How secure is baggage near door of car?

[R Johnson]

[SIZE=14pt]Gee, it has been almost six years since my last post on this forum.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]I enjoyed my first and second train trips, Connersville, IN to Staunton, VA and back, but limited vacation time and trips that would be impossible on Amtrak have kept me from taking any more train rides.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]That will, hopefully, change in the not too distant future. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Unhappiness with my employer finally came to a head near the end of last July. I took two weeks of vacation and never went back to work. Somewhere during the two weeks before I quit, it occurred to me that the monthly Social Security check would more than cover a month’s long hike on the Appalachian Trail. And so….[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Sometime before the 15th of May I hope to be boarding Train 50 again. This time I will be going one stop further than last time, getting off at Charlottesville, VA. If all goes well, three or four months later I will experience train travel (and a little bus travel as well) in the northeast corridor as I make my way from Maine back to Charlottesville, and, ultimately, home.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Last time I was on here asking about being able to carry a long hiking staff on the train. This time, the staff will have been replaced by two collapsible trekking poles that will be lashed to the back of my pack. My pack is small compared to some I have carried in the past (I will be really unhappy if the weight hits 25 pounds loaded with four or five days of food) but will still be too large to put in overhead racks. I know that there is a spot near the door of each car for larger baggage and that the pack can go there. The only thing that worries me is how secure it will be. By the time the pack is trail ready it will represent almost a thousand bucks in high-tech lightweight gear. If something happened to it, months of planning and training would be down the drain. And at my age, the possibility of doing it another year would be highly unlikely. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]So, the question is, what is the likelihood of my pack walking off the train with any legs but mine? From the last trip, it seems like there were more boarding than departing, but some stops have more passengers getting off than others. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]For what it’s worth, I look forward to getting to the trail and getting back almost as much as the hike itself. And the hike is the number one item on my bucket list.[/SIZE]

 

[neroden]

They're usually pretty secure, but if I have stuff in the front rank, I try to sit where I can keep an eye on the rack.

 

[willem]

To answer the question that was asked, it is not secure. To answer the question that was implied, luggage rarely goes missing.

 

[caravanman]

I would try and attach a discrete security chain between bag and rack... It need not be high security, just enough to deter, or to alert you to what is going on. A second thought would be to pack your gear into two smaller bags which would fit on the overhead rack, then transfer everything to the one backpack after you alight from the train. Where there is a will, there is a way...

Ed.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

I would try and attach a discrete security chain between bag and rack... It need not be high security, just enough to deter, or to alert you to what is going on. A second thought would be to pack your gear into two smaller bags which would fit on the overhead rack, then transfer everything to the one backpack after you alight from the train. Where there is a will, there is a way...

Ed.

Maybe a simple bicycle chain and lock?

 

[oregon pioneer]

How about taking along a regular plastic garbage bag to stuff your pack in? It could double as a rain cover later... and it would also make it very difficult (if tied shut) to just pick up the pack and carry it off. The things are slippery! And it would be obvious if anyone but you took it out of the rack and attempted to get the bag off it.

I understand the risk and expense with nice outdoor gear, but on the other hand, I have parked some very nice luggage in the rack near the door, and never had any trouble.

 

[Lonestar648]

I have many times had a bag or bags near the door with no issues. I generally have a lock on each so nothing can be opened. When I first started traveling, I used a bike cable lock through the handles or items, but as the years went on and I saw no one have any issues, I discontinued this process with no issues after. There are enough eyes casually watching to make an unscrupulous person nervous..

 

[Triley]

You could alleviate having to carry it onboard the Regional service by having it put through as checked baggage, although you will have to send it at least a day prior to your departure from Charlottesville, since there is no checked luggage service available on 171/176 (weekday service between Charlottesville and Boston), and they'd have to send it to DC/N.Y., and put it in another Regional that does have a baggage car.

 

[R Johnson]

You could alleviate having to carry it onboard the Regional service by having it put through as checked baggage, although you will have to send it at least a day prior to your departure from Charlottesville, since there is no checked luggage service available on 171/176 (weekday service between Charlottesville and Boston), and they'd have to send it to DC/N.Y., and put it in another Regional that does have a baggage car.

Where I will be boarding, Connersville, IN, there is no checked baggage. The "station" is a three sided structure, and I think the only light (50 arrives at 1:21 A.M.) is from nearby streetlights. At best, I won't have to even think about regional service until mid-August. I'm planning on a "walk" of over 1300 miles.

I like the idea of a cable lock. I will probably make a smaller than normal one that will lock with a padlock. I can mail it home from Charlottesville and have my support person mail it back to me at the end of the trip. If anyone wonders why I won't just carry it with me, they are not backpackers. Weight is critical. A cable and lock could easily weigh as much as a couple, or four, Snickers bars. The cable and lock are zero calories.

Thanks to everyone for all the replies.

 

[R Johnson]

I meant to add, that one of the advantages for me taking Amtrak is that it is the most convenient, inexpensive way of getting where I'm going.

