Three Classes of Travel

[Anonymous]

I'd always been bothered by the division of travel into either business or leisure class. Then it dawned on me. There are three classes of travel:

Commercial business class
Personal business class
Leisure class

Looking back on my four Amtrak journeys within four years, only the second one was a leisure trip. The others were all personal business trips and, by Jove, my personal business is as important to me as is someone else's commercial business.

Bill Shoots

[sooblue]

There's one more class.
The HOBO class
admittedly more prevelent in the past.
but still in use today.
mike

[Anonymous]

Ah yes, Mike. Ridin' the rods.

Bill in Texas

[sooblue]

*lol*
I had a grandfather inlaw that did that for 4 years after WWII. He said that the Passenger trains were the hardest to ride but that it could be done but he wouldn't elaborate. I think he didn't want to tell me how because he was affraid I'd take off on his granddaughter(I should have)
*lol*
Mike

[Anonymous]

As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for". Unfortunately, with Amtrak, this is not true. You will pay through the nose, and still get mediocre service at best. And I am talking about so-called "first-class" fare. I think you need to include one more "class" to your list mentioned in your post. (commercial, personal, leisure.) "Amtrak class" will amount to something just less than "steerage class" on the old trans-atlantic liners.
A trip on the "City of New Orleans" in 1995 cemented this opinion in my mind. As so many Amtrak travellers have said in the past, "NEVER AGAIN!!!" I don't like to fly, the bus sucks, but I will never include Amtrak in any vacation plans after that ordeal.

Todd C.

[Anonymous]

Todd: >

I didn't begin traveling on Amtrak until June 1997. I'd been on the City, among other Amtrak trains, a few times since. I'd found the onboard service on all to be good or gooder. I always allowed for freight and other delays. My only legitimate complaint was in regard to the equipment, which is getting worse and, I suspect, barely safe.

And now, bad timekeeping is the rule instead of the exception. So, I won't ride Amtrak again until that gets back to within reason. It reminds me of an old joke.

A train squeals into the station and stops. A passenger rushes up to the conductor stepping off and exclaims, "Wow! I've ridden this train for many years and this is the first time it's ever been on time."

The conductor mumbles, "This is yesterday's train."

Bill in Texas

[RudyRockvilleMD]

There is another class, "Illegals" class. Several years ago I noticed a northbound Amtrak train leaving Oceanside CA with people (most likely "illegals) hanging on to the outside of the train. Earlier I noticed what looked like "illegals" hanging around the Oceanside Station waiting for a train. The reason for riding the outside of the train was the Border Patrol diverts the northbound traffic out of San Diego on Sundays through their checkpoint on I-5 between Oceanside and San Onofre.

I went into a restaurant, I told them what I saw, and I asked them to call the Highway Patrol to tip off the Border Patrol about the illegals coming north on the train, the Santa Fe, and Amtrak about the "illegals" hanging on the outside of the train.