Forget to stop

[geauxrail]

I am going from NOL the CHI in July, but my two year old son and I will be deboarding in Kankakee, IL rather than all the way to CHI. When I was younger, I took the train from CHI to Rensselaer, IN. The train did not stop long enough for us to get out and we ended up in Lafayette really late at night with no transportation. If I were riding by myself, I could handle not being let off the train, but with my 2-year old, I don't want to be stuck in Chicago or Joliet. How can I be assured that I will be let off the train at a minor stop?

 

[transit54]

I am going from NOL the CHI in July, but my two year old son and I will be deboarding in Kankakee, IL rather than all the way to CHI. When I was younger, I took the train from CHI to Rensselaer, IN. The train did not stop long enough for us to get out and we ended up in Lafayette really late at night with no transportation. If I were riding by myself, I could handle not being let off the train, but with my 2-year old, I don't want to be stuck in Chicago or Joliet. How can I be assured that I will be let off the train at a minor stop?

When the conductor lifts your ticket, let him know that this is what you want to do. That way he'll be aware of what you're doing and he'll put a seat check above your seat with the Kankakee station code on it, rather than CHI. He'll probably come around before the stop just to remind you that its coming up, so you can get ready to go. However, once the train does pull up to the station and stop, you are responsible for having everything together and being able to exit the train rather quickly. Before the stop just bring everything downstairs and that way you'll be ready to get off when the train stops.

 

[haolerider]

I am going from NOL the CHI in July, but my two year old son and I will be deboarding in Kankakee, IL rather than all the way to CHI. When I was younger, I took the train from CHI to Rensselaer, IN. The train did not stop long enough for us to get out and we ended up in Lafayette really late at night with no transportation. If I were riding by myself, I could handle not being let off the train, but with my 2-year old, I don't want to be stuck in Chicago or Joliet. How can I be assured that I will be let off the train at a minor stop?

When the conductor lifts your ticket, let him know that this is what you want to do. That way he'll be aware of what you're doing and he'll put a seat check above your seat with the Kankakee station code on it, rather than CHI. He'll probably come around before the stop just to remind you that its coming up, so you can get ready to go. However, once the train does pull up to the station and stop, you are responsible for having everything together and being able to exit the train rather quickly. Before the stop just bring everything downstairs and that way you'll be ready to get off when the train stops.

Get yourself a timetable, look and see what stop is just before Kankakee and when you get to that stop, start getting yourself and your son ready. Don't wait until the train stops in Kankakee to start finding your gear and putting everything together.

 

[JayPea]

The CONO stop before Kankakee is at Champaign, an hour before Kankakee. That should be plenty of time to get ready! Also, an announcement should be made several minutes prior to your stop so that you will have time to gather your belongings (and your two-year-old!) and be ready to detrain. Sometimes they will even advise you to make your way downstairs and be waiting at the door so that you can get off right when the train stops.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

an announcement should be made several minutes prior to your stop

Kankakee is a flag stop, so I wouldn't bet on an announcement. This is a situation in which the passenger should be proactive, prepared, and make sure to be on the same page as the conductor.

As a musical aside, Kankakee is mentioned in Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans." Good morning America, how are you...

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Kankakee is a flag stop, so I wouldn't bet on an announcement. This is a situation in which the passenger should be proactive, prepared, and make sure to be on the same page as the conductor.

That route is long enough that the conductor will change a few times during the trip. The timetable lists separate arrival times and departure times for Memphis and Carbondale, so Carbondale is probably where the conductor for Kankakee starts his/her shift.

It might not be a bad idea, shortly after the train leaves Champaign-Urbana, to confirm with a conductor or assistant conductor that the stop at Kankakee will be made, especially if your tickets are booked for Chicago. If there's a seat check mentioning Kankakee that was put there two conductors ago, the conductor at Kankekee might not be aware of it; the conductor may be relying on a computer printout of destinations that passengers have been booked to in trying to figure out whether to stop at Kankakee..

 

[JayPea]

an announcement should be made several minutes prior to your stop

Kankakee is a flag stop, so I wouldn't bet on an announcement. This is a situation in which the passenger should be proactive, prepared, and make sure to be on the same page as the conductor.

As a musical aside, Kankakee is mentioned in Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans." Good morning America, how are you...

