STATION REFUSED TO CHECK LUGGAGE

[Long Train Runnin']

WOW I'm shocked I saw this thread bumped up and I was like oh man not again but thats good news. Since this was a HUGE debate

 

[MrFSS]

It shows that many times people jump to conclusions without all the facts and then it goes downhill from there. Not to say that every story we hear is true, but perhaps we need to be a bit more lenient in situations such as this.

 

[VentureForth]

This is indeed refreshing news to know that Amtrak expects to provide advertised services and that heads will roll when those services can't be provided. Obviously we will probably never know the intricate details of the internal happenings here, but it certainly seems that management is actually begining to be capable of managing.

An interesting show on CBS in 2007 was "Kid Nation". There was a saying that became quite common regarding one girl who seemed to be a spoiled brat and didn't care about the consequences of her actions or inactions. Her common statement was "Deal with it!"

Might work well for an 8 year old, but certainly not for a business that deals with customers.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

I don't think anyone from Amtrak "keeps an eye on us" all the time!

only if we're taking pictures of trains

 

[had8ley]

EDM before you paint all of us younger people with a wide brush understand this I have arthritis in my shoulder and knee and it affects my mobility. I manage to do what I have to just fine but I'm apainfully aware of mobility problems. It's funny though in an ironic way as my grandparents were able bodied and healthy but loved to complain about everything and I do mean everything. When I first read the original post it reminded me of them. Second, I believe the books to the bus thing you are refrencing was intended as a joke by the person who wrote it and yes I laughed at it because it seemed to me to be meant to lighten the mood.

I didn't intend to paint all younger people with a wide brush. It was a general statement that there is a general separation in age as to attitudes. You and Wayman and others, young and old, made some very good points.

I felt the school books commentary was a sick joke and insensitive.

And to be told " I will even help shovel you in", well that must have been written by a very young person.

This whole topic seems to have brought out some of the best and some of the worst in people.

Age creates wisdom; youngsters just have to wait their turn...

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

EDM before you paint all of us younger people with a wide brush understand this I have arthritis in my shoulder and knee and it affects my mobility. I manage to do what I have to just fine but I'm apainfully aware of mobility problems. It's funny though in an ironic way as my grandparents were able bodied and healthy but loved to complain about everything and I do mean everything. When I first read the original post it reminded me of them. Second, I believe the books to the bus thing you are refrencing was intended as a joke by the person who wrote it and yes I laughed at it because it seemed to me to be meant to lighten the mood.

I didn't intend to paint all younger people with a wide brush. It was a general statement that there is a general separation in age as to attitudes. You and Wayman and others, young and old, made some very good points.

I felt the school books commentary was a sick joke and insensitive.

And to be told " I will even help shovel you in", well that must have been written by a very young person.

This whole topic seems to have brought out some of the best and some of the worst in people.

Age creates wisdom; youngsters just have to wait their turn...

Saying that... age must also produce a fleeting ignorance and an heir of superiority. <_<

 

[caravanman]

I can't believe that the matter was resolved by Amtrak in favour of the original soul who was so upset.. After all, her complaints were held to be excessive by many members of this forum.

Do I hear any contrition?

Ed B)

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I can't believe that the matter was resolved by Amtrak in favour of the original soul who was so upset.. After all, her complaints were held to be excessive by many members of this forum. Do I hear any contrition?

Ed B)

None.

Anybody who yells enough into the earpiece of a customer service rep will get something done. Histrionics have a way of working like currency in this country.

 

[caravanman]

I am going outside... I may be some time...

Ed B)

 

[Ryan]

I can't believe that the matter was resolved by Amtrak in favour of the original soul who was so upset.. After all, her complaints were held to be excessive by many members of this forum. Do I hear any contrition?

Ed B)

None.

Anybody who yells enough into the earpiece of a customer service rep will get something done. Histrionics have a way of working like currency in this country.

I concur. Not to mention, my general thrust was "we don't have the whole story", which we still don't. The fuss that this lady caused may well have made Amtrak take note of a guy not showing up for work, but that in no way provides any illumination as to the accuracy of the rest of her story or if the trauma she suffered was in any way comparable to her histrionic post.

Yet I'm sure that this will provide more fodder for the "jump to conclusions" crowd that we're just a bunch of young whippersnappers that don't know any better.

 

[Everydaymatters]

I'm glad to find out that this was a real incident and not a convoluted rave and that Amtrak has taken steps it felt was necessary to prevent this from happening to another person who has problem navigating stairs, with or without luggage.

I'm joining Caravanman for a breath of fresh air.

 

[AlanB]

I can't believe that the matter was resolved by Amtrak in favour of the original soul who was so upset.. After all, her complaints were held to be excessive by many members of this forum. Do I hear any contrition?

Ed B)

None.

Anybody who yells enough into the earpiece of a customer service rep will get something done. Histrionics have a way of working like currency in this country.

