Chris Christie Kicked Off Amtrak Quiet Car

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They are on most trains on the North East Corridor.

As for this topic ... it can be characterized as an over-reaction to a not so out of the ordinary event, because of the person involved this time around.
 
andersone said:
I love it when we beat a dead horse
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My thoughts EXACTLY. But trust me, it's FAR from over. The horse was not only dead, it wasn't really even a horse when the beating started.

IMHO though, these are thee-best-type-of-threads on AU. Far more entertaining than "Rare Mileage" or "New Viewliner Sighted Leaving CAF."
 
Outside of the Northeast, Quiet Cars are available on all Hiawatha trains and some Capitol Corridor trains.
 
Eric S said:
Outside of the Northeast, Quiet Cars are available on all Hiawatha trains and some Capitol Corridor trains.
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Actually, there are quiet cars on all the Midwest corridors operating out of Chicago.

Nevertheless, the whole Christie episode sure seems like making a mountain out of a molehill. I'm sure he's not the first person to be asked to remove himself from a quiet car because of cell phone talking. Once he was told about the problem, he left and went to another car. Not really a big deal. If his state trooper guards started beating up on the conductor, then that would have been a story. It's good that he was riding the train, rather than having a 10-car motorcade on I-95.
 
Hal said:
Christie has rode Amtrak trains many times, ...
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Then I don't understand how Chris Christie didn't know about, and understand, the Quiet Cars.

This now appears, to me, that Christie didn't care that he was in a quite car, and would have continued to be disruptive, if it wasn't for the fact that he was "publically" (ie, in front of the press) called out for such on this trip, by the conductor.

I wonder if the conductor had to push the point, if Christie would have done a "George Washington" and shut down Amtrak going thru NJ? :D
 
I amend my earlier comment,,, we are making a mountain out of a molehill,,, as father often we all put our pants on one leg at a time and those who don't are very acrobatic
 
To me the real story is that Christie apparently did not revert to his usual tactic of simply shouting down anyone who dared to disagree with him in public. Normally I'd wonder if he was sick or injured but reports already state that he was shouting at his staff and whoever was on the other end of the phone. Maybe Christie can only successfully shout down one person at a time? In any case his spokespeople should be playing up Christie's rare and surprising choice of polite deescalation over a battle of bellowing decibels like usual.
 
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Devil's Advocate said:
To me the real story is that Christie apparently did not revert to his usual tactic of simply shouting down anyone who dared to disagree with him in public. Normally I'd wonder if he was sick or injured but reports already state that he was shouting at his staff and whoever was on the other end of the phone. Maybe Christie can only successfully shout down one person at a time? In any case his spokespeople should be playing up Christie's rare and surprising choice of polite deescalation over a battle of bellowing decibels like usual.
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Maybe it was because of the McDonald's?

Does anyone want to bet that these Acela tickets were paid for by the taxpayers of the state of New Jersey?
 
It's true that this is a pretty minor issue. Quiet cars are clearly identified with prominent signage, as well as audible announcements. Christie's own representative called the quiet car "notorious", so a reasonable person could conclude that, having ridden the trains frequently before, he should have known about it. People are asked to leave the quiet car every day, but most of them aren't ostensible Presidential candidates who have ridden the trains often enough to know better, accompanied by an entourage who could have pointed out his error. As a proclaimed Presidential candidate, his public behavior is subject to more scrutiny than most of us have to endure.

As far as I know, there are tables in the lounge car, but not in the quiet car. The only witness who says he was not obnoxious is Katie Klabusich, who says she shared a table with him. If my understanding is correct, that means she observed him in the lounge, and did not observe his behavior in the quiet car.

I agree that there was no apparent reason to have him removed from the train, and no news account I've read ever suggested that he was. But if circumstances had required it, it was within the Conductor's power and authority to do so

Tom.
 
FormerOBS said:
As far as I know, there are tables in the lounge car, but not in the quiet car. The only witness who says he was not obnoxious is Katie Klabusich, who says she shared a table with him. If my understanding is correct, that means she observed him in the lounge, and did not observe his behavior in the quiet car.

