Passenger Trains > Sold Out Part 2

I posted a piece here last Thursday evening stating that the next day's Texas Eagle showed 'sold-out' for coach seats on the Amtrak website.  The date was 6-26 and I rode that train from Chicago to Texas.  Seats were available south of Springfield.  No set-out St. Louis coach.   I walked the three coaches south of Joliet, the peak load point of the trip.  There were 20 empty seat pairs on this 'sold out' train.  After Illinois de-trainings, with lesser on-board additions, we left St. Louis with 68 coach passengers.  The crew reports slow but steady increases as the summer moves forward.  They shared that as few as one or two people were all some trips had in early April.

With 20 empty seat pairs at the peak point, I suggest that Amtrak needs to re-evaluate their 'for sale' inventory to sell what is available.  There were scores of Superliner cars in the Chicago yard, so additional cars can be added for trains doing well.  Seems also that Amtrak could market the option of private rooms and good ventilation as a choice for travellers over flying.  Amtrak just seems to settle for so much less with their long-distance trains.

Our train had seven cars.  One locomotive, Transition sleeper with five rooms sold, two off at STL, with one back on to go south.  Main sleeper, car two, had all deluxe rooms sold, and about two-thirds of the roomettes occupied with good on-off loadings as we moved south.  This car, as well as car 7, a coach, were through cars for the Sunset Limited.  We had a full diner staffed with an LSA server and a food specialist heating the TV diners.  Passengers could eat in their rooms or socially distance in the diner.  The lounge car was fresh, perhaps just out of Beach Grove.  Clean-tight weave carpets, clean upholstery, and new wheels with clean dressed running gear.  Nice car.  Lounge LSA was a delight, as were all OBS employees.  Coach-Bag and two handicap lower level coaches completed the consist.  The dining menu is an abbreviated version of the Flexible dining menu.  Even less stuff for breakfast.  No fruit, no muffins, and limited cereal offerings.  The breakfast sandwich was available.  In spite of the food, I enjoyed my trip and was thankful to get to go.

My northbound trip days before was also enjoyable, however the Diner LSA worked alone and would not let anyone eat in the diner.  Room service, or carrying your TV diner to the lounge care were your options.   Coach loadings varied between 30 and 70 as the trip progressed.  Sleeper had 4 of the 5 deluxe rooms sold, and 11 of the 13 available roomettes were used at least once.  No rooms sold in dorm-sleeper.  My trip was not a Sunset Limited connection day. 

Chicago Union station:  Main waiting room, "Great Hall" was closed and barricaded off.  All retain locations were also closed with three exceptions...McDonalds, a new Chick-Fil-a, and a new Jersey Mike's Subs were open on the second level.  Metropolitan Lounge was open, but no beverage or snack service.  Bar was also closed.  Homeless people, without masks hovered around the second level near the escalators soliciting handouts, with no police presence in sight.  Downtown Chicago was hauntingly quiet.  Lot's of boarded up doors and windows, with a few places open.

Does anyone look at the news? Covid-19 is on the rise all across the country at rates much higher than earlier in the year...WHY would we encourage anyone to travel or not maintain proper social distancing?

People are intelligent beings.  They will make their own decisions, and some of those decisions will be wrong.  But Legislative orders by government bureaucrats does not keep people at home.  

dispr Wrote:
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> Does anyone look at the news? Covid-19 is on the
> rise all across the country at rates much higher
> than earlier in the year...WHY would we encourage
> anyone to travel or not maintain proper social
> distancing?

So with all due respect are you suggesting that we not travel? 

MEKoch Wrote:
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But Legislative orders by
> government bureaucrats does not keep people at
> home.

State legislatures, not government bureaucrats, make "legislative" orders.  Don't know what's going on in your state, but here in Pennsylvania, the governor has been issuing the orders.  The orders seemed have resulted in flattening the curve for new coronavirus infections, until the latter part of June.  Now, the rate new infections has started to sharply increase in the western past of the state.   How things play out in the next few months remains to be seen.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/20 12:50 by RuleG.

regalstream1516 Wrote:
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 > We had a full diner
> staffed with an LSA server and a food specialist
> heating the TV diners.

I'm just curious whether they were wearing face masks and disposable gloves.

Gordon

dispr Wrote:
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> Does anyone look at the news?

The so-called news stopped becoming the news a long time ago.  Now, most of what you see on the main stream outlets (ABC, CBS & NBC) that they pass off as 'news' is an agenda driven broadcast.  Some of it is subltle, but in recent years, they have become very blatant at their disregard for fairly disseminating information to the American people.  Now, virtually every story is programmed to make you feel a certain way so that you will form opinions that support what they are trying to do to support their agenda.  

The LSA on #22 that would not let anyone eat in the diner did not wear a mask or covering, in the diner, or when she moved about the train.  Every other emplyee did wear and emphasize facial coverings and did a great job in personality, service, and safety.

gbmott Wrote:
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> I'm just curious whether they were wearing face
> masks and disposable gloves.
>
> Gordon

Personally, I think disposable gloves are overrated for non-medical situations. If possible, hand sanitizers are much more effective, especially if I can't find a place to wash my hands right away before I touch my face. FYI, it might be obvious to you, but the virus does not enter your body directly through your hands. I say it, because I've already seen "fake experts" give bad advices to others.

