No Cards in the Dining Car?

[Devil's Advocate]

Unfortunately, a topic like this makes me speak ill of Amtrak and to speak highly of United Airlines. This is sad, ridiculous, and unnecessary. While there is no pod reason to treat passengers rudely, Ivfeel sorry for that line food server. A disgrace.

United Airlines has to compete with American, Delta, and Southwest. They actually have to care how they treat customers. Unlike Amtrak.

As someone who has flown several US airlines many times I fail to see where competition is having any sort of desirable impact from the perspective of a customer. If anything US airlines all seem to be competing on what else they can take away and/or levy with an extra charge.

 

[TheTuck]

When I first hired out as LSA, I remember a trip with a fellow LSA who literally chased every passenger who brought a bag into the cafe car. Big bag, small, laptop bags, you name it she was all over you. Then one day I caught myself behaving this way also. I was tired, busy and simply doing what I thought I was supposed to be doing. Then I realized it wasn't a big deal and I was only making myself more stressed out, all while providing bad customer service.

Some policies are loosely enforced while others are enforced to a 'T'. Depends on the employee. Some are simply doing what they were taught and have always seen done, while some are more open minded and have formed their own methods.

As for me, I still adhere to company policy, but I pick my battles. In the end, lack of clarification and leadership is the root cause of employees acting out like this. Compounding the issue is stress and exhaustion from working long hours under high pressure.

 

[SarahZ]

When I was a kid, and my family had to wait in restaurants for food or something, my parents ALWAYS played some kind of educational game with my brother and me to keep us entertained. Maybe not with cards, but I remember a lot of paper placemats used to play "Hangman."

I can't remember which restaurant it was, but I loved a place that had packs of Trivial Pursuit cards at every table. I thought it was a great idea. My friend started carrying a pack in her purse so we could play while waiting for our food no matter where we chose to ate. We also used them on the train a few times.

 

[chakk]

Things definitely have changed. I remember taking my kids on Amtrak LD trains in the 1980's and '90s when they would set up a long card game of Magic The Gathering on a table in the lower level of the SSL. The attendants never said a word about it to them or to me -- perhaps because they were very well behaved, not loud, and frequently purchased food and drink items from the attendant.

Don't think they can do that these days.

 

[FormerOBS]

Am I misunderstanding something? I don't understand why anybody thinks people can't play games on the tables in the lounge cars. How many of us have purchased decks of Amtrak playing cards over the years? Did Amtrak sell them in the lounge car and expect you not to use them there? And if card games are permitted (no gambling, thank you), then why not other games?

Tom

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Based on many years of trips I would NOT expect to be able to play cards in the snack area of the Sightseer Lounge car regardless of how or where I purchased them. Although the snack food cashiers are typically rather friendly when selling they can be almost militant about the use of their tables in the lower level. Don't play games, don't touch the "staff" table, and don't sit any longer than it takes to eat your junk food. I don't understand what difference it makes what the actual rules are when you have no method for escalation or reconsideration while on the train. Supposedly the conductor can override an erroneous staff decision but I've never seen such a thing ever happen. Even if the conductor did override a bad decision their correction would only last until they disembark and then you'd have to hash it out with the next conductor and so on. Personally I don't think Amtrak's rogue rule signs are the real issue here. For me the primary problem is a continuing lack of any practical self correcting apparatus to reverse bad decisions. Complaining on the train is unlikely to get you anywhere. Writing when you get back home is likely to result in a pointless reply email full of unrelated corporate PR speak. Complaining on the phone might get you a credit toward another trip but is also unlikely to actually fix anything. What I believe Amtrak needs more than anything else is an official ombudsman.

 

[amamba]

I just looked up the Illinois law. (I live in a Chicago suburb.) *ALL* parties to a conversation have to consent to voice recording, whether or not that recording is done in public or private, if that recording is to be legal. So we'd better do our dining-car evidence-gathering AFTER the westbound Zephyr crosses the Mississippi.

I understand that in public places, one has no reasonable expectation of privacy. That's why cameras are permitted at gas stations, street corners, etc. I may be wrong, Henry, but I think that law only applies to private conversations (such as phone) and private places (like your home). Anything outdoors is fair game.
But, I digress....

I can assure you that in Massachusetts you cannot record voices without the consent of both parties - even in a public location.

 

[NW cannonball]

I'm not about to pore through several hundred pages of the rule book in order to find some obscure rule about this. Chances are, the search would be fruitless because I'm willing to bet the rule doesn't exist. Amtrak employees are always empowered to address customers in order to make reasonable requests to ensure order, decorum, and good service. However, this sounds like a flustered employee who simply lost perspective and made an unreasonable demand without thinking. If the rule does exist, it would have been more sensible to ignore it and concentrate on more important issues, like getting the passengers served.

'tain't rocket science.

