Quick Heads Up for San Antonio - Luggage

[RPE]

Just a heads up for anyone travelling on the Texas Eagle through San Antonio.

We were travelling Eastbound, Los Angeles to Chicago. Sometime during the layover during the night (Sept. 24-25), some locals boarded the 2 cars headed for Chicago and removed Bags of 6 passengers that were in the lower luggage area. When talking to the Conductor the next day he said he had a bag of his taken the previous Thursday. Now I am assuming that they have added security since then, but just wanted to let people know, in case you wanted to bring the bag up to the room for the night while there. I know this kind of activity is not common, but am just issuing this as an open warning.

A big thanks to the security staff at the Alomodome, who found the bags later that morning and put what they could back together for us, until Amtrak came over to pick them up 2 days later.

 

[bobnabq]

....some locals boarded the 2 cars headed for Chicago and removed Bags of 6 passengers.....

Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with how train doors operate, so will ask this:

Is it that easy to open a door and enter an Amtrak train from outside?

 

[Steve4031]

....some locals boarded the 2 cars headed for Chicago and removed Bags of 6 passengers.....

Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with how train doors operate, so will ask this:

Is it that easy to open a door and enter an Amtrak train from outside?

When I rode this train in August, from LAX to Chicago, the door was open most of the night. I remember walking to the door and looking out when I woke up during the night.

When the door is closed, I don't think it can be opened from the outside. On another trip, the sca almost got left when the conductor closed the door. She knocked on the window of a passenger who then opened the door for her. This was an excellent SCA, who took her job seriously. The conductor IMHO knew she was on the platform and shut the door to get back at her for doing a serious saftey announcement after his folksy, humorous safety announcement.

 

[yarrow]

a similar thing happened during the sl layover in san antonio a couple weeks ago. a fellow passenger in our sleeper had a bag taken from downstairs. it was recovered, minus some things, alongside the alamo dome.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Just a heads up for anyone travelling on the Texas Eagle through San Antonio. We were travelling Eastbound, Los Angeles to Chicago. Sometime during the layover during the night (Sept. 24-25), some locals boarded the 2 cars headed for Chicago and removed Bags of 6 passengers that were in the lower luggage area. When talking to the Conductor the next day he said he had a bag of his taken the previous Thursday. Now I am assuming that they have added security since then, but just wanted to let people know, in case you wanted to bring the bag up to the room for the night while there. I know this kind of activity is not common, but am just issuing this as an open warning. A big thanks to the security staff at the Alomodome, who found the bags later that morning and put what they could back together for us, until Amtrak came over to pick them up 2 days later.

This sounds awfully similar to this story mentioned before. The responses at that time ranged from implausible to impossible and culminated in a presumption that if the news media (which gets most Amtrak reporting wrong already) didn't happen to publish a story on the theft then it must never have happened.

 

[lthanlon]

I'll be riding Texas Eagle 421 from Chicago to LAX in a little over a week. I wonder if the overnight procedures will have changed at that point.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'll be riding Texas Eagle 421 from Chicago to LAX in a little over a week. I wonder if the overnight procedures will have changed at that point.

Amtrak never discloses "Security" op plans/changes, but according to the OBS and a Conductor friend on mine on the Eagles, since the switching op has changed in SAS (the cutout Coach and Sleeper are now just dropped and added to the rear of #22 and #1),the new attendant that is taking the Sleeper to/from LAX/CHI stays on the car overnight! Whether or not the door will stay open downstairs is up to the attendant, so be sure and ask/check when you get to SAS on #421!YMMV

 

[lthanlon]

Amtrak never discloses "Security" op plans/changes, but according to the OBS and a Conductor friend on mine on the Eagles, since the switching op has changed in SAS (the cutout Coach and Sleeper are now just dropped and added to the rear of #22 and #1),the new attendant that is taking the Sleeper to/from LAX/CHI stays on the car overnight! Whether or not the door will stay open downstairs is up to the attendant, so be sure and ask/check when you get to SAS on #421!YMMV

I just hope the power stays on for my CPAP device. Other passengers trying to sleep will not be amused if subjected to my snoring. :lol:

 

[Shanghai]

I am will be on the 422 from LAX to CHI departing today.

Thanks for the info on luggage. I think I will take my

luggage to my room.

 

[Steve4031]

The head end power is on for most of the time. It is only off during switching moves which is about 20 during switcing after arrival of 2, and another 20 minutes while being attached to 22. There is a connection in the station.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Just a heads up for anyone travelling on the Texas Eagle through San Antonio. We were travelling Eastbound, Los Angeles to Chicago. Sometime during the layover during the night (Sept. 24-25), some locals boarded the 2 cars headed for Chicago and removed Bags of 6 passengers that were in the lower luggage area. When talking to the Conductor the next day he said he had a bag of his taken the previous Thursday. Now I am assuming that they have added security since then, but just wanted to let people know, in case you wanted to bring the bag up to the room for the night while there. I know this kind of activity is not common, but am just issuing this as an open warning. A big thanks to the security staff at the Alomodome, who found the bags later that morning and put what they could back together for us, until Amtrak came over to pick them up 2 days later.

This sounds awfully similar to this story mentioned before. The responses at that time ranged from implausible to impossible and culminated in a presumption that if the news media (which gets most Amtrak reporting wrong already) didn't happen to publish a story on the theft then it must never have happened.

The previous thread was about somebody who overheard somebody else talking about a theft from this train. This seems to be a first person report on the situation. Much more believable.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The previous thread was about somebody who overheard somebody else talking about a theft from this train. This seems to be a first person report on the situation. Much more believable.

That sounds like a relatively minor distinction. In my view this thread is no more or less believable than the last one as they're basically the same general story told by two people who I know nothing about. Although there are some variations the core aspects of each story seem equally plausible to me. If one is likely to have been faked then why not the other? Alternatively, if one is likely to be true then why not the other? No offense intended toward either OP, just a bit of curiosity on my part.

 

[MikefromCrete]

The first report was hearsay, it wouldn't be permitted in a court of law. The second report was an eyewitness. Of course, since this is the internet, they both could be the figment of the imagination of some guy sitting in his underwear in his basement.

 

[yarrow]

a similar thing happened during the sl layover in san antonio a couple weeks ago. a fellow passenger in our sleeper had a bag taken from downstairs. it was recovered, minus some things, alongside the alamo dome.

in our situtation on the sl, a seemingly reputable fellow passenger in our sleeper told me what happened to him. this was our first time on the sl with the middle of the night san antonio stopover. as i recall, many car doors were open as people got on and off the take pictures, wander around or whatever. i know i did and i didn't see our sca and assumed he was asleep given the time. i thought it was an odd situation as far as visible train security and i believe i could have boarded at any open car without challenge

 

[RPE]

The previous thread was about somebody who overheard somebody else talking about a theft from this train. This seems to be a first person report on the situation. Much more believable.

That sounds like a relatively minor distinction. In my view this thread is no more or less believable than the last one as they're basically the same general story told by two people who I know nothing about. Although there are some variations the core aspects of each story seem equally plausible to me. If one is likely to have been faked then why not the other? Alternatively, if one is likely to be true then why not the other? No offense intended toward either OP, just a bit of curiosity on my part.

I am not sure about previous occurances, and from talking with crew I in no way believe that this is a regular occurance. To the contrary, I think this is likely some people who saw an opportunity that became easily available. I honestly suspect that things have been tightened up in the last 2 weeks, but wanted to provide warning to those who might be travelling in the immediate future. I would have done one or two things different with a warning.

PS. The rest of the trip was great, and I will start a trip report shortly.