Silliest OBS Made 'Rules'

[The Davy Crockett]

Yesterday I rode 67 ALX - WBG & 66 WBG - ALX.

The LSA in the Cafe on 67 was GREAT! :excl: A friendly, efficient, professional who sincerely seems happy to serve you and chat briefly.

So maybe that spoiled me. :unsure:

On my trip back on 66 I went to the cafe and the LSA was okay - until I went to pay. My tab was $7.50. I got out my bills, gave him $7.00, put a dollar on his tip tray and while getting out my change, he informed me he doesn't accept nickels and dimes. :blink: :wacko:

The more I thought about it, the sillier it seemed. I've heard all sorts of bizarre things said by obs in the past, but this struck me as one of the silliest. :lol:

What's your 'silly rule' story?

Note that I said OBS in the title, but if a conductor said something silly, I think the thread can handle it. :giggle:

 

[Railroad Bill]

I guess the only way to handle that situation is to give him the extra $1 you had put in the tip tray and when you received the two quarters back in change, put them in the tip tray. :giggle:

 

[Tumbleweed]

I guess the only way to handle that situation is to give him the extra $1 you had put in the tip tray and when you received the two quarters back in change, put them in the tip tray. :giggle:

or...put the quarters in your pocket and walk away

 

[dabrilloman]

I guess the only way to handle that situation is to give him the extra $1 you had put in the tip tray and when you received the two quarters back in change, put them in the tip tray. :giggle:

or...put the quarters in your pocket and walk away

and tell him you don't give out quarters!

 

[Steve4031]

Exactly. Stiff and walk away.

I was thinking we should start a thread entitled Amtrak emplyee hall of shame to document amtrak's worst emplyees.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Exactly. Stiff and walk away.

I was thinking we should start a thread entitled Amtrak emplyee hall of shame to document amtrak's worst emplyees.

So, you are sure that this wasn't a job rule/requirement? That this one employee just made this all up?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I usually dump at least the change into the Tip Kitty and depending on how much I get back, may well just round it up to a buck for a "normal" purchase of a few dollars in the Lounge. But in a case like this, I would have growled at the Kitty and made a point of clearly returning the change to my pocket.

 

[Steve4031]

It's incompetent not to have proper change. I don't know if it's the employees fault or Amtrak. But it us still poor service.

 

[Trogdor]

I trust complaints like this are being submitted to Amtrak customer service rather than just posting them on AU.

 

[Steve4031]

I wouldn't nominate this one for gall of shame. I'd start with Polly on the subset limited and tha baggage room idiots at nyp.

 

[railiner]

I wouldn't nominate this one for gall of shame. I'd start with Polly on the subset limited and tha baggage room idiots at nyp.

What's up with the baggagemen at NYP?

 

[Steve4031]

Extremely unpleasant experience when I rode 49 back in January. One agent scolded me for not waiting to be called before crossing a line on the floor. I ignored her because she was waiting on another customer and I saw the other agent approaching. She made eye contact with him and he made snide remarks about checking my bag to Orlando on a silver service train. I got a hold of the station manager, and she had to go through all the luggage to check that mine was on 49. It was. But remarks and service were uncalled for. Especially since I was traveling in a sleeper.

 

[railiner]

Extremely unpleasant experience when I rode 49 back in January. One agent scolded me for not waiting to be called before crossing a line on the floor. I ignored her because she was waiting on another customer and I saw the other agent approaching. She made eye contact with him and he made snide remarks about checking my bag to Orlando on a silver service train. I got a hold of the station manager, and she had to go through all the luggage to check that mine was on 49. It was. But remarks and service were uncalled for. Especially since I was traveling in a sleeper.

Sorry to hear that. Whether you are coach or sleeper, though, should make no difference. You should have been treated more courteously, anyway.

I believe some of the 'rules' and enforcement are made to stroke the ego's of the 'enforcer'. Probably just want to assert their 'authority'. No excuse for it in a service business in this day and age....

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I trust complaints like this are being submitted to Amtrak customer service rather than just posting them on AU.

Yes. As well as the compliments.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Allot of the rules are made up to help them be more lazy. Its all to benefit them no one else.

 

[Steve4031]

Yes. I complained directly to the station manager at nyp. I also wrote a letter about Polly.

 

[AKA]

I guess the only way to handle that situation is to give him the extra $1 you had put in the tip tray and when you received the two quarters back in change, put them in the tip tray. :giggle:

or...put the quarters in your pocket and walk away

That gets my vote.

 

[EMDF9A]

Yes. I complained directly to the station manager at nyp. I also wrote a letter about Polly.

Can someone refresh my memory about Polly?

 

[Steve4031]

She is/hopefully now was an LSA on 21/22 with a reputation for being rude and providing poor service.

 

[Bob Dylan]

She is/hopefully now was an LSA on 21/22 with a reputation for being rude and providing poor service.

Steve: FYI, Polly USED to be an LSA, she is now just a Food Service Worker on the Eagles out of CHI, but she also does work the Extra-Board as a Coach Attendant, I had her once and she basically hung out in the CCC with the other "Cafe Lizards" that make up some of the Crews on the Eagle!! Last time I saw her working the Diner on the way to DAL for the Texas Mini-Gathering she was VERY Friendly and Gave Good Service , think maybe yours and Others Complaints to Amtrak might have resulted in an Attitude Adjustment! Still hope shes not there when I ride #22 to CHI on the way to PHL for NTD!!

 

[Steve4031]

What is a food service worker? I might be taking 21 and 22 to and from stl in may to avoid track work bustitutions. My gf will be with me. It would be Polly's best interest to be VERY nice to us.

 

[Bob Dylan]

What is a food service worker? I might be taking 21 and 22 to and from stl in may to avoid track work bustitutions. My gf will be with me. It would be Polly's best interest to be VERY nice to us.

The Waitpersons that work the Diner under the LSAs Supervision are what I call Food Service Workers, don't know their Actual Title, perhaps one of the OBS Members has the "Official" Name! Hope yall don't get her either, there are some really Good OBS on the Eagles now, maybe the CHI Suits are finally starting to Actually do their Job!, instead of riding a Desk!!

 

[Trainmans daughter]

What's your 'silly rule' story?

Note that I said OBS in the title, but if a conductor said something silly, I think the thread can handle it. :giggle:

Last summer, Michael in the PPC refused to let a man partake in the wine and cheese tasting event because the man was a recovering alcoholic and didn't want the wine. His wife even offered to drink it for him, but Michael told him if he didn't drink the wine, he couldn't taste the cheese, either!

 

[Blue Marble Travel]

Exactly. Stiff and walk away.

I was thinking we should start a thread entitled Amtrak emplyee hall of shame to document amtrak's worst emplyees.

So, you are sure that this wasn't a job rule/requirement? That this one employee just made this all up?

I could be wrong, but I believe that it is actually illegal to refuse "legal tender." It is not, however, a requirement to make change.

In other words, Amtrak could refuse to change any bill over, say, a $50, really to avoid counterfit $100's, but in theory "because we don't have change." But they can't refuse a legal $'s worth of coins for a $1 purchase.

Regardless, this is certainly a made-up (employee) rule, not a company rule.

 

[Texan Eagle]

I have mentioned this before but since the topic out here is about listing annoying self-made "rules" by OBS, I would point out my Southwest Chief journey last November where the coach attendant was adamant about not letting me sit at a window seat at an empty row in a half-empty train because "all seat pairs are for families" and single riders should all sit next to each other in one half of the coach. He enforced this "rule" all the way up to Albuquerque in spite of the three coaches being around 50% empty at all points of time during the journey.