Passenger Trains > Manchin Approp. Language to Ensure an Amtrak Agent in Each State

Anderson would do well not to bite the hand that feeds him any longer:

https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-secures-language-to-ensure-amtrak-ticket-agent-in-west-virginia

"“Amtrak has told me that most of their sales are now online, but West Virginians buy far more tickets at the Charleston station than most places around the country. That’s not surprising, as nearly 30% of West Virginia is without internet access, and mobile broadband access is also difficult in my state’s rugged, mountainous terrain, making online ticket sales difficult. "

Sometimes I cannot resist a joke...so what about Hawaii?
But in truth I think our society needs to slow down the rush to digitalization, while I get transit tickets and boarding passes on my cell phone I know people who cannot and they need cash transactions and phone lines and/or agents.
Remember dropping a token or a few coins into a fare box?

I, too, absolutely detest the mindless and cruel rush to automate just about every aspect of society, and to remove humans from jobs that can be automated, thus preventing almost everyone from being able to interact with other human beings,which is terrible. The dehumanizing of almost everything. That is just plain wrong, and must change ASAP.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Sometimes I cannot resist a joke...so what about
> Hawaii?
> But in truth I think our society needs to slow
> down the rush to digitalization, while I get
> transit tickets and boarding passes on my cell
> phone I know people who cannot and they need cash
> transactions and phone lines and/or agents.
> Remember dropping a token or a few coins into a
> fare box?


Europe has decided to leave those days behind. Transit systems there are moving to all cashless, airlines are charging fees for printing boarding passes at airports. My grandpa hates using cash and does everything online. However, I do support requiring Amtrak to have at least one agent in the states that they serve.

Automation is great and a necessity for a large number of Americans.

However, those US citizens who don't use smartphones or internet for whatever reason have a right to be properly accommodated by Amtrak. Remember, Amtrak's responsibility is to provide convenience and necessity.

Sad thing is, some people can't afford a smart phone, computer, and/or an internet connection. In some areas, it is simply not available.

It's sad most people don't see that!

Posted from Android

Ex127So Wrote:
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> Sad thing is, some people can't afford a smart
> phone, computer, and/or an internet connection.
> In some areas, it is simply not available.

There are many good reasons for stations serving smaller communities to be staffed, but lack of internet access is not one of them. People without computers or smart phones can use computers at public libraries. Moreover, long before the Internet use became widespread, Amtrak had unstaffed stations. I've used a few in Pennsylvania.

A stronger argument for having station staff is to provide assistance with baggage, boarding and stepping off trains, to maintain security and to provide information to passengers arriving in an unfamiliar location.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/18 03:41 by RuleG.

Ex127So Wrote:
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> Sad thing is, some people can't afford a smart
> phone, computer, and/or an internet connection.
> In some areas, it is simply not available.

The 800 number works very well in these cases. I grew up without computer and internet and that's how we did things.

And, in some places, it's STILL how you do things.

McDonald's has installed kiosks at many of its restaurants where customers now order electronically. This has resulted in the letting go of lots of employees who used to take your order face to face over the counter. This trend is rapidly taking over at other restaurants as companies look for ways to reduce costs and remain competitive. The "electronic age" is here and Americans need to get with the program.

> Remember, Amtrak's responsibility is to provide
> convenience and necessity.

Citation, please? I don't recall hearing this before.

This legislative idea to me is a good example of an uninformed party taking a narrow view of an issue that will likely backfire. Which of the many Idaho stations would receive an agent? Oh wait - there's only one, Sandpoint, with minimal ridership and awful departure times. Is funding being secured for this sinecure? I see no mention of that in the PR piece from Manchin. So what goes away to pay for this?

Maybe the good senator is a tireless advocate for structural improvements that benefit residents of his state - I don't know. If not, maybe he should focus on that instead of a bandaid like this.

yorknl Wrote:

> Maybe the good senator is a tireless advocate for
> structural improvements that benefit residents of
> his state - I don't know. If not, maybe he should
> focus on that instead of a bandaid like this.

Sandpoint,ID is not an issue since it has had no agent for many, many years.

The "Good Senator" wrote:
"Committee directs Amtrak to provide at least one station agent in every state where it operates that had at least one station agent in FY 2018, and reiterates its encouragement to improve public outreach prior to making customer service changes."

