New to Amtrak - travel with young children

[TVRM610]

A crying baby is one thing, and dealing with them is not always possible. A child who is running up and down the isle whooping like an injun at 9:00 is something a parent should be properly dealing with. And I have experienced such a child last time I rode the LSL.

I totally agree, children running and misbehaving on the train is not necessary, and in fact dangerous.

 

[PerRock]

First off I want to make it clear that i skimmed most of the posts here, and got the gist of them (i think).

I think its funny how here we have people telling people to think about other people. so don't bring kids. when in fact you are then forgetting to think of the families with kids.

Personally I LOVE to see kids on trans. Generally they are overjoyed to be riding a train and it can almost always lighten my mood (I can get tense traveling). Its fun to see them look out the windows of the SSL and try and name every car on the freight train passing by @ 140mph (and get every 5th one wrong). About them whooping and running down the aisles @ 6am. I generally find the kids who do that are from families where the parents let the kids do just about anything they want; about the only slightly effective way I have found for dealing with them is to first go to the parents (who may do nothing) then if it continues confront the kid. Generally speaking if an adult tells the kid something; the kid will listen....for a while at least. The other option I've found is to move to the SSL for the night. Generally I can find a handful of passengers (oh 4 or so) sleeping there, it i actually a very nice ride.

peter

 

[George Harris]

First, if there is a problem kid on the train, he is a problem passenger and should be dealt with accordingly. Crying babies simply need someone to figure out the why and fix it, if fixable, provide comfort if not fixable. Mine are now all grown, but they have been on trains and airplanes quite a few times in the process of getting there.

I would suggest those that seem to oppose kids in concept to find another planet to live on. I understand that some of the European countries are achieving birth rates that will result in their dissapearance in a century or so. Consider emigration. Just remember, if you don't have kids it is my kids and grandkids, and the other kids and grandkids of those that do have kids, that will be paying in the social security you collect and flipping you over in your bed in the nursing home.

No, I don't particularly like the uncontrolled brats, either, and also feel that a lot of the diagnosis of ADD and other alphabetical disorders of kids never heard of 50 years ago are if so maybe medical issues and more likely simply failure of those in authority to get the concept of self control across to the kid.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I think many mised the point I was making earlier,Aloha, thought I had another picture of another kid, But can't find it. The Picture of mine though show the point, The Children are Enjoying Learning, thats why they are smiling. I have never ever seen a hapy child causing a fuss. "Brats" can be tamed by a little Aloha, treat them with respect and they return the respect.

Getting off my soap box,

Eric

 

[Eris]

I have never ever seen a happy child causing a fuss. "Brats" can be tamed by a little Aloha, treat them with respect and they return the respect.

This pretty well sums up my parenting philosophy, as well as the philosophy I hope to impart to my children by modeling it, because y'know? The same could be said about people of any age, nearly all the time.

Thanks.

 

[Chris J.]

A crying baby is one thing, and dealing with them is not always possible. A child who is running up and down the isle whooping like an injun at 9:00 is something a parent should be properly dealing with. And I have experienced such a child last time I rode the LSL.

The parents of the kid running up and down the train would be the first to sue someone if their little 'darling' fell over and got hurt!

I have a lot more time for parents who are trying to calm a screaming baby (after all, it's screaming for a reason, and if they're trying to find out what that is and address it theres not much more they can do) than one who evidently doesn't care (either about the child or the other passengers). Most of the kids on trains are generally okay, and when they're not generally it's the parents that are at fault.

Cheers

Chris

 

[frj1983]

"When did we start living in a country where parents became the privileged people and the rest of us the poor saps who get hit with the short end of the stick and treated like poo simply because we do not currently have/want/or can have children. It's pretty selfish of parents for them to think like this. Ok it's really selfish and disgusting."
Oh my goodness, did you first notice this now?? This has been going on for ages!

I was trying to live in the 'out of sight out of mind theory' but parents of today and their abundance of selfishness makes it hard too. Apparently if you don't have kids, you don't matter. Hence why those without kids continue to suffer in poverty because they don't get such nice things as food stamps, tax breaks, public aid, job help, and other such things that the over privileged parents get.

As for the rents preparing their children for such events as a trip on Amtrak ELLE OH ELLE. Fat freaking chance. They are to busy praising their precious tykes and or reading the latest issue of Oprah's magazine to bother with that. They have a uterus, a uterus which once house an off spring. They are golden and we are nothing.

and sorry Green Maned Lion. I need to brush up on my reading skills/ put my glasses on.

