NY Times Column on Amtrak Travel (Dec 13, 2011)

[trainman74]

I don't think I've ever not gotten a paper as a sleeping car passenger, so from my perspective, the service is nicely consistent. Heck, on my most recent Coast Starlight trip, after we'd gotten the usual Sacramento Bee in the morning, we also got the San Luis Obispo Tribune later in the day -- the SLO agent had a stack left over and asked our SCA if he wanted them.

I remember being on the Southwest Chief in 2005 during the Hurricane Katrina situation. I got USA Today, but went to a newspaper box in Albuquerque and bought a copy of the Albuquerque Journal. The Journal actually had more and better Katrina news and photos, because they'd obviously broken their regular format (they'd put some Katrina coverage in what normally would have been the metro section) -- it was all from wire services, of course, but it was more substantial than what was in the rigidly formatted USA Today.

I'm also a big fan of newspaper comic strips in general, so for that reason, I'll take any local paper over the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, the three papers that don't carry any regular strips.

 

[fairviewroad]

I got USA Today, but went to a newspaper box in Albuquerque and bought a copy of the Albuquerque Journal.

I was going to make this point as well...I generally try to take along a handful of quarters while on a LD train trip so that

I can just buy the local paper in the station. At most "smoking" stops there's plenty of time to go inside and most such stations

have a newspaper box that is stocked with papers that can be purchased with a couple-three quarters. This avoids the

"no paper in the sleeper" issue or the dreaded "USA Today".

I'm also a big fan of newspaper comic strips in general, so for that reason, I'll take any local paper over the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, the three papers that don't carry any regular strips.

Yes, yes and again yes! Of those three, I'll accept the Times due to its overall quality but the other papers, meh. The USA Today in particular

feels kind of like reading the news on my smartphone.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

After that Colgan crash, I have to think people in that part of the country would welcome info that allows them to avoid regional airlines. Because I frankly have zero confidence that FAA will whip that industry into shape. It is in denial, and I'd be shocked if FAA disturbed that dreamlike state. Ergo, regional trips on the train fit perfectly that consumer need.

Statistically, aircraft remain one of the safest ways to travel and are even safer today than in the past. There are a lot of reasons I don't fly that much anymore, but general safety isn't one of them. Where the "dreamlike" assumptions and "deathtrap" reality collide are with automobiles, especially full sized pickup trucks and SUV's that some drivers seem to think make them invincible. We see that sort of thing a lot here in Texas.

I always enjoy getting that morning paper on the train, especially on a several day journey as it keeps me updated on news. Whilst the US-less Today is an alright fishwrap, I like getting a local paper just for the experience. I've actually had a paper slid under my door as early as 5 am, having just come from a major city stop.

Did you receive a USA-OK on the Northbound Coast Starlight this summer?

I was going to make this point as well...I generally try to take along a handful of quarters while on a LD train trip so that

I can just buy the local paper in the station. At most "smoking" stops there's plenty of time to go inside and most such stations

have a newspaper box that is stocked with papers that can be purchased with a couple-three quarters. This avoids the

"no paper in the sleeper" issue or the dreaded "USA Today".

I just wish I knew which stations had papers for sale and where in or around the station they were. My primary route only runs once every few days so if you get left behind you're pretty much screwed. You can ask how long the train will be stopped but the reply is often a warning not to leave the platform or a shrug of the shoulders. Your phone may say you have five minutes to go looking around, but who's to say which clock the conductor is going by? It would sure suck to throw away a $500 sleeper ticket, incur another few hundred dollars worth of car rental fees and lose access to your luggage over a $0.50 paper.

USA Today in particular feels kind of like reading the news on my smartphone.

 

[PRR 60]

Laugh of the day!!

 

[fairviewroad]

I just wish I knew which stations had papers for sale and where in or around the station they were. My primary route only runs once every few days so if you get left behind you're pretty much screwed. You can ask how long the train will be stopped but the reply is often a warning not to leave the platform or a shrug of the shoulders. Your phone may say you have five minutes to go looking around, but who's to say which clock the conductor is going by? It would sure suck to throw away a $500 sleeper ticket, incur another few hundred dollars worth of car rental fees and lose access to your luggage over a $0.50 paper.