I've ridden the CONO several times and they have always made the announcement at Kankakee. Maybe I caught the crew on a good day, though.

"All along the southbound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kankakee....." That song sticks in my head every time we pull out of Kankakee!!! :lol:

 

[amtrakwolverine]

why not just make the reservation for Kankakee. that way your safe for getting off.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Yeah, you'd be wise to book to Kankakee in the first place. Btw, "City of New Orleans" is probably my favourite song ever.

But here is what I'd do. You're on a Superliner train, so it should be even easier. On commuter rail around here, I stand in the vestibule for the last five minutes, and the local conductors have given up asking me not to. But the Superliners door is in a perfectly safe place in the car, so here is what you do.

About 10 minutes before the stop at Kankakee, get your stuff out and ready to go, and get your butt down the stairs. Stand at the door until the train comes to a complete stop, then get off the train. Alternatively, don't wait for it to come to a complete stop and jump off the train. Then you can have the fun of having ballast picked out of your body. (I'm attempting to be amusing. My lawyer is insulting your intelligence by requiring me to tell you I'm not being serious.)

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

If the tickets are already printed, exchanging them might be inconvenient, and if the reservation was made a while ago, changing the destination might cost money if the current bucket price is a higher bucket.

For a future trip I'm planning, I'm considering intentionally buying a ticket to Chicago (along with a ticket from Chicago to Lafayette that I probably won't use) and then getting off at South Bend, on the theory that if there's bad winter weather, I can take the train futher and save my family some driving in the snow. Is there any reason why this is an especially bad idea? (It looks like the coach fare to CHI is the same as the coach fare to SOB, but the roomette upgrade is a little more if the ticket is purchased to CHI, but probably not as costly as converting a SOB reservation to a CHI reservation at the last minute.)

While spending the last 5-10 minutes of a trip riding within 20 feet of the door (or as a part of the crowd waiting near the door if there's a crowd) is certainly not a bad idea, it'll be impossible to know that they're 10 minutes away unless the crew makes the announcement.

 

[Walt]

When the conductor lifts your ticket, let him know that this is what you want to do. That way he'll be aware of what you're doing and he'll put a seat check above your seat with the Kankakee station code on it, rather than CHI. He'll probably come around before the stop just to remind you that its coming up, so you can get ready to go.

I would certainly not rely on the Conductor.

As I told about in another thread here, I was on the Vermonter where a fellow passenger, across the isle, was fully blind, and even had a seeing eye dog with her.

Since the PA was out, she specifically asked the Conductor to warn her when her stop is coming up next. Along with the seat check for herself, and a seat check for her dog, the Conductor added a third, unique colored, seat check denoting her special need.

Well, her station came, and the Conductor never came back. We had to help her, instead (which was no problem at all).

Now, if a Conductor will not provide such a station warning to a blind person, IMHO, you would no chance. :huh:

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I would certainly not rely on the Conductor.
As I told about in another thread here, I was on the Vermonter where a fellow passenger, across the isle, was fully blind, and even had a seeing eye dog with her.

Since the PA was out, she specifically asked the Conductor to warn her when her stop is coming up next. Along with the seat check for herself, and a seat check for her dog, the Conductor added a third, unique colored, seat check denoting her special need.

Well, her station came, and the Conductor never came back. We had to help her, instead (which was no problem at all).

Now, if a Conductor will not provide such a station warning to a blind person, IMHO, you would no chance. :huh:

It's worth noting that in that case, the conductor who put the seat checks there was long gone from the train by the time that passenger go to her destination, due to the shift changes.

 

[Walt]

It's worth noting that in that case, the conductor who put the seat checks there was long gone from the train by the time that passenger go to her destination, due to the shift changes.

He was? When does the conductor change in the north-bound Vermonter?

And if there was a change in conductors, what you are claiming is that the replacement conductor never bothered to walk the train at all, even to collect tickets from new passengers. Because by doing so, the seeing eye dog, and the unique colored seat check, should have caught his attention, no?

There is no scenario that could explain this away. Don't trust conductors to remind you of your pending station.

 

[wayman]

There is no scenario that could explain this away. Don't trust conductors to remind you of your pending station.

Besides, isn't that more a part of the coach attendant's job than the conductor's? Not saying you should trust them either, but I feel like they're the ones I've seen most often reminding passengers their stop is next.

