attendant nowhere to be found and I had to make my own bed

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.
The Trans Dorm:

As I understand it, the person assigned to the Trans Dorm has responsibilities in at least one other car, and can't be expected to be there are your beck and call 24/7. Again, there may be some people who can be more than one place at a time, doing more than one job safely, but I've always found it to be a challenge I couldn't overcome. Trans Dorm rooms were fully occupied by crew on my train, so I didn't have to deal with this. So maybe there's something I don't know about it.

Tom
If the SCA can not provide the basic functions of being an SCA in the assigned cars, than he or she needs to quit. That's a poor excuse. I've had great service in the Trans-Dorm several times so I know it's possible. But it's also the only times I've had truly missing in action SCA's. (Since some are keeping a tally... 2 in the past 6 years.. and I ride alot of trains and usually book pretty late and end up in the Trans-dorm for whatever reason.)
We have established that an SCA working the Trans Dorm also has duties elsewhere. I am glad you have been served by SCA's who were able to balance the demands to give you good service. Just because they could do it, does not mean it can always be done that well. This thread has been pretty vague. "MIA" implies the SCA is gone for an unjustifiably long time, but I wonder whether some posters are interpreting this as meaning the SCA was MIA when he was actually busy doing something else and couldn't be there at the exact time the poster wanted. That's not MIA. That's a human inability to be two places at once. You not have told us enough to get me to agree that this SCA "needs to quit".

Tom
The excuses you make for shoddy service are amazing. We all know what good SCA service is and what bad or indifferent service is. Somehow the good ones manage provide bed service for everyone, assist with luggage in most cases, and otherwise be present and available. The bad ones make themselves deliberately scarce, and I know everyone on this site who has taken multiple overnight trips is familiar with these because they are not extremely rare species.
Maybe it's my own fault for not communicating clearly. In all the time I've been on the Forum, I've never said it's OK to provide bad (or nonexistent) service. I have said it's impossible for the SCA to be in more than one place at a time, performing more than one task at a time, and doing it safely.

As I understand it, when Superliners were first introduced, rooms in the Trans Dorm were not available to the general public, but that eventually changed. When the policy changed, nobody in Management wanted to pay for an extra worker to assign to the car, so the Trans Dorm duties were added to the duties of an employee who already had other things to do. Most SCA's are conscientious. Some are not. The fact that somebody with multiple responsibilities might fail you, is not proof that the person is stupid, uncaring, incompetent, or any of these things that have been implied. Maybe he is, but there are other possibilities. Maybe he's just plain tired and made a simple human mistake, or couldn't be two places at once.

You construe my comments to be excuses for shoddy service, and you find it amazing. I find it amazing that you can draw those conclusions from what I have said.

You are amazed; I am amazed. We're even.

Tom
 
Only a previous Amtrak employee would excuse an Amtrak employee from totally ignoring paying passengers. Remember, the Transdorm roomettes are the same price as any other car.
 
Are we both speaking the same English language? I never said anything that could remotely be construed as justifying an SCA who totally ignores paying passengers. Don't put words in my mouth.

Tom
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Are we both speaking the same English language? I never said anything that could remotely be construed as justifying an SCA who totally ignores paying passengers. Don't put words in my mouth.

Tom
Apologies then. It was pretty clear to me that everyone in this thread was complaining about SCA's that totally ignore passengers to the point of not putting beds up and down, or refusing to help with luggage. It seemed like you were saying passengers were expecting too much since an employee can't be 2 places at the same time.
 
Only on a government operation would it be not all that unusual to hear of a well-paid employee not to be performing a primary function of his job. Can you imagine what would happen if a flight attendant was reported not to have run the drink service because she didn't feel like it or was sleeping on her seat?
I would venture to say that this is a consequence of union-secured positions. Much harder to get rid of.

That discussion aside, how do you know that they face no consequences?
We know some do. But we also know that plenty (1%? Less? More?) continue to behave poorly and simply don't do their job. They obviously don't fear losing their position.

Tom - Your statement regarding that one SCA can't be two in two places at one time implies that you are excusing their lack of attention to the Trans Dorm. Even in this thread, it seems to be somewhat of a consensus that of all the MIA SCAs, the majority seem to take place with regards to the Trans Dorm.

I'm just curious - did (does?) the AutoTrain use a Transdorm for revenue? I wouldn't think so as there is no baggage car. Maybe just a Dorm, sans Trans?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have know people upset they could not find the SCA, it turned out the SCA was picking up a room service order. What I think would be helpful to the SCA would be to have a small display in room 1 that shows which rooms have their call button pressed. This way the SCA returning with room service can quickly see who needs them up or down stairs or in the Trans Dorm.
 
On the Auto Train, all rooms in the Trans Dorm are required for the crew, so they are not available for paying passengers or pass riders. This is required because there are two diners with a chef and food specialist each, plus the two diner LSA's, plus several waiters and coach attendants, and two lounge

LSA's. It adds up.

There is a board in room 1. It is called the Annunciator Board, and it shows which rooms have their call light lit. If you cancel the call before the SCA gets back to room 1 to see it, he has no way of knowing you ever called. It's little factors like that, that make me wonder whether some of these problems are just miscommunication. But when I suggest such things, it gets interpreted as a justification for laziness and incompetence, and that's the last thing I would suggest. Most SCA's want to do a good job and treat you right. The bad apples may exist, but they are in the minority.

Tom
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If I need luggage assistance to my Sleeping Car accommodation upon boarding, and if such service is available, I will engage a Red Cap.

Upon disembarking, I do expect the SCA to assist with luggage upon detraining unless it is obviously something that I can handle myself.

One of my reasons for booking a lower level Roomette on the EB this July is my expected need for some luggage help to get to/from an upper level Roomette. The anticipated bag that I will take aboard is one that I can handle for the lower level, but not for getting up/down those narrow stairs.

I just don't want to depend on the level of service that the SCA will or will not be willing to provide.
 
That discussion aside, how do you know that they face no consequences?
We know some do. But we also know that plenty (1%? Less? More?) continue to behave poorly and simply don't do their job. They obviously don't fear losing their position.
Not sure it matters if they fear getting fired or not. What matters is that they do get fired. And they do.
 
Back
Top