Best example was a clearly drunk woman holding a cigarette while in observation car. Conductor told her there was no smoking on train. She looked him straight in the eye and lit the cigarette! He was immediately on the radio calling for police to meet the train at the next stop and she was escorted off the train at some tiny station in the middle of nowhere. Love, love, love Amtrak conductors. They don’t mess around.
Someone who does this isn't just incredibly rude and obviously breaking the law, but almost certainly has mental issues that could result in even worse behavior on the train.
When I overhear phone conversations I participate. When a guy lied to his wife about his location I corrected him. He wasn't happy. Everyone else was..
My wife and I took amtrak from chicago to NYC. We went in an handicapped accessible car. We kept it as neat as possible. We saw people doing many of the things you mentioned in this video. In the room next to us they had a speaker for their phone and played Loud music waking us up. They wouldn't listen to the attendant or me after i politely asked them to turn down the music. The conductor was told to foff so at the next stop he booted them from the train with the assistance of the amtrak police . The crew apologized to us for the inconvenience.
Wow that’s crazy. They were really rude and or just mental. It’s sad when ppl are kicked off far from their destination simply because they wouldn’t follow rules. So they paid to travel but are they kicked off AmTr for good ? or can they catch the next train? What’s next, especially if they don’t have any extra money?
Well they probably should have thought of that before they acted like a-holes. When the conductor or attendant gives you a warning, you better just do what they say or plan on brining your walking shoes if you can’t act right!
One thing I would like to add is something that just happened to us. We boarded a 14-hour-long ride at 12:30 a.m. so we were obviously sound asleep in coach at 5 a.m. when a family of three got on. They made absolutely no attempt to be quiet as they put away their luggage and got situated, talking loudly and acting as if it were mid-day.
I agree with your list. Amazing how rude, selfish, & entitled some people can be. On several occasions I have seen & heard groups traveling together make excessive noise and almost take over the entire car. I will never forget a family with a baby, child, & teen having nothing to keep the kids occupied. Of course it was a disaster.
I am so glad that you posted this video! Years ago I was on a northbound North East Corridor train to New York City, The lady sitting behind me had just attended a lunch at the White House in Washington, DC, that was hosted by Barbara Bush. All the way north she called friend after friend telling each one about it. I didn't begrudge her her experience but I wish I didn't have to listen to it told over and over again! I might add her voice was anything but discreet. By the time I got to Newark, NJ I seriously thought about getting off and taking PATH the rest of the way to Manhattan. I LOVE Grounded Life Travel! I have a dream that some day I will meet you both on my travels. Thanks so much...
Just completed a long trip & experience many of the things you mentioned, especially leaving the bathroom messy. Simply clean off the sink with paper towels before leaving. I wipe up floor with my foot using paper towels, pick up with paper towel & discard in trash.
I was on a local Amtrak going from NYC to Conn. It was like a 100 degrees out so naturally the train was stranded at least 4 times on the way… that was actually not the worst part. There were two young women in front of me and one of them talked loudly for the entire time. Now when I say the entire time I mean the ENTIRE time!! She NEVER shut up. I heard her whole “trainwreck” of a life non stop. Literally I learned that she was having an affair with one of their friends husband, friend had just had a baby too. I heard every excruciating detail of this drama!!! The girl next to her could only say the obligatory “uhh huh” or “omg” etc. Train was full so I was literally trapped!! I can’t believe I held it together and didn’t tell her to PLEASE just STFU for 5 minutes!!! I have never been so glad to get off of a train in my entire life!!!
Thank you for the video. It’s good to hear others mention these things. In June, I rode the train from Miami to NYC. An older gentleman sitting across the aisle from me spoke Lord knows how many times with some woman on his cell, and he did the speakerphone thing. Both spoke loudly. The conductor asked him twice - twice! - to stop it or risk being put off the train. He never stopped. At some point during the night, about 1 AM, I was awakened by some phone alarm going off. The alarm was music playing over and over, and at first, I figured whoever it was would tend to it. But it kept going and going. So, I stood up to try to identify where it was coming from, but I had a pretty good guess. It was the old guy, and when I stood up, he looked up at me and then turned off the alarm. I’m still wondering if he was awake and was just gonna let it go until somebody made him aware it was bothersome. I know all of this is minor, and I promise I did my best to distract myself and try to not let it annoy me. But, still, at one point I just wanted to grab his phone during one of his calls and beat him over the head with it. 😂
I recently had someone move from the seat next to me to my seat while I went to the dining car. She seemed so surprised when I asked for it back after I finished dining. 🙄
I too have noticed the issue with no ear buds/phone while on recent Amtrak trips. The phone conversations have gotten out of hand too. I know I don’t want to hear their music/podcasts/movies/conversations etc. On my last trip, a guy sitting in front of me started fixing his dinner. He pulled out a can opener and opened a can of salmon. Now I love salmon. But his dinner stunk up the whole car.
I remember you guys were on an Asian train and the people would step away to speak on the phone. I really liked that! Because I definitely do not want to hear any person's conversation.
In the early 2000's, we took the train from King's Cross to York, stipulating a quiet car with our ticket. Four young guys in suits just in front of us didn't get the memo. Actually, the memo all of these folks got seems to read, "You're Special! The rules don't apply to you." On another train - Heathrow Express into London, we were ticketed for a quiet car. The man across from us was already talking loudly when we entered. We considered moving. About the time, a lady conductor told the man to either go outside for his conversion or find another car. She left and he returned to his loud conversation. The conductor returned and invited him to either find another car or another means of travel (the Tube?) into London. He was pissed, but complied when he realized she was serious. People used to follow both the rules and good, considerate manners. Today, there are no rules for many.
I'm GUILTY! I slept in the Observation Car at night on the west-bound Sunset Limited coming into Tucson. In El Paso a new seatmate was assigned to me. This person, while nice, constantly SNORED and moved around when sleeping. Since I couldn't sleep in my seat, I moved to the Observation Car. However, I let the Car Attendant know what I was doing.
Wow, I'm thankful I can sleep through anything..... I'll be heading out that way soon here and I don't blame people for sleeping in the observation car because of that...... not everybody can sleep through everything
people that snore need to buy their own room as they ruin sleep for all around them. I stayed at a hostel with 7 other guests in one room. The eighth lady snored SO LOUD and would not accept responsibility or even apologize saying I should be able to put up with it if I am in a hostel. SHE was the person making loud noise ever other millisecond all night not the seven of us that slept quietly.
People complaining about their meals when the menus are readily available ahead of time. This lady expected to have her unique food needs met, and berated the server throughout the entire meal. Finally, someone (manager) had to ask them to leave the dining car.
Seriously, people like that just need to bring their own food on trips. Meals are included when you purchase a sleeping car room. But there is no personal chef onboard the train!
I just got done with an Amtrak trip... I am always amazed when, riding in Coach, people decide to take more than one seat...and then will put up a fight when you have to sit next to them (because the train is full). You paid for "a seat" and I paid for "a seat"...why the hell do YOU get TWO SEATS while I get none? But that's what happens all the time...some entitled person gets on the train, stretches out across both seats and then acts like they're asleep (or maybe even are asleep). Or they put their bags on that second seat and then glare at you if you try and sit there.