Wow,

I sense a bit of anger here! However, I recently traveled to Milwaukee and back on Amtrak and watched a young mother (traveling alone) in the Chicago lounge talk with her young toddler about riding on the train and behaving(short version). So there ARE responsible parents out there! I was simply trying to make the point in my earlier posting that parents are used to some things that the rest of us are not and sometimes don't realize how it effects the rest of us. In the end, as adults, we can learn to suck it up and deal with occasional children flare-ups or we can just be unhappy and frustrated all the time!

OK, all I'm going to say about this now.

 

[sweet tea]

on one of my first long distance amtrak trips (EB from CHI to East Glacier, including a funfun 4 hours on a siding in Minot waiting for a rested crew -- wish they'd let us off the train in town for a couple hours, but i digress), i -- young, childless -- sat in coach, across the aisle from a family with a 4-year old girl. she absolutely made the trip for me. she was charming, pleasant, and funny. mostly, we just made funny faces at each other and played peek-a-boo. i started it -- no one expected me to entertain her, and she was very polite. she was extremely quiet -- i bet most people in the surrounding aisles didn't even know she was there. i believe the family (3 of them sharing 2 seats, and they were not small people -- hugely pregnant mother) was traveling from WAS, and this was their second night on the train. i was almost sorry when she went peacefully to sleep at a reasonable hour -- i had been enjoying her company.

of course, we have all encountered kids having meltdowns and occasionally parents who can't be bothered. (for a chance to see lots of both, check out an airport sometime -- kids with terrible air pressure headaches, parents numbed from the hassle of air travel.) but i venture to say that these are not the majority.

i read this forum in part because the helpful ad generous attitudes on it are a nice break from my neighborhood forum, where people tend to assume a lot of things about one another and often get in silly arguments over hypothetical situations. i hope twinsmom, who IIRC did not ask for parenting advice, gets more benefit than headache out of posting here.

 

[Sam Damon]

In my experience, kids seem to adjust to travel on LD trains much better than other modes of transport. On their first LD ride, my kids gravitated to the lounge car, and happily sat there playing card games with a deck of Amtrak playing cards (that the cafe car attendant attempted to rip me off by $1.00), and generally behaved themselves. When that bored them, the Nintendo kept them entertained back at their coach seat. But they found looking out the window, or talking to grandma, much more interesting than being bored.

I would suggest to parents with elementary school-aged children travelling on Amtrak to take the pocket video game along, as well as some bottled water, trail mix, dried fruit rolls, or granola bars. This way, you're not trapped by cafe car fare, and you have some healthy munchies to keep the kids from getting bored.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Some people's kids make me go from Pro-Life to Pro-Choice in about 30 seconds! :lol: One thing about a train that I like is that I can usually find a place to hang when I'm tired of someone's kids, or an adult, or a loud mouth etc. I have had more obnoxious folks that are not children then kids themselves. I don't know what it is, but there's sumthin' bout a train that tends to calm me down and others likewise. I have not had a kid that was buggin' me so badly that I couldn't handle it. Now...for some of the adults that are the: Instant jerk just add alcohol crowd....now those are the ones that drive me nuts on the train!

 

[Guest]

I will now offer an apology for a trip taken about 1987 from New Orleans to Boston. My toddler nephew and his pregnant Mother made the trip with us. Around 2am he managed to fall out of the seat onto his head into the space between the seat and the legrest. He let out a high scream at full lungpower. Meanwhile, we were trying to extricate him in the semi-dark. No one said an unkind word to us.

 

[PerRock]

One thing about a train that I like is that I can usually find a place to hang when I'm tired of someone's kids, or an adult, or a loud mouth etc.

True, true. I found one of the best places to get a quieter moment is the lower level of the Lounge. It always seems to be quite there in my experience; come to think of it, the lower level of any car is generally quiet.

peter

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I will now offer an apology for a trip taken about 1987 from New Orleans to Boston. My toddler nephew and his pregnant Mother made the trip with us. Around 2am he managed to fall out of the seat onto his head into the space between the seat and the legrest. He let out a high scream at full lungpower. Meanwhile, we were trying to extricate him in the semi-dark. No one said an unkind word to us.

We were never referring to that kind of child disturbance, and I think in the past 10,000 words we managed to make that clear. Why are you trying to indicate otherwise?

 

[Walt]

As for getting seats together -- especially on the NEC -- it's a bit of a crapshoot. Conductors do have the authority to have people move to free up seats for families to travel together... but whether you have one on your trips that will do this is another matter.

Parent and child not being able to get seats together... that might actually have a bright side.