I'm not at liberty to say much more than I've already said, and even then what I know is limited. That said, you're wrong ALC, sorry. Amtrak management was proactive on this one and it wasn't due to persistant calling or harrasment on the part of Ruth to anyone at Amtrak.

 

[tp49]

I'm figuring she probably gave the whole story to Amtrak management which would include facts omitted in her post. Management took what they felt was necessary action based on what she told them. I'm glad the issue was resolved I'm figuring to Ruth's satisfaction.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I can't believe that the matter was resolved by Amtrak in favour of the original soul who was so upset.. After all, her complaints were held to be excessive by many members of this forum. Do I hear any contrition?

Ed B)

None.

Anybody who yells enough into the earpiece of a customer service rep will get something done. Histrionics have a way of working like currency in this country.

I'm not at liberty to say much more than I've already said, and even then what I know is limited. That said, you're wrong ALC, sorry. Amtrak management was proactive on this one and it wasn't due to persistant calling or harrasment on the part of Ruth to anyone at Amtrak.

It still makes no difference Alan. I never doubted that *some* problem happened. What I doubt is the histrionic attitude these people take and then expect the world to cry for them. If they fixed a problem, good. We still don't know the full story much less whether or not Ruth herself, after spamming our boards and causing rifts that you just dug up again, actually made any difference in the matter.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'm figuring she probably gave the whole story to Amtrak management which would include facts omitted in her post. Management took what they felt was necessary action based on what she told them. I'm glad the issue was resolved I'm figuring to Ruth's satisfaction.

That I can also buy. That she vented on here only discredits her story. If she had taken the proper attitude with us as she did with management, as you propose, then I would have sympathized with teh situation-- a lot of others would have too. If anybody wants to bother reading the old posts you'll find there was a constant theme in those made by us "beraters" and that was "strip off the damn drama and give us the facts."

If she did, she was successful. As it should be-- a mature adult handling a situation with respect.

 

[AlanB]

Not to mention, my general thrust was "we don't have the whole story", which we still don't. The fuss that this lady caused may well have made Amtrak take note of a guy not showing up for work, but that in no way provides any illumination as to the accuracy of the rest of her story or if the trauma she suffered was in any way comparable to her histrionic post.

I won't deny that we don't know the full story, and quite frankly never will. Unless Ruth herself comes back here to further fill us in with the details of what precisely happened, as well as why it was so traumatic for her, we will never know. And perhaps that is as it should be; after all it did happen to Ruth and not us.

Either way based upon what I've learned, it is quite apparent that at least one Amtrak employee did do something wrong and/or otherwise failed to do his/her job that day in Birmingham. Amtrak would not have taken action if their investigation had turned up nothing other than a customer who thought that they were deserving of something more than what Amtrak promises to deliver.

The bottom line here is that at some level Amtrak failed to deliver what it promised to Ruth and other customers that day in BHM, and an Amtrak employee has been disciplined because of what they did or didn't do that day in BHM.

 

[AlanB]

I'm figuring she probably gave the whole story to Amtrak management which would include facts omitted in her post. Management took what they felt was necessary action based on what she told them. I'm glad the issue was resolved I'm figuring to Ruth's satisfaction.

That I can also buy. That she vented on here only discredits her story. If she had taken the proper attitude with us as she did with management, as you propose, then I would have sympathized with teh situation-- a lot of others would have too. If anybody wants to bother reading the old posts you'll find there was a constant theme in those made by us "beraters" and that was "strip off the damn drama and give us the facts."

If she did, she was successful. As it should be-- a mature adult handling a situation with respect.

Guys, try to remember that Ruth was not the only person affected that day in BHM. She may have been the only one who came here to post something about it, but multiple passengers were affected by whatever happened that day in BHM to cause the no checked baggage situation. Ruth was not the only person denied baggage check that day.

I do not know if management contacted Ruth during their investigation, or any other passengers that were affected by the problem. I do know that Amtrak management found a problem with how customer service was handled that day in BHM, and that the investigation was not started because Ruth managed to get someone from management on the phone or via a letter or email.

 

[mercedeslove]

Lets not all pick on the younger crowd. I am one of them, and at 30 years old carrying luggage should be easy for me but isn't. One I seriously hurt my neck when I was in my late teens, and it effected how I do things, and two I am rather tiny. I might be tall, but I am skinny so I do have the ''muskels" as I like to say. However if I had no choice but to carry my stuff I would, and I wouldn't create a scene or anything, like the OP did with this post. I know that sometimes in life things won't work just how they should I need to deal with it, it's just luggage and it was only a short period of time. If you understand what I am saying.

It would be different if the OP was say 85-years-old with a heart condition.

I am glad she got the matter resloved, however her post, the way it was written, and the reactions/comments to it. She had it coming. She didn't conduct herself nicely and brought it upon herself.

 

[sunchaser]

I'm figuring she probably gave the whole story to Amtrak management which would include facts omitted in her post. Management took what they felt was necessary action based on what she told them. I'm glad the issue was resolved I'm figuring to Ruth's satisfaction.