I love that you are giving very useful advice. However, I have to mention that recording other people riding the train is also a BIG no, no. No everybody wants to be in someone else's video, especially if that video is in TH-cam.
Good Morning, Thank you so much for commentary. I have been following you two since covid. I have traveled & lived all over the world (Military Brat). Thanks to your detailed posts about Amtrak, I took my first train ride by myself last year. I lived my best life in my roommate.
Amtrak pax behaving badly… smh. Thanks for doing a solid for the long suffering Amtrak crews who battle bad manners 24/7. I’m sure they have stories that would make you faint. If you wouldn’t do it in front of your grandma… don’t do it on Amtrak. Or Delta. Or Royal Caribbean. Or… you get the idea.
Add this to the list. Conductors should enforce the rule that at 10pm in the coaches it becomes quiet time. Two people having a conversation will irritate their neighbors who are trying to sleep. At 10pm a firm announcement should be made so everyone is aware of this point.
And this is why I saved up for an entire year to get a roomette round trip out west in January ❤Not knocking anyone who can only ride Coach but if you have no problem riding coach that's 😎
On another vlog, someone mentioned they sleep in the observation car while traveling in coach because they want to avoid the problems you mentioned: music played without headphones, loud phone talking (esp. at night), tuna sandwiches eaten, etc.
You guys always have so much fun in your travels and it shows in your reviews. Everything you listed is spot on. I'd add people who go to the lounge car and remove their shoes and plant their feet on the window.
On our trip on the California Zephyr our attendant was going up and down the sleeper car checking our roomettes trying to find who was smoking pot. Finally realized no one was smoking, however the smell was so pungent it was coming from their suitcase at the end of the car.
@@blueyedkansan in places where growing pot commercially is legal, you can smell it inside your car driving past on the highway. Although I suspect conductors know where they can smell it on the train.
While in coach at a window seat on the right, the rider at the window seat on the left fully brushed his teeth (super involved brushing...like he was about to go to the dentist) at his seat. He took breaks during that time to spit his toothpaste water into an empty water bottle. 10 min later (not joking) he was done. But wait....now he had to floss for about 10 minutes. I was new to Amtrak at the time so I didn't say anything. If this were to happen today.... I would most definitely point out to him where the bathroom is.
Sick behavior. I worked in a cubicle next to a woman who flossed her teeth at her desk and I saw debris fly my way. Thankfully, the director issued a directive that all personal hygiene was prohibited other than the restroom. The flosser was irate! SMH.
while i agree with most of your points i would just like to make a note about your quick judgement of people sleeping in the observation car: sometimes it’s not as simple as just “reclining and stretching out” or whatever in coach. at least twice i’ve had to resort to sleeping in the observation car. once because my seatmate was an awful person, to sit next to let alone try and sleep next to, regardless of how well the seat reclined. and the other one simply would not shut up (frankly both things that could go in this video lol) it was late both times and the observation car was mostly empty so i didn’t think i was bothering anyone attempting to get unbothered.
Thank you for putting this out there. One I can’t stand on any transport: Too much perfume or spraying perfume/air freshener!! People have allergies. It’s so rude.
I have followed you guys for several years, thank you for inspiring me to travel..On topic, unfortunately some people just don’t care and aren’t wired to care in that manner. Courtesy is a foreign word in their world..One of the reasons I always travel sleeper, at least you get some measure of normality..
I can personally attest to Amtrak Conductors not messing around. We did two long distance trips from Edmonds, WA to Florence, SC and the other to Champaign, IL. One person decided to ignore the no smoking rule and the other decided to fight with the conductor. Both were tossed from each respective train never to be heard from again on either trip. I love the way Amtrak Conductors handle their business.
Sadly, common sense/courtesy isn't all that common. With that said, I agree with your list. My number one pet peeve are those folks who use the bathroom but never clean up after themselves. If one uses the toilet and it fails to flush for whatever reason, let an Amtrak Attendant know asap. No one wants to clean up or even smell after your unsanitary mess. I was taught that by my parents from a young age, not sure why others were not taught that from their parents. I also agree that others should clean up after themselves at their seat.. 110%... Cleanliness is paramount Just wanted to add that my use of "your" was just in general :)
I absolutely agree with this.... keep the area squared away..... when I went on my most recent trip I had a bag full of snacks for the ride..... as soon as I was done with a snack the wrapper or bottle for my drink went right back into the bag so it didn't leave a mess for other people and when I got to the station I emptied out my trash .... not that hard to do and on my way back to my home station the conductor actually walked around with a bag to collect up trash before we hit the final station
No doubt this was a one-off, but I was on a train that struck a semi at a grade crossing. We were several hours late, but to the best of my knowledge, no one on the train was injured. However, one of the passengers was going around for hours, trying to get the other passengers to join him in filing a class-action lawsuit against Amtrak or some such thing. It certainly didn't make the situation less stressful! I guess the point here would be, just because you're upset (which we all were, to some extent), don't make everybody else's day worse.
One thing you did not mention was traveling when sick. Ten years ago, I took Amtrak to a major professional meeting where I was giving a presentation. Every seat on the train was taken. The person sitting next to me, in addition to having an oversized bag partially intruding into my legroom, coughed and sneezed for the entire three hour trip. I ended up with a bad cold three days later when I did my presentation. It could have been worse - think flu or now, COVID. Now I wear or at least carry an N95 mask when traveling.
sleeping in the lounge is sometimes unavoidable when coach is overbooked I got caught up in a situation where another passenger took my seat and refused to acknowledge the Conductor in the dead of night leaving me nowhere to sit. thankfully, a Roomette was available and I could upgrade, but this issue was a major snag and I did send in a survey about the trip and it's issues.
It's become the default position for many younger people these days that they can do whatever they like and no one can tell them otherwise or stop them, because while growing up (if you could call it that) they were constantly being told or led to understand that they were the center of the universe and were entitled to do what they liked and no one had the right to criticize them or tell them what to do and not do. I'm talking about people in their 20's, 30's and even beyond. The generational shift in such matters is stunning.
People have been getting worse and worse over the years. I blame poor or no parenting. Bring your kids up right, and they’ll be good adults. Poor parenting ends up with poor adults
Nightmare scenario: you leave peanut shells all over the floor of your room, next person after you has a really bad peanut allergy, their estate sues, Amtrak hands over your name in discovery, and now you're co-defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit. Keep your rooms tidy!
It has been a number of years since I took a train, but fairly regularly my car was forced to use the toilet of a neighboring car because someone had tried to flush a Tampon down the toilet. This was done even though regular announcements were made to not do it.
That used to happen to me when I lived in a downstairs apartment. The (very nice) woman upstairs would flush her tampons down the toilet, and my toilet would back up. It was finally discovered after several plumber calls, and it turned out she had no idea that the tampons could do that. After that, she quit doing it, and we had no more problems.
Wouldn't you just love to have the conductor announce, "If you're found to be listening to media without headphones, you will be discharged at the next station, with walking directions provided to the nearest audiologist"?
This is about that family who left the family bedroom such a mess. My husband and I travel often and we would not EVER leave a hotel room in such a mess! We always try to leave it as clean as possible, so I can't even imagine leaving a room on a train in a mess. There's really no difference, except one room has wheels and the other does not. We haven't gone anywhere by train yet. I'm still working on my husband to go somewhere by train. I LOVE this channel!
