Passenger Trains > A Dome Riding Anecdote

With the Dome Car now available on the Adirondack for the fall....I wonder if anything similar happens?

I was in the Dome of the Park Car on VIA’s Ocean this summer and two railfans (obvious from one fellow's BNSF ball cap and pins and the other's camera gear and gadgets) had staked out the two front seats on either side. At lunch time they got up but left a backpack on the seat (probably empty or nothing of value in it) A few minutes later, a fellow arrives with a camera....waits a few minutes then takes a front seat...standing the backpack up against the bulkhead. Well you know what happens next. The two arrive back from lunch “you had no right to touch my personal property” and gets the Attendant who says seats are not reserved and open to everyone.....also backpacks shouldn’t be left unattended. After that they ate in shifts....telling anyone the other seat was occupied. Don’t know if they even went to bed as they were there early the next morning for the back-up move across the Quebec Bridge!

Railfans, maybe? Jerks, yes!

In 2001 I was on the Canadian and encountered and elderly German couple who did the same thing. Really pissed me off, but they played the no speak English routine, which worked until we changed crews somewhere and the new Park Car attendant spoke German. They would also take both windows seats at a table in the dining car, which led to the dining car staff politely but insistently make them sit next to each other. I'd have reported the left backpack as suspicious, gotten RCMP involved, really ruined their day. After all...see something say something.
Nick

you see the same thing in the big chairs in the pacific parlour car on the coast starlight.  people leave stuff to "hold their seat" while they go to eat in the diner.

I would have gotten the attendant to remove their stuff. Then sat there and wait for the reaction when they got back. When someone says a seat is being "held" the respons should be, "well I don't see anyone else" and then sit down.

Some railfans are simply socially dysfunctional.

I had a similiar, non railroad related experience last month.

I was at a casino in the Bahamas on a Sunday and of course the NFL season fully underway the place was very crowded with people from all over watching their home team on one of the large screens.  This was the reason I was there as well.   After standing for a bit and realizing I didnt want to stand for over 3 hours watching my game, I scanned the section where there were nice comfortable chairs.   I noticed several empty seats and asked the people next to them if they were available.  They all said that the seats were spoken for.   With that many empty chairs, I told the last gentleman that I asked that I was going to sit down and said they I would get up if his freind came back.   His freind never came back and I was able to enjoy the game in relative comfort.

Of the other empty seats I had inquired about, a couple of people did come back, but a couple of others did not return.

I was polite, and offered a reasonable response and was rewarded with a comfortable to chair to sit on. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Some railfans are simply socially dysfunctional.

I have noticed this many times on the Canadian. I think most people would say it is all right to save a seat while they go to the washroom, but for an absence of any length of time it is simply rude.  VIA has some very small signs either at the top of the stairs or at the front of the dome asking passengers to share the experience. This lack of etiquette is the equivalent of ship passengers hogging the deck chairs by leaving towels or books for most of the day.

Tell them "I can play that game"...
Unattended bag gets thrown outta the vestibule door. Just to be safe.
 

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Back in 2008 when in Ottawa station, there was a very long line leading to a train gate. But the line was not of people, but of suitcases. People were holding their place in line while they reconnoiter. I would never leave my bag more than 10' from me as I do not trust anyone, nor would I hesitate to cut into a people-less line.

As far as I am concerned, all those suitcases should have been confiscated.
I don't know if that is tolerate any longer.