Passengers not following rules on Amtrak

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Save Our Trains Michigan

Conductor
Joined
Jun 19, 2003
Messages
1,805
Location
Harrison Michigan
I just want to tell people Amtrak employees will not put up with passengers that are drunk disorderly or want to start fight's with the train crew.The reason i am posting this is you will have the police take you off the train.If you see anyone on the train that could turn into a prob please tell a member of the crew and mabey a prob can be taken care of before it get's out of hand.As i am posting this a passenger is being taken off the Sunset LTD in Lafayette LA by the police.
 
I have seen this done before. Usually this happens when somebody gets drunk and disorderly. However, on the Texas Eagle once I observed one mentally ill lady aggravate the porter for most of the trip. The person traveling with her noted that she had not taken her mediation, and had started to drink. The problem started in Dallas, and she got off in Tuscon. So how this problem continued for more than 24 hours is beyond me. At least two different conductors were notified, and I was aware that she was using racial slurs with the attendant. I gave him my card, and told him if she wrote a letter about him, I would vouch for his professionalism. At one point she had threatened to write a complaint letter. The poor attendant was really upset about this.
 
Yes, I to saw this happen about five years ago - a man was very drunk and finally was tossed off the train in Kirksville, MO - in the middle of the night during a "rip roaring" thunderstorm. This situation started back in Chicago - I was in line behind this guy and at first I thought he was handicapped - he did manage to make up the steps and on to the train. I saw him again hours later and he actually fell down in the Club/dinner car trying to order some food. I never saw him again untell I saw the the conductor "loose" it with him. Then he was tossed off - no police. But you are right - they don't fool around anymore. And they shouldn't . I have always felt really safe when traveling on Amtrak.
 
When I rode Amtrak there were a bunch of women in the lounge who were really noisy and swearing. They were getting pretty tipsy. I wish they would limit the amount of drinks they serve them, but maybe these women were just lightweights. I was surprise too because there were a lot of kids upstairs looking out the windows.
 
BNSF_1088 said:
I just want to tell people Amtrak employees will not put up with passengers that are drunk disorderly or want to start fight's with the train crew.
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This is good news to hear, but hasn't this always been their policy? My favorite moments are when SMOKERS get thrown off the train in the middle of nowhere with a friendly local sheriff greeting them at a street crossing. I have seen three or four of these incidents now, each with very minimal delay (fortunately) to the train's schedule. The way you wrote your post it almost sounds like you are telling US not to be disorderly on the trains or we will be thrown off - if that is the case you are kind of preaching to the choir here!

:lol:
 
A few years ago I was on the SWC, a young woman with two small children was in the family bedroom. She had come back from dinner and just closed her door. A man was about 30 secounds behind her. He knocked once. A suit came out of nowhere. {I think you are in the wrong car sir} The man was escorted out of the car before the woman could open the door. I was not aware of this type of sceurty on the train. Clearly someone was aware of what was going on. Saw a man who had enjoyed to many cocktails put off the Capital Ltl in WV just last fall.
 
Years ago on the Pioneer in Rawlins, WY, a passenger had had too much to drink (and brought his own boose--which is against Amtrak policy) and mouthed off at the conductor when confronted. The conductor called the local police, and the passenger was taken off the train at Rawlins (which has a reputation for being a WILD old west town--seemingly out in the middle of nowhere).
 
steve_relei said:
The conductor called the local police, and the passenger was taken off the train at Rawlins (which has a reputation for being a WILD old west town--seemingly out in the middle of nowhere).
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The sheriff probably dropped him off at the local bar and he had a blast! :lol: At least Amtrak doesn't have a station there so he couldn't hop on the next train...
 
steve_relei said:
Years ago on the Pioneer in Rawlins, WY, a passenger had had too much to drink (and brought his own boose--which is against Amtrak policy) and mouthed off at the conductor when confronted. The conductor called the local police, and the passenger was taken off the train at Rawlins (which has a reputation for being a WILD old west town--seemingly out in the middle of nowhere).
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Seemingly...I think it qualifies as the middle of nowhere. Nothing near it for many miles.
 
