What not to worry about when riding Amtrak

[NW cannonball]

* lost baggage -- many posting here -- even in the 1/1000 chance you lose your bag Amtrak will bust their buns to get it back to you -- annoyance possible but very unlikely - probability of loss near zero.

* risk of parking car while on Amtrak trip - varies -- by station , mostly really really small - no reports of car loss or damage at Amtrak parking areas - please speak to station agent so they know your parking needs --

* risk of meeting people who annoy you on the train -- depends how annoyable you are - if the annoyers are objectively annoying -expect help from the train crew almost always.

* risk of being annoyed by some kind of law enforcement -- very small and easily done away with

*difficulty sleeping in coach - depends.

*difficulty sleeping in sleeper -- depends.

* risk that train is involved in accident -- so near zero that there's no way to estimate.

 

[NE933]

I like the way you think, there NW Cannonball.

 

[MattW]

*risk of sitting in a tiny compartment in traffic jam

*risk of traffic accident

 

[Linda T]

* risk that train is involved in accident -- so near zero that there's no way to estimate.

Unless you were riding the California Zephyr in 2011, then the probability went up. Seems like she went out of her way to find run away farm equipment, and cranes left on the track. Ah, and that was just in August!

 

[zephyr17]

* lost baggage -- many posting here -- even in the 1/1000 chance you lose your bag Amtrak will bust their buns to get it back to you -- annoyance possible but very unlikely - probability of loss near zero.

* risk of parking car while on Amtrak trip - varies -- by station , mostly really really small - no reports of car loss or damage at Amtrak parking areas - please speak to station agent so they know your parking needs --

* risk of meeting people who annoy you on the train -- depends how annoyable you are - if the annoyers are objectively annoying -expect help from the train crew almost always.

* risk of being annoyed by some kind of law enforcement -- very small and easily done away with

*difficulty sleeping in coach - depends.

*difficulty sleeping in sleeper -- depends.

* risk that train is involved in accident -- so near zero that there's no way to estimate.

I don't know about the car. My pickup truck got broken into at the Tacoma Amtrak station and almost stolen. That tends to make me wary.

 

[PaulM]

I like the way you think, there NW Cannonball.

I like his grasp of statistics.

 

[ScottRu]

Thanks to Cannonball I will henceforth worry about absolutely nothing while on a train!

 

[the_traveler]

The most dangerous portions of a train trip are driving to the station to board and driving from the station at your destination! :excl:

 

[me_little_me]

Other things to not worry about:

Falling out of the sky.

Being too fat for your seat.

Terrorists taking over the train and crashing it into the White House.

Someone demanding to be taken to Cuba.

An engine falling off the engine.

Wondering whether the seat cushions really will act as flotation devices.

Wondering if the engineer can find the wheel or the stick.

Sitting out on the tarmac in a cramped seat waiting for the deicing machine.

Whether the engineer remembered the route.

If the engineer was supposed to turn left at that last highway.

If the engineer can find Penn Station in the dark.

Crashing because the train ran out of fuel.

Ending up at the bottom of the ocean.

Where they would store parachutes.

The wings falling off the railcar.

 

[TimePeace]

* Everything troublesome at home which, since I'm on the train, I can do nothing about - so why worry about it.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

*puts on devil's advocate hat*

* lost baggage -- many posting here -- even in the 1/1000 chance you lose your bag Amtrak will bust their buns to get it back to you -- annoyance possible but very unlikely - probability of loss near zero.

The vast majority of Amtrak stops don't allow for checked luggage so why would anyone worry about what they don't have access to?

* risk of parking car while on Amtrak trip - varies -- by station , mostly really really small - no reports of car loss or damage at Amtrak parking areas - please speak to station agent so they know your parking needs --

Prior reports of lost and damaged cars are what keep me from leaving my car in San Marcos. I'd ask the Amtrak agent like you suggest but, as with most Amtrak stops, there aren't any Amtrak agents to ask. Which is probably just as well since Amtrak doesn't own, maintain, and supervise most of the parking lots near their stations and many stations don't even have a parking lot suitable for leaving your car overnight, let alone for several days or weeks as you slowly make your way back across the country.

