Passenger Trains > Stung By Amtrak's "State of Good Repair"

I'm working my way to Sacramento to meet up with a friend and we're going to explore Northern California and a little of Oregon for a little over a week. He's encountering some delays at ORD as his plane is being de-iced. I'm encountering a delay at Bakersfield because I missed my intended train that departs at noon. There were about forty minutes from when the bus from L.A. arrived to when the train for Stockton was due to depart. I was in the waiting room doing some reading and munching on a bag of chips. I made the mistake of relying on the big clock on the wall above the ticket counter to keep track of the time. No one told me the clock was displaying the wrong time.  The clock is forty-five minutes fast.  I was just looking at the minute hand.  Not the hour hand. 

This kind of stuff happens on a daily basis in places like Switzerland and Austria. Right?

So now I'm going to arrive in Sacramento about 3 hours and 35 minutes later than I had originally planned. With his flight delays maybe everything will balance out.

As soon as the Bullet Train is finished we won't have to do this goofy bus-to-train transfer at Bakersfield.  Problem is, I won't live long enough to see the completion of the Bullet Train.  For that matter, a baby born five minutes ago won't live long enough to see such a thing either.  



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/19 20:11 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

The storms and snow in the midwest are creating a cascade of misery across many states.  Shut-in airports, iced over interstates, maybe even some rail delays

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> was due to depart. I was in the waiting room
> doing some reading and munching on a bag of chips.
> I made the mistake of relying on the big clock on
> the wall above the ticket counter to keep track of
> the time. No one told me the clock was displaying
> the wrong time.  The clock is forty-five minutes
> fast.  I was just looking at the minute hand. 
> Not the hour hand. 

So are you saying there was no station announcement that the train would be departing, or are you saying you ignored the announcement?

That "goofy bus to train thing" has been going on since about 1938...My wife and I followed one of those buses into Mojave this morning and I used to watch Santa Fe buses meet the Golden Gate in Bakersfield in the '40s as a kid.
BTW, the GG was one of the first high speed trains in this country, going up to 110 between Bakersfield and Hanford.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Allow me to introduce you to tjis concept called a watch...might be a worthwhile consideration.

Posted from iPhone

Did you sale your railroad watch when you retired ?

And no PA annoucement was made in the Station ?

Should have been out watching trains and doing your munchies  on board the train.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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>.  The clock is forty-five minutes fast.

Then you should have been 45 minutes early, not delayed.

Don't your phone have a clock on it. You sound like one of those foamers I try to avoid.

Posted from Android

Okay, I guess I get it now. Since everyone is heavily into "transference", clocks at train stations, and the parties that display them, are under no obligation to make sure they convey accurate information. Like a modern art masterpiece, they're just there be admired and stimulate thought and conversation. Thanks for the update. 😒

Sounds to me like it is not Amtrak's "state of good repair" in question here.........a veteran train rider missed his train while seated in the waiting room?  I would have boarded when the train first opened for passengers.  

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

So everyone here is perfectly at peace with a clock at a train station that's displaying the wrong time?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/19 17:23 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

i'm not.  if trains are supposed to arrive/depart per a certain time, the station clock should be correct..........

66

The clock is a metaphor for the state of the entire State. 

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> So everyone here is perfectly at peace with a
> clock at a train station that's displaying the
> wrong time?

Nope, not at all. But neither is that an excuse for you missing your train.

jst3751 Wrote:

> Nope, not at all. But neither is that an excuse for you missing your train.

* * * * * *

I was relying on the clock. If it had displayed the correct time, I wouldn't have missed the train.

What's next? The coach I'm riding in has non-existent air conditioning and pundits here on TO respond with, "You're a veteran rider. You should have brought a battery-operated fan."

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> So everyone here is perfectly at peace with a
> clock at a train station that's displaying the
> wrong time?


Unacceptable, even in a 2nd world country.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> jst3751 Wrote:
>
> > Nope, not at all. But neither is that an excuse
> for you missing your train.
>
> * * * * * *
>
> I was relying on the clock. If it had displayed
> the correct time, I wouldn't have missed the
> train.
>
> What's next? The coach I'm riding in has
> non-existent air conditioning and pundits here on
> TO respond with, "You're a veteran rider. You
> should have brought a battery-operated fan."

Agent, Why not simply admit you messed up?  You are taking this to lengths way beyond silly.  If a veteran....you were a railroader, right?....train rider can't climb aboard one's train in a FORTY minute timeframe.....you may next be telling us you miss trains all the time, but it's always someone else's fault.  It's time to move on....this train left the station a long time ago.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Miles, this is sounding like a April 1  Fools Day.

Yes the clock should be correct, but you have more ways to know the time and the train is right outside your window.

As I ask bedore did you sell your railroad watch ?

Call the City of Bakersfield, as they are the ones that own and maintain the station.

Sounds like you just wanted to shake up the TO  troops.
 

Well it may not  be (thanks for that) "fake news".......but, then again, it was not news either........I think mundo was correct.......it more like a red herring.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

agentatascadero Wrote:
-------------------------------------------
> Agent, Why not simply admit you messed up?  You are taking this to lengths way beyond silly.  If a veteran....you were a railroader,
right?....train rider can't climb aboard one's train in a FORTY minute timeframe.....you may next be telling us you miss trains all the time, but it's always someone else's fault.  It's time to move on....this train left the station a long time ago.

* * * * * * *

True, it's not the end of the world and I was fortunate that I was on a route that has multiple departures per day. But I still feel it's important for a carrier to have accurate clocks on their property just like I feel they should display and offer schedules with accurate information. And even *that* is falling by the wayside now. Next thing you know, trains will be departing stations early when the crew thinks everyone who's traveling is aboard and they don't see anyone on the platform. The airlines are *already* doing this. Imagine running trains by timetable and train order authority and no one caring about the accuracy of station clocks.

So, what brand of battery-operated fan do *you* have? 😆

And, Ed, my Seiko railroad approved watch is now being worn by somebody in Italy as I left it on a Rome hotel nightstand, never to be seen again. A new one will be ordered shortly. I still haven't gotten used to using a smartphone as a watch. I'm glad that *some* people here agreed that my complaint has some validity . . .