Stephanie Armstrong said:
Then he was tossed off - no police.
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That conductor may have made a bad decision here. The policy states a passenger who is to be ejected from the train unwillingly, he/she is to be placed into police custody (either Amtrak or local police) when removed from the train. Amtrak is still liable for that passenger should anything happen to them. Therefore the police usually have to do the dirty work when it comes time to take someone off the train. Once in custody of police and safely removed from the property, Amtrak is released of that liabilty. Most of the conductors I work with will also give the passenger their ticket back as a courtesy, though they are not obligated to do so.

Over here on the Southeast coast (Silver Service) for the really bigtime misbehavior passengers, one of our favorite places is good ole Ludowici, Georgia, located between JSP and SAV. They enforce the "profanity laws" which still exist on the books in a lot of the towns here in the Southeast. Usually there is some "cursing" going on when being taken off! In Ludowici, things can get colorful when that happens!

In all reality, we don't like to have to remove any of our passengers at all! But sometimes for the safety and comfort for the other passengers as well as the crew (Lord we don't need more crap than we already deal with), that option has to exercised. OBS.....
 
Amtrak OBS Employee said:
Over here on the Southeast coast (Silver Service) for the really bigtime misbehavior passengers, one of our favorite places is good ole Ludowici, Georgia, located between JSP and SAV. They enforce the "profanity laws" which still exist on the books in a lot of the towns here in the Southeast. Usually there is some "cursing" going on when being taken off! In Ludowici, things can get colorful when that happens!
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The state of Michigan had a "profanity law" in the books until about 3 or 4 years ago. It was one of those laws that was written in the 1800s.

The law stated that profanity could not be used around women and children. Some of you may recall this case a few years back when a woman had police write a guy a ticket for using profanity when he tipped over his canoe. The man took this case all the way to the state supreme court. The court ruled that the law violated a persons right to free speach. The law was then removed from the books.

There is times where a person should be removed from the train. And then there is times when a Conductor tries to play hardball for no reason. However I have witnessed on one account where a conductor threatened to throw a guy off the train here in Michigan just for questioning the reasoning for letting Business class passengers be served first in the lounge when the lounge opened for business. The Conductor asked a few people including myself for our names and phone #'s etc.. in case if there was any "problems" after the incident. I told the conductor NO, that I was in agreement on how he handled the situation. I really got a dirty look after I gave the man questioning the conductor my business card in case if he needed a witness or had any further problems. This situation was handled very poor with the passenger and the Conductor had no reason to threaten throwing this guy off just because he was questioning something.
 
BNSF_1088 said:
AmtrakFan said:
I have seen some one get thrown off the ex-International.
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Michigan crews will not put up with crap from passengers that act up because a couple of conductors have been attacked by passengers and hurt in the attacks. :angry:
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The way I have seen and heard a couple Conductors treat people, I would'nt suprise me if more didn't get a pop or two in the lip by someone who won't put up with the crap.

Don't get me wrong I don't support violence, or customers beating on Conductors. But I do know of people who will get even with the "street justice" way. Conductors should always follow the book and make level headed decisions when a situation arises. If the situation warrants, then by all means toss them off. But some people ego's get in the way of making sound decisions.
 
Something like what you're describing happened indirectly to me. I was waiting for the train to make it to Chico, CA from up north. (Train started in Seattle.) Apparently, a woman was causing problems, and they held up the train outside Portland for over 3 hours waiting for the local police. Of course, the train was that much late getting into Chico, and further late getting into L.A. I was steamed. I thought why didn't they just throw her into the baggage car or something. Everyone going into L.A. missed their connections. Amtrak either had to pay for buses for everyone else, or put them up in a hotel until the next set of trains. I missed the meto rail going home because of the late hour, and Amtrak had to pay for a cab for me to get home. I didn't think it was handled well at all.

But, the bottom line, I will still ride Amtrak again.

:rolleyes:
 
I have always wondered about that policy of "being tossed off". The man I saw was carried by two trainmen - I never "saw" the cops", but they could have been inside the station. But at any rate, Amtrak is doing the right thing. And yes, I have seen one or two Amtrak employees in the past that thought they were in "charge of everybody's life" - but the majority of Amtrak employees are great I think. :D
 

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