I would never try this if I felt I had only five minutes. But it's not unusual to have 15-20 minutes at crew change points, especially with an

on-time train. That's plenty of time to walk in and have a look-see. In smaller stations you can generally find the newspaper box

(or reasonably conclude that there isn't one) in just two or three minutes. (In many cases the boxes are located outside the actual

station since the papers are dropped off before the station opens for the day. This means you can maintain eye contact with the

train.)

 

[George Harris]

The San Joaquin trains normally have a pile of the Fresno Bee in the food car. I would suspect it has the same ownership as the Sacramento Bee. I find the Fresno Bee an OK newspaper. Definitely so when compared to to my current town of residence's San Francisco Chronicle which has cured me of a lifetime habit of regularly reading newspapers. Even the Washington Post, which I regard as somewhere left of Pravda in political perspective, did not manage that.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

 USA Today on today's eastbound Cardinal. Just received it in Huntington, WV as we're running over 7 hours behind. Seems an Indiana gentleman pulled his RV onto the tracks where a freight train promptly obliterated it into small pieces. About the only thing I recognized in the debris field was the ladder that was probably affixed to the rear of the RV. 

 

[guest]

I just wish I knew which stations had papers for sale and where in or around the station they were. My primary route only runs once every few days so if you get left behind you're pretty much screwed. You can ask how long the train will be stopped but the reply is often a warning not to leave the platform or a shrug of the shoulders. Your phone may say you have five minutes to go looking around, but who's to say which clock the conductor is going by? It would sure suck to throw away a $500 sleeper ticket, incur another few hundred dollars worth of car rental fees and lose access to your luggage over a $0.50 paper.

I would never try this if I felt I had only five minutes. But it's not unusual to have 15-20 minutes at crew change points, especially with an

on-time train. That's plenty of time to walk in and have a look-see. In smaller stations you can generally find the newspaper box

(or reasonably conclude that there isn't one) in just two or three minutes. (In many cases the boxes are located outside the actual

station since the papers are dropped off before the station opens for the day. This means you can maintain eye contact with the

train.)

The fact that so many stations these days do not have a newspaper box either inside or right inside tells you all you need to know about the decline of print popularity in the US

I suppose one day they will be selling throw-a-way iphones (or similar) in boxes to use for finding out about the world..

 

[guest]

Laugh of the day!!

AGREED!!!!

 

[lthanlon]

I just wish I knew which stations had papers for sale and where in or around the station they were. My primary route only runs once every few days so if you get left behind you're pretty much screwed. You can ask how long the train will be stopped but the reply is often a warning not to leave the platform or a shrug of the shoulders. Your phone may say you have five minutes to go looking around, but who's to say which clock the conductor is going by? It would sure suck to throw away a $500 sleeper ticket, incur another few hundred dollars worth of car rental fees and lose access to your luggage over a $0.50 paper.

When I've felt I had enough time, I've also gotten off the train and sought out newspaper boxes. Sadly, many stations don't have boxes anymore, or else the boxes aren't filled when I do find them. Albuquerque, St. Paul and Whitefish have worked for me. I never seem to have the right change at Havre.

One of my favorite stops for papers is the La Junta station. Most of the time, I've picked up a nice collection of hyperlocal shoppers and farm-and-ranch papers there. On my last Southwest Chief trip in October, though, all of La Junta's racks were empty.

 

[Donctor]

We got the Sunday New York Times on 29 this morning. Loaded in Toledo, I think.

 

[guest]

We got the Sunday New York Times on 29 this morning. Loaded in Toledo, I think.

That's a $6 or $7 value depending on the area of the country! Worth more than the yogurt/oatmeal/juice breakfast choice!!

 

[caravanman]

Huffington Post is my read of choice, not seen it on Amtrak yet :giggle:

Ed

 

[Anderson]

I'm not sure how someone "runs into" an Amtrak "product development officer"...

That does seem odd.

I "ran into" the same product development officer in Washington Union Station in November. I was in the Club Acela waiting on the Crescent and Dennis was waiting on the Silver Meteor. He overheard me talking to the person next to me about my upcoming trip (which I have just completed) and he was interested in hearing about my travels. He provided me with his card containing his email address and I have been in communication with him about my November trip and my just completed trip.

I (very strongly believe that I) ran into him as well at dinner on the Silver Star on my way back from Florida last time. That name sounds very familiar. We had a table to ourselves and we got to talk business (which he really seemed to enjoy). From what the LSA (who I ran into on another trip a few weeks later) said, I think that Mr. Lyons oversees a significant aspect of the dining car services, as the LSA referred to him as his supervisor.