Aggressive Amtrak Conductor at Penn Station

[Hal]

This article came out yesterday where an overzealous Amtrak conductor reportedly was trying to get his passengers on his train while at the other side of the platform an NJT was unloading. From the report it seems like the conductor was screaming at people to get out of the way.and being verbally abusive.

Article here:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Amtrak-Worker-Yells-at-NJ-Transit-Riders-Shut-Up-Youre-Not-My-Customer-Amid-Crowd-Chaos-Penn-Station-420093043.html.

This is only one more reason why this Amtrak conductor should have been equipped with a club, whip or taser. That should clear the way and make those mean NJT commuters move over.

Are you being sarcastic or are you serious?

We'll since I take NJ Transit regularly, I guess the answer is obvious. We certainly can't seriously advocate that violence is the answer. I can appreciate that conductors can be faced with a tough boarding situation at NYP when running behind schedule. Perhaps a bit more politeness in a strenuous time sensitive situation was called for. Maybe a conductor with a bull horn would have gotten the point across better IMO, with the publicity and video of this incident the conductor probably was just trying to do his job but still might lose it..

I could not find any actual video. All I see are third hand reports. Where is the video? The link only showed a subway platform.
A conductor there should not try to make a point IMO. Just wait. If the dispatcher is giving grief don't be pressured into losing cool or doing something unsafe like not seeing an open door.

 

[Acela150]

This article came out yesterday where an overzealous Amtrak conductor reportedly was trying to get his passengers on his train while at the other side of the platform an NJT was unloading. From the report it seems like the conductor was screaming at people to get out of the way.and being verbally abusive.

Article here:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Amtrak-Worker-Yells-at-NJ-Transit-Riders-Shut-Up-Youre-Not-My-Customer-Amid-Crowd-Chaos-Penn-Station-420093043.html.

This is only one more reason why this Amtrak conductor should have been equipped with a club, whip or taser. That should clear the way and make those mean NJT commuters move over.

Are you being sarcastic or are you serious?

We'll since I take NJ Transit regularly, I guess the answer is obvious. We certainly can't seriously advocate that violence is the answer. I can appreciate that conductors can be faced with a tough boarding situation at NYP when running behind schedule. Perhaps a bit more politeness in a strenuous time sensitive situation was called for. Maybe a conductor with a bull horn would have gotten the point across better IMO, with the publicity and video of this incident the conductor probably was just trying to do his job but still might lose it..

So I'm supposed to know that you ride Transit regularly? Cause I didn't know until you posted that.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

This article came out yesterday where an overzealous Amtrak conductor reportedly was trying to get his passengers on his train while at the other side of the platform an NJT was unloading. From the report it seems like the conductor was screaming at people to get out of the way.and being verbally abusive.

Article here:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Amtrak-Worker-Yells-at-NJ-Transit-Riders-Shut-Up-Youre-Not-My-Customer-Amid-Crowd-Chaos-Penn-Station-420093043.html.

This is only one more reason why this Amtrak conductor should have been equipped with a club, whip or taser. That should clear the way and make those mean NJT commuters move over.

Are you being sarcastic or are you serious?

We'll since I take NJ Transit regularly, I guess the answer is obvious. We certainly can't seriously advocate that violence is the answer. I can appreciate that conductors can be faced with a tough boarding situation at NYP when running behind schedule. Perhaps a bit more politeness in a strenuous time sensitive situation was called for. Maybe a conductor with a bull horn would have gotten the point across better IMO, with the publicity and video of this incident the conductor probably was just trying to do his job but still might lose it..

So I'm supposed to know that you ride Transit regularly? Cause I didn't know until you posted that.

Maybe the problem is that you're always just one misunderstanding away from telling everyone they don't know jack about railroading? Most of the conductors I've interacted with were rather calm and stoic. You're the first and so far only conductor I've encountered who seems to go out of his way to find something from which to take offense.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I could not find any actual video. All I see are third hand reports. Where is the video? The link only showed a subway platform.

There isn't a video. The entire report was based upon a tweet and a complaint. It was not unlike the tweet about a regional train traveling at...what was it again? Oh yes....breakneck speed.

This is only one more reason why this Amtrak conductor should have been equipped with a club, whip or taser. That should clear the way and make those mean NJT commuters move over.

If that is what it takes to make you move over and clear the way, what would it take to make the mean NJT passengers stop turning off the escalator...with people on it to ascend from track level...so you they go the opposite direction?

It must be something heavy since I watched a bunch of NJT passengers shut off the escalator (which was turned up by first responders and NJT management to help keep passengers away from the injured lady at the bottom of said escalator) and plow through everyone including a few gun toting officers in an attempt to make a Trenton express.

 

[Acela150]

This article came out yesterday where an overzealous Amtrak conductor reportedly was trying to get his passengers on his train while at the other side of the platform an NJT was unloading. From the report it seems like the conductor was screaming at people to get out of the way.and being verbally abusive.

Article here:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Amtrak-Worker-Yells-at-NJ-Transit-Riders-Shut-Up-Youre-Not-My-Customer-Amid-Crowd-Chaos-Penn-Station-420093043.html.

This is only one more reason why this Amtrak conductor should have been equipped with a club, whip or taser. That should clear the way and make those mean NJT commuters move over.

Are you being sarcastic or are you serious?

We'll since I take NJ Transit regularly, I guess the answer is obvious. We certainly can't seriously advocate that violence is the answer. I can appreciate that conductors can be faced with a tough boarding situation at NYP when running behind schedule. Perhaps a bit more politeness in a strenuous time sensitive situation was called for. Maybe a conductor with a bull horn would have gotten the point across better IMO, with the publicity and video of this incident the conductor probably was just trying to do his job but still might lose it..

So I'm supposed to know that you ride Transit regularly? Cause I didn't know until you posted that.

Maybe the problem is that you're always just one misunderstanding away from telling everyone they don't know jack about railroading? Most of the conductors I've interacted with were rather calm and stoic. You're the first and so far only conductor I've encountered who seems to go out of his way to find something from which to take offense.

And since you've never met me in person you don't know what I'm like in person and at work.

But feel free to call me full of it. But when 188 occurred. Everybody and their mother suddenly worked for the railroad. The media especially.

And trust me when I say that many railroaders got quickly fed up with the amount of nonsense that the media and the public started coming up with.

Some guys take stuff personal, some don't. I do my best to not let it get to that point. But after 188 it is much harder to do so. Mostly cause as soon as something happens everyone and there mother starts pointing fingers at one thing or the other. Is it so hard to let people who are trained to perform investigations do their job instead of starting the rumor mill up? Since 188, yes it is for most people.

So I'm sorry that I take things personal because I care about my profession and my fellow railroaders.