Dream Trains

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed the special edition guys.

But in a way, it was saddening. Realizing just how far our society has gotten from true entrepreneurial spirit where companies actually tried to impress their customers with brilliance, instead of baffle them with BS.

Not JUST trains either. In this "value engineered" marvelous world of ours, "priority" seems to be in
how best to mask the products short comings until the box is opened at home, and to get any refund you have to send it, prepaid, halfway back around the world, to someone who will just laugh at you.

But, in a "living in the past" sort of way, the Dream trains edition did a very good job of reminding me just how badly we are getting screwed today.

[Anonymous]

Yea, dude. Enjoy your seat in a "horizon" coach, and make your way back to the "Am-dinnette", Enjoy an overpriced microwaved sandwitch, while looking at the scenery through scratched "Lexan" tinted windows. Don't forget to throw in the on board staff that treat you as an inconvience, and not a valued customer. These people seem to think that they have a gauranteed job for life. Well, guess what? If they drive all the passengers away, they WON'T have a job! I was subjected to a very hostile crew years ago on the "City of New Orleans". Granted, this run was during "Mardi-Gras" week, and the lounge car was heavily patronized, but upon entering the lounge car, us passengers were treated more like inductees at a Marine boot camp. Most of us took our refreshments back to our car, rather than be subjected to the wrath of the "staff". I'm all for equal opportunity, but when I pay good money for a trip that I think will be fun, then I am belittled by folks that are supposed to make my trip enjoyable, well, I think Amtrak needs to be a little more selective in their hiring. ( Don't go by race, go by qualifications). At the risk of sounding "racist", I will say that the "crew" in my case was all black females. No doubt a "quota" kind of thing. That's all fine and dandy, but when it affects the passengers well being, it isn't so good anymore.
This all happened in 1994, and it was the LAST long distance trip I took Amtrak.
I'm sure I'll get all kinds of flaming replies because of my remarks on the crew, but ask yourself honestly, when was the last time you rode Amtrak, and were really treated like a valued customer. This question is directed towards normal, basic fare passengers, not the folks who shell-out 3 or 4 times the basic fare for what Amtrak calls "First-Class" service. You folks should start a whole other topic on your gripes. I'm sure there are many.
Buford T. Justice.

[Anonymous]

I found the same kind of service on a Amtrak train trip to Denver (3 years ago) and also on a Amtrak to New York (2 years ago). NEVER AGAIN WILL I RIDE ON AMTRAK. I do not believe this to be a "race" thing just incompident management.

[Anonymous]

It has been my experience that employees will treat customers just about as well as they are treated themselves by management. Moreover, when bosses act with dedication and concern, so will their subordinates.

Amtrak is a lost cause - has been since its inception. The only bright spots are in the state run trains and in the volunteers that amtrak allows on some of its trains.

Amtrak should be broken up (in an orderly process) into several companies, perhaps state run, or at least in partnership with the states. Passenger trains would then be run by people who gave a hoot. The Federal Goverment only cares about airplanes and big trucks - and big construction.

[Anonymous]

What you said is true. I have heard some very good comments about the Amtrak trains that run between Chicago and Milwuakee. There are 4 and they are all State funded.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

If Amtrak bellys up, who is going to run the trains, and on what track? When the private railroad companies unloaded their passenger trains to Amtrak, the government made sure that they could use their tracks. Therefore if a state takes over a train after Amtrak bellys up, the state will have to get a new approval from the privates to use their tracks. In today's world, the privates will hold onto all of their slots, refusing all the states access.

As far as the crews are concerned, a state will find it difficult to pay as much as Amtrak. And since all of the Amtrak employees will cash in on their contracts for five full years, who will run the trains? It will take years to replace them.

Frankly, Amtrak has fallen behind on union wages over the past few years, and hiring private railroad employees will cost more than what the union pays. It is a catch 22 situation: whose tracks and whose employees will run the trains?

[Anonymous]

>> In today's world, the privates will hold onto all of their slots, refusing all the states access.
I'm not so sure *that* would go over all that well with the STATE board of Equalization. You know? the "property tax people"?

If EVER there was a "long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" it would have to be the FREIGHT railroads, with all those miles and miles, of track, and think for just a moment, what kind of debt service would you suppose BNSF as well as UP have on their brand spanking new monster yards in Illinois? Suppose that those yards suddenly ceased their productive contributions to the revenue stream? Think the banks are gonna say "Awe poor UPppp, we know you are getting shafted by those bloodsuckers out east, sp we've decided were gonna ride this one out with ya?

What ever Illinois wants,...it'll get. and so too will ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania....AND Arizona...Minnesota

I'll make a prediction that if it goes this route, you wil see passenger service restored post haste to both Phoenix Az and Ft Wayne In , both places that screamed bloody murder when the fed cut them from the route, but oddly enough, when the states started putting on the pressure, The Federal Highway administration of all people started forgetting to return important phone calls to the Governor...suppose their might have been some "undertow" at work?

I'm glad you posted this, it's the first time I've been forced to look at What might really happen. The States are really much more capable of getting the right attention focused on the right areas, than our Pathetic Yosemite Sam of a president could ever hope for. Besides ol W is too busy buying votes with a show of patriotic "cops n robbers....

Side issue, is there ANY doubt in your mind that the "school of outrage" that was directed against Trent Lott for a stupid, but NOT threatening remark...JUST MIGHTA had conservative White proponents of the North east corridor fueling the demands that he step down, and not the Liberals or the minoritys at his throat.

Lott is a big "National network or None" proponent...and that meeting is looming..

Oh yeah,...he walked into the "kill" zone, all by his stupid self, but I can Imagine McCain and a few others saying "Quick, before he can get back on his feet,...club him good!!