The parent can have a nice, peaceful, trip. Whereas one of the many "single" travelers, who all thought they successfully maneuvered an entire row just to themselves, will be rewarded with dealing with a kid in the one empty seat next to them. h34r:

 

[Acela150]

Twinmom,

While the Regional trains take a little longer in time you might want to take an Acela Express train to or from to give the kids the experience. I was 9 years old when I first traveled on Acela and it was the very first run of Acela Express on December 11, 2000, I was actually the first ticket holder and met the then and late president of Amtrak George Warrington.

I hope you enjoy your travel,

Acela150

 

[JayPea]

I haven't had any problems with unruly children on Amtrak. Granted I haven't traveled on Amtrak all that much, but when I have, I haven't encountered any problems. This from someone who has never had kids nor ever will, so my "kid threshold" is in all likelihood lower than those who have had kids.

Don't get me started, however, about these annoying cretins who insist on, at 3AM in a crowded coach, carrying on, as loudly and as annoying as possible, a conversation on their *&^* cell phone. I realize I'm one of about five people left in America who has absolutely no use for a cell phone nor wouldn't have one if someone gave one to me, but, criminy sakes, NO ONE is that important that they have to be so loud and annoying at that hour of the morning, are they?? :angry: :angry:

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I have a cellphone, but I personally, were it legal, would boot off the back of the train any idiot who felt a need to carry on a cell phone conversation after midnight in some location other than a vestibule or lavatory. Preferably at high speed.

 

[Guest]

On a trip between Charlotte and Atlanta (wee AM) my husband called from Kuwait. I knew that the timer on his phone would cut us off at 14 minutes and I was barely awake. I took the call. Excuse me, folks, I would take it again in a heartbeat. And yes, I tried to keep it low, even though I was near the noise and busyness of the doors. There is no way you can build a soundproof shell around your space in a moving horn-blowing public place such as Amtrak other than taking a sleeper so it's best not to expect absolute quietness.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

go into the vestibule or the bathroom. I'm not saying don't take the call, I'm saying do it in a place you won't annoy people. You can even talk on the way to the restroom or vestibule.

 

[Guest]

..ain't gonna happen.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

..ain't gonna happen.

WHY is it so hard for people to be considerate of others trying to sleep.

 

[JayPea]

Talking in a low voice is one thing. Shouting and laughing in a voice loud enough the entire train can hear is another. I don't expect soundproof trains. What I do expect is common courtesy. The last trip I took, the woman in front of me insisted on carrying on a cell phone conversation, at 2:30 AM, as loudly and profane as she could. Add to that an annoying laugh with a voice sounding like she was gargling with ground glass didn't help.

 

[PerRock]

go into the vestibule or the bathroom. I'm not saying don't take the call, I'm saying do it in a place you won't annoy people. You can even talk on the way to the restroom or vestibule.

Talking in a low voice is one thing. Shouting and laughing in a voice loud enough the entire train can hear is another. I don't expect soundproof trains. What I do expect is common courtesy. The last trip I took, the woman in front of me insisted on carrying on a cell phone conversation, at 2:30 AM, as loudly and profane as she could. Add to that an annoying laugh with a voice sounding like she was gargling with ground glass didn't help.

....Oh that was me; sorry

Actually it wasn't just got to get some humor into my life before work.

Actually you don't need to go to the bathroom if your gonna talk loudly on the phone; just the lower level of any coach or lounge will work. I have even tapped people on the shoulder at night when their being loud and asked them to quiet down or go downstairs; generally people (once they get over the shock of being interrupted) are quite willing.

peter

 

[Green Maned Lion]

..ain't gonna happen.

Then be prepared for a discussion with the conductor as to the virtues and vices of waking up and irritating people who happen to think you should be put off the train and have the desire to get up and politely tell the conductor so. Such as me.

 

[George Harris]

..ain't gonna happen.

Then be prepared for a discussion with the conductor as to the virtues and vices of waking up and irritating people who happen to think you should be put off the train and have the desire to get up and politely tell the conductor so. Such as me.

Depends on the nature of the call. A middle of the night talk with overseas husband is understandable. It is the inane mindless conversations that have me climbing the wall. Last overseas flight was a prime example. (Plane depatureat 11:30pm) For the first two HOURS female two rows in front of me carried on a long conversation loudly and about next to nothing. Heard very few words out of her seatmate that was on the listening end. After a while I started counting word repetitions. She actually managed to use the word "actually" an average of about 2.5 times per sentence with an actually heard 4 maximum in a couple of sentences. Really, could she not have found an actual synonym to "actually" at least a few times?