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after reading that to buy a ticket and/or check luggage one must show a valid I D I wondered about the quick ticket. You can't show an ID there nor can you prove your idenity on the credit card. How do they know whose credit ccard I am using? I must have missed something . Can anyone clear this up for me?
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Amtrak's so-called security is very much hit and miss, similar to Via Rail's. I have purchased many Amtrak and Via tickets and have never been asked for ID from either railway. Recently an amusing incident occurred in Montreal. A Via employee was reprimanded after he purchased a ticket from a machine in Central Station in the name of Osama Bin Laden. Via was not amused with the point its employee was attempting to make, i.e. that anyone using any name can purchase a ticket and board a passenger train. Or,like the September 11th terrorists simply board using their correct names and having valid ID. Regarding the use of credit cards, a friend of mine attempted to buy a ticket from an agent in Union Station in Toronto using the credit card of another person (he had that person's consent to use it). Because he was not the same person named on both the ticket and credit card the agent refused to issue the ticket. My friend then calls me from his cell phone for advice. I said go to the ticket machine and see what happens. Of course the machine had no problem whatsoever in issuing the ticket.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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and the airlines are worried about toothpaste! Several years ago at Union Station in DC we were being driven to our train in the electric cart(aka the people mover)As We came around our train I noticed that there was an attendent at our car and the stairs were down. 3 or 4 others had open doors but no attendent. The red cap said those were not accessible. But anyone could have tossed a brief case with explosives up there and disappeared. When we returned home I called customer relations and told them the situation. They were "shocked". said it shouldn't have happened. Three months later same situation. no progress. Unfortunately I am afraid that it will take a tragic event to wake Amtrak up
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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The name on the reservation or printed ticket has been scanned by the FBI and others computer system.If you are hot they will nail you when you board.
quote:Originally posted by Boyce: Shhhhhhhhh! We dont want to give anybody any ideas.
These people are not really as smart as we sometimes like to think. I am in complete agreement about not bouncing around possible ways to attack things in public, which this really is. We do not want to become the Committee for Advice and Ideas to Those Wanting to Cause Disasters. Hollywood does enough of that already.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Inconsistency seems to be a big problem at Amtrak with this and service issues as well.
On our most recent Surfliner trip to SLO from SBA I had picked up the tickets and showed my ID. The other two people in the party had "Must Show Photo ID" stamped on their tickets. Were they asked for ID in either direction? Nope.
As part of an airline family, I can assure you that they aren't the one's directly concerned about toothpaste or liquids, etc. That's coming from the TSA. Generally, though, Flight Attendants are happy to see less carry on luggage but really would like to see pax able to bring on water, etc.
BTW, there are some great "pre-pasted" one time use tooth brushes available at some drug stores and most travel stores that are OK past security and take care of those "fuzzy teeth" some of us get.
Frank in WARM SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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train lady, I agree that *they* are well ahead of us in ideas but loose lips sink ships. If *they* target rails then forums about rails would probably be *their* starting point. Another attack will come and in *their* world "revenge is best served cold". It has been getting colder and colder for five years now. Maybe I'm just paranoid but 11 billion people in the USA potentially have access to this forum.
Posts: 113 | From: San Antonio, Texas,USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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In the '50s I did not see a Communist at every turn. Nor did I have a "bomb shelter" to run to in the event of nuclear fallout. Today I do not see a Terrorist at every turn nor do I curtail my activities for fear of a suicide bomber. While I do not suggest willy nilly placing myself in harms way there are limits to how much I am willing to change my lifestyle. Someone determined to do us harm will find a way. When we spend time worrying, and change our lifestyles dramatically because of Fear, They have won !!!!
Frank -- unlike you I have been asked several times to show a picture ID (drivers license works) at the time they take my ticket on the train. Which I find rather strange --- sort of like closing the barn door after ...... I think the ID exercise is more to catch someone using another person's non-transferable ticket. ---- Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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Dee, you are right. One can't spend one's life with the what ifs. In our neck of the woods the local gov't sends us notices about being prepared for attacks, the various civic associations have committes trained to help and we all go on living. One train attendent told me that Amtrak has lots of security in place tht is not apparent and our red cap told me the same. I have noticed changes in the stations and on the nec trains. I asked the original question because I found the statement confusing. There was an article which I think was in the new timetable tht stated there would be random asking for ids on the train. We have always had to show one when checking baggage.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Boyce: 11 billion people in the USA potentially have access to this forum.
Wow, that's a serious immigration problem you have there! Especially as the *world* population is somewhere around 6.5 billion.
Usually on my travels I use the USA Rail Pass. It specifically states that you should show the pass along with the ticket - but nobody on board has ever checked, even when proffered.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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This concern about rail safety is overblown. Right now, I would guess that maybe 5% of the people on long distance trains have their guns with them. {could be as high as 10%} You will never know if I do or don't "carry" when I'm Amtraking, unless something happens that requires me to shoot someone. Any terrorist attempting to "highjack" a train would find themselves dead in a hurry.
Any terrorist trying to blow up a train would have VERY limited exposure to their terrorism. Remember, they want terror to infiltrate our society
To date, the most successful terrorist has been the shoe bomber. He was a party of one that has inconvenienced over a billion air passengers, since his attempt to light his shoe. {Over a Billion passengers have had to remove their shoes prior to boarding a plane}
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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I agree that concern over long distance Amtrak trains is a little overblown. What I disagree with is that terrorising trains in general would have very limited exposure. Remember London and Madrid - not vast numbers dead fortunately, but the impact it made was huge.
Ironically, of course, it's harder to secure subway networks than long distance Amtrak routes. But no matter how rigorously you check ID, people are still going to slip through the net simply because they are "fresh" recruits who haven't even had a parking ticket.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Well when you pick up your ticket at a Quick Ticket I print out the pre paid ticket. when it comes out sign the ticket no witnesses just sign it. when you give it to the conductor no questions asked. one time i forgot to sign the ticket. I was told to sign the ticket and to produce a picture id.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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