July 11, 2007

Amtrak Fiasco 2007, Part IV

"The Bad"

By Stan Dyer

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like when people make plans, they tend to plan for best-case scenarios, easily cover the good aspects, and don't pay enough attention to what can go wrong. When taking a ride on Amtrak, many things can go wrong, and it will serve the rider well to prepare for any eventuality. When making those preparations, three bad aspects of Amtrak need extra consideration. Those three aspects are: 1) Questionable Reliability, 2) Incomplete Communication, 3) Sanitary Conditions.

Looking at a train schedule and planning a trip, it is natural to assume that a train will arrive and leave when the schedule says, or at least fit within a reasonable time frame. When it comes to Amtrak, it is not safe to make that assumption. Sure, planes, busses, and Americans tend to be late from time to time, but it should never become routine, and the amount of tardiness should never approach 10 hours in fair weather conditions. Amtrak has a recent tradition of tardiness that can ruin your trip.

This fact was uncovered from more experienced travelers while we all sat for hours waiting for a train. The information was not from one, lone disgruntled customer, but, rather, from a number of seasoned travelers who were aware of the "Rule of the Rails". They said that since the trains "share" the rails, the late trains have to pull over to let the on-time trains go by. The longer your train ride and the later it starts, the better the chances are for increased delays. Be sure you keep this in mind when you make your preparations in case you need to contact your destination to inform them of any change in plans. It is also a good idea to find out ahead of time what options you have and what penalties you will incur should you need to make changes on either end.

Right in line with reliability, is the second important consideration, Incomplete Communication. Amtrak knows what is going on, and they do inform passengers, but they only pass on as little information as they think passengers need to know. Sometimes, they flat out lie. We phoned, (as we were instructed to do), the day of our trip find out if our train was late. We were told it was three hours late, but they expected to make up the time. As I said before, I discovered it is almost impossible to make up time on a train. Amtrak knows that too. They also knew they were adjusting their schedules the day of our trip to perform routine maintenance, but they never said a word. In addition, our first train was so far behind by the time we arrived at the midpoint of our destination, we missed our next train by 10 hours. They told us we would be taken care of, but they didn't tell us how, and we had to find out on our own. It is so common for Amtrak to run behind, they just assume people know what to do. If you want to know what is going on and what to do, locate an experienced train traveler and watch for cues or ask him. That is your best source.

The final negative aspect needing advance consideration is Sanitary Conditions. The employees do a good job, but theirs is a difficult task. Trains put many people in a confined space with shared washrooms that move around corners without advance notice. It can be difficult enough just to walk, let alone take care of other needs. It would be helpful if gentlemen passengers would sit down all the time when using the facilities, but force of habit keeps that from the minds of most. When you ride the rails, you share your adventure with a variety of people and all levels of cleanliness. Adrian Monk would lose his mind on a train. Keep your mind and bring along some Clorox wipes.

There are other aspects I will leave for you to discover on your own. Preparing with these three will ease the pain of your adventure. Imagine how it must have been on the early trains. I tried to find some information on that, but no one is talking, and I have a good idea why. Nonetheless, if you don't rely on their reliability, understand more what they mean rather than just what they say, and you take a supply of Handi-Wipes, there is no reason at all not to enjoy a historic adventure on the train.