A trip like I'm planning requires help from others. I can have the bank take care of the only two monthly bills that I will have, electric and cell phone. A friend who would love to be doing what I will be doing will do the job of mailing packages to mail drops at the appropriate time. In the past I have needed transportation to the trailhead or an airport.

This time, after putting my two vehicles in storage at a friend's farm, I will be able to walk out the front door and walk the two miles to the local Amtrak station. I-64 is within easy walking distance of the Charlottesville Amtrak station. There is a Holiday Inn by the Interstate. The next morning I will get to the trail (which the Interstate crosses complete with off-ramp) by either thumb or taxi.

 

[Hal]

To answer the question that was asked, it is not secure. To answer the question that was implied, luggage rarely goes missing.

It is rare and usually when it does that is because a passenger grabs the wrong bag. Because bags look alike. Bags don't get stolen. If there is thievery they get in your bag, open a zipper, and pilfer something. They don't take the whole bag. They like to go into the crews bags like that. Also some rail buffs like to do that to get something to collect.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Hal]

I would try and attach a discrete security chain between bag and rack... It need not be high security, just enough to deter, or to alert you to what is going on. A second thought would be to pack your gear into two smaller bags which would fit on the overhead rack, then transfer everything to the one backpack after you alight from the train. Where there is a will, there is a way...

Ed.

If the crew sees luggage chained to the rack they will likely ask that be removed.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Hal]

How about taking along a regular plastic garbage bag to stuff your pack in? It could double as a rain cover later... and it would also make it very difficult (if tied shut) to just pick up the pack and carry it off. The things are slippery! And it would be obvious if anyone but you took it out of the rack and attempted to get the bag off it.

I understand the risk and expense with nice outdoor gear, but on the other hand, I have parked some very nice luggage in the rack near the door, and never had any trouble.

No, don't put the backpack in a plastic garbage bag.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[andersone]

I have never had an luggage issue. I use wire ties on the zipper

 

[neroden]

As others have said, most of the theft on Amtrak is people pilfering items out of bags; if you lock all the compartments on the bag, you'll probably be fine. I think the thieves are typically afraid to walk off with entire bags.

People do take similar-looking bags by mistake, but it sounds like you'll have a *very distinctive* backpack so you should be fine there too.

 

[NW cannonball]

As others have said, most of the theft on Amtrak is people pilfering items out of bags; if you lock all the compartments on the bag, you'll probably be fine. I think the thieves are typically afraid to walk off with entire bags.

People do take similar-looking bags by mistake, but it sounds like you'll have a *very distinctive* backpack so you should be fine there too.Don

Don't sweat it, Maybe -- maybe somebody takes your bag by mistake. At airports, any bag on the carousel is fair game. At some Amtrak stations, I had to show my luggage tag to claim my free bags. YMMV

 

[R Johnson]

[SIZE=14pt]Once again, thanks for all the comments.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]I guess most of my worries stem from the fact that I'm not talking about a non-descript bag or suitcase. Something that pretty much looks like a dozen or so others around it. This is a backpack full of pricy not-available-at-Walmart gear that will basically be my home for three to five months. For the purpose of illustration, ignore the legality of having firearms on the train and pretend that it is common. A hard-shell rifle case shaped like an AR-15 that is full of dirty socks would be much more likely to wander off than a large bag on rollers that is stuffed full of one-hundred dollar bills. The rifle case is obviously something other than just another piece of luggage. So, is my pack – particularly when it be necessary to have some items, trekking poles and probably a sleeping pad, lashed on the outside of the pack. The three outside pockets are simply pouches, open at the top. There is no way to secure them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]So, based on the input I have received, here is the plan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Upgrade to business class if possible in the hope that the car will have a seat where I can keep an eye on the pack. Connersville is the first stop after Indianapolis, and I’m hoping several who board at Chicago will get off in Indy. Even though the pack is waterproof and doesn’t really need a rain cover, I will use one to hide the outside of the pack and maybe make it a little less obvious what it is. And finally, secure the rain cover way beyond the way it would normally be secured so that getting it off will require time and effort. The last part should protect the items in the outside pockets and the items strapped on the outside.[/SIZE]

 

[KauaiJohn]

On one occasion on arrival in Chicago from Matoon, our bag was missing from the rack. While we reporting it at the station, the call cam in that it would be on the next train 30 minutes later. Someone had grabbed the wrong bag on the previous stop. Funny part was the only reason for the bag was to carry several bags of flouer and an antique barn pully after visiting the parents.

 

[caravanman]

"If the crew sees luggage chained to the rack they will likely ask that be removed.".... Yep, that's why I said DISCRETE...

Ed.

 

[trainman74]

"If the crew sees luggage chained to the rack they will likely ask that be removed.".... Yep, that's why I said DISCRETE...

Just to clarify, I'm sure you mean that the lock/chain should be DISCREET.

(Any lock/chain would be discrete by definition -- unless it's hot enough in the Superliner that the chain is melting into the luggage rack. If the temperature does get that high, the luggage getting stolen would be the least of your worries.)