I dont have anything to add, but it is also important to note (for those who still fly), that a lot of these bad behaviors (obviously not all of them, but like the barefoot one, not listening to media without headphones, etc), can also apply to things you shouldn't do on a plane either, especially because it's bad ettiquette. I've seen so many blog posts and videos about air travel mention a lot of things on this list. That one time with the goldfish crumbs and whatever else they left that attendant in the room to clean up really sucks. If that was my room I would have at least tried making it look nice. Crumbs all over the floor... unacceptable.
On the California Zephyr we were coming down the stairs when a man called out,”coming up.” Since we were already on the stairs my husband called out,”coming down.” When we got down the man started cussing us out and threatening us.
In the sleeper cars, stay in your assigned room and do not go into an "empty" room to sleep for the night. We got on the train at 4:00am and had the two roomettes next to the family bedroom. The guy in the family bedroom "couldn't get his bed down" so he just moved into one of our rooms. My teens found him in their room when we got on the train in the wee hours of the morning and the attendant had to kick him out and quickly remake the room.
I have been very fortunate on trains, but on an airplane, I kept smelling a strong scent of garlic which I attributed to someone who ate a sausage or salami and kept passing gas. When we arrived and passengers were taking their bags from the overhead bins, one removed a gigantic paper bag which he told another passenger contained three dozen garlic bagels that he had bought in New York City because he could not get good bagels where he lived upstate.
People just need to learn to respect others and we wouldn't have these issues. No vaping on the train. Keep an eye on your children, we are not your babysitters nor do we want to clean up after them. Please watch your language, you are room mates with the passengers around you for the next couple of days so just be aware of that. The conductors are there to make it an enjoyable trip for everyone, please treat them with respect. Thank you! Such a great video!
I just traveled from Galesburg, Illinois to Houston, Texas, abd smoking in the bathroom was a big problem. I feel the conductors could announce certain rules or do's and dont's. I was not very happy with this trip. How about people singing or humming early in the morning and then spraying perfume at 5 in the morning.
All of the conductors do make no smoking announcements when leaving a large city like Chicago and St. Louis, but not when leaving every small town stop on the route. Surely the no smoking signs in the vestibules is sufficient?
Yes, we've seen many of these behaviors on the Auto train. Last trip was the drunk lady and the guy walking up and down the isle talking on his phone holding it as you described. So many annoying people! I have even wiped the sink down before i left the bathroom because of the water splashing.
I've definitely had the folks not using headphones and also messy coach bathrooms. I've never done a roomette but the next time I take a trip on a train, a roomette is the plan. I admit to spreading out sometimes when traveling alone in coach but whenever we made a stop, I made sure to gather up my stuff in case I ended up with a seatmate. But as you said, on the last few trips I've been on, the train was full for most of my ride. If you aren't in a hurry, train travel is so much more comfortable than flying.
It is good to be reminded about food smells. After I got Covid, my smeller is not as good but to be considerate of others now, I should think of this even though it does not bother me. Thanks.
Unfortunately there is now a narcissistic culture of self importance where some truly believe others need to hear what they are listening to, or their communications. The indignance from when you challenge them says it all
I was on the Empire Builder and I to almost always get roomette #2. A couple next to me was having adult time, and was very loud at it. You know how thin the walls are.
I just recently got back into riding the train and I have been fortunate enough to not really encounter any of these behaviors, but yup this would bother me if someone did this..... I have heard people talking on their phones, but not on speaker and I find myself sometimes giving commentary on their call.... well atleast the end I can hear, but I try and keep myself texting when on the train whether regular phone text or fb nessenger.... nobody needs to hear my private conversations
I ride the Surfliner quite a bit, and must say that the issues I’ve experienced are few. Ppl seem be reasonably quiet and to themselves. Occasionally you might hear a one-way phone convo, or otherwise just ppl chatting. Well, that’s to be expected.
When I rode from Boston to DC one Sunday morning - there was a pretty empty train - as approached NYC there was an announcement made that - anyone who had put stuff in a vacant seat to please remove it, because the Penn Station stop would fill the train. I was in the last car [business class] and we had already left the station when someone came down the aisle still looking for a seat - I had one of the last ones - they looked relieved when a seat available. This was in 2018.- I often wonder if they passed seats that were available but still had possessions on them I have mobility issues so I usually don't even try the fresh air breaks because I also seen all the smokers gathered around the door. Not e3ven worth the effort. I've also been moved to another roomette upon boarding - I wonder if the original assigned room was unable to be cleaned in time?? I was getting on in central Florida going to the Ft Lauderdale station, so chances are it was a pre-used roomette.
From the Japanese videos I have watched, their public spaces are all quieter than our libraries here, which I find strange. There are more problems now that Amtrak is more crowded because Amtrak is more crowded. However, this video poses some good points.
Coach is not the only class where you can't drink your own alcohol. It's also prohibited in Business and First class. Most day trains have "Quiet Cars" for those who don't wanna listen to people's phone conversations but you're still supposed to use earphones on the rest of the train.
Well if you are in Acela first class, then alcohol is included in the ticket price, and the attendants are VERY proactive with drink refills, so not an issue there!
It actually happened not long ago on A train. They had to call the medics and everything. The walking barefoot thing. Everyone should know it's not Rocket Science that you shouldn't walk barefoot between the cars.
It is not just don't drink alcohol in coach, it is don't get drunk in the sleeper. We got on the EB in Chicago. There was a couple inthe roomette oposit ours. They were very nice and very excited for their first train trip. They had a box of wine by their seat. That night we got back from dinner and the gal had gone for dinner. The guy was still in the room. We had our door shut but had not pulled the curatains. After a few minutes the guy came out of the room, opened our door and just stood their for 10 or 15 seconds. He started to stumble towards the dining car with one SOCK on and one SOCK off (no shoes at all). My wife found Conrado, our SCA. Conrado spent a good 2 minutes coaxing him back into his roomette. He then went and brought his partner back. Conrado, we think, did him a solid and did not tell the conductor until the next morning. They were doing a crew change and the young conductor came to our car. He said"We know about you. You are not to have one more drop iof alcohol on this train. If you do,you will be thrown off the train at the next stop." In their favor, when we got to Seattle, they tipped Conrado.
In June, I had someone who was assigned to sit next to me in Indianapolis very early in the morning. This person basically threw herself in the seat, pushed the seat back as hard as she could while yanking up the foot rest, released the table so it would fall as loudly as it could and then she threw her feet up on the table and went right to sleep. All this while I was trying to fall asleep myself (which didn't happen). Few hours later, she woke up, looked at me and asked about food. I pointed her back to the cafe car and she walked off, leaving her table up and foot rest up, trapping me in my seat. Person before this on the route got very drunk, was loudly Facetiming his friends and family, kept calling me Tiffany and nearly got kicked off the train after getting snarky with a conductor as they walked by. All that said, this won't stop me from taking the train again next year.
I've taken 5 train trips of varying lengths & haven't experienced anything like what they're describing. These 2 travel by train a lot. Save up for a roomette, if you can.
