posted
One reads about air rage and of course there is the sad incident last week on American Airlines where marshalls shot a passenger.
On my last Amtrak trip, I observed a passenger (not sure how to put this) freak out to one of the dining room staff, demanding to speak to the engineer and be let off the train as soon as possible. (high in the Cascades, a questionable strategy, but anyway...)
It's not like anything out of the ordinary had happened on the trip, other than running a couple hours late. Not like we got stuck in a tunnel or languished on a siding for a long period of time.
Anyway, my question for those of you who have logged more rail miles than I, is how common are passenger panic attacks?
Posts: 9 | From: Berkeley, CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
I have not had the experience of witnessing this on my trips, however, I'm certain that it happens from time to time. Unruly passengers have been removed from time to time, but it isn't that common an experience.
-------------------- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the Earth all one's life." Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Rail rage. Alas, it happens. And when it does, it makes me mad. Makes me go crazy and want to punch the jerk's lights out. Makes me want to whoop 'em from here to half past last Tuesday.
But I believe aroma therapy might be helpful in reducing this problem. Just use the ventilation system to pipe in Amtrak's soothing house blend of chamomile, sandalwood and clary sage.
Ah, aroma therapy. And massage therapy (Capitol Corridor has already done it). Yeh, free massages would be good. And wine tasting. Free and egalitarian (for all aboard, even coach).
(Please excuse me a second----Hun, a little lower please. Oh, and I seem to be a bit low on the Merlot. And since you're up, could you add just a tad more sandalwood to the aerator?)
OK, where were we? Oh, yeh. Rail rage. Makes me...ah, whatever. Well, I seem to be getting a little sleepy now. We'll just have to talk more about this later.....
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I have not seen any panic attacks or "rail rage," but I did once see someone get somewhat belligerent after too many trips to the cafe car for a little vino. His belligerence mainly consisted of sotto voce cursing of Amtrak, which was running late. You know, the "I'm never taking Amtrak again" speech. I could have pointed out that the weather outside was frightful, and cars and planes would be quite late that day too, if they made it through at all. But he was too far gone to listen to reason.
He never made enough noise to attract the car attendant, but I was glad when he got off the train!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I have not seen any panic attacks or "rail rage," but I did once see someone get somewhat belligerent after too many trips to the cafe car for a little vino. His belligerence mainly consisted of sotto voce cursing of Amtrak, which was running late. You know, the "I'm never taking Amtrak again" speech. I could have pointed out that the weather outside was frightful, and cars and planes would be quite late that day too, if they made it through at all. But he was too far gone to listen to reason.
He never made enough noise to attract the car attendant, but I was glad when he got off the train!
Another time (these were both in coach, and both times on NYC-Florida runs), there was a mildly intoxicated man, not belligerent, starting singing. A bit annoying, but I just joined in. Got quite a bunch of us singing "Midnight Train to Georgia" (we were northbound near Jacksonville at the time).
I would have loved to be on that train with Arlo Guthrie (see link to article at the start of this website).
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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As quoted by a lower level coach passenger to the new 'Empire Builder' conductor just east of Havre in 1998.
Not rail rage per se.......just annoyance.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Well these are the people who would be better off staying home. You see Amtrak is for those people like me (a major railfan) who can deal with the lateness of the train. Asking the conductor to ask the engineer to stop the train in the Cascades is sooo weird because how in the world do you get home from the wilderness. Also if one panicks then it's hard for the attendants to offer good customer service.
And yes, the attendants don't like to deal with the people who say"We will never ride Amtrak again"This is a rude thing to say because if many people do this then those poor attendants will have no job. If I were an attendant hearing this I would be crying insdie knowing I have failed as an attendant. You are there to please the customers yet you can't waste your time giving them reasons about why Amtrak is good. Sad but true.
Just my 2 cents.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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quote:Originally posted by travelplus: If I were an attendant hearing this I would be crying insdie knowing I have failed as an attendant. You are there to please the customers yet you can't waste your time giving them reasons about why Amtrak is good. Sad but true.
Just my 2 cents.
In fairness to the car attendant here, there was no pleasing this particular passenger who had been incessantly rude and complaining since boarding the train in Seattle 22 hours earlier. It had gotten to the point that the car attendant had stopped even trying to please him three or four hours earlier.
The 'humor', if any, was that the conductor had just boarded the train in Havre and wasn't aware of the dynamics of the trip. The quote above came when the passenger started ripping in on the new conductor who was trying to free himself offering to 'help' by going to find the car attendant!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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