Bedbugs?

[Hope fried]

Planning a trip west on the CZ to California, and south to Miami via Chicago and Washington, DC. Any updates on the bedbug situation? I am not aware of any problems but would like member insight.

We returned from Florida on the auto train to lorton from Sanford on friday may4 arriving sat may 5 2011. On the way driving home both of us experienced what we thought were mosquito bites. my husbands were on his arm and mine on my back. they were very very itchy and swelled up and were very red with small blister like heads on them. a lightbulb went off in my head so I looked up pictures of bed bug bites and sure enough there were many photos of the bites. certainly I can't say for sure that these were bedbug bites but I have a very very strong feeling after seeing the photos that that is what happened to us. Previos to this time we were staying in a place in Florida and had no problems whatsoever with bites or bugs. Funny that we both experienced the same thing at the same time. We had a couchette on the train. I know that there is a problem with bbs all the u.s. But I never expected to have this problem. We called customer service and were told we may get a reply but it's not guaranteed that we would. I almost feel more upset about this than getting the bites because I feel that the problem has to be addressed by amtrac and as a customer I want to know specifically what they are doing and what they plan to do about this in the future. I wNt to travel this way again but am very fearful about it. I certainly don't want to. Ring these into my clean home they are a nuisance to get rid of and very costly. I realize that it's a big problem for amtrac but they need to address it immediately with more response slitty to the passengers.

 

[fillyjonk]

I've traveled on the Texas Eagle (MIN to BNL) many times in sleeper, never seen any kind of bugs, other than maybe a few mosquitoes that follow people in during the summer months.

Personally, I'd worry a lot more about hotels and motels.

(And as for the cockroach: I live in the South and seeing a cockroach - at least the "American" cockroach, which we call "waterbugs" around here to be polite - would alarm me far, far less than seeing a bedbug. Cockroaches don't generally hitch rides on luggage, and if they do, they're more easily gotten rid of than bedbugs.)

 

[RailFanLNK]

Couchette?

 

[Guest]

Look at the dates that 'Hope fried' listed as traveling--leaving on may 4 and arriving may 5, 2011. Pretty cool that they can predict bed bugs BEFORE travel occurs. I call TROLL here.

 

[ThayerATM]

My wife and I have traveled extensively. I would think that we would at least have heard of, or met someone. :wacko:

How come it is that we've never met anyone who's ever had a bedbug problem? :unsure: How come is is that we've never met anyone who's ever known anyone who's had a bedbug problem? :unsure:

I'm sure that the little critters do exist, but I'm more inclined to think that its being a PROBLEM it's more likely to be a media event in order to attract readers and viewers, and thus sell their advertising. <_<

 

[Shanghai]

It may be a media event to some, but it is a serious and costly problem to others.

My younger daughter accepted a job in New York City after college and took a small

apartment in the city. It was a nice apartment in a good area of the city. Six

months after living in the flat, she noticed small bites on her arm and tummy.

Her doctor said it was bed bugs. We had to discard her bed, dry clean all of her

clothes and I had an exterminator treat the flat in addition to the landlord.

It cost me over $2,500 and for about four months everthing was fine. Then, the girl

in the apartment next to my daughter told her that she had the bugs. I immediately

moved my daughter to another building as the bugs can go through walls and ceilings.

That move cost me about $3,000 plus I lost the security deposit. In the city, the

bugs are real and are dangerous. I hope Amtrak never has this problem!!

 

[ThayerATM]

It may be a media event to some, but it is a serious and costly problem to others.

My younger daughter accepted a job in New York City after college and took a small

apartment in the city. It was a nice apartment in a good area of the city. Six

months after living in the flat, she noticed small bites on her arm and tummy.

Her doctor said it was bed bugs. We had to discard her bed, dry clean all of her

clothes and I had an exterminator treat the flat in addition to the landlord.

It cost me over $2,500 and for about four months everthing was fine. Then, the girl

in the apartment next to my daughter told her that she had the bugs. I immediately

moved my daughter to another building as the bugs can go through walls and ceilings.

That move cost me about $3,000 plus I lost the security deposit. In the city, the

bugs are real and are dangerous. I hope Amtrak never has this problem!!

