Many of you weren't on the net when I first posted this. Seeing the subject resurrected based on the recent CZ accident, though it would be a good time to revisit the item. Have never seen one to top this (and in retrospect, find it hard to beleive I actually went through it!)
Wow... I think that would put even die-hard Amtrak supporters off Amtrak for life.
When was this? You suggest it was quite a while ago but I didn't notice any dates.
Geoff M.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
This report seems to be several years old -- it makes reference to on-board chiefs, who have not been around for six or seven years and maybe more.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Messrs. Kisor and Mayo, Mr. Ainsworth made reference within the text to 1999:
quote:I had the Travel agent Amtrak ticketing department issue me all my stuff, and got tickets, an itinerary that matched my res #'s, and notice of credit card charges of $3217 and $1671.50 for 6/14/99. OFF WE GO!!!!
This was during the infamous "voucher boy" Warrington years. Somehow, somebody back then thought a piece of paper inviting one to come back for more hell would make everything right.
Incidentially, I first went "on-line" during May 1999, or roundly in time for JFK Jr's disappearance, and discovered this site and Railroad Net within about one month of so doing. Why 1999? my 1993 vintage "box', which was fine for running my various business software applications, was not "Y2K ready" and hence had to be replaced.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
GBN, among other things, is eagle-eyed! I'm embarrassed to have missed the reference.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Which brings to mind the question "Where were you when you learned of JFK Jr's demise?"
In my case it was Denver, CO. I had spent the night before (8pm Friday until sometime in the wee hours.....4am ish or so) driving a drum corps bus from Gothenberg, NE to Denver. We drivers then went to sleep until about noon or so and decided as a collective group to go out for breakfast at about 1:00pm Saturday. We noticed lot's of flags at half staff and asked someone at the truck stop we went to what was going on with that.
Ahhhhhhhh........ I could spend the rest of my life without entering a truck stop and be totally happy with that.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
JFK; walking South on the Quad from Altgeld (Math 115) to David Kinley (Accy 201). Girls were crying; 201 was dismissed.
Jr; from the New York Times website (I had only been on line for just weeks at the time).
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
JFK; at Aqueduct Race Track in NY. The announcement came from the track announcer after the first few races had been run, and the rest of the card was cancelled. At the time, I was in my 9th (make-up) semester at Queens College working on my last few credits to get a BA degree while contemplating the reality of military service if I didn't go to graduate school. I cut a couple of classes that November afternoon, and headed out to the track.
JFK, Jr.; sorry to say I don't remember, other than that I was right here in Ocala, FL on 7/16/99.
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
JFK: It was after I got home from school one day. IIRC I was a 2d grader.
Jr? I don't remember.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
I'm right with PullmanCo - in grade school for JFK. Jr. didn't really make an impression.
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
The funeral made an impression: I wanted to go outside and play, instead of watching the TV.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
JFK--Atenas, Costa Rica. I was a Peace Corps volunteer. JFK was the first U.S. President to visit Costa Rica. That was in the Spring of 1963. I had arrived in September, 1963, but he met with most of the volunteers in the first group. School was out and I was reading La Nacion on the front porch of the pension I was living in. A student came by to say how sorry he was that the President was dead. My first thought was that he meant their President, Francisco Orlich.
My Peace Corps partner and I were the United States in that small town and were the recipients of condolences and kindness that has stayed with me to this day.
JFK, Jr.--Here in Santa Barbara but I don't remember the details.
Frank in just now sunny SBA
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Ironically, I had just landed my airplane and was pushing it back into the hangar when one of the other pilots walked up and gave me the news about JFK Jr. There was a sudden chill in the hangar as if the apparition with the scythe had dropped by to say hello.
It didn't help to learn later that the tragedy was most likely pilot error -- a newly minted instrument pilot in over his head.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
JFK - I was in German class, sophomore year of H.S. right after lunch
JFK Jr. -- I don't remember.
Posted by birdchops (Member # 6669) on :
JFK - I was 2 months old in diapers sucking on a bottle.
JFK-Jr. - I was on a Boeing 757 simulator in Flight Attendant training and one of the instructors who was based in New York announced it in class.
Posted by Vicki (Member # 3410) on :
JFK: I was in 8th grade, having lunch in the cafeteria, when we first received news of the shooting. I remember telling a teacher about it-she didn't believe me and told me in no uncertain terms it was wrong to joke about something like that. I was in home-ec class (cooking class) when news of the President's death was announced.
JFK Jr.: I was at work.
Posted by Stephen W (Member # 6059) on :
JFK: in my final term at senior school I had just got home and turned the TV on to hear the sad news. I remember the whole school the next day being very sombre.
JFK Jr: didn't really register here.
Payne Stewart: felt devastated on hearing of this tragedy.