I think the SCA was older than I was

On the Southwest Chief our SCA offered no help loading or unloading bags to our H room, but I understand why. He looked older and more frail than we did and if he were a passenger, I would have offered to help him. He did somehow manage to do the beds but that's because he is taller than we are.
BTW, an idiot designed the room. Sliding door stop that holds door open but doesn't hold it closed when out of room. Coat hack hooks so low the jackets leaned against the HOT floor vents. And since the companion may not be handicapped also, no high hooks to hang things.

On my recent cross country trip, my SCA on the Capitol Limited, was a former chef who transitioned into the SCA position. He may or may not have been older than I, but I am pretty sure I am in better physical shape than he is. He was not a perfect SCA and was a little slow, but he tried very hard and did a good job. I know for a fact that one of the SCAs on the Silver Meteor is older than I am, and she is short. She manages her duties with extreme efficiency (and with a step ladder).

It is good to see that Amtrak does not engage in age discrimination.

In America the door to your sleeper have no locks, unless your inside the room. Only Americans can’t be trusted with locks or keys to a roomette.

Hot floor vents are a know hazard in Europe. Lost of a sleeper and a couchette next to it, a few years back due to a can of hairspray cooking off in the sleeper. Not everyone made it out.

One size does not fit all, especially when dealing with ADA stuff.

me_little_me said:

On the Southwest Chief our SCA offered no help loading or unloading bags to our H room, but I understand why. He looked older and more frail than we did and if he were a passenger, I would have offered to help him. He did somehow manage to do the beds but that's because he is taller than we are.
BTW, an idiot designed the room. Sliding door stop that holds door open but doesn't hold it closed when out of room. Coat hack hooks so low the jackets leaned against the HOT floor vents. And since the companion may not be handicapped also, no high hooks to hang things.

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The Superliner I H room design is ancient -- barely post Rehabilitation Act, but decades before the ADA. I believe it may have been the first deliberately accessible room design on a train. (I have not checked all the private railroads histories, so I may be wrong.) It is fair to say that the designers just didn't know much about accessible design at the time. Superliner II design is slightly newer but still ancient. They did much less consuktation with actual wheelchair users than they should have back then. The designer at the time was just ignorant and working without the feedback they needed.

pennyk said:

On my recent cross country trip, my SCA on the Capitol Limited, was a former chef who transitioned into the SCA position. He may or may not have been older than I, but I am pretty sure I am in better physical shape than he is. He was not a perfect SCA and was a little slow, but he tried very hard and did a good job. I know for a fact that one of the SCAs on the Silver Meteor is older than I am, and she is short. She manages her duties with extreme efficiency (and with a step ladder).

It is good to see that Amtrak does not engage in age discrimination.

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Penny: You are correct. I know the SCA on the Meteor you are referring to. She is a gem! Always made our day when she was our SCA!

The H-Room in a Superliner is the WORST room on Amtrak, while the H-Room on a Viewliner is the BEST room on Amtrak!

It’s too bad Amtrak can’t agree with itself!