:hi: I've read similar stories, with remarkably similar dollar amounts and amounts of time to fix the problem. I beleive those numbers.

I, in no way, mean to imply that the problem doesn't exist. :wacko: What amazes me is that I've never met anyone, or talked with anyone who knew anyone, who had ever run into this problem in a hotel, or on a train. hboy:

I just don't think the problem is as endemic as the PRESS purports it to be. <_<

I guess I'll just continue traveling on the train and staying in hotels, and not worry about it.

 

[Ispolkom]

Look at the dates that 'Hope fried' listed as traveling--leaving on may 4 and arriving may 5, 2011. Pretty cool that they can predict bed bugs BEFORE travel occurs. I call TROLL here.

No, I bet the post was written on some sort of smart phone that has a predictive text feature. That's the best way to interpret the odd typos, like "response slitty" for "responsibility." In such a case, mistyping the year seems not hard to believe.

I've never encountered bedbugs on Amtrak, but did see mice at the Washington National Continental President's Club. Perhaps cheese and crackers isn't the best snack to be left out there.

 

[amamba]

I assumed that she traveled in March and typed "mar" but that it was auto corrected to may.

 

[ACVitale]

I have never seen or encountered Bed Bugs on any of the trains that I have taken. However, According to some of the bed bug tracking websites there are several reports of Bed Bugs on the Autotrain between Sanford and Lorton. They appear to be in roomettes and bedrooms on the superliner equipment. The most recent report was January 2011 and they go back to 2008. Intermittently reported in the 2 and 1/2 year span since they first appeared.

My guess is the best thing one can do is make sure you report it.... and keep reporting it... Car attendant... Conductor... Customer Service and anyone else to ensure a prompt and strong response to ensure they are eliminated.

That notwithstanding, Unless the equipment from the autotrain is shuffled thru the rest of the system it may just be a series of isolated occurances on the single route.

On the otherhand, I had a beautiful corner suite (Room 207) in the Doubletree Dayton Downtown that had bed bugs in mid February that left me scrambling to ensure that I did not bring any home with me.

Sadly, with the proliferation of bed bugs in major cities NYC, WAS, CHI, LAX, BWI, BOS and others it is probably only a matter of time until they are encountered again.

 

[Ryan]

That notwithstanding, Unless the equipment from the autotrain is shuffled thru the rest of the system it may just be a series of isolated occurances on the single route.

The Auto Train equipment is basically captive to that route.

 

[Hope fried]

Look at the dates that 'Hope fried' listed as traveling--leaving on may 4 and arriving may 5, 2011. Pretty cool that they can predict bed bugs BEFORE travel occurs. I call TROLL here.

No, I bet the post was written on some sort of smart phone that has a predictive text feature. That's the best way to interpret the odd typos, like "response slitty" for "responsibility." In such a case, mistyping the year seems not hard to believe.

I've never encountered bedbugs on Amtrak, but did see mice at the Washington National Continental President's Club. Perhaps cheese and crackers isn't the best snack to be left out there.

Today I happened to look at the bed bug situation on amtrac once again after posting what occurred to myself and my husband on a return trip on the auto train from Florida. The person who wrote that I was writing from a predictive text feature was absolutely correct. Why would I lie about bedbugs on amtrac's auto train? What would that accomplish? they are there I didn't see them. But I can tell you we experienced them. And.... We are still waiting for a phone call from amtrac. We want to reserve a couchette for next year but r very reluctant after our bad experience. Any one who lives in a clean home would want to know about this. Wouldn't you want to take precautions if u were able to?

 

[busboy]

I travel a lot for my job and have encountered bed bugs several times. When I go home, I never bring my suitcase in the house. I unload the clothing in a plastic bag and immediately put it in the washer. In summer, the heat in your car will kill the bedbugs.

You don't want these things in your house. My aunt got them, and it took over a year and about $15000 to get rid of them. Had to hire a professional exterminator, and it took 4 treatments to get rid of them. Also had to throw out her bed and a lot of clothing. It's a horrible problem and the things are hard to kill and can hide in unbelievably small places during the day.

 

[ACVitale]

To date it seems like bedbugs have not been a problem on Amtrak EXCEPT for on the Autotrain which seems to have had a recurring problem in both coach and some sleepers.