Regarding ringing the bell or using the call light….I dont think there is a way for attendants to acknowledge a call light without coming to a room, but until they do, there is no way for the person who called to know whether of not the attendant is aware of the call and will be coming eventually.
My mom taught us to leave the bathroom cleaner than when you entered it. If she caught us not leaving the bath room clean, we didn't get dessert that night. And don't forget to close the lid, that alone would cost us dessert...
Coach bathrooms have gotten really gross--Amtrak needs more personnel to deal exclusively with the bathrooms. The trash cans aren't big enough for the amount of paper towels that people do use, which may be why some people skip it. People, especially since the pandemic, have lost all sense of how you act in public vs. how you behave in your own home.
@Cat3rgrl while that may be true I think they hold them cold so they don't start stinking..... if you hold onto a tuna sandwich for so long without keeping it cold it will start to smell really bad
My daughter (when she was little) had a name for trashy people like you're talking about-- "pig-hogs". You said it right-- people are just selfish these days.
I also can't stand it when people be on their devices without headphones. Even on regular public transportation. I have seen people sleeping in the sightseer lounge many times. I think people take "lounge" too seriously. Another thing that people shouldn't do is smoke in the bathroom on the train. I did see, during the pandemic on the westbound Cardinal starting in Philadelphia, a passenger get put off the train for his mask not staying on his face. The conductor had 3 strikes rule for that. Strike 1 ask. Strike 2 tell. Strike 3 off at the next stop. For this passenger, he got put off in Charlottesville, VA. His actual stop was going to be Charleston, WV.
As an Amtrak fan, it is appalling to mention that lots of people, American and foreigner, have lost their right ways and taken on too many wrong things, thus ignoring to be thoughtful to other people. As for me, good old-fashioned manners still work fine.
@@vernonhowell4485 people in rooms can bring their stuff and consume it only in the room, people without rooms can still drink, they just can't bring their own
This is the only one on their list where I think there is some room for flexibility. Yes, technically I guess you aren't supposed to consume your own alcohol if you're in coach, but if you behave yourself and are discreet, you won't have any issues. For example, I would order a gin and tonic from the cafe car. The attendant will give you an entire can of tonic to go with the single mini of gin you purchased. So in that situation I would have a couple extra minis in my backpack so I could continue to enjoy the tonic. :-) I guarantee you won't encounter any problems with such a strategy. Again, the key is discretion and good behavior!
@@southpond I can feel you on this, but how many people do you know who bring their own stuff and don't overmix and start acting stupid..... it's just Amtrak's way of keeping the car safe because most people don't know their limit
Your first thing is what I experienced when I took the City of New Orleans riding in coach. Someone across the aisle was watching a movie or something, but I don’t remember a conductor ever saying anything to the person. The second time I rode the Crescent to Atlanta from New Orleans, the women across from me had illicit alcohol, which they shared, but it wasn’t in a bottle. Lol
I encountered lack of headphones while traveling in Europe in the airports and in the US airports. I purchased noise canceling headphones and I wear them most of the time in airports because I don’t want to hear your conversations or the videos..I cannot imagine that on an enclosed train..how awful
I’m in the middle of doing a loop, Cleveland- Texas Eagle to Coast Starlight to Empire Builder - back to Cleveland. In Seattle right now. I’m in a bedroom, but I’ve noticed walking through coach that some people get on absolutely reeking of weed.
I don't know if this happens/happened on Amtrak, but people trying to sneak a pet onto the train without a carrier (especially the sleeper cars!) Worse yet, there was an article about someone on public transportation who "rescued" a kitten, then killed it when told that he couldn't take the kitten with him!
I rode the Crescent in Coach from Philadelphia to Birmingham. A few weeks ago, it was a great experience until Washington DC. When somebody got on with the world's worth smelling pizza, and I had to tolerate it all the way to Greensboro, North Carolina.
It bothers me in the coach section when folks stick their feet in the aisle - either when they are sleeping or just sitting. Or they will take a sack or bag and put it next to their seat but in the aisle it's like - just step over it or their feet I need more room to spread out. Don't think of the other folks that need to walk the aisles.
Wow, how often does all this stuff happen? It would be such a bummer to be around smokers on the train. You should do a video about the best NON-smoking places to go in the world.
Sanity Rob, I thought it should be sanitation, I mean really, I get it they are kept as clean as the toilets can be but only at terminal points. I agree compeletely why would you not wear shoes when there is who knows what on the floor.
Best example was a clearly drunk woman holding a cigarette while in observation car. Conductor told her there was no smoking on train. She looked him straight in the eye and lit the cigarette! He was immediately on the radio calling for police to meet the train at the next stop and she was escorted off the train at some tiny station in the middle of nowhere. Love, love, love Amtrak conductors. They don’t mess around.
Awesome!
Someone who does this isn't just incredibly rude and obviously breaking the law, but almost certainly has mental issues that could result in even worse behavior on the train.
@@HabaneroTi Just sounds entitled to me!
😂😂😂😂😂
OH, WOW! LOL!
When I overhear phone conversations I participate. When a guy lied to his wife about his location I corrected him. He wasn't happy. Everyone else was..
Details please! 😀
Even better would have been if you added "Who is that, sweetie? Btw did you confirm the hotel reservation to make sure the room came with a Jacuzzi?".
A private conversation ain’t none of ur business
@@DJNX4995 It ain't private when all the parties are on speaker sharing with everyone around them.
@@DJNX4995 A PRIVATE conversation is not done on speaker phone!
I agree with you 💯.. What I have learned in my train travels that you have two types of people..
People with class and people with no class…
yeah, well, that's not just on the trains, honey! [snort]
My wife and I took amtrak from chicago to NYC. We went in an handicapped accessible car. We kept it as neat as possible. We saw people doing many of the things you mentioned in this video. In the room next to us they had a speaker for their phone and played Loud music waking us up. They wouldn't listen to the attendant or me after i politely asked them to turn down the music. The conductor was told to foff so at the next stop he booted them from the train with the assistance of the amtrak police . The crew apologized to us for the inconvenience.
@@7thsonofa7thson80 niiice!!!
That served them (the rude and selfish passengers) right.
@@captainkeyboard100723:30
Wow that’s crazy. They were really rude and or just mental. It’s sad when ppl are kicked off far from their destination simply because they wouldn’t follow rules. So they paid to travel but are they kicked off AmTr for good ? or can they catch the next train? What’s next, especially if they don’t have any extra money?
Well they probably should have thought of that before they acted like a-holes. When the conductor or attendant gives you a warning, you better just do what they say or plan on brining your walking shoes if you can’t act right!
One thing I would like to add is something that just happened to us. We boarded a 14-hour-long ride at 12:30 a.m. so we were obviously sound asleep in coach at 5 a.m. when a family of three got on. They made absolutely no attempt to be quiet as they put away their luggage and got situated, talking loudly and acting as if it were mid-day.
That's why I save up and get a room😊
EXACTLY!! Anything over 6 hours and I get a roomette… period!!!
I agree with your list. Amazing how rude, selfish, & entitled some people can be. On several occasions I have seen & heard groups traveling together make excessive noise and almost take over the entire car. I will never forget a family with a baby, child, & teen having nothing to keep the kids occupied. Of course it was a disaster.