I agree that there was no apparent reason to have him removed from the train, and no news account I've read ever suggested that he was. But if circumstances had required it, it was within the Conductor's power and authority to do so

Tom.
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There are several tables in the Quiet Car on Acela. Tables in every car. So your understanding is wrong and your knowledge is lacking. When I read Katie Klabusich's account it rang true.

Having authority and knowing when to use it are two different things. Too many have used authority which they have on paper or authority they think they have and got themselves into trouble.
 
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Cho Cho Charlie said:
Then I don't understand how Chris Christie didn't know about, and understand, the Quiet Cars.

This now appears, to me, that Christie didn't care that he was in a quite car, and would have continued to be disruptive, if it wasn't for the fact that he was "publically" (ie, in front of the press) called out for such on this trip, by the conductor.
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Actually, it sounds as though the Gov did know about and understand the Quiet Cars. Hence, his immediate cessation of a cell phone conversation and his immediate action to move to another car. His response suggests he made an honest, albeit careless, mistake.

And I don't think this happened "in front of the press." Gawker simply picked up the story from an eyewitness and rather than question the credibility or motivations of the eyewitness, they decided to present the story as a factual account. I except this style of "reporting" from a click-bait tabloid such as Gawker. But it was unfortunate to see more established news organizations such as the WaPo picking up the story as well. Sigh.
 
You know? I don't like Christie much. But this thing about Quiet Car and Christie has gone way over the top, and makes me feel that the folks going on about it are more interested in going on about it than the substance of it seems to justify. I agree with DA that the real news here is that when asked to leave the Quiet Car, Christie did not throw his considerable weight around and just packed up and left.

Fact of the matter is, something similar to this has happened to me too, and to dozens of other, on the Acelas in Quiet Cars. Some stopped making noise, other left the car to go to another car and continue to make noise. Some have brought in a bay in a Quiet Car who decided to start howling at the most inopportune moment too. It really is not a big deal. And having found himself in this situation does not make Christie a uniquely bad guy.
 
Eric S said:
MikefromCrete said:
Eric S said:
Outside of the Northeast, Quiet Cars are available on all Hiawatha trains and some Capitol Corridor trains.
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Actually, there are quiet cars on all the Midwest corridors operating out of Chicago.
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Is that a new addition? I didn't recall there being Quiet Cars on Lincoln and Wolverine trains.
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I take back my original statement. After actually checking Amtrak's website I see quiet cars are offered on Acelas, Northeast Regionals, Keystones and Hiawathas as well as "select" Capitol Corridor and Empire Service trains.
 
"..Much ado about nothing.." as was said but its still good to know that people still point out that the ".emperor wears no clothes.." in this age of celeberty worship!

Just hope Amtrak doesn't expierence a traffic jam in Jersey on the NEC!
 
Well Christie much to his chagrin possibly, has of late come to discover that he has no jurisdiction over Amtrak NEC or over what airlines fly what routes out of PANYNJ airports, even though his stooges ... err ... appointees, manages the PA and all passenger stations on the NEC in NJ these days. :)
 
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afigg said:
Also, Christie does not have a secret service detail as one eyewitness stated. As the Governor of NJ, he has NJ state troopers for his security team. Who, apparently he was yelling at. :p
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I think it's kind of a generic term bandied about that a protection detail for a government official is "Secret Service". I've taken a certain interest just because it's an interesting part of how our government uses its resources. Of course the US Secret Service is really an anti-counterfeiting agency at its core, although over the years it's taken on similar duties (like electronic fraud) as well as the US Presidential and Vice Presidential details along with their families.

When Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State, apparently the Secret Service had her protection detail at home, but the State Dept DSS covered her during her duties. Different Cabinet departments use their own law enforcement for protection. I've heard that the Secretary of the Interior gets a detail made of US Park Police (National Park Service) special agents. I've been in the same room as a Cabinet Secretary, and he did have a couple of guys with the stereotypical single earpieces. I think they were from a small investigative office in his department.

Of course governors get their own, and some mayors in large cities get theirs from their police. At least in California it used to be the California State Police, but that got absorbed into the California Highway Patrol. So our governor has a CHP security detail.

https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/headquarters/assistant-commissioner-field/protective-services-division/dignitary-protection-section

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