* risk of meeting people who annoy you on the train -- depends how annoyable you are - if the annoyers are objectively annoying -expect help from the train crew almost always.

I've met a lot of very interesting and even inspiring people on the train. In fact the folks you meet can easily be the difference between a good trip and a great trip. On the other hand I've also met a few zealots, racists, and random bigots that were kind of annoying. Mainly because they apparently assumed I must be as blind, fanatical, or ignorant as they are. Sometimes it's really annoying to have some hate filled person talk as though you have a charter membership in the same anti-whatever group they belong to.

* risk of being annoyed by some kind of law enforcement -- very small and easily done away with

How exactly is it “easily done away with?” Do we simply check the 4th Amendment box when we're buying our tickets? Or is that phrase referring to our formerly inalienable rights?

*difficulty sleeping in coach - depends.

*difficulty sleeping in sleeper -- depends.

Depends on what?

* risk that train is involved in accident -- so near zero that there's no way to estimate.

Figuring out when the universe began or when it will end may be impossible to estimate. But figuring out how often Amtrak trains are involved in accidents is actually possible to estimate. Luckily it's low enough that it's still quite preferable to vehicular traffic, bicycling, and pedestrian trips. I'm rather doubtful that Amtrak is anywhere near as safe as flying considering the number of people who fly versus the number of people who ride Amtrak.

I like the way you think, there NW Cannonball.

I like his grasp of statistics.

Statistics is apparently something Cannonbull would rather not worry about. :lol:

 

[Partyman]

I like not having to get the station 2 hours early.

 

[TimePeace]

*puts on devil's advocate hat*

You mean - you take it off sometimes? :unsure:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

*puts on devil's advocate hat*

You mean - you take it off sometimes? :unsure:

I pondered admitting something to the same effect, but the post was already long enough as it is. :lol:

However, that also means I feel predisposed to defend Amtrak in many other situations.

That can even include situations where I'm riding on Amtrak while other people are bashing it.

Sometimes it's easy to defend Amtrak when it's something that is obviously out of their control, but other times it can be a bit of a problem to come up with an defense that doesn't sound like pure BS.

When I talk to folks who have little or no experience with Amtrak and have not yet formed any specific opinion toward it I don't feel predisposed to being for or against and can simply speak my mind as objectively as possible.

I have no idea if I'm actually being objective, but it's probably close. As close as you can get while still being a railfan anyway. ^_^

 

[gswager]

Not having body groping at security checkpoint.

 

[NW cannonball]

When I posted this - I'm the OP - it was just to express my overall comfort with the "Amtrak experience"

Which has been usually useful and comfortable for me.

Compared to other modes of transport - for me - whatever works for me -- Amtrak is no better nor worse - just got back from Japan - where on-time performance is really good

Amtrak has horrible OTP - on the Long Distance Service -but I can figure likely connection failures - thanks in part to this message board service

Thanks to all contributors

E

 

[fillyjonk]

I don't know about the car. My pickup truck got broken into at the Tacoma Amtrak station and almost stolen. That tends to make me wary.

I had a window broken out of my car (nothing stolen, but a large hassle to deal with as I was 3 1/2 hours from home) at Longview.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

Things I dont have to worry about on Amtrak.

1 Being stuck on a bus for *insert amount of time here*

2. Feeling like a prisoner on said bus because you cant look at or talk to anyone without feeling weird.

3. Food, its always available *during operating hours of course* Cafe is usually open until midnight or so.

4. Having baggage destroyed under the bus by careless handlers.

5. The ride comfort after 4 hours or so.

In short, go Amtrak

 

[Luc Sabot]

not stepping on something nasty while walking shoelessly through airport security