Has it been handled and have they been eliminated is hard to say.

I have experienced Bedbugs at the Doubletree hotel in downtown Dayton. To the hotels credit they handled it quickly and made things right. Fortunately, I was not sleeping well and the problem was found before I left and my belongings could be washed sterilized etc and did not get a chance to make it into my home.

Thatnotwithstanding, I doubt the poster was being a troll. Rather addressing a sad situation that affected them.

I have also heard of some British Airways B747, B777, B763 aircraft being infested with bed bugs in coach class.

 

[Compuwriter]

I would expect them to be anyplace where luggage is that may have been in a hotel before entering the train. Planes, buses, and trains!

 

[TransitGeek]

I still want to hear about the couchette that the Auto Train has, now that it's been mentioned twice...

 

[Hope friedland]

Couchette in France. Roomette. In u.s. Amtrak has finally replied to my call and letter. I would say that it took them much much too long to do this. If I travelled in march it is now almost October. That is terrible response time. They said they took it very seriously and checked it out. Of course they found nothing!!!!!! Mmmmmm?????

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Of course they found nothing!!!!!! Mmmmmm?????

That means there were no bedbugs to be found. If there was an infestation of bedbugs, they would not have cleared themselves up. So, if they were there March, they would have been still in October.

 

[cirdan]

Well I just returned from a round trip NYP-Miami on the Silver Meteor and saw no evidence of bedbugs in the two roomettes we had on the way down or the bedroom we had on the way back. But I did see a cockroach on the last leg of the journey in the middle sleeper car on my way back to my sleeper from a late breakfast. It was on the floor near the coffee station near a bunch of used towels that the attendant was rounding up.

you do know that cockroaches are bedbugs worst enemies? They hardly ever occur in the same place.

 

[Lazy Z]

Well I just returned from a round trip NYP-Miami on the Silver Meteor and saw no evidence of bedbugs in the two roomettes we had on the way down or the bedroom we had on the way back. But I did see a cockroach on the last leg of the journey in the middle sleeper car on my way back to my sleeper from a late breakfast. It was on the floor near the coffee station near a bunch of used towels that the attendant was rounding up.

you do know that cockroaches are bedbugs worst enemies? They hardly ever occur in the same place.

Hmm,,, I have never heard that -interesting. So seeing a cockroach could be a good thing?

 

[fillyjonk]

Well I just returned from a round trip NYP-Miami on the Silver Meteor and saw no evidence of bedbugs in the two roomettes we had on the way down or the bedroom we had on the way back. But I did see a cockroach on the last leg of the journey in the middle sleeper car on my way back to my sleeper from a late breakfast. It was on the floor near the coffee station near a bunch of used towels that the attendant was rounding up.

you do know that cockroaches are bedbugs worst enemies? They hardly ever occur in the same place.

O RLY? I wish I could believe that....I live in a gappy old house that has cockroaches come up the pipe chase from time to time. (The big "American" cockroaches, which I am told are less a symptom of being a slovenly housekeeper than the small "German" roaches are). I'd be happier putting up with them if I could really believe they were keeping the bedbugs out.... :giggle:

 

[cirdan]

Well I just returned from a round trip NYP-Miami on the Silver Meteor and saw no evidence of bedbugs in the two roomettes we had on the way down or the bedroom we had on the way back. But I did see a cockroach on the last leg of the journey in the middle sleeper car on my way back to my sleeper from a late breakfast. It was on the floor near the coffee station near a bunch of used towels that the attendant was rounding up.

you do know that cockroaches are bedbugs worst enemies? They hardly ever occur in the same place.

O RLY? I wish I could believe that....I live in a gappy old house that has cockroaches come up the pipe chase from time to time. (The big "American" cockroaches, which I am told are less a symptom of being a slovenly housekeeper than the small "German" roaches are). I'd be happier putting up with them if I could really believe they were keeping the bedbugs out.... :giggle:

It's something one of my old schoolteachers once mentioned. He also taught us that if we could choose between drinking water with mosquitoes in it and water without, it's better to take that with because at least it isn't poisoned.

I can't vouch for how much practical truth such snippets of wisdom contain, but there's in an element of truth in most legends.