I am so glad that you posted this video! Years ago I was on a northbound North East Corridor train to New York City, The lady sitting behind me had just attended a lunch at the White House in Washington, DC, that was hosted by Barbara Bush. All the way north she called friend after friend telling each one about it. I didn't begrudge her her experience but I wish I didn't have to listen to it told over and over again! I might add her voice was anything but discreet. By the time I got to Newark, NJ I seriously thought about getting off and taking PATH the rest of the way to Manhattan. I LOVE Grounded Life Travel! I have a dream that some day I will meet you both on my travels. Thanks so much...
Just completed a long trip & experience many of the things you mentioned, especially leaving the bathroom messy. Simply clean off the sink with paper towels before leaving. I wipe up floor with my foot using paper towels, pick up with paper towel & discard in trash.
That’s me too & I never travel without gloves or a miniature spray bottle of air freshener
I was on a local Amtrak going from NYC to Conn. It was like a 100 degrees out so naturally the train was stranded at least 4 times on the way… that was actually not the worst part. There were two young women in front of me and one of them talked loudly for the entire time. Now when I say the entire time I mean the ENTIRE time!! She NEVER shut up. I heard her whole “trainwreck” of a life non stop. Literally I learned that she was having an affair with one of their friends husband, friend had just had a baby too. I heard every excruciating detail of this drama!!! The girl next to her could only say the obligatory “uhh huh” or “omg” etc. Train was full so I was literally trapped!! I can’t believe I held it together and didn’t tell her to PLEASE just STFU for 5 minutes!!! I have never been so glad to get off of a train in my entire life!!!
I've heard reports of folks vaping in restrooms & sleeper car rooms. The conductors will announce smoking of any kind is prohibited in trains.
Thank you for the video. It’s good to hear others mention these things. In June, I rode the train from Miami to NYC. An older gentleman sitting across the aisle from me spoke Lord knows how many times with some woman on his cell, and he did the speakerphone thing. Both spoke loudly. The conductor asked him twice - twice! - to stop it or risk being put off the train. He never stopped.
At some point during the night, about 1 AM, I was awakened by some phone alarm going off. The alarm was music playing over and over, and at first, I figured whoever it was would tend to it. But it kept going and going. So, I stood up to try to identify where it was coming from, but I had a pretty good guess. It was the old guy, and when I stood up, he looked up at me and then turned off the alarm. I’m still wondering if he was awake and was just gonna let it go until somebody made him aware it was bothersome.
I know all of this is minor, and I promise I did my best to distract myself and try to not let it annoy me. But, still, at one point I just wanted to grab his phone during one of his calls and beat him over the head with it. 😂
The conductors should be able to throw their phones out the window, lol!
I recently had someone move from the seat next to me to my seat while I went to the dining car. She seemed so surprised when I asked for it back after I finished dining. 🙄
I too have noticed the issue with no ear buds/phone while on recent Amtrak trips. The phone conversations have gotten out of hand too. I know I don’t want to hear their music/podcasts/movies/conversations etc. On my last trip, a guy sitting in front of me started fixing his dinner. He pulled out a can opener and opened a can of salmon. Now I love salmon. But his dinner stunk up the whole car.
Also, besides the smell, some people are allergic to fish aerosols.
I remember you guys were on an Asian train and the people would step away to speak on the phone. I really liked that! Because I definitely do not want to hear any person's conversation.
In the early 2000's, we took the train from King's Cross to York, stipulating a quiet car with our ticket. Four young guys in suits just in front of us didn't get the memo. Actually, the memo all of these folks got seems to read, "You're Special! The rules don't apply to you." On another train - Heathrow Express into London, we were ticketed for a quiet car. The man across from us was already talking loudly when we entered. We considered moving. About the time, a lady conductor told the man to either go outside for his conversion or find another car. She left and he returned to his loud conversation. The conductor returned and invited him to either find another car or another means of travel (the Tube?) into London. He was pissed, but complied when he realized she was serious. People used to follow both the rules and good, considerate manners. Today, there are no rules for many.
I'm GUILTY! I slept in the Observation Car at night on the west-bound Sunset Limited coming into Tucson. In El Paso a new seatmate was assigned to me. This person, while nice, constantly SNORED and moved around when sleeping. Since I couldn't sleep in my seat, I moved to the Observation Car. However, I let the Car Attendant know what I was doing.
Wow, I'm thankful I can sleep through anything..... I'll be heading out that way soon here and I don't blame people for sleeping in the observation car because of that...... not everybody can sleep through everything
people that snore need to buy their own room as they ruin sleep for all around them. I stayed at a hostel with 7 other guests in one room. The eighth lady snored SO LOUD and would not accept responsibility or even apologize saying I should be able to put up with it if I am in a hostel. SHE was the person making loud noise ever other millisecond all night not the seven of us that slept quietly.
I had the same problem on the Auto Train.
I rode the Sunset Limited in July. Everyone was on their best behavior.
People complaining about their meals when the menus are readily available ahead of time. This lady expected to have her unique food needs met, and berated the server throughout the entire meal. Finally, someone (manager) had to ask them to leave the dining car.
Seriously, people like that just need to bring their own food on trips. Meals are included when you purchase a sleeping car room. But there is no personal chef onboard the train!
And that my friend is how you get your food spit on before it is served to you.
I just got done with an Amtrak trip... I am always amazed when, riding in Coach, people decide to take more than one seat...and then will put up a fight when you have to sit next to them (because the train is full). You paid for "a seat" and I paid for "a seat"...why the hell do YOU get TWO SEATS while I get none? But that's what happens all the time...some entitled person gets on the train, stretches out across both seats and then acts like they're asleep (or maybe even are asleep). Or they put their bags on that second seat and then glare at you if you try and sit there.
I love that you are giving very useful advice. However, I have to mention that recording other people riding the train is also a BIG no, no. No everybody wants to be in someone else's video, especially if that video is in TH-cam.
Good Morning,
Thank you so much for commentary.
I have been following you two since covid.
I have traveled & lived all over the world (Military Brat).
Thanks to your detailed posts about Amtrak, I took my first train ride by myself last year.
I lived my best life in my roommate.
Amtrak pax behaving badly… smh. Thanks for doing a solid for the long suffering Amtrak crews who battle bad manners 24/7. I’m sure they have stories that would make you faint.
If you wouldn’t do it in front of your grandma… don’t do it on Amtrak. Or Delta. Or Royal Caribbean. Or… you get the idea.
Add this to the list. Conductors should enforce the rule that at 10pm in the coaches it becomes quiet time. Two people having a conversation will irritate their neighbors who are trying to sleep. At 10pm a firm announcement should be made so everyone is aware of this point.
And this is why I saved up for an entire year to get a roomette round trip out west in January ❤Not knocking anyone who can only ride Coach but if you have no problem riding coach that's 😎
On another vlog, someone mentioned they sleep in the observation car while traveling in coach because they want to avoid the problems you mentioned: music played without headphones, loud phone talking (esp. at night), tuna sandwiches eaten, etc.
If they don't like coach, did they know of the other option available to them? I think it's called sleeper.
@@guydreamr Perhaps they couldn't afford a sleeper car.
