Passenger Trains > "House GOP...force Amtrak to rethink...boarding process

http://www.vox.com/2014/9/11/6138123/amtrak-boarding-bill

Interesting, but this could cut both ways: there are those who think people should have to do through security to board trains.

Amtrak should do this without legislation... I never understood why they do things this way - never did it back when the railroads ran things, not a problem in Europe. Ridiculous!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Amtrak should do this without legislation... I
> never understood why they do things this way -
> never did it back when the railroads ran things,
>

You're wrong there--boarding on the NE Corridor hasn't changed since before WW II. The problem in Chicago is in large part related to breaking up the vast interior of Union Station to small areas that cause congestion; when it was one large open space, there was far less crowding, and even though people lined up for trains, they moved easier to the gates. That said, I will note that the inevitable specter of post-9/11 paranoia has licensed control freaks in a way never before.

Also remember that Europe used to have gate control, especially in the north, until the 1970s and still does in many places in the UK: I stood in a long line in Inverness just a few weeks ago. Moreover, the UK is putting up ticket barriers everywhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 06:34 by Ptolemy.

"Interesting, but this could cut both ways: there are those who think people should have to do through security to board trains."

I get absolutely no sense of greater security of these gate ushers eye-balling e-tickets for 2 seconds. Any idiot can photoshop one and get on, or get on at Newark or New Carrollton to avoid Kindergaten antics in NYP and DC.

Sounds Great, Amtrak has Platform Supervisors, Next will be Security Ticket Supervisors and on and on, may work in Big Cities, but how about somewhere in so many of the Amshack Depots ?

Amtrak at large stations does have quite a herd-control mentality going on. (as does America in general compared to Europe) Partly due to security concerns, but mostly gatekeepers getting their control freak on. Too, it's about protecting revenue, and especially along the NEC, keeping commuter coat-tailers off. Such reasons are why ticket barricades are appearing even at smallish stations in England, and heaven help you if you lose your ticket to get out, better have a fat wallet to pay the full fare and penalty.

If Al-Qaeda or whoever became focused on causing grief on trains, would anyone complain about present measures? Of course not; they'd complain things are too lax. One bomb on an Acela and it will be shoes off and laptops out for all eternity. Can't have it both ways, and travel will only get tighter as time goes by. The shadow of 9/11 will never fade in those respects.

This is gonna get interesting!

> Amtrak has Platform Supervisors, Next will be Security Ticket Supervisors and on and on

Ticket Police? How about the Shoelace Police? Aus and NZ don't have Shoelace Police. US bureaucrats running amok with a little bit of power . . .

>Amtrak at large stations does have quite a herd-control mentality going on. (as does America in general compared to Europe)

Wasn't quite like this BFA (BeFore Amtrakie).

>Partly due to security concerns, but mostly gatekeepers getting their control freak on.

You betcha! "Everyone knows the saying, which is true as well as witty, that a camel is a horse designed by a committee", and don't forget the element Administratium, symbol Ad. It has the highest atomic weight and density known and has the most stable isotopes of any element: 27 Neutrons adn 156 vice-Neutrons (among other component constituents s such as quarks which are seriously deficient in charm and flavor).

. It's the Lynndie England Symdrome on a grand scale.

< One bomb on an Acela and it will be shoes off and laptops out for all eternity. Can't have it both ways, and travel will only get tighter as time goes by. The shadow of 9/11 will never fade in those respects. >

Gate ushers are not sniffer dogs. They don't keep Al Qaeda off the trains, and they can very easily get an e-ticket. There are plenty of other entrances at NYP where one can board.

None of this crap goes on with commuter trains which can have triple the number of people on board as Acalea and a bomb do far more damage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 04:19 by joemvcnj.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> < One bomb on an Acela and it will be shoes off
> and laptops out for all eternity. Can't have it
> both ways, and travel will only get tighter as
> time goes by. The shadow of 9/11 will never fade
> in those respects. >
>
> Gate ushers are not sniffer dogs. They don't keep
> Al Qaeda off the trains, and they can very easily
> get an e-ticket. There are plenty of other
> entrances at NYP where one can board.
>
> None of this crap goes on with commuter trains
> which can have triple the number of people on
> board as Acalea and a bomb do far more damage.


This is why the terrorists have won.

WOOHOO! FREE RAILFANNING FOR ALL!

Tor in Eugene