Whenever anyone asks him a valid, honest question----it just "poof" disappears.
Imagine this, if you will.....Guenzler is invited to be on the "Today" show to talk about his rail travels. What is one of the first questions that Matt Lauer would ask him? "Tell us Chris, how do you afford to take all of these trips??". It's a natural question, and if you open yourself up for questions, a respectful answer should be in order.
Oh well, some things never change.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
That's my biggest dislike about this forum - the ability for the OP to just yank anything (s)he doesn't like, along with all the subsequent posts. It's a big insult and incredibly rude to those who have taken the time to craft careful and informative responses.
Regarding Chris, one thing that struck me was that his travelogue goes back to the 1980s I think, which - if my arithmetic is correct - works out to around 800 miles per week. Somebody clearly has a lot more free time than me!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
It's an incredible amount of time to be on the rails. I wonder what an average Amtrak engineer's annual mileage is in comparison?
(Unless I'm mistaken, I think he puts a lot of mileage down riding back and forth on the Surfliners quite often to build up mileage).
Posted by ColdRain&Snow (Member # 15381) on :
I'm lost. What happened?
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
ChrisG is going on some show (I think) and wanted to know what questions he could be asked. Somebody asked how his trips were funded, or what it cost per mile. A few posts later about how it's never divulged, then Chris saying he doesn't remember anyway, then *poof*, the whole thread self destructs.
I did wonder about commuting but that's still 80 miles per day each way. That's Fullerton to Solana Beach on the Surfliners, let's say 90 minutes each way per day, 5 days a week. Quite the commute, though I know many do exactly that and more.
So maybe that should be one of the questions!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I don't think he rides the Surfliners for commuting purposes, I think he rides them just to get the mileage. And to ride a train, to me, that sorta takes away the "excitement" of the whole deal if you're just riding up and down the coast for mileage runs. There is a guy over on another rail website who goes by the screen name of "ptolmey" whom, I believe, has more miles than Chris. But those are all real, travel miles---going somewhere (business and vacation combined, but mostly business). Many of his miles are not in the USA, however, so it's not all Amtrak miles, but a combo throughout the world.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
I'm just grateful to get on a train these days! I don't even record the long distance trips any more. I used to record both that and flights taken but once the latter exceeded about 120 I lost interest. However, I still try to find less common planes (for me) or airports like LAX-MSN via DEN instead of ORD as is usual for me.
But I do still wonder how he finds the time to rack up so many miles!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I hold contrary views regarding the likely consensus here on so-called 'free speech', and the prerogative given by the site owner to a topic originator over control of his material and the responses it generates.
For myself, I have never known what 'free speech' is all about, but then I'm not, say, a journalist who makes marks by discovering and disclosing material that is inimical to the interests of certain parties. All told, in common with many, if not most, here, to disclose anything to which I have become privy would result in exposure to civil liability and/or criminal prosecution. Matters relating to Mr. Guenzler's financial affairs, to which I have no knowledge whatever, falls under the scope of privity.
Assange and Snowden should be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as was Manning. Of course some here call them heroes.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Mr. Guenzler has sought and achieved celebrity. He is a public figure as the most-traveled Amtrak rider. There are consequences to public fame. Just ask Mitt Romney.
Hence it is perfectly legitimate, in my view (and that of the law) to wonder and ask how Mr. Guenzler finances his travels. Does he get freebies from Amtrak and other carriers? Is a family fortune the source? Donations from friends and admirers? A rich friend? The swag from a bank robbery?
He is perfectly within his rights not to answer. Whether that is a good idea, given who he is and what he does, is another question. Just ask Mitt Romney.
Smitty and others are perfectly within their rights to ask.
While I regret that Mr. Guenzler exercised the nuclear option with the pertinent thread, he was within his rights to do so. I myself have done that when ugly racism and nativism hijacked a thread I started.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
Matters relating to Mr. Guenzler's financial affairs, to which I have no knowledge whatever, falls under the scope of privity.
We're not looking for his last 10 years' tax returns, only the answer to the simple question, "what were his total out-of-pocket expenses and per mile expenses" during his million mile ride, which I posed. I know it costs me, riding coach, in the neighborhood of $.10 - $.15 per mile on Amtrak LD, so the man has to have shelled out six figures by now.
I think he went nuclear right after I asked him if he was "a shill for Amtrak."
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Most of my Amtrak travel is financed by: 1. AGR points. 2. Charging to my AGR card when the fare is cheap. 3. Travelling when I get extra AGR points.
I charge everything I can to my AGR card and pay the balance every month. Sometimes I buy points when there is a deal. But I never keep track of any of it. Maybe Chris doesn't either.
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
After I had posted and Smitty reposted some else posted FU Smitty so I deleted the post not waiting for the moderator to do that.