You guys always have so much fun in your travels and it shows in your reviews. Everything you listed is spot on. I'd add people who go to the lounge car and remove their shoes and plant their feet on the window.
On our trip on the California Zephyr our attendant was going up and down the sleeper car checking our roomettes trying to find who was smoking pot. Finally realized no one was smoking, however the smell was so pungent it was coming from their suitcase at the end of the car.
@@blueyedkansan in places where growing pot commercially is legal, you can smell it inside your car driving past on the highway. Although I suspect conductors know where they can smell it on the train.
While in coach at a window seat on the right, the rider at the window seat on the left fully brushed his teeth (super involved brushing...like he was about to go to the dentist) at his seat. He took breaks during that time to spit his toothpaste water into an empty water bottle.
10 min later (not joking) he was done.
But wait....now he had to floss for about 10 minutes.
I was new to Amtrak at the time so I didn't say anything.
If this were to happen today.... I would most definitely point out to him where the bathroom is.
I would have vomited.
Sick behavior. I worked in a cubicle next to a woman who flossed her teeth at her desk and I saw debris fly my way. Thankfully, the director issued a directive that all personal hygiene was prohibited other than the restroom. The flosser was irate! SMH.
while i agree with most of your points i would just like to make a note about your quick judgement of people sleeping in the observation car: sometimes it’s not as simple as just “reclining and stretching out” or whatever in coach. at least twice i’ve had to resort to sleeping in the observation car. once because my seatmate was an awful person, to sit next to let alone try and sleep next to, regardless of how well the seat reclined. and the other one simply would not shut up (frankly both things that could go in this video lol) it was late both times and the observation car was mostly empty so i didn’t think i was bothering anyone attempting to get unbothered.
Thank you for putting this out there. One I can’t stand on any transport: Too much perfume or spraying perfume/air freshener!! People have allergies. It’s so rude.
I have followed you guys for several years, thank you for inspiring me to travel..On topic, unfortunately some people just don’t care and aren’t wired to care in that manner. Courtesy is a foreign word in their world..One of the reasons I always travel sleeper, at least you get some measure of normality..
I used to commute from Philly to NY. I would request the quiet train where you couldn’t talk since my boss felt that was catch up time
I can personally attest to Amtrak Conductors not messing around. We did two long distance trips from Edmonds, WA to Florence, SC and the other to Champaign, IL. One person decided to ignore the no smoking rule and the other decided to fight with the conductor. Both were tossed from each respective train never to be heard from again on either trip. I love the way Amtrak Conductors handle their business.
Sadly, common sense/courtesy isn't all that common. With that said, I agree with your list. My number one pet peeve are those folks who use the bathroom but never clean up after themselves. If one uses the toilet and it fails to flush for whatever reason, let an Amtrak Attendant know asap. No one wants to clean up or even smell after your unsanitary mess. I was taught that by my parents from a young age, not sure why others were not taught that from their parents.
I also agree that others should clean up after themselves at their seat.. 110%... Cleanliness is paramount
Just wanted to add that my use of "your" was just in general :)
I absolutely agree with this.... keep the area squared away..... when I went on my most recent trip I had a bag full of snacks for the ride..... as soon as I was done with a snack the wrapper or bottle for my drink went right back into the bag so it didn't leave a mess for other people and when I got to the station I emptied out my trash .... not that hard to do and on my way back to my home station the conductor actually walked around with a bag to collect up trash before we hit the final station
No doubt this was a one-off, but I was on a train that struck a semi at a grade crossing. We were several hours late, but to the best of my knowledge, no one on the train was injured. However, one of the passengers was going around for hours, trying to get the other passengers to join him in filing a class-action lawsuit against Amtrak or some such thing. It certainly didn't make the situation less stressful! I guess the point here would be, just because you're upset (which we all were, to some extent), don't make everybody else's day worse.
That’s why I only ride coach 4 short distances. If overnight I always get a roomette
A sleeper is a must for overnight train travel. I can't imagine a noisy CPAP machine being used in coach...
@@ronclark9724Cpap's have hardly any sound! The train noise would be way louder than a Cpap! Snoring would be far worse and louder.
If the ridership on Amtrack is going up, it's because of your videos. Good job!!
No c in Amtrak
The loud talking on the phone, speaker phone usage, and loud music/TV usage are my pet peeves. Good luck
One thing you did not mention was traveling when sick. Ten years ago, I took Amtrak to a major professional meeting where I was giving a presentation. Every seat on the train was taken. The person sitting next to me, in addition to having an oversized bag partially intruding into my legroom, coughed and sneezed for the entire three hour trip. I ended up with a bad cold three days later when I did my presentation. It could have been worse - think flu or now, COVID. Now I wear or at least carry an N95 mask when traveling.
I had a similar experience on a plane. Person next to me was coughing and sneezing all the way. Two days later, I was sick with Covid.
sleeping in the lounge is sometimes unavoidable when coach is overbooked
I got caught up in a situation where another passenger took my seat and refused to acknowledge the Conductor in the dead of night leaving me nowhere to sit.
thankfully, a Roomette was available and I could upgrade, but this issue was a major snag and I did send in a survey about the trip and it's issues.
I prepping for my first Amtrak ride by watching your videos. I'm taking the Coast Starlight roundtrip SNS-PDX in a roomette. This is very helpful.
It's become the default position for many younger people these days that they can do whatever they like and no one can tell them otherwise or stop them, because while growing up (if you could call it that) they were constantly being told or led to understand that they were the center of the universe and were entitled to do what they liked and no one had the right to criticize them or tell them what to do and not do. I'm talking about people in their 20's, 30's and even beyond. The generational shift in such matters is stunning.
@@HabaneroTi Bad behavior is not limited to younger people. Often the offenders are people well into “adulthood “
I just want to say I'm 23 we aren't all like that
People have been getting worse and worse over the years. I blame poor or no parenting. Bring your kids up right, and they’ll be good adults. Poor parenting ends up with poor adults
so True!
Agreed! 👏😊
Bull. Some people, in spite of great parents, become predators and prevaricators. Others who had zero advantages become great people.
@@notconvincedgranny6573This is true but it’s amazing how far personal conduct/courtesy to others has fallen.
Some people REALLY have no home training. Smh......
Nightmare scenario: you leave peanut shells all over the floor of your room, next person after you has a really bad peanut allergy, their estate sues, Amtrak hands over your name in discovery, and now you're co-defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Keep your rooms tidy!
In the sleeper cars, try not to stand in front of a room and talk. Go to your room or the some place else to talk.
I SOOO agree with you, re: (lack of) manners and common courtesy is public/semi-public areas!
It has been a number of years since I took a train, but fairly regularly my car was forced to use the toilet of a neighboring car because someone had tried to flush a Tampon
down the toilet. This was done even though regular announcements were made to not do it.
That used to happen to me when I lived in a downstairs apartment. The (very nice) woman upstairs would flush her tampons down the toilet, and my toilet would back up. It was finally discovered after several plumber calls, and it turned out she had no idea that the tampons could do that. After that, she quit doing it, and we had no more problems.
Wouldn't you just love to have the conductor announce, "If you're found to be listening to media without headphones, you will be discharged at the next station, with walking directions provided to the nearest audiologist"?