 

[transit54]

It's worth noting that in that case, the conductor who put the seat checks there was long gone from the train by the time that passenger go to her destination, due to the shift changes.

He was? When does the conductor change in the north-bound Vermonter?

Springfield, MA. They run from Springfield to St Albans, stay overnight there, and then make the trip back the next day. South of Springfield, I seem to recall a change in New Haven, and I've never ridden it past Bridgeport, so I wouldn't know where they change south of there.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

There is no scenario that could explain this away. Don't trust conductors to remind you of your pending station.

Besides, isn't that more a part of the coach attendant's job than the conductor's? Not saying you should trust them either, but I feel like they're the ones I've seen most often reminding passengers their stop is next.

Does the Vermonter have a coach attendent?

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

And if there was a change in conductors, what you are claiming is that the replacement conductor never bothered to walk the train at all, even to collect tickets from new passengers. Because by doing so, the seeing eye dog, and the unique colored seat check, should have caught his attention, no?
There is no scenario that could explain this away. Don't trust conductors to remind you of your pending station.

Remember that with a flag stop, the conductor won't even make the stop at all if he/she doesn't think anyone wants to get off or on there. That's why I suggested talking with the conductor shortly after the previous stop is made.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Some of the best conversations we've had with Amtrak car attendants and conductors have been in the 20 minutes or so we are standing down in the Superliner doorway waiting to disembark.

You should always be ready to leave the train as soon as it stops, especially at stations that have little or no layover. Example--Cleveland, yes (Viewliners must not stand in vestibule) --Fullerton-yes, Rockville, Md--yes,

 

[Guest]

"best conversations we've had with Amtrak car attendants"

The cynic in me says, "tip time".

Isn't there a certain word they use or a certain amount of ribbing (or demerits) that they take when they fail to get a passenger off at their stop?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I don't know about other pax, but by the time I am ready for detraining, I have long ago decided what tip I am giving and have already set that bill or bills from my wallet to hand to the CA when the time comes. (I always feel cheap sorting through bills in my wallet to give a tip for some reason.)

You get tips from MY pocket by providing the proper amount of service. Being nice and chatty when called on is part of that, yes, but you aren't going to convince me you are a good employee by blabbering in my ear after a trip of not seeing you.

 

[Hamhock]

I don't know about other pax, but by the time I am ready for detraining, I have long ago decided what tip I am giving and have already set that bill or bills from my wallet to hand to the CA when the time comes.

I do this as well; usually, the folded bill is in the palm of my hand, awaiting that special handshake of transfer that certain sects of my tribe have been doing here for a hundred years. <_<

 

[AlanB]

There is no scenario that could explain this away. Don't trust conductors to remind you of your pending station.

Besides, isn't that more a part of the coach attendant's job than the conductor's? Not saying you should trust them either, but I feel like they're the ones I've seen most often reminding passengers their stop is next.

Does the Vermonter have a coach attendent?

No.

 

[AlanB]

It's worth noting that in that case, the conductor who put the seat checks there was long gone from the train by the time that passenger go to her destination, due to the shift changes.

He was? When does the conductor change in the north-bound Vermonter?

Springfield, MA. They run from Springfield to St Albans, stay overnight there, and then make the trip back the next day. South of Springfield, I seem to recall a change in New Haven, and I've never ridden it past Bridgeport, so I wouldn't know where they change south of there.

New Haven is a crew change point. The next westbound change would be at NYP.

 

[Walt]

New Haven is a crew change point. The next westbound change would be at NYP.

Ah, so there was a crew change between where I got on (NYP) and where the blind lady got off (HFD).

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I don't know about other pax, but by the time I am ready for detraining, I have long ago decided what tip I am giving and have already set that bill or bills from my wallet to hand to the CA when the time comes. (I always feel cheap sorting through bills in my wallet to give a tip for some reason.)
You get tips from MY pocket by providing the proper amount of service. Being nice and chatty when called on is part of that, yes, but you aren't going to convince me you are a good employee by blabbering in my ear after a trip of not seeing you.

But if even 10% of passengers reward the attendants financially for this behavior of chatting shortly before detraining, isn't that likely to be enough of an incentive for them to engage in it?