Chris
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
So, if you're willing to re-engage, the answers to my two questions are:
1. For the enjoyment and 2. Classified.
Do I have that right?
Another question I would like answered is the following:
What do the Amtrak employees and crew members think of your accomplishments, and have you made any friends among them through these trips?
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
1. I ride trains because I have always liked the experience of meeting new people, seeing new things and places and riding over new trackage where ever I can find them.
2. Classfied yes I am a Classfild employee of Santa Ana Unified school District.
3. Amtrak employees are very impressive with what I have done and some crew members have announced that I am on their long distance trains at times. On the Surfline I have made plenty of friends among LSA, Conductors and Business Class attendants plus Sleeping Car and Dining Car staffs on trains.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Out of compassion, forbearance and the spirit of the season maybe we ought to let this thread peter out.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Well darn, I would like to know who told me to FU. Too bad they didn't send it in a private message. I would have liked to have asked them what exactly they meant by that. Some people just might need to get out a bit more often....
And sorry GBN, but I read your comments three times and I could not understand what you were saying. Sometimes, your writing style is what I would call "unique", and this definitely fits that description. Luckily, others seemed to understand and were able to respond----enabling me to figure out what it is that you wrote. At any rate, nah, what I was asking was not a national secret (or personal secret)--it was just a legitimate question based upon the OP saying, "Ask me questions", and that one is perfectly legit. We're all curious, no? So why not ask? As in my "Today Show" example, I thought that explained it beautifully.
Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
There's no financial statement though. Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
The amusing thing is the old thread would probably have died a quicker death. Instead, deleting it has clearly caused more speculation and questioning. This thread has certainly had more responses than I remember the old thread having.
What's more I don't even see what the problem was! Was that question highly embarrassing for some reason? Were we about to expose a major incident had the lids not been kept on? (I write with jest and amusement) What nefarious secrets hide behind his travelogues?
Popcorn anyone?
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
ROTFLMAO! Right on, Geoff!
I think when people ask how I'm able to cruise and fly so much I'll just say "Remember John Beresford Tipton?". He was very good to me. (The real answer, miles, pass privileges and a very nice pension that I hope I can keep for the rest of my life!)
Frank in dark and cool SBA
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
I will answer the money question on the Lets Talk Trains show this Saturday.
So tune in and listen to it.
Chris
Any more questions please.
Posted by jimhudson (Member # 94951) on :
That ought to Settle the Question Once and for All Chris!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Great! We will be tuned in.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Does someone have a link that takes us directly to that particular program? I think it's called Blog Talk Radio, but I'm not sure how to find that specific show. Thanks.
Thanks for the link, smitty. I'll be listening at 1:00 tomorrow in between watching the horse races on-line and on tv. Fortunately, it doesn't interfere with PBS' "Car Talk," a Saturday ritual with me now at 10:00.
Who knows, maybe Chris will give me a shoutout as "Ocala Mike"; after all, I did give him some good questions for discussion, I thought.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Fellow members, lest we not forget that while the US Constitution DELINEATES specific rights, such as freedom of speech, to any person on sovereign soil, that document does not provide any protection whatever from the CONSEQUENCES of exercising that right.
Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
Presuming 10:00 means EST?
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
10am PT / 11am MT / noon CT / 1pm ET according to the website Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
Thanks, Geoff. Didn't see that.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Could this be the most sensational revelation since Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone's vault? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LWAwWwIe7Y Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
Anymore questions please. The show will be tomorrow. You guys did ask some good ones when I did my millionth mile back in 2007.
Chris
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I would like to know if you know about how many miles the average Amtrak engineer, who runs long-distance trains, puts on in a year compared to how many miles you put on in a year? Who puts in more miles---you or the engineer? Is it different with an on-board crew member? I'm not sure who works more miles---engineers or OBS members. Either way, who puts on more miles---you or them? Thanks.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Chris--
I missed the show. Are they available archived anywhere?
Frank in clear but blustery SBA
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Ditto---I missed it as well.
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
Yes I answered your question Smitty in Segment one today.
Just go to the web site and listen.
Chris
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Would appreciate it if someone would tell me what Chris said about the sources of funding.
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
Listen to the first part of the show where I answered that question.
Chris
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Chris--
Henry is deaf and cannot listen to the first part of the show -- or any part.
Frank in dark and cool SBA
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
Sorry about all the dumb callers but we could not screen them at all on Blog Talk. It was a good show and a thank you to Elizabeth for saving me at the end.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Henry, I listened to the whole show and I really enjoyed it. Chris discussed how his trips were financed at great length and there was really nothing surprizing.
Most of his early trips, when he traveled less often, were at his own expense. Some were gifts from family and others. Going sober gave him more money to spend. Working in education full time, he travelled on school holidays to rack up the miles. He could do round trips to La Junta or El Paso on weekends.