This is about that family who left the family bedroom such a mess. My husband and I travel often and we would not EVER leave a hotel room in such a mess! We always try to leave it as clean as possible, so I can't even imagine leaving a room on a train in a mess. There's really no difference, except one room has wheels and the other does not. We haven't gone anywhere by train yet. I'm still working on my husband to go somewhere by train. I LOVE this channel!
Some folks are simply "uncouth", period... 🙄 So sorry you both had to experience those situations. 🙏😊
I dont have anything to add, but it is also important to note (for those who still fly), that a lot of these bad behaviors (obviously not all of them, but like the barefoot one, not listening to media without headphones, etc), can also apply to things you shouldn't do on a plane either, especially because it's bad ettiquette. I've seen so many blog posts and videos about air travel mention a lot of things on this list.
That one time with the goldfish crumbs and whatever else they left that attendant in the room to clean up really sucks. If that was my room I would have at least tried making it look nice. Crumbs all over the floor... unacceptable.
Omg plane travel is the WORST anymore!!!! For some reason all common sense leaves some folks the minute they get on a plane.
@@wendyhanberg8733 right?? i wish i could actually get a full 2 weeks vacation sometimes so i could do amtrak trips. those seem nicer these days.
On the California Zephyr we were coming down the stairs when a man called out,”coming up.” Since we were already on the stairs my husband called out,”coming down.” When we got down the man started cussing us out and threatening us.
In the sleeper cars, stay in your assigned room and do not go into an "empty" room to sleep for the night.
We got on the train at 4:00am and had the two roomettes next to the family bedroom. The guy in the family bedroom "couldn't get his bed down" so he just moved into one of our rooms. My teens found him in their room when we got on the train in the wee hours of the morning and the attendant had to kick him out and quickly remake the room.
There's just no accounting for inconsiderate people. I run out patience real fast when I encounter these type of people.
I have been very fortunate on trains, but on an airplane, I kept smelling a strong scent of garlic which I attributed to someone who ate a sausage or salami and kept passing gas. When we arrived and passengers were taking their bags from the overhead bins, one removed a gigantic paper bag which he told another passenger contained three dozen garlic bagels that he had bought in New York City because he could not get good bagels where he lived upstate.
People just need to learn to respect others and we wouldn't have these issues. No vaping on the train. Keep an eye on your children, we are not your babysitters nor do we want to clean up after them. Please watch your language, you are room mates with the passengers around you for the next couple of days so just be aware of that. The conductors are there to make it an enjoyable trip for everyone, please treat them with respect. Thank you! Such a great video!
I just traveled from Galesburg, Illinois to Houston, Texas, abd smoking in the bathroom was a big problem. I feel the conductors could announce certain rules or do's and dont's. I was not very happy with this trip. How about people singing or humming early in the morning and then spraying perfume at 5 in the morning.
All of the conductors do make no smoking announcements when leaving a large city like Chicago and St. Louis, but not when leaving every small town stop on the route. Surely the no smoking signs in the vestibules is sufficient?
Many passengers on my plane walk barefoot and use the bathroom. Amtrak bathrooms are cleaner than airplane bathrooms.
Yes, we've seen many of these behaviors on the Auto train. Last trip was the drunk lady and the guy walking up and down the isle talking on his phone holding it as you described. So many annoying people! I have even wiped the sink down before i left the bathroom because of the water splashing.
It's incredible just how uncommon is common courtesy.
I think most people have common courtesy. It's just that one or two or four can ruin it for an entire train car.
Yowzer! Reminds me of my cross-country Greyhound trips in the 1980s!
I've definitely had the folks not using headphones and also messy coach bathrooms. I've never done a roomette but the next time I take a trip on a train, a roomette is the plan. I admit to spreading out sometimes when traveling alone in coach but whenever we made a stop, I made sure to gather up my stuff in case I ended up with a seatmate. But as you said, on the last few trips I've been on, the train was full for most of my ride. If you aren't in a hurry, train travel is so much more comfortable than flying.
_If you aren't in a hurry, train travel is so much more comfortable than flying._
Check.
Perfumes and air fresheners. It may seem like a good idea to add a nice scent to your room but one train car with several different scents?
It is good to be reminded about food smells. After I got Covid, my smeller is not as good but to be considerate of others now, I should think of this even though it does not bother me. Thanks.
Unfortunately there is now a narcissistic culture of self importance where some truly believe others need to hear what they are listening to, or their communications. The indignance from when you challenge them says it all
I was on the Empire Builder and I to almost always get roomette #2. A couple next to me was having adult time, and was very loud at it. You know how thin the walls are.
@@michealcain5355 😳
Did you provide commentary..... that might have clued them in to the fact they could be heard through the walls
I just recently got back into riding the train and I have been fortunate enough to not really encounter any of these behaviors, but yup this would bother me if someone did this..... I have heard people talking on their phones, but not on speaker and I find myself sometimes giving commentary on their call.... well atleast the end I can hear, but I try and keep myself texting when on the train whether regular phone text or fb nessenger.... nobody needs to hear my private conversations
I ride the Surfliner quite a bit, and must say that the issues I’ve experienced are few. Ppl seem be reasonably quiet and to themselves. Occasionally you might hear a one-way phone convo, or otherwise just ppl chatting. Well, that’s to be expected.
When I rode from Boston to DC one Sunday morning - there was a pretty empty train - as approached NYC there was an announcement made that - anyone who had put stuff in a vacant seat to please remove it, because the Penn Station stop would fill the train. I was in the last car [business class] and we had already left the station when someone came down the aisle still looking for a seat - I had one of the last ones - they looked relieved when a seat available. This was in 2018.- I often wonder if they passed seats that were available but still had possessions on them
I have mobility issues so I usually don't even try the fresh air breaks because I also seen all the smokers gathered around the door. Not e3ven worth the effort. I've also been moved to another roomette upon boarding - I wonder if the original assigned room was unable to be cleaned in time?? I was getting on in central Florida going to the Ft Lauderdale station, so chances are it was a pre-used roomette.
From the Japanese videos I have watched, their public spaces are all quieter than our libraries here, which I find strange. There are more problems now that Amtrak is more crowded because Amtrak is more crowded. However, this video poses some good points.
People bail to sleep in the lounge because mostly they get stuck with total jerks near them. Happens a lot be warned, so the lounge is an escape.
People who walk through the train during the Moffat Tunnel. You are told several times not to do it. But someone will.
Coach is not the only class where you can't drink your own alcohol. It's also prohibited in Business and First class. Most day trains have "Quiet Cars" for those who don't wanna listen to people's phone conversations but you're still supposed to use earphones on the rest of the train.
Well if you are in Acela first class, then alcohol is included in the ticket price, and the attendants are VERY proactive with drink refills, so not an issue there!
It actually happened not long ago on A train. They had to call the medics and everything. The walking barefoot thing. Everyone should know it's not Rocket Science that you shouldn't walk barefoot between the cars.
People sleeping in coach with their legs hanging out in the aisle. Extremely aggravating.
