amtrak should be dismantled

[jater]

I am a first time rider of Amtrak and found it to be the worst experience of my life. The amount of money you pay for first class to put up with dirty,uneducated and filthy people is ridiculous.

The safety factor is grossly sub par there is none to be found. Security is a joke, the rails are horribly rough causing bodily harm from your muscles being constantly jolted. Sewage gas pumped into your room whenever someone flushes a toilet is enough to make you vomit.

As a government funded entity this whole category should be shut down and the funds used more wisely.

 

[leemell]

Is this a troll?

 

[white rabbitt]

sure sounds like it,

 

[ozbuc]

Sounds like it. Let me say this. These United States allows individuals a choice. So if you don't like Amtrak don't ride it. You will be better off not breathing the poisonous gasses and we will be happier not breathing yours.

 

[FriskyFL]

I'm calling Troll.

 

[Paulus]

Is this a troll?

It would be a fairly dedicated one if so. I suspect that they are what they claim: An Amtrak passenger who is highly displeased with their trip.

 

[Eric308]

He's just upset that he got stuck with Moogoogaipan at dinner.

 

[sitzplatz17]

I assume this is a troll, but looking at their previous posts it appears that they were gearing up for a trip on the SWC. i guess it didn't turn out well. That said i do take some offense to the part:

The amount of money you pay for first class to put up with dirty,uneducated and filthy people is ridiculous.

Considering I'm often one of these people and don't consider myself dirty or filthy (maybe he missed the showers?!) nor particularly uneducated I wonder what kind of fellow travelers he encountered.

 

[MrFSS]

jater is a forum member in good standing who posted about the upcoming trip in other threads, even asking questions.

Sounds like s/he had a bad first trip and was looking for a better experience but didn't achieve it.

Not everyone is cut out to be an Amtrak fan.

 

[montana mike]

Must not fly very much then! I travel by both train and plane a lot each year and far and away my train trips have been more enjoyable, relaxing, ON TIME and the food on the train beats anything on any of our domestic airlines. I would be curious to know what train he was on?

 

[Ryan]

The safety factor is grossly sub par there is none to be found.

False. Train travel is one of the safest modes of travel out there.

Security is a joke

Security from what?

the rails are horribly rough causing bodily harm from your muscles being constantly jolted

False. Yes, the tracks on that route are rough. That's why the maximum speed has been constantly lowered through the years. That said, I've never heard of real physical injuries happening.

Sewage gas pumped into your room whenever someone flushes a toilet is enough to make you vomit.

Not buying this one either.

As a government funded entity this whole category should be shut down and the funds used more wisely.

You could make the same complaints about roads and aircraft and they'd be a lot more accurate in places. Want to defund those too?

 

[afigg]

put up with dirty,uneducated and filthy people is ridiculous.

In short, your fellow Americans. And some foreign visitors and immigrants, but they often dress better than Americans. But one can encounter unpleasant people on airplanes as well.
As for the rest, sorry about your trip.

 

[TVRM610]

I wish there was more information...

I'm not sure how you have to put up with uneducated people in a sleeper... You have a private room.

Safety is sub par? How? Did the train arrive with everyone alive? Lol.

The rough rails is just someone who hasn't ridden a train before, that's what trains do... They move lol. That's like taking a cruise and complaining that the ship rocks.

The only complaint I take legit. Is the smell.... It's rare but sometimes that does happen and it is pretty disgusting.

 

[SarahZ]

I handle approximately thirty auto claims every day. Clearly, cars are unsafe. Dismantle the roadways!

 

[John Bobinyec]

Is this a troll?

Pardon me, but what's a troll, in this context?

jb

 

[leemell]

Something to get a lot of responses, just like this.

 

[CelticWhisper]

Security is a joke

Good. The day I have to interact with TSA thugs at train stations is the day I stop taking Amtrak. I rather enjoy being able to get my ticket and hop aboard a train without being treated with suspicion.

 

[Acela150]

You don't have to deal with the TSA while on Amtrak.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I have been riding passenger trains for over 64 years. I have never felt unsafe or insecure on Amtrak or any other train. In all the many miles I have traveled I have never met unclean or uneducated or other distasteful passengers -and just very interesting travelers some of whom became friends. I pleased that Amtrak exists because many have wanted it to fail. The op might be a disgruntled politician.

 

[jsreeves]

I would love to hear a more detailed report on his trip than just 5 or 6 sentences...it must be a doozy.

 

[greatcats]

There was a complaint of a sewage smell two days ago in the other sleeper on the SWC. We may have been on the same train. Having said that, I suggest the poster take in the many positives of such a trip. Amtrak has its faults, for sure, but I find this post narrow minded if it is indeed legit. However, in line with my Traveliogur post of last night, I would like a higher level of service for the very high fare I have paid.

 

[Ispolkom]

jater is a forum member in good standing who posted about the upcoming trip in other threads, even asking questions.
Sounds like s/he had a bad first trip and was looking for a better experience but didn't achieve it.

Not everyone is cut out to be an Amtrak fan.

It looks like that to me. Not everyone is going to find the positives of train travel as positive as regulars here, and the negatives can be pretty darn negative. I remember a trip on the California Zephyr where the toilets in our sleeper didn't work from Denver to Winnemucca, something like 20 hours, and the dining car LSA had a manner better suited for a messhall. I can see an experience like that turning someone off to train travel, period, especially given the remarkably high prices Amtrak charges for sleeper accomodations.

 

[cpamtfan]

The thing with bathrooms is the same can be said about planes or any public bathrooms. Now when you go into an Amfleet coach 29 hours into a trip, that is pretty bad, so I can see it being possible. The things posted were vague, so it'd be good for the OP to tell us more.

 

[Ribbon50]

Such problems. I've never had any of 'em. I just finished a trip where I rode in both US sleepers and First Great Western in the UK (Penzance to London Paddington). Both were fine, dining companions nice, no odd smells. I will note, however, that British trains ride much smoother because of better track and the beds are more comfortable. The beds are fixed in the down position since no sleeping car journey in the UK is very long.

 

[zepherdude]

You took the time to sign up for this group, why not get into the spirit. Otherwise, get real.