I *said* I'd probably have some more dumba$$ newbie questions. :-)
Here it is: As I mentioned in previous thread, we're taking the Silver Meteor from Newark, NJ to Orlando on the Friday after Thanksgiving; returning the follolwing Sunday. On Friday, the train departs Newark at 1530.
Can I check our bags through to Orlando earlier in the day, or do I have to do it like at the airport (i.e., shortly before takeoff)?
Since my wife has to work on Friday (I don't haha), she's leaving work early. If I could check our bags in the morning, it'd make things easier if I could check our bags after I drop her off at work (she works close to the Newark train station)
I appreciate your answers. TIA
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Unless things have changd recently you can check through your bags at any time during the day as long as it is more than 1/2 hour before departure. We often get to the station early, check the bags, then have lunch and browse around the shops for several hours.Youcould also call the station just to double check
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Tom I will tell you what I used to tell my classs when I was teaching. If a question is important enough for you to ask it then it is important enough to be answered. there are few dumb questions. No one can know everything so don't br afraid to ask.
Posted by Tom Conlon (Member # 9313) on :
Train Lady, you're right. There *are* few dumb questions. I, too, am a teacher. I tell my students that the only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask.
See my sig block for my attitude toward teaching. Christ McAuliffe was a good one and we miss her.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
I definitely agree with your attitude on teaching.It has always angered me that teachers make such small salaries and athletes and rock stars make ones that to me at least , are obscene. I hope yu and your wife enjoy your trip.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
So heartily agree, Ms. Train Lady.
Even if I do not directly benefit (never have; never married) from the $3767.02 I paid in Real Estate taxes this year (it's all public record, folks) allocated to the top rated Elementary SD 181 and HSD 86 with its 96% college matriculation, I'm all for it and can proudly say at this topic in which educators are participating I have always voted in favor of any School District related referenda (of course in Illinois you got to watch out considering that sometimes voting YES on a ref you are voting AGAINST the issue - thank you "Richard the First' for introducing such creative referendumese), but regrettably I have known retirees over the years who see it otherwise.
"Good schools bring good people which bring good home prices".
For your contributions to the education community, Mr. Conlon (also for joing this Forum apparently using your given name as a handle), may you have an enjoyable trip.
Posted by amtraxmaniac (Member # 2251) on :
Now asking what time the 11 O'Clock News runs...now THAT would qualify as a stupid question.
I sometimes jokingly referrence a certain cartoon character when I say...'there are no stupid questions...just stupid people'. LOL JK of course.
And my hats off to the two apparent teachers in here...you invest much yet get so little back. The primary problem is two fold: it has to do with what we VALUE as a society. Maybe I'm off base here, but if and when Americans are willing to pay as much to send their child to school as they spend on a TICKET to a theatre or sporting event...perhaps we will see some fairness. Another issue is that we only value the final product (the graduate) and not the process (education). When we learn to value the blood and sweat that goes into educating these young men...then we will see change. Also...when PARENTS start to take responsibility for education and stop blaming the teachers when their kids fail to succeed, then teachers can be viewed as the heros they are.
Posted by mgt (Member # 5479) on :
That last sentence of amtraxmaniac certainly strikes a chord with this former teacher. I do not know if it is the same in the US but very few teachers in the UK see it all the way to retiring age, 60 for women, 65 for men. Burnout sets in well before then. And to Mr Conlon, as a relative newcomer to this forum I have asked some pretty basic questions, all of which have been treated with respect. As I said in a previous post you get more pleasure from the trip if you have not got silly little niggles at the back of your mind
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Patrick, you hit the nail on the head. I constantly hear everyone from officials to parents saying we need more police, good teachers,jobs, recreatoin etc. No where do Ihear Parents should teach their children self disiplne,respect for others, motivation tolearn. They want the school, the church, the state , the gov't to take that responsibility.Until parents take their responsibility we will never have a peaceful existance. And now I shall get off my soap box with a true story. In the "70's my 3 children and I were coming home from LA.We were sitting in the lounge of the chief. The man sitting next to me offered his almonds to my older sonage 12) My son turned to me and asked permission and when I nodded he accepted the nuts and took them over to his siblings to share. The man told me he was a pilot for United and he had not seen such good mannered children in a long time. Personally he had some he would have liked to shove out of the plane. Those were the days when snacks came wit the drinks in the lounge car!!
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by train lady: I definitely agree with your attitude on teaching.It has always angered me that teachers make such small salaries and athletes and rock stars make ones that to me at least , are obscene. I hope yu and your wife enjoy your trip.
