Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Odd coincidence. I was just considering taking Amtrak to San Diego to visit my mother in August. The round trip fare was reasonable! It was only $336, about the same as plane fare, and the meals were "complimentary". What a nice way to leisurely take a 2,000 mile trip in air-conditioned comfort with no x-ray or para-military security guards. Then I scrolled down further. For the creature comforts of having a bed to sleep in and a chair to sit in and a window to look out of and a toilet, the total came to $1,686! For now, I'll look at Graham's photos of trains and take the plane. So, what's wrong with an occasional public strip search by a lady of dubious sexuality? I could use some variety in my life. Jeffery At 09:21 PM 7/4/2002 -0400, you wrote: >Amtrak? Gimme a break! > >My 91 year old grandfather [with hearing aids and confined to a wheelchair >during travel] and his SO recently finished another trip to visit me on >Amtrak from San Jose to DC and back with first class accommodations. This >trip was a complete disaster, like the last one they took 5 years ago [same >itinerary]: > >- The originating pick up station in CA was *closed* on the day they were to >begin the trip and they were never told or notified. No wheelchair. Just >wait for the train to arrive and hope someone will help to get granddad on >board. >- Amtrak kept running out of food on the train, all the way out to the east >coast. >- They got stuck in a snow storm in Montana and had to be bused to another >location to continue the trip. >- After a stop-over in Pennsylvania, they were denied a sleeper car berth >that they had paid for from Pittsburgh to DC and were not allowed into the >first class dining car. Amtrak grudgingly allowed them to eat in another >dining car, but not without a fight. >- They arrived 6 hours late into DC because a drunk woman drove her car in >front of the train. >- The DC departure time on the ticket differed from what it really was, so >they missed the departing train back to Pittsburgh by 4 minutes. Since my >granddad purchased the entire trip through an Amtrak ticket agent, Amtrak >gave them a flight on US Airways to get them to PA on-time for their >connecting train [with the associated nightmare of getting a handicapped >senior through heavy security at National]. >- More problems with the train running out of food out to the west coast. >- Their train arrived late [5 hours] in southern CA, so they were bused >again to another station to make the connection that finally took them home. > >In my own Amtrak experience and that of other family members, this is not an >isolated incident. > >Back to polishing my M6. > >/Mitch >_________________________________________ >Mitch Zeissler > E-mail: zeissler@directvinternet.com > > > -----Original Message----- > > Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 6:58 PM > > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > > Subject: Re: [Leica] airport security kinda long. ;-) > > > > Try Amtrak's California Zephyr, Chicago to San > > > > Seth LaK 9 > > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html