It is not just don't drink alcohol in coach, it is don't get drunk in the sleeper. We got on the EB in Chicago. There was a couple inthe roomette oposit ours. They were very nice and very excited for their first train trip. They had a box of wine by their seat. That night we got back from dinner and the gal had gone for dinner. The guy was still in the room. We had our door shut but had not pulled the curatains. After a few minutes the guy came out of the room, opened our door and just stood their for 10 or 15 seconds. He started to stumble towards the dining car with one SOCK on and one SOCK off (no shoes at all). My wife found Conrado, our SCA. Conrado spent a good 2 minutes coaxing him back into his roomette. He then went and brought his partner back.
Conrado, we think, did him a solid and did not tell the conductor until the next morning. They were doing a crew change and the young conductor came to our car. He said"We know about you. You are not to have one more drop iof alcohol on this train. If you do,you will be thrown off the train at the next stop."
In their favor, when we got to Seattle, they tipped Conrado.
In June, I had someone who was assigned to sit next to me in Indianapolis very early in the morning. This person basically threw herself in the seat, pushed the seat back as hard as she could while yanking up the foot rest, released the table so it would fall as loudly as it could and then she threw her feet up on the table and went right to sleep. All this while I was trying to fall asleep myself (which didn't happen). Few hours later, she woke up, looked at me and asked about food. I pointed her back to the cafe car and she walked off, leaving her table up and foot rest up, trapping me in my seat.
Person before this on the route got very drunk, was loudly Facetiming his friends and family, kept calling me Tiffany and nearly got kicked off the train after getting snarky with a conductor as they walked by.
All that said, this won't stop me from taking the train again next year.
WOW! I was thinking of traveling by train. I think you cured me of doing that. I could not stand listening to people on their phones.
I've taken 5 train trips of varying lengths & haven't experienced anything like what they're describing. These 2 travel by train a lot. Save up for a roomette, if you can.
Great points on all of these! The smoking thing is #1 to me. I am highly allergic.
Excellent points! Like you both said, it's just common sense and courtesy.
Regarding ringing the bell or using the call light….I dont think there is a way for attendants to acknowledge a call light without coming to a room, but until they do, there is no way for the person who called to know whether of not the attendant is aware of the call and will be coming eventually.
I thank you for sharing about how to behave Traveling on Amtrak to be clean following the rules
This feels like a book “things I learned in 4th grade”.
They copy paste their videos. Make 18 minutes of something that needs only 1 minute
@@Whoeverwhateverwhenevernot them. Just the fact that they had to make this video. I don’t doubt people do exactly what they describe
My mom taught us to leave the bathroom cleaner than when you entered it. If she caught us not leaving the bath room clean, we didn't get dessert that night. And don't forget to close the lid, that alone would cost us dessert...
In my kids' pre-school, the mantra was "Leave it nice for the next person."
Coach bathrooms have gotten really gross--Amtrak needs more personnel to deal exclusively with the bathrooms. The trash cans aren't big enough for the amount of paper towels that people do use, which may be why some people skip it. People, especially since the pandemic, have lost all sense of how you act in public vs. how you behave in your own home.
I agree with most of your points. I must point out that Amtrack sells tuna fish sandwiches.
@Cat3rgrl while that may be true I think they hold them cold so they don't start stinking..... if you hold onto a tuna sandwich for so long without keeping it cold it will start to smell really bad
@@christopherrosas2738 a tuna fish sandwich held at room temperature long enough to smell is a questionable life choice.
My daughter (when she was little) had a name for trashy people like you're talking about-- "pig-hogs". You said it right-- people are just selfish these days.
I also can't stand it when people be on their devices without headphones. Even on regular public transportation. I have seen people sleeping in the sightseer lounge many times. I think people take "lounge" too seriously. Another thing that people shouldn't do is smoke in the bathroom on the train. I did see, during the pandemic on the westbound Cardinal starting in Philadelphia, a passenger get put off the train for his mask not staying on his face. The conductor had 3 strikes rule for that. Strike 1 ask. Strike 2 tell. Strike 3 off at the next stop. For this passenger, he got put off in Charlottesville, VA. His actual stop was going to be Charleston, WV.
As an Amtrak fan, it is appalling to mention that lots of people, American and foreigner, have lost their right ways and taken on too many wrong things, thus ignoring to be thoughtful to other people. As for me, good old-fashioned manners still work fine.
No drinking on the train??? That's it...I'm not riding!!!😂😂😂
You can drink on the train, you just have to purchase it from them in the Cafe car.
@@vernonhowell4485 people in rooms can bring their stuff and consume it only in the room, people without rooms can still drink, they just can't bring their own
This is the only one on their list where I think there is some room for flexibility. Yes, technically I guess you aren't supposed to consume your own alcohol if you're in coach, but if you behave yourself and are discreet, you won't have any issues. For example, I would order a gin and tonic from the cafe car. The attendant will give you an entire can of tonic to go with the single mini of gin you purchased. So in that situation I would have a couple extra minis in my backpack so I could continue to enjoy the tonic. :-) I guarantee you won't encounter any problems with such a strategy. Again, the key is discretion and good behavior!
@@southpond I can feel you on this, but how many people do you know who bring their own stuff and don't overmix and start acting stupid..... it's just Amtrak's way of keeping the car safe because most people don't know their limit
Your first thing is what I experienced when I took the City of New Orleans riding in coach. Someone across the aisle was watching a movie or something, but I don’t remember a conductor ever saying anything to the person.
The second time I rode the Crescent to Atlanta from New Orleans, the women across from me had illicit alcohol, which they shared, but it wasn’t in a bottle. Lol
I Work in transportation...I REALLY appreciate your call for respect for the crews!❤ Classy+
Good sound advice.
I encountered lack of headphones while traveling in Europe in the airports and in the US airports. I purchased noise canceling headphones and I wear them most of the time in airports because I don’t want to hear your conversations or the videos..I cannot imagine that on an enclosed train..how awful
I’m in the middle of doing a loop, Cleveland- Texas Eagle to Coast Starlight to Empire Builder - back to Cleveland. In Seattle right now. I’m in a bedroom, but I’ve noticed walking through coach that some people get on absolutely reeking of weed.
I don't know if this happens/happened on Amtrak, but people trying to sneak a pet onto the train without a carrier (especially the sleeper cars!) Worse yet, there was an article about someone on public transportation who "rescued" a kitten, then killed it when told that he couldn't take the kitten with him!
I rode the Crescent in Coach from Philadelphia to Birmingham. A few weeks ago, it was a great experience until Washington DC. When somebody got on with the world's worth smelling pizza, and I had to tolerate it all the way to Greensboro, North Carolina.
It bothers me in the coach section when folks stick their feet in the aisle - either when they are sleeping or just sitting. Or they will take a sack or bag and put it next to their seat but in the aisle it's like - just step over it or their feet I need more room to spread out. Don't think of the other folks that need to walk the aisles.
Wow, how often does all this stuff happen? It would be such a bummer to be around smokers on the train. You should do a video about the best NON-smoking places to go in the world.
Thank you for the tips. Passengers on airplanes misbehave too. Don't people have manners anymore? Guess not.....
Sanity Rob, I thought it should be sanitation, I mean really, I get it they are kept as clean as the toilets can be but only at terminal points. I agree compeletely why would you not wear shoes when there is who knows what on the floor.