Quite a while back I figured out that the easiest road to wealth was to be good at something that was either useless or harmful. Also, that in general this world is made up of two classes of people: Those that are part of the problem or those that are part of the solution. I would rather be part of the solution. This speaking as a civil engineer married to a math teacher.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
I don't have a comment on "fair" compensation, but the note about parents is right on the money. My three kids went through public schools, in the ATG (Academically Talented and Gifted, (subtle proud papa)), and while I claim great respnsibility , I noticed on back-to-school nights that there was standing room only in all their classes, and maybe 2 to 6 people in the other classes. I often wondered to my wife how much "academic talent" was involved, and how much was just involvement and care from the parents.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Involved parents - Hooray.
Not Involved Parents who look to blame the system for any shortcoming when their child does not succeed - Boo Hiss.
This coming from a high school guidance counselor and an involved parent.
Gifted and Academic Talent can adequately describe a fraction of students and that's well and good. The students who are truly special are the ones who love the process of learning. This invariably begins at home with parents who encourage interest and exploration of a wide-variety of things.
My daughter, bless her, loves going to zoos, ride the train (narrow guage but authentic steam) at a nearby amusement park, and go to live concerts. She enjoys basketball games.
I hope she will be one who loves learning for a lifetime but for now I'm encouraged that she has shown a fascination for the things I enjoy most!!!!!
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Notelvis, and others involved in education:
One of the most amazing thnigs about working overseas and having my children in an overseas American school was the attendance of parents at various school functions: Athletic events: Maybe half the parents and few others not directly involved. Music and other performance programs: parents, grandparents, friends, relatives and various others. Academic issues: parenting on steroids on what can I do to help my child? Yes, we had problem parents of the I want my kid to succeed and I don't care how variety and, of course my kid is a genius it is just that no one else recognizes it variety. Some of these had the political connections to cause you real trouble as well. We also had some drug problems as well, and a school administration with their head in the sand about it. Drug problmes are somewhat reduced by long jail sentences for the transporters and sellers. Usually foreign kids were deported, sometimes along with their parents. (Many overseas work contracts, including mine, had a clause that said being in violation of local law by you or any member of your family was a violation of your contract and grounds for its termination.)
An American style education is highly valued in most of the world outside the US, and many parents will pay large money and get phoney passports to get their kids in American style schools.
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
I had cause to visit a rural Philippine elementary and high school recently. A combined school of 1300 students, some crammed 50 to a class, sitting on wooden benches, few facilities like computers, chemistry labs, or workshops - and yet absenteeism is virtually nil, violence is unheard of, and respect is high on the agenda. Six year olds walk to school on their own. They have classes in growing and cooking food, life skills (respect, manners, etc). And these kids are incredibly intelligent, not like most of the kids I've worked with at UK schools or US summer camps.
An eye opening experience that shows that being poor is no obstacle to success. That said, I'm not trying to suggest the Philippines is problem-free - it's not.
(Quick attempt to get back on-topic: Negros' sugar cane steam trains are all but extinct. Tracks are mostly pulled up. Apparently there's a museum but I didn't get a chance to visit).
Geoff M.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I am married to a retired elementary school teacher (B.Ed.) and librarian (M.L.S.)
She loves riding trains, too.
Am I in heaven or what?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could gather all our teacher spouses on a trip in the Zephyr and listen to them in the lounge car? I bet all the shop talk would drive the rest of us to ride in the baggage car.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
As a former teacher, widow of a college professor, & mother of two college professors I'd love to join that lounge car group with Mr Kisor! We are an education family!
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
If I had to pick one thing that really got me close to my kids it was our frequent long distance train rides. It was a chance to be with them free of any other interruptions and influences. As city kids with a constant social life, there was always the worry of "what are they up to outside of the house?". But being with them constantly for a week assured me they were doing ok. And I could tell they thought "my dad is cool, he takes trains".
Now turning 30 (twins), they still think of train as the best way to go. When my daughter as an adult did not have enough vacation to go with me to Arizona, I suggested she fly one way. Her answer was "If you get to take the train, I'm taking the train". When my son just had to attend the funeral of a close friend in Seattle, he chose the Empire Builder to give him a chance to think and relax.
Since most our trips were in winter, they missed some school. But the best of their teachers saw these trips as a valuable experience. Some even asked us about our route and then gave us an assignment that involved visiting historical places or National Monuments.
