unwinds. I've been bitten, hit, kicked, slapped, punched, spit on and cussed out. Her brain is simply, mis-wired. There is only so much I can do, and believe me there are times I entertain the idea of being able to shut out the noise and everything else. I envy those that have the freedom to walk away or otherwise shut it out but I don't begrudge them for doing so. Doc put me on medication just so I can handle it all without losing my mind totally. The only factor in my favor is that she loves to travel. She doesn't get sick in my vehicle because she can see outside, so I'm hoping that holds true on a train. She did fine when we took a plane to Florida. Once we got there and her sleep schedule went out the window it was a whole different matter, but during the actual travel she was fine.
 
Hi,

Let's just remind ourselves that the passenger in question had a valid ticket, and was within her rights to travel by train in a sleeper.

Whether we want to assist a person in difficulties or "pass by on the other side of the road" is a our personal choice.

I guess being a male myself and having raised my son while a single parent, my sympathies don't lie with the "I only tollerate kids who behave as I want" brigade.

I have had more disturbance aboard Amtrak from wheel flats and rattles and bangs from loose fittings than from any child, so far!

Ed :cool:
 
She doesn't get sick in my vehicle because she can see outside, so I'm hoping that holds true on a train. She did fine when we took a plane to Florida. Once we got there and her sleep schedule went out the window it was a whole different matter, but during the actual travel she was fine.
Oh, she should be fine on the train, then. The windows are HUGE and WIDE. :)

I'm glad you understood my point. I always worry people think I'm some nasty kid-hater, and I'm not. I just get rattled by noise. I can't handle crowds for the same reason.
 
Edit: And really, would you rather the woman have to tried to deal with the kids in coach? If they couldn't afford a bedroom, sounds like they did just fine.
Yes, I would. Sleeper passengers paid extra for the quiet and comfort of a sleeper. Not to be bothered by this situation.
Than shut your door and mind your own business. Try walking a mile in someone else's shoes, rather than try to (falsely) claim that they were breaking the rules.

You paid for a room and you got a room.
I *have* walked in those shoes ... and knew to control my kids. True, I could shut the door, but I paid for the entire car - facilities, coffee, ice, juice etc - and if I choose to go there then they are in my business and while I will extend some courtesy, that courtesy will end. How about SHE shut her door and stop that madness ....
I couldnt agree more, Dave. It is incumbant upon HER to control the children, and if that means closing her door so they do not disturb others, that is the right thing to do. Yes, it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a parent to act as a parent and accept responsibility for their decisions and not expect the rest of society to shrug and go "Oh Well" when the kids intrude into other people's lives.
Sometimes, that simply isn't possible. Kids aren't just "little adults" that bend to our will. Sick and in an unfamiliar environment I don't doubt that the single mom was doing the best that she could.
I don't think that it's too much to ask that she be treated with a little respect and understanding.

At any rate, the OPs question is answered. It was a perfectly legal booking.
 
I know. I travel with my two kids often and they are now 8 and 10 and yet they still sleep on the top bunk without problems.
I can't imagine being comfortable doing this on the upper bunk of a Superliner roomette. I did once do this myself on a Viewliner top bunk, however.
 
Back in Spring 2005, my brother and I went with my grandmother from LAX-FLG and back, and the three of us shared a roomette. It really wasn't bad at all. However, my brother and I do not get along very well, and I ended up sleeping with my grandma on the bottom. On the way back we shared the top and it was not a prob though
 
I get so tired of the 'poor parent' guilt trip. What, did she catch a cold and end up three kids at the end? The train is not your personal rumpus room and the staff are not your babysitters. So why would paying passengers be expected to come to the rescue? This lady (and her partner) made the choices that resulted in more children than she (they) knew what to do with. If it was just one child I'd be far more likely to help, but in that case she probably wouldn't need any of my help in the first place. Then again where I live it's apparently considered better form to have multiple mediocre offspring than to raise a single productive professional.

:wacko:
I really hate to come accross as a crumudgeon, but I have to agree with you and OH. Far too often today parents dont act as parents and it does impact others. One reason I prefer to travel in October and April (and take a sleeper) is that I dont have to deal as much with unruly children. Perhaps this mother should not have taken it upon her to travel with that many children without accompanying help. I feel real sorry for the people in the diner in this situation (if they didnt choose to eat in their roomette).

David

Seattle
I agree with you all. I was raised that way and it works, we got a half a dozen fine well adjusted adults in four families to prove it. No residual seat warming after all this time.
 
I agree with you all. I was raised that way and it works, we got a half a dozen fine well adjusted adults in four families to prove it. No residual seat warming after all this time.
Worked for you, yes. Doesn't work on all kids. Mine requires what is referred to as "creative parenting" because no traditional discipline methods work or work for long. Max time I've gotten out of any traditional method was about two weeks. I have to constantly come up with new stuff. It's tiring.
 
Behavior occurs when it is reinforced, barring a chemical issue. In the absence of reinforcement, the target behavior will eventually decrease. This is simple but implementation isn't always so easy and a professional would be the best person to help (i.e., a BCBA). I also have a child with bipolar and PDD-NOS -- although I am now told that it may only be PDD-NOS as they are very similar. Call it Mickey Mouse syndrome for all I care. My son is by no means perfect -- he is a kid after all -- but 2 years of hardcore ABA and some risperidone to stablize his moods and he is a pretty good kid. However, this is my career field and it is not a miracle cure. I had to work at it. We did take the train from Flagstaff to NYC with no problems. Just me, 3 kids and two roomettes across the hall from each other. My teen and older boy in one, me and my younger, with bipolar and PDD, in another.

As for other people's kids (or my own for that matter)who are loud, it drives me crazy. If I was with my kids, I'd offer to help. Alone, I am with the other poster who said she'd pop in the headphones. Even a kid-loving mom needs a break sometimes!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top