The other issues you mention are also important, especially the one about bathrooms, but part of the blame for that rests with a few sloppy customers (guests?) that use the trains.

That is because they are not educated about the facts. Most of them do not know that the federal government has trust funds set up to support highways and airports, either. They most likely choose to be ignorant, in which case they will get what the government feeds them.

Also, some of them don't realize that "Amtrak" is not spelled in all-caps.

I have myself never been on an Amtrak train with a bad bathroom; however, I would advise all that complain about the bathrooms to search out accounts of the old airline PeoplExpress and their bathrooms, which did not have flushing toilets. Not a pleasant way to travel from Newark, NJ to London Gatwick.

Furthermore, I am convinced that the trains would be even more crowded if more people understood the infinite delights of travelling long distances by train. A few bad locks or screwed up toilets is not going to stop people from taking the train.

By now, the educated American public understands that the dismal condition of the trains is a direct result of its underfunding. Also, Americans in the know realize that the fact that Amtrak exists at all is a result of the resourcefulness and ingenuity of a government entity that can make a dollar go a long, long way.

Did you know that it costs Amtrak less money to run its 30,000 mile network than it takes San Francisco to run its 97 mile Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system?

As far as the bathrooms are concerned, I have noticed that they are quite clean at the beginning of the journey but get progressively trashed as the train approaches its destination. The few train attendants that Amtrak can afford are busy looking after your welfare and only have so much time to keep the bathrooms in good repair. It is definitely up the passengers to clean up after themselves.

I never knew it was the responsibility of the train attendant to babysit the riders and tell them when it is time to get off the train. As I recall, announcements are made regularly when the train is about to arrive at a station, except late at night when (thankfully) they don't interrupt our sleep with such an announcement.

Finally, as far as heating and air conditioning is concerned. I have never know a coach car that (no matter how old it was) had unbearable climate control. However, everybody has their own sense of what is an ideal temperature so its always a good idea to bring a change of lightweight clothes on board if you get hot, or a blanket if you get cold.

Accept the fact that low-lifes exist; don't let them "bring you down". Enjoy the fact that there are good people out there, too.