"Never place belongings under seat." Why?

[AmtrakBlue]

...

Possesses duct tape

...

Ah, oh.

Shall we organize the next Train Day to take place in prison, so we can all attend?

Why do you think some here keep saying Gaffers Tape, not Duct Tape. h34r:

 

[jis]

Even if you have Duct Tape you don't really have to open carry it unless you are trying to make some point. You do not need a concealed carry license to carry duct tape .... yet.

 

[caravanman]

It seems silly of the TSA to allow that list to be leaked... All the bad guys have to do is avoid those giveaway actions. At least you are all living in a free country, unlike us poor souls in a "Nanny State". Ed

If you look closely you'll notice that in many cases the TSA flags both the negative and the affirmative for any given action or trait. Which kind of exposes the TSA's directive as more of an arbitrary extralegal dragnet rather than a logical and legitimate profiling operation.

Sorry Old Chap, you missed the British ironic humour in my post ! Note to self: do not be so subtle in future.

Ed.

 

[willem]

OP here. In both cases, the signs were on platforms. I'll try to attach a picture, an endeavor at which I often have limited success. (Edit: sideways! How do I fix that?)

Wow, I didn't expect so many responses, and certainly not so quickly! A special thanks to Devil's Advocate, for posting that list that lets me know what to do, and what not to do. Now I can stay out of trouble.

 

[AG1]

 

[neroden]

AFAIK, this had to do with a frequent problem that was occurring several years ago, where purses, especially, were targeted by people in the seat either in front or behind you. It would be slid forward/back, wallet removed and slid back in place. People usually didn't notice until they were off the train and reaching for their wallet...

So this sort of makes sense, except the reaction is ridiculous overkill. "Do not place *loose valuables* under seat" would make sense. Putting my *locked train case* under my seat is not going to invite that sort of pilfering!

 

[PVD]

Of course, placing a carry on under the seat is an option suggested by Amtrak on their own website. Contradiction ? Well let me put my surprise face on.

 

[PVD]

Storing Items

Carry-on and personal items must be kept with you, stored in overhead racks, under seats or designated baggage areas. Do not store your items in empty seats, aisles, vestibules or other areas where they may cause annoyance to other passengers or present a safety hazard

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If someone places a bag under a seat in a station waiting area, then gets up, leaves and forgets the bag, there is now an unattended bag sitting in the station. That is considered a security issue and has to be handled. The sign seems to be simply saying not to forget your bag if you stored it out of sight under your seat.

thanks Bill for the most likely answer to the question. Some always try to make a major issue out of what can be explained in a brief and clear manner.

If the sign was there simply to say do not forget your bag then why does the sign not simply say do not forget your bag?

Looks like the sign has nothing at all to do with the station seating.

On the train never place belongings under seat.

Carry-on and personal items must be kept with you, stored in overhead racks, under seats or designated baggage areas. Do not store your items in empty seats, aisles, vestibules or other areas where they may cause annoyance to other passengers or present a safety hazard

I wonder what happens if and when an Amtrak Police officer catches you disobeying their department's unexplained instructions to never place anyone's belongings under anyone's seat. Is this command for your benefit or theirs, and if theirs how exactly is it enforced?

 

[andersone]

I disguise my duct tape by wrapping it around a pencil,, makes it look like an ergonomic device

 

[Hal]

If someone places a bag under a seat in a station waiting area, then gets up, leaves and forgets the bag, there is now an unattended bag sitting in the station. That is considered a security issue and has to be handled. The sign seems to be simply saying not to forget your bag if you stored it out of sight under your seat.

thanks Bill for the most likely answer to the question. Some always try to make a major issue out of what can be explained in a brief and clear manner.

If the sign was there simply to say do not forget your bag then why does the sign not simply say do not forget your bag?

Looks like the sign has nothing at all to do with the station seating.

On the train never place belongings under seat.

Carry-on and personal items must be kept with you, stored in overhead racks, under seats or designated baggage areas. Do not store your items in empty seats, aisles, vestibules or other areas where they may cause annoyance to other passengers or present a safety hazard

I wonder what happens if and when an Amtrak Police officer catches you disobeying their department's unexplained instructions to never place anyone's belongings under anyone's seat. Is this command for your benefit or theirs, and if theirs how exactly is it enforced?

It is obviously intended as a tip by the police department for passengers benefit to prevent personal belongings from being pilfered. You are being dense. Probably intentionally as that seems like your style.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I wonder what happens if and when an Amtrak Police officer catches you disobeying their department's unexplained instructions to never place anyone's belongings under anyone's seat. Is this command for your benefit or theirs, and if theirs how exactly is it enforced?

It is obviously intended as a tip by the police department for passengers benefit to prevent personal belongings from being pilfered. You are being dense. Probably intentionally as that seems like your style.

It was more of a rhetorical joke or an aside than a serious inquiry. That being said, it would appear that the whole reason this thread exists is because the actual meaning of the sign is anything but obvious.

 

[jis]

I wonder what happens if and when an Amtrak Police officer catches you disobeying their department's unexplained instructions to never place anyone's belongings under anyone's seat. Is this command for your benefit or theirs, and if theirs how exactly is it enforced?

It is obviously intended as a tip by the police department for passengers benefit to prevent personal belongings from being pilfered. You are being dense. Probably intentionally as that seems like your style.

It was more of a rhetorical joke or an aside than a serious inquiry. That being said, it would appear that the whole reason this thread exists is because the actual meaning of the sign is anything but obvious.

Moreover the most obvious meaning of he sign makes no sense at all. If pilferage from stuff placed under a seat in front of you was a problem then many airline passengers would be getting stuff pilfered left and right. They are specifically instructed to place thee smaller of their carry-ons under the seat in front of them. IMHO it is yet another piece of meaningless nonsense (as if there could be meaningful nonsense, coming to think of it ). I am not sure that it is DA being dense here at all. But I can imagine someone else that is appearing a bit dense right about now.

And BTW, why the heck are those things on the signs considered to be "Safety Tips"? I would imagine things like "hold handrails while going down stairs" as safety tips, or even "don't place oversized bags in overhead racks". But these? Really?

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

If pilferage from stuff placed under a seat in front of you was a problem then many airline passengers would be getting stuff pilfered left and right.

Well, it is a bit different on airplanes. Typically, airline passengers can't easily move seats, especially into another cabin. And long those lines, if the person behind stole something, the airline knows the name and address of that person sitting behind you. I don't think Amtrak records such.

 

[fairviewroad]

Also, "ALWAYS use authorized Red Caps to carry luggage."

And all this time I've been carrying it myself. How unsafe!

 

[Lonestar648]

I would think it would be easier to access the items placed overhead, especially when lots of people are getting on/off. If you are sitting on a crowded train in the window, you cant tell if the person is getting his things or opening yours. You have visual control over the space in front of you, which is perfect for your smaller backpack with the things you want during your trip. Maybe this is the TSA leading up to making a rule for fewer carry-ons, and that checked bags must be scanned. From knowing a couple TSA people, they really want to get their hands on security for Amtrak and commuter operations.

 

[jis]

If pilferage from stuff placed under a seat in front of you was a problem then many airline passengers would be getting stuff pilfered left and right.

Well, it is a bit different on airplanes. Typically, airline passengers can't easily move seats, especially into another cabin. And long those lines, if the person behind stole something, the airline knows the name and address of that person sitting behind you. I don't think Amtrak records such.

What has the person sitting behind me got to do with anything for a bag placed under the seat in front of me? Have you really been on a plane and tried play anything under your own seat? Probably not.