That I can also buy. That she vented on here only discredits her story. If she had taken the proper attitude with us as she did with management, as you propose, then I would have sympathized with teh situation-- a lot of others would have too. If anybody wants to bother reading the old posts you'll find there was a constant theme in those made by us "beraters" and that was "strip off the damn drama and give us the facts."

If she did, she was successful. As it should be-- a mature adult handling a situation with respect.

Guys, try to remember that Ruth was not the only person affected that day in BHM. She may have been the only one who came here to post something about it, but multiple passengers were affected by whatever happened that day in BHM to cause the no checked baggage situation. Ruth was not the only person denied baggage check that day.

I do not know if management contacted Ruth during their investigation, or any other passengers that were affected by the problem. I do know that Amtrak management found a problem with how customer service was handled that day in BHM, and that the investigation was not started because Ruth managed to get someone from management on the phone or via a letter or email.

At least Amtrak got to the bottom of the problem-whatever it was and dealt with it. We may never know all of what occured, but that does not matter. Based on the info Ruth supplied, it seems that the ball was dropped more than once.

There must have been others who contacted Amtrak about the situation.

It is good to know that Amtrak did step up to the task at hand. I hope the passengers involved had their concerns & complaints addressed & taken care of.

 

[Everydaymatters]

The only drama I saw in Ruth's original post was: "I was in tears" and "Amtrak sent me a measly voucher for $25.00 which was an insult and a slap in the fact for the trauma that I went through at the Birmingham Amtrak Station. I am sending the voucher back to Amtrak."

The rest of her post was simply stating the situation as she saw it.

I don't understand how this could have escalated as it did. I hope that the next time someone comes to us to vent we'll be more willing to take that person at face value and overlook the emotions expressed by the poster.

We are a community of Amtrak patrons and one of our purposes is to help eachother, just as all of you were helped here at one time or another in one way or another.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

If another person wants to come here to vent-- then I shall take them at face value.

A venter.

 

[VentureForth]

Why not let folks vent here in peace?

90% of the folks that patron Amtrak are probably no where close to being railfans. That being said, expectations are what they are based on advertising and/or limited knowledge or information. In addition, expectations are set to a basic standard, ie: polite employees, clean facilities, and the availibilty of advertised goods and services. When those expectations are not met, it can be emotionally draining.

This morning, I was overcharged 30 cents at Wafflehouse. When I asked the server about it, she said she was right. I went ahead and paid, but showed her the menu where she was wrong. Didn't create a scene in front of the other customers. She didn't offer me my 30 cents back (nor did I ask for it), but I saw her adjust the ticket and pocket the change (with my regular grat for a $4 meal, she got a 50% tip). She will no longer ever wait on me.

I know I've mentioned this before, but when I asked my manager at Disney why he was cutting corners, he said that customer's expections were too high. I don't think that customer's expectations could ever be too high. What seems to be more likely is that employees efforts seem to be too low.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I don't think that customer's expectations could ever be too high.

For the sake of all of us, careful what you wish for.

 

[had8ley]

EDM before you paint all of us younger people with a wide brush understand this I have arthritis in my shoulder and knee and it affects my mobility. I manage to do what I have to just fine but I'm apainfully aware of mobility problems. It's funny though in an ironic way as my grandparents were able bodied and healthy but loved to complain about everything and I do mean everything. When I first read the original post it reminded me of them. Second, I believe the books to the bus thing you are refrencing was intended as a joke by the person who wrote it and yes I laughed at it because it seemed to me to be meant to lighten the mood.

I didn't intend to paint all younger people with a wide brush. It was a general statement that there is a general separation in age as to attitudes. You and Wayman and others, young and old, made some very good points.

I felt the school books commentary was a sick joke and insensitive.

And to be told " I will even help shovel you in", well that must have been written by a very young person.

This whole topic seems to have brought out some of the best and some of the worst in people.

Age creates wisdom; youngsters just have to wait their turn...

Saying that... age must also produce a fleeting ignorance and an heir of superiority. <_<

No...it just gives us the right to the soap box via seniority

 

[had8ley]

The only drama I saw in Ruth's original post was: "I was in tears" and "Amtrak sent me a measly voucher for $25.00 which was an insult and a slap in the fact for the trauma that I went through at the Birmingham Amtrak Station. I am sending the voucher back to Amtrak."
The rest of her post was simply stating the situation as she saw it.

I don't understand how this could have escalated as it did. I hope that the next time someone comes to us to vent we'll be more willing to take that person at face value and overlook the emotions expressed by the poster.

We are a community of Amtrak patrons and one of our purposes is to help eachother, just as all of you were helped here at one time or another in one way or another.

I think the one equation missing in most posts is attitude. Some Amtrak agents you would swear woke up in a dumpster while some pax act worse. Expressing one's self in a matter pleasing to everyone is very difficult. I don't condone ranting and raving ALL the time but neither do I tolerate employee incompetence ALL the time. There is a lot of it around~just read some of the Travelogues.