I dont have a credit card,dont carry a debit card and dont have a I Phone. Many of the stations are in rural places w/o agents and no access to print a ticket at the library or hotel. Cash used to be king. Finding pay phone is hard these days
Bonas,
I too miss the old days when you just walked up to the ticket agent and brought your ticket. But I am afraid those days are gone the way of dining cars between Boston and New York.
You can pay for your ticket in cash with no problem. However, if you don't make a reservation on e mail (no credit card needed) you will find you are paying a lot more.
And where I live finding a pay phone in most places is impossible. One of the few places with pay phones is Newark Penn Station.
John
Can you still make a reservation by phone before you leave your house or hotel?
Yes. I make my rail reservations, by telephone, sufficiently in advance so that I am usually able to get the accomodations I want. This, of course, means that I have to pay for my rail tickets soon after I make the reservation. A few years ago, my wife expressed the desire to ride in the drawing room (there is, ordinarily, only one in the entire consist) on the Canadian. I made the reservations for the entire trip in August before we traveled in April-May--and we had that drawing room as well as one on The Ocean.
I do have a cell phone--but I use it for voice only, and then only when I absolutely must. I do not need a binky in my ear.
Johnny
I have been reluctant to use the newfangles, too. But have found use of debit cards effective in purchasing from ticket machines for instance. With my Ridewithmehenry trips I will call ahead to a deli or restaurant to order lunch. And even though there is no sweephand, the clock on the cell phone is the most accurate as all cell phones are synced together from the Atomic clock. Only if I have to, and that has only been once or twice in the last 10 or 15 years, have I given any account information over the internet. The more I use the newfangles, the more comfortable I am and the more I realize how convenient and easy things are because of them.
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
There are many people who share your view. There is a significant population in Lancaster, PA.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Phoebe Vet There are many people who share your view. There is a significant population in Lancaster, PA.
...coffee-out-the-nose funny! (ouch!)
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmannd Phoebe Vet There are many people who share your view. There is a significant population in Lancaster, PA. ...coffee-out-the-nose funny! (ouch!)
I found it interesting that when I made a reservation for a trip this April I was sent E-tickets--and when I made reservations for a trip this May I had to go to the local station to get the tickets--which will also be scanned before I board.
As to credit cards (my wife and I never used a debit card), I use them for all ordinary purposes and so carry very little cash except when traveling, to use for tips.
Until nine years ago, I did not have personal access to the internet, but did use my wife's castoff computers for spreadsheets and other personal matters. I gave in when she offered to buy me a new computer and insisted that I be connected to the internet. I have enjoyed the interaction with other rail afficianados for about six years now.
My wife of 45 years for years loudly professed her hatred of computers. She had to use them in our business, but she made it very clear that she believed they were designed by and for the devil. She is a voracious reader, and I regularly offered to buy her an e-reader. I am sure you guys are familiar with "the look".
A couple of years ago I just bought her a Nook Color for Valentine's day without asking. She was quickly converted and now has at least a hundred books on it. I recently bought her the new and improved Nook HD. She was going to give the old one to our 5 year old grandson who loves to sit and read with her, but she has found a better use. Since a book on one is a book on all (Both her Nooks, my computer, and my Droid Razr), she reads on one until it needs recharging and then reads on the other while the first one charges.
Then she discovered that she can highlight a word in her Nook and with just a couple of touches look it up on the internet. She is now a frequent user of the internet. She is amazed at the things she can find there.
My point? Take a deep breath, hold your nose, and jump in. You might be surprised what you find.
Although you can occasionally see Amish people riding trains. I don't know if they draw a distinction between steam and diesel engines.
I would never want to go back to the old days without cell phones, computers, the internet and eticketing. Just booked myself on a 2 week rail trip around the west. Very easy to do with the internet (except for Amtrak Guest Rewards sleeper tickets). Hotel rates easy to research and a small airfare segment easy to do as well. Much more fun and easy to do than using the old Official Guide or a travel agent. Printed out my tickets and confirmations and I'm already to go even though the trip isn't for a couple of months.
In 1919 my grandparents built a new home. Unlike their old home it had indoor plumbing. I can just picture my grandfather coming down stairs, plunger in hand, saying "You know, Hilma, when we had an outhouse I never had to use this." But he did not go back to an outhouse.
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