A friend of mine in Wisconsin who knows I like to travel by train sent me the link to this amusing article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online site:
I think it "amazing" that any company allows their public-contact employees "be themselves" to the extent that does Amtrak.
I think it is a "plus'.
No airline would allow their flight crews to 'deviate' from the "script" to the extent as does Amtrak. Southwest does to some extent with the pre-flight safety briefing, and, according to Mr. Andy Smith, so does Virgin America. Southwest has all too often for my taste turned this briefing into some kind of "guerrilla theatre" skit
However, peddling Food and Beverage is one thing; flight safety briefings are something else.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
The airline half of this household used to carry bubble wands and the liquid soap to entertain kids. All it took to end that was one multiple page letter from an "adult" passenger complaining about an errant bubble landing in her drink (Promptly replaced at no cost) which "totally ruined her trip".
She got nothing from the company except a nice letter but there was a systemwide memo banning bubbles. The 3oz. rule also did it in.
Now he resorts to finger puppets.
Frank in drippy, overcast SBA
Posted by Stephen W (Member # 6059) on :
What a great guy! I wish British railway companies could take a leaf out of his book (after first making sure they put on enough carriages for their passengers and thus save the daily commuter standing-up drudge for so many people) and hire men/women of a similar humorous persuasion. The number of miserable so-and-sos that pervade our onboard buffet system seems to be legion. Getting a smile is so rare it's an endangered spcies.
I also suspect in our PC riddled country that any attendants getting too close to children would be sharply told to stop it lest the long arm of the law fell upon their shoulders.