Tom

Right you are

 

[NW cannonball]

Based on many years of trips I would NOT expect to be able to play cards in the snack area of the Sightseer Lounge car regardless of how or where I purchased them. Although the snack food cashiers are typically rather friendly when selling they can be almost militant about the use of their tables in the lower level. Don't play games, don't touch the "staff" table, and don't sit any longer than it takes to eat your junk food. I don't understand what difference it makes what the actual rules are when you have no method for escalation or reconsideration while on the train. Supposedly the conductor can override an erroneous staff decision but I've never seen such a thing ever happen. Even if the conductor did override a bad decision their correction would only last until they disembark and then you'd have to hash it out with the next conductor and so on. Personally I don't think Amtrak's rogue rule signs are the real issue here. For me the primary problem is a continuing lack of any practical self correcting apparatus to reverse bad decisions. Complaining on the train is unlikely to get you anywhere. Writing when you get back home is likely to result in a pointless reply email full of unrelated corporate PR speak. Complaining on the phone might get you a credit toward another trip but is also unlikely to actually fix anything. What I believe Amtrak needs more than anything else is an official ombudsman.

Based on many years of trips, I would expect that the lower level of the SSL on the Superliner routes is seldom full, and the Lounge Car Attendant doesn't care a rodent's latter bits what the pax at the few occupied tables are doing. As long as the downstairs restroom is marked "out of service" and the line to purchase snacks is "under control" "Please no more than 3 persons in the snack purchase area" --

Any quiet occupation of the downstairs tables on superliners has never ever been hassled, in my experience (EBx6,SWCx3,CSx3,CL)

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Based on many years of trips, I would expect that the lower level of the SSL on the Superliner routes is seldom full, and the Lounge Car Attendant doesn't care a rodent's latter bits what the pax at the few occupied tables are doing. As long as the downstairs restroom is marked "out of service" and the line to purchase snacks is "under control" "Please no more than 3 persons in the snack purchase area" --

Any quiet occupation of the downstairs tables on superliners has never ever been hassled, in my experience (EBx6,SWCx3,CSx3,CL)

So in your view the snack car attendant is merely bluffing when they repeatedly threaten to kick anyone out who isn't active eating recently purchased junk food? I'll admit I've never tried to play cards down there without eating anything. Have you?

Source: Dozens of trips across multiple decades on the SC, SL, TE, CS, and CZ.

 

[jis]

I must admit that in my dozens of trips on Superliner trains I have never been kicked out of the lower level lounge food or no food. I have spent hours sitting there chatting with folks. Usually it was not terribly full . I am sure if there was actual demand for those seats I would have vacated myself. but there simply was not. People came in hoards, bought stuff and took them somewhere else. Lower levels seem to be less popular than upper levels for sitting. and lounging apparently. Or so it has been on all my trips. That would be about 3 to 4 trips per year over 30 or so years.

It is of course true that individual experiences can vary and it would be inappropriate to generalize from ones individual experience. But an individual's experience is what it is.

Incidentally, back in the early days of Superliners as they were getting introduced, there used to be an electric Piano or some such down there, and on many trips there was quite a lively jam session specially in the evening, sometimes with passengers bringing in their own guitars and mandolins and what not. It used to be fun.

One thing to keep in mind though is that train load factors are higher now with equipment shortages such as ever known in the 80's and early 90's. That may be having an effect on crowding of the lounge areas, and that may tend towards DA's experience more often these days, specially on heavily loaded and under-equipped trains. So I don;t have difficulty believing what DA says either.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

On several occasions I have seen the Superliner Lounge LSA sitting at one of the Lower Level Tables during slow periods visiting with pax, yet at the ready to hop back behind the counter when someone comes down the stairs. But then during busy times, such as first thing in the morning when everyone is hunting Coffee and Breakfast Forage, he or she will remind folks the Lower Level is for consuming purchases only.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I don't think it's wrong to demand the tables nearest to the cafe in a SSL or the dining car tables be reserved for customers purchasing food or dining when customers are waiting to use them. But in non peak times the staff should leave you alone and if you are either consuming Amtrak food or waiting for dining you should be able to do anything socially acceptable and the staff should mind their own business.

 

[VentureForth]

I'm not about to pore through several hundred pages of the rule book in order to find some obscure rule about this. Chances are, the search would be fruitless because I'm willing to bet the rule doesn't exist. Amtrak employees are always empowered to address customers in order to make reasonable requests to ensure order, decorum, and good service. However, this sounds like a flustered employee who simply lost perspective and made an unreasonable demand without thinking. If the rule does exist, it would have been more sensible to ignore it and concentrate on more important issues, like getting the passengers served.

'tain't rocket science.

Tom

The PDF is easily searchable. I digress. Shame on the LSA. If you can't provide customer service, then get out of the industry.