Manchin saw what happened to ridership at Huntington, WV when that agent was pulled and does not want that to happen again at Charleston. Huntington was even busier than Charleston. FY 2016 usage was 10,723; 2017 was 6,925, down 35%. Charleston, with an agent during both years, was static at 9,785 and 9,812. It should be clear that abolishing the agent was self-defeating. Any statistical regression analysis can prove that out and Amtrak doesn't know its market nor much care about revenue.

It won't help Havre and Shelby since Whitefish has an agent, unfortunately, but that is quite a ways west on US2, and over the Divide.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/18 07:02 by joemvcnj.

Alright...thanks...yes, I missed the detail about a state already having an agent as a precondition for the new requirement. Sandpoint example fails.

I still think this is unnecessary interference. If a senator is saying his state is uniquely unequipped to engage in normal commerce - even if that's unfair or otherwise unsavory - there are better ways to address that than adding another burden to an already-anemic Amtrak.

yorknl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Remember, Amtrak's responsibility is to provide
> > convenience and necessity.
>
> Citation, please? I don't recall hearing this
> before.

All railroads literally have an operating certificate from the STB citing "Public Convenience and Necessity" as the reason they are given the powers and privileges of being a railroad.

> This legislative idea to me is a good example of
> an uninformed party taking a narrow view of an
> issue that will likely backfire. Which of the
> many Idaho stations would receive an agent? Oh
> wait - there's only one, Sandpoint, with minimal
> ridership and awful departure times. Is funding
> being secured for this sinecure? I see no mention
> of that in the PR piece from Manchin. So what
> goes away to pay for this?

This is probably a $1 million per year line item.

seaboardc30-7 Wrote:
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> McDonald's has installed kiosks at many of its
> restaurants where customers now order
> electronically.


I may just try that feature the next time we go to McDonald's for a Breakfast Burrito, since I don't seem to be able to understand most of the employees behind the counter anyway.


This has resulted in the letting
> go of lots of employees who used to take your
> order face to face over the counter. This trend is
> rapidly taking over at other restaurants as
> companies look for ways to reduce costs and remain
> competitive. The "electronic age" is here and
> Americans need to get with the program.

If Machin got this through Congress, would our Topeka agent get his job back?

Right after Manchin's statement, Amtrak announced that the decision on Station manpower reductions would stand. Mr. Anderson shows he is not going to be intimidated by individual members of Congress. It will take collective action on the part of lawmakers.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yorknl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > Remember, Amtrak's responsibility is to
> provide
> > > convenience and necessity.
> >
> > Citation, please? I don't recall hearing this
> > before.
>
> All railroads literally have an operating
> certificate from the STB citing "Public
> Convenience and Necessity" as the reason they are
> given the powers and privileges of being a
> railroad.

If that was an enforceable provision then the railroads would still be in the passenger business.
>
> > This legislative idea to me is a good example
> of
> > an uninformed party taking a narrow view of an
> > issue that will likely backfire. Which of the
> > many Idaho stations would receive an agent? Oh
> > wait - there's only one, Sandpoint, with
> minimal
> > ridership and awful departure times. Is
> funding
> > being secured for this sinecure? I see no
> mention
> > of that in the PR piece from Manchin. So what
> > goes away to pay for this?
>
> This is probably a $1 million per year line item.

Some people can't afford to ride a train.

Also, while it would be good to have one agent in each state where Amtrak operates, it wouldn't do any good if the agent didn't pick up the phone. A better approach might be for each state to fund an Amtrak desk to assist its residents with Amtrak matters.

And, Mr. Manchin may well need a bill to save his job, as he, too, is on the chopping block for November.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/18 13:25 by reindeerflame.

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some people can't afford to ride a train.
>
> Also, while it would be good to have one agent in
> each state where Amtrak operates, it wouldn't do
> any good if the agent didn't pick up the phone. A
> better approach might be for each state to fund an
> Amtrak desk to assist its residents with Amtrak
> matters.
>
> And, Mr. Manchin may well need a bill to save his
> job, as he, too, is on the chopping block for
> November.

At what point does a politician go from facing a tough reelection to being on the "chopping block?"