posted
With the exception of my yearly pilgrimage from Albuquerque to Santa Fe to celebrate my College Reunion at St. John's College, Amtrak is (with all due respect, Zephyr) the only way I travel from city to city.
I just returned to Albuquerque from Chicago on Nov. 9th and was shocked to read about the illegal firing of Mr. Gunn. He gave Amtrak a face and a personality. He was able to explain to the layman, through the use of humorous language, the reason why we would never be riding Maglevs.
This last train trip on the Southwest Chief may have been one of my best. Although we left Union Station an hour late due to mechanical problems, we managed to arrive in Albuquerque more than an hour early. The rotisserie chicken, potatoes and broccoli that I ate in the dining car the previous evening was to die for. The white meat was moist and every bite transported me to heaven.
The Raton Pass never looked or felt so good: No clickety clack there for a good long while. The rails seemed to all be welded and the ride felt as smooth as butter.
The train, as usual, was packed and I recognized many Amish who, with the exception of an occasionaly buggy ride, also use Amtrak to get to distant cities. I noticed an unusual number of college aged students and little children. The lower level handicapped section was filled with people who also have their reasons for not getting on a plane.
My understanding is that David Gunn is being fired for a few absurd reasons. First off, he is being fired for having succeeded in making Amtrak a safe, comfortable and on-time means of transportation, using obsolete equipment. He ran a 30,000 mile national train network for the price of the tiny Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) and he did an excellent job.
Another reason Mr. Gunn was fired was because he did not try to break up the system. Time after time, Amtrak was there to provide assistance during national catastrophes. Unlike many government agencies, Amtrak has done its job well during the past five or six years. And this level of outstanding service that was provided for a couple percent of the overall transporation budget was embarrassing to an administration consisting of oil men.
Well, perhaps Mr. Gunn needs a break. We all need a break sometimes. He has performed sterling service. He isn't going particularly quietly and he may have stirred up a hornet's nest upon leaving.
So, I remain cautiously optimistic that things will turn out OK in the end. What we are seeing now is probably just a feeble attempt by the administration to distract the American public from all the naughty things going on on Capitol Hill.
Posts: 324 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
[Oh Yes there is rumor that there is no Diner/Sleepers assigned to 3,4,5,6,7,8,21, and 22.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where did you hear this --- please provide a link or at least a reputable source.
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I didn't like Pres. Bush to begin with, NOW I have no respect at all for him and his Republican appointees on the Amtrak Board. It's time to fire Pres. Bush!
Posts: 35 | From: Palatka, FL | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
