You need to read MORE than the OP. The whole thread clarifies a lot of backstory from all sides of the issue. The OP seems to have left a lot of hard facts out in the name of heart-string pulling. Or she was ignorant of the facts which is excusable since pax don't always know everything that goes on with Amtrak.
Yes, she probably did come here to let off steam. There are a lot of people lurking here who will post once in awhile, but are too timid to join in on a regular basis. I know I would have been timid if my first post had gotten raked through the coals.
Why not? Amtrak did not provide a service that they said the would. It sounds pretty cut and dry to me. How would this be in any way Ruth's fault? Just because Amtrak can't keep their act for whatever reason is no reason to not blame them.
Why is it that all of the tickets have to get printed out by the time the train reaches the first staffed station it reaches after the computer system comes back, and why is this so important that it justifies suspending checked baggage service? Why couldn't most of the tickets be picked up at the second or third station that's reached after the computer system is running again, which would provide those agents with plenty of time to print the tickets before the last minute checked baggage arrives at those stations?
So after being told by the station agent that she was responsible for her own bags then she is supposed to go ask again?
From her story, it sounds like there was just a general announcement made. Nowhere does Ruth state that she went to the agent and said "I'm going to have trouble getting these up the stairs, is there anyway that I can get some help?"
You're absolutely wrong. Like I said, sometimes unforeseen events happen. You're holding Amtrak to an impossibly high standard, and without more information it's impossible to reasonably say if they made adequate preparations.
If people want to keep excusing Amtrak for sucking at operating their business then they will never get into the 21st century. Airlines have stable enough systems with enough redundancy that they can do things like e-check-in. Amtrak's system fails and hours later they can't even do something basic like checking bags. I don't think it is too much to ask.
It amazes me how some people have such a limited view of things. Now I'm not going to belabor what I've stated above, but because some "just did not a get part of it," I'm going focus on the one issue of what is and is not trauma!Excuse me, but who are we to judge what is or is not trauma to another! If what happened to Ruth had happened to me I would have all to do to make the stairs, if I in fact made them at all; and I'm not even talking about trying to get luggage up with me!
I'm pretty sure I would have also been in tears and popping my pain and anxiety medication. The same goes for getting onto the train if from ground level and into my H room. So yes, I would have considered my experience as traumatic too!
On the other hand I probably wouldn't have felt insulted over only being given an apology and $25 certificate! I'd just be thankful that I was at least given some consideration for my TRAUMA!
Let's try giving the benefit of the doubt and show a little compassion and not ass-u-me what we have no real understanding or knowledge about!
Ruth, you have my compassion but keep the voucher and enjoy your hopefully traumaless next trip!
Amtrak performed the intended service of getting the OP from point A to point B. The OP was inconvenienced by the checked baggage service not being available but she did board the train and get to where she was going. As for trauma, I don't think it is or at best the OP failed to give sufficient facts to make that type of determination. She also doesn't say whether she talked to the agent or explained her issues. Did she talk to the agent and the agent tell her to "bugger off" (using the nice British version of the not so nice New York term) and lug the bags herself? We don't know.
Fire away because I totally agree. The TT lists checked baggage as an available service. Just one look at the dismal station makes a grown man almost cry. But let's look at the facts; there are three people and a one man extra board in place to provide services. If Amtrak can't accommodate just one train a day with these people and services in place what's to come if we get more trains at the same station? Irregardless of how the pax presented her case we were able to establish that Amtrak dropped the ball~ is there anything new or unusual about this? She came here to vent because we are a Forum. I think she did an excellent job of telling us how lousy a job Amtrak did. My only hope would be that Amtrak would pick up on this and race to Birmingham and fix the elevator and the give the agent a refresher course in how to handle pax properly. Just my pipe dream of the week. Now just where is that suit of scorched armor?
It's not nonsense.
Jay, you summed it up perfectly.
I'm not excusing Amtrak, I'm saying that we don't have enough info crucify Amtrak on this one the way that some people seem hell bent on doing. Remember the thread from a few months ago where someone got on here and ranted about being mistreated on a train and getting put off the train (I think that this was on the CS) and everyone agreed that he had been wronged until another poster showed up that was onboard and provided a very different story that indicated that perhaps the Conductor was justified in putting the man off the train? All I'm saying is that you folks need to stow the Jump To Conclusions mat and recognize that there is likely FAR more to the story than the emotional factoids that Ruth gave us, and perhaps we shouldn't be so hasty to judge?
Is it not inconceivable that the man on the Extra board was assigned to another station for the day and the baggage man didn't show up on time? In that case, the one agent, faced with a train inbound and a station full of people has to get on the horn, try to find out where the baggage man is and then try to contact the swing person to come in and help out? Even with that setup, it's not inconceivable that a single person could be stuck at the station having to deal with all the pax. Toss in some computer problems, and a broken elevator it's not unrealistic to be faced with the situation at hand.
I am still left wondering if the elevator was indeed broken?
Sorry folks, this is still not clear to me. :unsure:
That's a lot of if and and butts !!!
It is, and that's my point! Nobody knows what went down at the station that day, yet people are ready to fly off the handle and file this one in the "It's all Amtrak's fault" without knowing what actually happened.That's a lot of if and and butts !!!
That is what bugs me about the OP.
Adding to that is the fact that carry-on policy on Amtrak is more generous than checked policy on airlines. Your carry-on bags can be large (not supersize) suitcases up to 50 pounds... I've checked bags small enough to be carry-on before, I usually carry around just this one suitcase, but it is more often then not carry-on.
Let's be realistic here; how much effort would it have taken for the agent to radio the Crescent and explain his plight whatever it may have been? Then he would have the monkey off his back and would have had his pax taken care of if the SA's came downstairs and helped their pax. There is too much "convenience" for the employees going on; case in point~ week before last the Tuscaloosa agent called #19 and had him spot the baggage car door at the depot door. His golf cart worked; his trailer was operable but he didn't want to have to drive down to the end of the platform to load bags. Good gravy; one train a day and we double spot for someone who is supposed to just drive down and load up without question while pax de-train without any further delay to the train. I've picked up people at stations in wheel chairs riding the sleepers and begged station agents to double spot the train to no avail (I'm not blaming the agent; it could have been an ornery cnductor but they are both Amtrak employees.) It's not easy to push a wheel chair through ballast because of someone's ignorance. And before you ask if the cart at Tuscaloosa did run I watched him unload #20 at its usual stopping point which is about 6 car lengths north of the depot for the baggage car. I'd call B'Ham to see if the freight elevator is working but would be afraid the answer I would get might not match the elevator's actual operating condition.It is, and that's my point! Nobody knows what went down at the station that day, yet people are ready to fly off the handle and file this one in the "It's all Amtrak's fault" without knowing what actually happened.That's a lot of if and and butts !!!
Ed, thank you, thank you, thank you for so eloquently expressing what I have been thinking but failed to express in my previous posts. Although I'd like to say more, I think I'll just leave my comment at that and not add fuel to the fire for those who may be hell-bent on being negative against the OP and possibly against Amtrak too for that matter!
