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Senior citizens are not being allowed to travel on the lower portions of Amtrak trains on the Capitol Corridor in California unless they have an "official Handicapped placard." There are many seniors like my husband, a WWII veteran aged 77, who do not consider themselves handicapped with the normal processes of age -- heart trouble, lack of balance, etc. The Amtrak representative said he would have to sit upstairs, negotiating the stairway with his cane. I tripped on those same stairs two weeks ago and will not accompany him on them. The agent said no matter what the age of the passenger, there is no longer "senior seating" in the lower cars. I did notice when I was negotiating the stairs with difficulty to use the restroom on the previous trip that the lower car was empty.
Any other traveling seniors want to write their Congressperson about this policy? Or is it just this particular train run?
------------------ Jean Libby U.S. History Instructor and former Amtrak traveler
Posts: 1 | From: Palo Alto, California 94301 | Registered: Jun 2001
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It might do more good to write your representatives in the California legislature. The Capitol Corridor (and the other California corridors) is really a state operation, with Amtrak strictly as the contract operator. The train cars are the property of the State of California, not Amtrak, for example.
Posts: 22 | From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Aug 2000
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I find it disturbing that they would make you ride upstairs when you have a cane, and clearly can't make it upstairs easily. I suggest you write to:
The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority 800 Madison Street, P. O. Box 12688 (LMA-2) Oakland, CA 94604-2688
And send a copy of your letter to your state legislators.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
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