On VIA conductors - there is no longer a “conductor” per se on VIA trains, but the customer-service (and control) role that the conductor played is still performed by an Onboard Service Manager. The train-movement role of the former conductor is performed by the In Charge Locomotive Engineer in the cab, usually the second man (both crew on VIA locomotives are qualified engineers).
The Service Manager and the ICLE cover everything that the conductor once did.
I average about one Amtrak trip every 3-4 years or so, therefore I don’t have many miles racked up and have not seen too many incedents. But the last trip I was on in 03’ there was a guy that did something really stupid. It was on the Starlight going from Klamath Falls,Or. to Vancouver,Wa. We stopped at Eugene for about 10 minuets and everybody was allowed to get off and smoke or whatever. After the stop we took off down the line and when we got up to about 25 MPH I heard someone on the scanner telling the head end to immediatley stop the train there was a rider hanging on to the outside of one of the cars. The train came to a stop and a few minuets later the conductor came into my car and escorted a very shaken up passenger to the seat behind me. He told the guy if he so much as moved from the seat he would be kicked off of the train, no ifs ands or buts about it. It turned out this clown went across the street to a store. The train started to leave before he returned so he decided he would rather grab on to the outside of the car then miss the train. This idiot was so annoying with his ranting that I had to move to anothr car. He’s lucky someone spotted him before he fell off at 60MPH.
When I came back from Belleville, the train made a stop at Oshawa before terminating in Toronto. They picked up a gas-bag. This guy in my car, continually was passing gas making as much noise as possible doing it and really fouling up the place. Finally people go fed up and started yelling at the guy and the conductor escorted him off the train at Toronto and into an office at Union Station. Don’t know what happened to him after that as I had to catch my connection to St.Catharines.
I can see that you have never driven your private automobile in Austin, TX. At least the boorish behaviors described in this thread don’t put other folks’ lives in danger, except for the lady with the fork, maybe. Wait until you have some fool cut across four lanes of heavy traffic to shoot up an exit ramp at the last minute. I could easily put up with some smoking in the restrooms, loud talking, etc. easier than some drunk aiming a 2500 pound projectile all over the road on which I am driving!
[:(!][V][banghead]
For years I’ve heard that The Cardinal is a great place for “smokin’ and tokin’” in the dining car, which apparently goes into some kind of “twilight mode” after its official closing hour.
Any truth to that rumor? I don’t necessarily condemn this, but I AM curious! [:I]
I should relate a story that occurred while I was riding one of Amtrak California’s Capitol Corridors from Emeryville to San Jose a few months ago. There were about four guys at a table in front of me just playing cards. They kept going up to the cafe car to get beers and they weren’t causing any problem. But after a while, one of them returned and was upset. The cafe car attendant would not sell him another beer. He said that “You’ve had enough already.” Well, this annoyed the four guys to no end. They said they had taken the train so they could drink and not have to drive. All four said they’d never ride Amtrak again.
I’m not sure if there is a policy that prohibits drink sales. In this case, the four guys were able to hold their liquor. On the Starlight, it was quite plain that many were not.
Since alcohol regulations depend on the jurisdiction in which the train is travelling, my hunch would be that California has some pretty strict “dram shop laws,” which forbid a barkeep’s giving an obviously inebriated passenger that “just one more.” Our guy had not only the ability to hold his liquor, but also no car to crash.
Nonetheless, if he committed most any kind of illegal grievance, started a fight, fell on someone, fell off the train, whatever, the road (Amtrak, I suppose) would be “deep pockets” liable because the guy selling beers is only acting as their agent. [:(]
Many years ago, the Southwest Chief was raided in Kansas and the bar shut down because the county thru which the train was passing was dry!!
I am one of the few remaining smokers, (I KNOW, I KNOW. No lectures, please.), and I used to spend some of my SuperLiner travel time in the smoking lounge. Some crews would not allow beverages of any kind in the lounge. On other trips, that sort of restriction was not enforced, sometimes “private stock” came out of the carry on and the conversations could get pretty loud. I can’t say that that I ever witnessed anybody getting out of hand, but I often thought it was close.
The prohibition against on-board smoking is NO KIDDING. It is grounds for being set off at the next stop, and I think that an Amtrak crew member that fails to enforce the rule may find himself set off at the unemployment line. I, for one, will not even think of trying to sneak a smoke on board. And, I am not likely to be more than a car length away from the door.
On my trip last November, a passenger boarded at Las Vegas, NM. When the AC came by, he showed her a stub for a LA to Kansas City ticket. Turns out he had dropped off at Albuquerque for a smoke. Thinking he had time to spare, went accross the street from the depot which gave him a better view of the train leaving town. Not wanting to wait a day, he hailed a cab and $100 bucks later caught the train again.[D)]
Jay
Almost caused a scene once…Traveling west on the Amtrack Zephyr, got to talking with some other passengers my age about the awfull food at the snack bar ( I was a student and couldnt afford the dining car prices ) we decided that when we arrived in Salt Lake City to call in an order for two large pizzas. We got in, found a pay phone, called, ordered, told them to deliver it to the front steps of Union Staion, they said “OK, we’ve done this before” got back onto the train and dam near started a riot from the other passengers who smelling the fresh pizza’s suddenly looked more like lions in the Coluseum eyeing some fresh Christians. Some were very visably and verbally upset we brought those delicious, steaming hot pizza’a back to our coach. Luckily we managed to get out of the car to the lounge car without being savaged by the rabid congregation but it was a bit scary, got eyed in the other cars too. Anyway long story short, good pizza, great memory.