Anyone know WHY Amtrak Dining Car Attendants almost maniacally insist than when two people,... obviously together,,,, say husband/wife...sit side-by-side and NOT across from each other???
I recently had a real nasty encounter with this on the CS and have witnessed this on other trains. IF the people dining DEMAND and REFUSE to sit side-by-side Dining Car Attendants will back down but it ends up in a very unpleasant confrontation for all.
I recently took my brother, his first time on a long distance train, from PDX to SEA. An overall disappointment. Pacific Parlour Car was dark. Recent fire or other mechanical problem. Train 2.5+ hours late leaving PDX and arriving same late into SEA. I bought a roomette for the short ride from PDX to SEA just so we could use the Pacific Parlour Car.
I fully realize that "stuff" happens and we could still have dinner on the train so, disappointing as that was.........................
We, my brother and I, wanted to continue with conversation over dinner. No brainer, we thought. "Hostess" still could have seated a couple or two singles at the table. We sat across from each other to the clear annoyance of the Attendant. I wasn't demanding the entire table for myself. Besides, there were AT LEAST 4 tables empty at 6:30P.M. when we were seated AND remained EMPTY for the entire hour it took to recieve and finish our meal.
Our wait-person was VERY gracious, and served us well, no complaints with her. It was the woman who seated us who was acting like some officious, nasty egomaniacal **** that left both my brother and myself both annoyed and amused, as she was clearly and openly sneering at us each time she passed UNTIL I stopped her and asked her name, since she wasn't wearing a name tag. After that, she disappeared for the remainder of the time Jim and I were eating.
But getting back to this practice of insisting two people, obviously traveling or eating together, sit side-by-side, not across from each other??
I recently had a real nasty encounter with this on the CS and have witnessed this on other trains. IF the people dining DEMAND and REFUSE to sit side-by-side Dining Car Attendants will back down but it ends up in a very unpleasant confrontation for all.
I recently took my brother, his first time on a long distance train, from PDX to SEA. An overall disappointment. Pacific Parlour Car was dark. Recent fire or other mechanical problem. Train 2.5+ hours late leaving PDX and arriving same late into SEA. I bought a roomette for the short ride from PDX to SEA just so we could use the Pacific Parlour Car.
I fully realize that "stuff" happens and we could still have dinner on the train so, disappointing as that was.........................
We, my brother and I, wanted to continue with conversation over dinner. No brainer, we thought. "Hostess" still could have seated a couple or two singles at the table. We sat across from each other to the clear annoyance of the Attendant. I wasn't demanding the entire table for myself. Besides, there were AT LEAST 4 tables empty at 6:30P.M. when we were seated AND remained EMPTY for the entire hour it took to recieve and finish our meal.
Our wait-person was VERY gracious, and served us well, no complaints with her. It was the woman who seated us who was acting like some officious, nasty egomaniacal **** that left both my brother and myself both annoyed and amused, as she was clearly and openly sneering at us each time she passed UNTIL I stopped her and asked her name, since she wasn't wearing a name tag. After that, she disappeared for the remainder of the time Jim and I were eating.
But getting back to this practice of insisting two people, obviously traveling or eating together, sit side-by-side, not across from each other??