Passenger Trains > Dan Rather thrown off Amtrak train?

I heard a rumor that Dan Rather, who was forced to retire from CBS News because of sloppy reporting, was thrown off an Amtrak train because he didn't have a reservation or the proper ticket. Anybody know anything?

What's the (train radio) frequency, Kenneth?

http://ask.yahoo.com/20010619.html


WP

The unsubstantiated rumor that I read is that Rather had a ticket for a Regional train and boarded an Acela Express.

Maybe it was a forged ticket.
;)

If it looks like a ticket...it must be a ticket.

In LA, a lot Mexicans jump on the subway and lite rail lines
without tkts...so?..

Maybe they thought he was a terrorist because he said something bad about Bush. Too bad he didn't pick one of the billions of other bad things that ARE true...

Is it possible that Rather's ticket was forged using fresh versions of MS-Vista and Word making it easy to spot because Amtrak still hand-writes tickets with quill pens and ink to please the ink-and-quill-pen buffs in Amtrak's eternally loyal constituency?

He don't need no stinkin ticket.

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> Is it possible that Rather's ticket was forged
> using fresh versions of MS-Vista and Word making
> it easy to spot because Amtrak still hand-writes
> tickets with quill pens and ink to please the
> ink-and-quill-pen buffs in Amtrak's eternally
> loyal constituency?



HUH?!? We use computers and printers designed to print information on special heat-contact paper which is ordered looking like a ticket with all the respective fields. The only hand-written tickets are group tickets or tickets issued when the Amtrak computer is down. I sure as heck ain't gonna hand-write 200+ tickets a day. That being said it could be forged on a Microsoft computer, but in the end it would end up costing more for the forgery then the ticket would cost, at least if you wanted it to not be obvious.

This conversation is confusing me.

Maybe they figured he was involved in some kind of expose' on lax security on Amtrak trains re supposed terror threat, so the security guys only did what was expected of them... - - - - JLH

Jaanfo is 100% right. The kind of paper, ink, etc. Amtrak uses is very expensive and would cost thousands to use. Even then, it may work on Unreserved trains, however on Long Distance trains it would be pretty obvious when your name is not on the manifest.

Furthermore, Agt-Highland is right about the folks here in L.A...happends everyday.

Anton

I find it Rather funny myself ;-)

If Jaafo is not going to write 200 book tickets a day, he would have never lasted with the railroads very long, back in the days prior to Amtrak.

While many shorter routes had card tickets, which were a snap to sell, and a many book tickets were issued at busy stations.

I remember in the 60's when Greyhound was on strike and the military was heavy travel on the coast, all military tickets had to be hand written. They did re price some card tickets, that we stampled Military.

Then too we had family plan fares and along with the rail tickets, had to have Pullman tickets also written.

Sure that Agent-Highland did more then his share of book tickets or even before that the strip coupon tickets.

I went to work for SP the day that they converted from strip to books, and by after noon I was teaching all the old heads on how to do it. Course they would have to have taught me on the strip tickets.

Agt-Highland Wrote:
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> In LA, a lot Mexicans jump on the subway and lite
> rail lines
> without tkts...so?..


Not just *MEXICANS* but other ethnic groups as well! Get it right!

Dan Rather has always had a somewhat elevated self-opinion... Sometime in the early 70's, I was a copilot on the old Eastern Airlines Shuttle from New York to Washington DC. Boarding was a first come first served line and it was customary for people to get to the gate and try to be first in line for the next hour's flight. Dan would travel alone and he often did that so he could sit in front and get off first. On this particular day, he was first in line and just before boarding, a large group of federal agents of some sort, all looking pretty scruffy jumped right to the head of the line, as they had boarding priority. Dan fumed all the way out to the airplane and started jawing at the captain about his being displaced. The captain listened politely, and told Dan he had two choices: Get off and take your chances on the next hour's flight, or sit down and enjoy the flight. By the time the conversation was over, Dan had to go all the way to the back of the airplane to find a seat. Everyone was pretty amused, including the other passengers. Misinformation this is NOT! Checked my logbook for my notation and sure enough, there it was. Unfortunately, this was not an uncommon occurance...for some bigwig to complain...happened all the time.

Like Ringling said "there's one born every day". If you believe any of this misinformation you truly are side show enthusiasts.

Millie47 Wrote:
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> Like Ringling said "there's one born every day".
> If you believe any of this misinformation you
> truly are side show enthusiasts.

Along the lines of wmd's and misunderinformed??????

;0)

Millie47 Wrote:
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> Like Ringling said "there's one born every day".
> If you believe any of this misinformation you
> truly are side show enthusiasts.

Do you mean the original post or the wierd responses?