When your hand touches something, and the brain processes that as a potential threat, you immediately get an urge to do something (rub it away, wash it off). Gloves cover that up, and give people a false sense of security.

In my recent travels, I've seen people wear face shields, and this is separate from the face shield wearing employee I posted about last week. Better than a mask, but obviously more cumbersome to deal with. My point is that there are better solutions for people who are justifiably paranoid - they can make informed decisions on risk, if they decide to travel.

regalstream1516 Wrote:
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> The LSA on #22 that would not let anyone eat in
> the diner did not wear a mask or covering, in the
> diner, or when she moved about the train.  Every
> other emplyee did wear and emphasize facial
> coverings and did a great job in personality,
> service, and safety.

Thanks.  Does anyone know whether Amtrak has a set policy on this?

Gordon

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dispr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone look at the news?
>
> The so-called news stopped becoming the news a
> long time ago. 

Even "the news" will report useful information once in a while, but one has to use a very effective "anti-political" filter to yield something useful. You have to remember that some news outlets are trying to redeem themselves, and they are trying to regain credibility. You can laugh at their attempts, if you wish.

I was looking at one report on infections, but interestingly, some data was omitted. I found similar data from non-U.S. sources which implied our lockdown was overrated, but that's my conclusion, maybe a little too early. So that "omission" of data is what you're talking about, agenda-driven.

airlines are selling middle seats now
 

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dispr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone look at the news?
>
> The so-called news stopped becoming the news a
> long time ago.  Now, most of what you see on the
> main stream outlets (ABC, CBS & NBC) that they
> pass off as 'news' is an agenda driven
> broadcast.  Some of it is subltle, but in recent
> years, they have become very blatant at their
> disregard for fairly disseminating information to
> the American people.  Now, virtually every story
> is programmed to make you feel a certain way so
> that you will form opinions that support what they
> are trying to do to support their agenda.  

I do not watch ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX or any other commercial (cable or non-cable) network to get my news.  I'm curious as to what you mean this in the context of this thread.  Am I to infer that you believe that new coronavirus cases are not spiking in Flordia, Oklahoma and Texas?

When watching the liberal cable news programs now it is really amusing to see the commentators wearing face masks out in wide open spaces with no people seen a 100 yards to the rear or to either side.  WHY are those retarded goofballs wearing a mask???  It’s to make their very naïve, gullible viewers believe there is an extremely dangerous issue present and we must resort to serious measures or we will die, and they need to think about this when they go to the voting booth in November.    
 

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > dispr Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Does anyone look at the news?
> >
> > The so-called news stopped becoming the news a
> > long time ago.  Now, most of what you see on
> the
> > main stream outlets (ABC, CBS & NBC) that they
> > pass off as 'news' is an agenda driven
> > broadcast.  Some of it is subltle, but in
> recent
> > years, they have become very blatant at their
> > disregard for fairly disseminating information
> to
> > the American people.  Now, virtually every
> story
> > is programmed to make you feel a certain way so
> > that you will form opinions that support what
> they
> > are trying to do to support their agenda.  
>
> I do not watch ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX or any other
> commercial (cable or non-cable) network to get my
> news.  I'm curious as to what you mean this in
> the context of this thread.  Am I to infer that
> you believe that new coronavirus cases are not
> spiking in Flordia, Oklahoma and Texas?

So where do you get your news then?

seaboardc30-7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When watching the liberal cable news programs now
> it is really amusing to see the commentators
> wearing face masks out in wide open spaces with no
> people seen a 100 yards to the rear or to either
> side.  WHY are those retarded goofballs wearing a
> mask???  It’s to make their very naïve,
> gullible viewers believe there is an extremely
> dangerous issue present and we must resort to
> serious measures or we will die, and they need to
> think about this when they go to the voting booth
> in November.    

There is the matter of the nearby camera crew. 

OK...here we go. As an RN of 38 years, I can honestly say that wearing gloves in public is a WASTE OF TIME. Washing your hands or using hand sanitizer IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME. There is "cootie" everywhere. It will get on your gloves, you touch your face: BINGO. Infection. However, washing your hands and using hand sanitizer AFTER you have touched something that someone else has touched is a good idea, but don't get Sheldon Cooper Stupid with it. The most vulnerable people are the old, and those with "co-morbities": diabetes, renal failure, asthma, morbid obesity and the immune supressed. On the subject of MASKS: the ordinary mask or face covering DOES NOT protect you from Covid-19 but IT DOES protect others from microscopic droplets that YOU spew out. If you want REAL PROTECTION FROM OTHER PEOPLE you will need to wear an N-95 respirator mask that makes YOU BREATHE COMPLETELY FILTIRED AIR. Your face MUST BE COMPLETELY SHIELDED FOR THIS TO BE EFECTIVE. NO FACIAL HAIR. The N-95 mask BUT BE air tight to seal your face from the environment. Anyone else tell you otherwise is just breathing heavily in your face. A no-no. SOCIAL DISTANCING DOES HELP but IS NOT a cure all. For further information check the CDC website. Google is your friend.   ×   

How do you eat in the diner with a mask on?

You poke a hole in it.  Same thing if you want to smoke a cigar or joint.

Thanks for the info. on the food court at CUS.  I was kind of wondering about that.