Another reason the LD system is a lot more than getting you from point A to point B.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Twin Star I can relate. When my youngest was 9 we took our first trip cross country. There was a lot of map reading and discussion before hand so I felt they were prepared. My kids got to see the country good and bad . The tin shacks in Los Vegas, N M really threw them. "People really live there"? That fall on the 3rd grad tests His teacher told me that his scores in social studies and geograpy were off the graph and she felt sure that was due to our train trip.There are benefits to l d travel for all of us in addition to getting there.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
This topic has evolved into an "off rails" discussion pointing out what I for one (BS Accountancy; CPA - that's "Chartered Accountant" to our colleagues overseas) have long thought; educators seem to be drawn to travel modes in which the journey can become a learning experience. There can be learning experiences from air travel but only if you "get real lucky' (window seat, fore or aft of the wings, clear day), but those experiences largely come from surface travel (auto or rail).
Posted by mgt (Member # 5479) on :
Mr Norman you will appreciate my annoyance when as a junior member of staff I accompanied my first foreign school trip from the UK to Germany via Holland and the first thing the leader of the group did when the coach arrived at the Hook of Holland was to have all the curtain closed so that the pupils could have a good sleep. Talk about travel broadening the mind! While I have read quite widely about the US nothing has provided me with more real information about the country and people than our Amtrak trips. The people you meet, what you see from the train, the slogans, flags flying in gardens, fly-tipping of amazing objects from freezers to cars, via bedsteads, carpets and other pieces of furniture. Squatters by the tracks. Changing industrial use of rail-side sites. The Missippi and Misouri rivers, the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, Montan plains the Humboldt Sink, how did those pioneers ever cross and settle the country, particularly when you experience the 'real'summer temperatures at stops, compared to air-conditioned comfort of the train?
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Fly-tipping???
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
quote:From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fly-tipping or dumping is a British term for illegally dumping waste somewhere other than an authorized landfill. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, i.e., waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste.
I didn't know it was just a British term!
Geoff M.
Posted by mgt (Member # 5479) on :
Hey, this is a great forum for extending your knowledge of English in its international forms!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Geoff, I didn't know "fanny pack" was just an American term -- I used it on an international photography website (wanted one to carry my lenses in) and all the Brits merrily ganged up on me.
So I've learned to call it a "belt pack."
Fly-tipping is a great term for what we call "dump and run."
Now, as for cow-tipping . . .
Posted by CHATTER (Member # 1185) on :
Thanks for saluting those of us who are educators in this thread! Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
As the saying goes (probably misquoted), "Two countries divided by a common language".
A "fanny" in UK parlance is the female groin area, hence the laughter. We could call "fanny packs" "bum bags". I'm aware that a bum to you is a homeless person.
Luckily I don't (haven't ever) smoke, so I've never asked for a fag in the US.
Not English but I wondered what an "air station" was while in Kuala Lumpar (Malaysia) airport. Turns out it's a drinking water fountain. One of the most unusual coincidences of words I've come across!
Geoff M.
Posted by mpaulshore (Member # 3785) on :
Getting back to the original substance of this thread, I need to make an important amendment to train lady's June 29th advice to Tom Conlon: Not only can you check your bags as early as checked baggage service opens on the day of departure (at Newark that's currently 5:45 a.m. every day), but you can check your bags on any previous day as long as you have your tickets in your hand. The bags will proceed to Orlando on the next possible train, whether that's the day's Silver Meteor or the day's Silver Star.
Furthermore, as far as I know, every Amtrak station that handles checked baggage requires that passengers who are claiming bags hand over their claim checks so that the staff can verify that the number on the claim check matches the number on the bag. They don't just let any passenger or non-passenger walk off with any bag the way the airports almost always do. (In twenty-seven years of using Amtrak checked baggage service I've only seen this policy disregarded once, namely one morning within the last year or two in Denver--which I visit fairly often--when for some reason the staff chose to get lazy and sloppy.) Because of this policy, you can let your pre-checked bags wait for you in Orlando with essentially no fear that they won't be there when you arrive. In theory, Amtrak staff can charge you for storage if the bags stay for more than two days, but in reality they almost never bother with that. (I've only been charged for storage once, and that was in Cleveland back in 1982.) Incidentally, the current version of Amtrak's checked baggage policy does not state the time after which they will dispose of unclaimed baggage, which I think used to be 30 days; I'm puzzled as to why the policy ignores that matter now.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
On several occasions when I departed Flagstaff (at "o-dark-thirty") eastbound on the Chief, I checked my bags the evening before. There was always the fear that my bags would go to LA that night on the next Chief through Flag, while I went to KC the next morning. But Amtrak always did it right. Thats more than I can say for my airline experiences.
From home in St. Paul, I always check my bags early in the day for the 11pm Empire Builder. Then I can arrive just before the train departs and avoid the wait.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
, I noticed on back-to-school nights that there was standing room only in all their classes, and maybe 2 to 6 people in the other classes. I often wondered to my wife how much "academic talent" was involved, and how much was just involvement and care from the parents.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)