Use of Vapo or Electronic Cigarettes on Amtrak?

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SmokingCar

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I am a smoker but I am planning a multi-day trip on the train which would include Metra and and MARC...any rules regarding vapo ciggarettes?
 
On long distance trains, there are longer stops which are designated "smoke breaks" every 5-8 hours or so. But DO NOT get off unless it is announced it is a smoke break stop! Some stops are less than 30 seconds!
 
The Amtrak smoking policy is rather clear on this and is stated here on the website. I looked at the MARC website out of curiosity and could not find any statement on smoking policy. Since MARC does not allow smoking on their trains, I would expect the conductors to extend the non-smoking rule to electronic cigarettes.
 
The rationale, as I understand it, is that nicotine that is present in the electronic cigarettes is still exhaled, and though presumably much less carcinogenic than the sum of second hand smoke from a real cigarette, the assumption is that it isn't something that non-smoking passengers would care to be subjected to.
 
No electric cigarettes are permitted on Amtrak, METRA or MARC.

On Amtrak- best thing to do is to get a copy of the Amtrak timetable for the route you are taking. It will indicate where the extended station stops are. For instance the CL stops for 15 minutes in PGH, and the Crescent stops for 25 minutes in Atlanta and Charlotte, and 8 minutes in Greensboro and Lynchburg. Check the timetable before boarding and you'll find station stops to smoke at. The only exception to this rule is the Autotrain where you can smoke anytime It has a smoking room on the first level of the lounge car. If you ride the NEC/Acela there is just no time to smoke.
 
I have seen, for the record, Amtrak employees smoke in the vestibule, esp if its a car that they sealed off and thus believe no one will notice.
 
I've seen Amtrak employees smoking at a distance from the train being joined by smoking and non smoking passengers. I've seen crew changes where engineers and other personel were smoking. All were visiting amicably and no one seemed to mind.
 
CNW said:
I've seen Amtrak employees smoking at a distance from the train being joined by smoking and non smoking passengers. I've seen crew changes where engineers and other personel were smoking. All were visiting amicably and no one seemed to mind.
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If I understand correctly, though, the crews you are talking about were not smoking inside the train.
 
No I have never seen smoking on the train itself?.
 
I haven't actually seen crew members smoking, but more than once I knew that they were indeed smoking. In particular on the Acela, where I'm often in First, if the FC car is trailing, conductors and even occasionally FC crew members will slip into the rear power car for a puff. And as they walk by after finishing, you can really tell what they were just doing.

And there have been a few times where in a sleeper it was clear that a crew member had just been in the bag smoking.
 
AlanB said:
I haven't actually seen crew members smoking, but more than once I knew that they were indeed smoking. In particular on the Acela, where I'm often in First, if the FC car is trailing, conductors and even occasionally FC crew members will slip into the rear power car for a puff. And as they walk by after finishing, you can really tell what they were just doing.

And there have been a few times where in a sleeper it was clear that a crew member had just been in the bag smoking.
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How is Amtrak going to solve this problem? Smoke detectors?
 
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The only times I have seen anyone (crew or passenger) smoking on-board a train, would be during service interruptions. And that was in the vestibule area, with the door or door window open.
 
Swadian Hardcore said:
AlanB said:
I haven't actually seen crew members smoking, but more than once I knew that they were indeed smoking. In particular on the Acela, where I'm often in First, if the FC car is trailing, conductors and even occasionally FC crew members will slip into the rear power car for a puff. And as they walk by after finishing, you can really tell what they were just doing.

And there have been a few times where in a sleeper it was clear that a crew member had just been in the bag smoking.
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How is Amtrak going to solve this problem? Smoke detectors?
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Really? Is this a problem? A few employees sneaking into the power car, or on LD, the baggage cars? Bigger fish to fry.

There is a policy in place for employees, if they are "caught", they may be written up, or given a warning. Unless they are walking thru the public areas of the train, puffing away, I see no problem, at least not from the customer's perspective.

After all, we are not Amtrak's Internal Affairs Department............
 
I agree. I have never understood the non smokers fascination with what smokers are doing. My husband smokes and I know how careful he is in public places. I think we all understand that it is not a healthy thing to do and others should not be subjected to it ,but the tattle tale mentality of some is really kind of amusing considering all the things we could focus on.
 
I think that the issue isn't so much the smoking as it is the fact that a subset of Amtrak employees roam the system doing whatever they please, regardless of what the rules are.
 
I'd forgive them much if they were able to be a bit more pleasant as a whole. Many are of course already pleasant, but just sayin.
 
AlanB said:
I haven't actually seen crew members smoking, but more than once I knew that they were indeed smoking. In particular on the Acela, where I'm often in First, if the FC car is trailing, conductors and even occasionally FC crew members will slip into the rear power car for a puff. And as they walk by after finishing, you can really tell what they were just doing.

And there have been a few times where in a sleeper it was clear that a crew member had just been in the bag smoking.
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I agree, one of my favorite FC attendants definitely smokes back there when FC is in the rear.
 
dlagrua said:
Actually cigars, cigarettes and pipes are allowed on Amtrak, as long as they are not lit. Same for an electric cigarette with the battery removed.
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I think having a cigarette in your mouth, even if unlit, will attract the attention of the conductor.
 
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