Say what you will about the financial benefits of full trains, but one thing is certain: they're unpleasant for introverts. We need our space. Sitting next to someone for hours, especially with loud conversations in the background, is quite draining.
Full Trains
- Thread starter Skim
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
cuppb001
Train Attendant
I myself personally feel good when I am on an Amtrak train that appears to be fairly full. It shows Amtrak's increasing ridership numbers that hopefully could lead to future expansion. That being said though it usually comes at a comfort cost. The bathrooms are always occupied, the lounge will have all seats full and a line at the counter, there will be loud conversations in the coaches, unavailability of dining car reservations, I could go on and on. I guess with the good comes the bad. A solution though I cannot phathom. You cant easily add more bathrooms,and its redundant to have 2 diners and 2 lounges.
That is why I only travel in sleepers now. It can be a bit more expensive, but if you buy Amtrak Guest Reward points every year, that helps a lot. It's definitely worth it for me. I cannot stand sitting in Coach. I had heart palpitations so bad on our last trip that I had shooting chest pain when we departed in Albuquerque.
June the Coach Rider
OBS Chief
I have to say one bright side of being disabled is that I have to book lower level seats. There are only 12 seats down there and mostly it is quieter than upstairs. I guess this is why I don't see a need to spend the extra money or points on a sleeper. If I can't sleep with my seat mate, there is usually space on the floor in there to sleep. I have also purchased a second seat so that I can have two, if it is a point where my leg needs to be elevated at all times. This way I can lay sideways and never have an issue with someone wanting the seat beside me.
I can't stand & sit at the same time without regard to whether or not I'm in coach. :lol: :lol:
Last edited by a moderator:
caravanman
Engineer
I guess one could stand on the seat, but that probably isn't sitting... It is nice to have a bit of elbow room, and I have always been pleased if I get no seat mate and can sleep across both coach seats at night. On the other hand (or other elbow!), I love the bustle and chatter of coach travel in the American town without a zip code... the Amtrak train!
Ed
Ed
Last edited by a moderator:
Running an extra cafe makes sense when a train hits a certain length. If a train is running 6-8 cars, it doesn't make sense...but if you get sets stretching out to 10-14 cars? It's what Amtrak did when they ran the "Super CONO" a few years ago at Thanksgiving: They cut like 7 coaches and an extra cafe at Memphis.
Of course, this sort of crowding raises the specter of having better "upgrade class" options.
Of course, this sort of crowding raises the specter of having better "upgrade class" options.
N
Nathanael
Guest
I'm fine with coach if it's not overnight. I don't mind overhearing people's conversations, and I can head to the lounge car if it's too unpleasant.
But if I'm trying to sleep... I need a sleeper.
N
Nathanael
Guest
As an introvert in coach during the day, I just stare out the window for hours on end. (Yeah, I really push to get a window seat.)
B
belrin
Guest
This could be alleviated if Amtrak had European-style (I'm thinking in particular of ICE) First Class seated coaches, with 2/1 seating, where a single traveler will usually get a seat alone ("Place Isolee", as the French put in on the tickets)
Hopefully, most of them will get off at an intermediate stop. There are times we ride the SWC and it's really crowded, but then we lose half our car in Kansas City. I'll cross my introverted fingers for you.
Crowded coaches in daytime are tolerable. It's white noise (most of the time). At night, headphones or earplugs work wonders. If you don't like the bustle during the day, put on the headphones or earplugs at those times as well. I'll admit, when I can afford it, I happily take sleepers, but even then, I sometimes, if there's room, ride for a long time in the cafe car. I remember my first LD ride in coach. It was one of the Silvers from NYP to Orlando. There was a huge group of high school kids in the next car, and thus the constant stream of kids going to the cafe car was really draining, especially because I had chosen the first row of seats so that I'd have more leg room. It wasn't the kids as much as the noise of the door and the ensuing rush of freezing air all night long. Ever since then, if I'm riding coach, I get as close as I can to the middle of the car.
June the Coach Rider
OBS Chief
I prefer the back seat or as close to the back as possible. Unless there is a coach in front of my car. I hate having to walk past everyone on the car to use the restroom. Especially if the cafe car and dining cars are in front of us, they know that if we are walking toward the back, where we are going. Especially if I happen to be in the last car, and feel good enough to be upstairs, this way there is no one walking past us at all, usually the back seat is for the attendant, but as close as possible makes it nice and quiet.
the_traveler
Engineer
Which 1/2 did you lose - the top 1/2 or the bottom 1/2? :huh: Did you lose the wheels/trucks too? :giggle:
They are VERY unpleasant to get on at night. People are asleep laying across the seats and will not willing give you a seat. One gal was asleep all the way across both seats and had her un-ticketed toddler asleep in the two seats across the isle.
That was super fun trying to get her to give up 3 seats. SUPER fun.... I had to walk up and down the train to get more than a dozen seats for our group waking people up to move after midnight. What a mess.
That was super fun trying to get her to give up 3 seats. SUPER fun.... I had to walk up and down the train to get more than a dozen seats for our group waking people up to move after midnight. What a mess.
amamba
Engineer
Interesting that purchasing a second seat has worked for you.
There have been discussions on here before about how amtrak does not usually allow this.
June the Coach Rider
OBS Chief
I think being disabled has something to do with it. I know there has been other people posting that they were able to get two seats because they had equipment that would take up the second seat. As I am disabled and always make sure they know that when I get my tickets, that may explain the ease I have.
Edited to add: Also, almost every time I board a train it is at an end point except in Worcester, but they have seats marked for disabled and they are always open when I get on because they know I am disabled as noted on the manifest.
Last edited by a moderator:
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
Personally I think this is a stupid rule and it prevents me from buying more tickets on Amtrak. If the sleepers are sold out on an overnight train then I generally will not ride Amtrak. If I could buy two coach seats together I'd be handing Amtrak a lot more of my money. They can't even be bothered to include some sort of armrest or other divider between you and whoever is sharing your seat. Oh well, such is Amtrak.
Last edited by a moderator:
fillyjonk
OBS Chief
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2011
- Messages
- 582
Another introvert here.
I can do okay with daytime trips in coach. But yeah, overnight, I need to be able to put a door between myself and the rest of the world or else I don't sleep. Part of it is needing relative quiet, part of it is some kind of weird freaked-out feeling about other people "looking at me while I sleep."
I've also had a few unpleasant encounters in coach with people who seemed to think that my moving or ignoring them was merely playing "hard to get."
And yeah, I'd never want to get in coach in the middle of the night and have to wake someone up and "beg" them to give up the second seat they were lying across, even if they aren't actually entitled to having it.
I can do okay with daytime trips in coach. But yeah, overnight, I need to be able to put a door between myself and the rest of the world or else I don't sleep. Part of it is needing relative quiet, part of it is some kind of weird freaked-out feeling about other people "looking at me while I sleep."
I've also had a few unpleasant encounters in coach with people who seemed to think that my moving or ignoring them was merely playing "hard to get."
And yeah, I'd never want to get in coach in the middle of the night and have to wake someone up and "beg" them to give up the second seat they were lying across, even if they aren't actually entitled to having it.
tricia
Conductor
If someone won't leave you alone when you've moved away from them, the problem isn't that you're an introvert. Sorry to hear you've been harassed like that.
VentureForth
Engineer
This should be the role of the conductor and/or the coach attendant. You should never be put in a position of getting someone to move over for you.
the_traveler
Engineer
Agreed! When I boarded in SLC in the middle of the night, the CA walked me to a seat and awoke the other passenger so I had a seat. (Yes I rode coach to GJT the same morning.)
- Status