Evidently an association with Trainweb and Steve Grande resulted in setting the million mile goal, so Trainweb financed some of the trips. AGR, Alaskan Airlines miles, North American Railpass, and Canadian Railpass were also used. He stressed good planning. He travelled in Canada when the exchange rate was $1.71 per US dollar.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Has anyone figured out how to play back the show? I did find this link:
If you listen to the end, be warned of some distasteful crank calls.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Guenzler address the matter of source funding starting at 9:30 and moves on to other topics by about 19:00.
My computer seems to have 'issues' with accessing this material through Let's Talk Trains Dot Com. Such results in a crash that is only resolved through logging off and restart. Blogtalk seems to work OK but I'm not sure if I am railfan enough to listen to all of two hours.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Thank you, TwinStar. Evidently the short answer to the question of Chris' trip financing is "Any way I could."
As for myself, I use AGR points most of the time.
Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
i enjoyed the show too (first hour). Showed how creative we can be to extend our travel budgets. Probably wasn't a typical program though as Chris had to fill the time during at least one no show interview.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
TwinStar: Thanks for the link. I'm listening to it now. I'm near the beginning where he's explaining the funding. Very interesting so far!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Okay, got it now. Various sources, and lots and lots of pre-planning. I guess that would be the most difficult for me to figure out: How to plan all of these trips to get the most bang for your buck, using a combo of AGR points, Alaska Airline miles (back when they had that program), and other sources. Plus you've really got to know the system----For example, if you take a train from Point A to Point B, how long do you have to wait in order for the train going in the OTHER direction to take you back to Point A again? It can get rather confusing, I'm assuming.
And thanks for the answer to the other question. I was surprised to hear how many miles a Surfliner engineer puts on in one year. That's a lot higher than I was expecting.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
I've always fantasized about using 15,000 AGR points for a roomette from Wolf Point, MT to El Paso (one zone). 70 hours train riding time and 9 meals. If two people rode, the value of the 18 meals would exceed the price of the ticket ($1500-$2600 depending on the day).
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: And thanks for the answer to the other question. I was surprised to hear how many miles a Surfliner engineer puts on in one year. That's a lot higher than I was expecting.
How many? I don't have time to listen to the entire program for the one bit I'm interested in! Was there mention of how many round trips per day - not more than 2 I would have thought.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
This is off the top of my head, but he used the example of a Surfliner engineer who works 126 miles one one direction (Los Angeles to San Diego), and then returns that same day. So the math went like this:
126 x 2 = 252 miles per day 252 x 5 = 1,260 miles per week 1,260 x 4 = 5,040 miles per month 5,040 x 12 = 60,480 miles per year
So a Surfliner engineer puts on about 60,480 miles per year. For Chris, at this point of the year (He said it's a slow year), he is at 22,000 miles or so. So the Amtrak engineer puts on many more miles than he does, just in using a Surfliner engineer as an example.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
Twin Star Rocket: I've also contemplated that one-zone trip. Nice to know I'm not alone in the almost-loony bin!
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
Thanks Smitty.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Judy, you and TSS are not the only ones contemplating that, except I was going to go 1st class. I'm real close to 25,000 points. Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
Smitty, your math is pretty accurate for the regular assignment engineers. The extra Board men/women can go above those numbers, as long as they observe the Fed HOS regulations, of course. Now to OBS- remember they are moving round the clock even when they sleep (except for stops of course) while the engineer is home on the mandatory rest period.
Since Hours of Service rules don't apply to the OBS employees, these workers generally will amass more miles than the T/E crews. Let's look at one simple calculation for a regularly assigned #4/3 OBS crew member (works 6 on- 5 off.) 4400 mi. RT LAX-CHI in 11 days. In 33 days that adds up to 13,200 miles. Figure that number times 11.06 = 145,992 miles in a year.
Extra Board OBS employees can blow that number out of the water, as they can "double or triple out" if they are needed, and/or want to. So OBS employees rail miles in a long career can go into the millions. I'd say a 25 year OBS worker who stayed on the job (did not mark off a lot) might amass something like 3 million fairly easily in his/her RR career. 145,992 X 20 = 2,919,840. Mark offs, sickness, forced "time on the ground" are variables, of course.
But how 'bout those Flight Attendants miles? Have no idea on that one...
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
Hm, I "shorted" my math on those calcs; the latest Amtrak TT shows 2265 as the OW between LAX-CHI. So add 130 more miles to all those single round trips LAX-CHI!
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
I haven't been posting here for quite awhile. Did I miss something? What in the world is the big deal with how Chris pays for his trips, or why he takes them? Have you all been watching too much pseudo-news shows, where they create "interest" in minutia or irrelevant stories simply by starting to talk about it? WHY would ANYONE care???? I'm at a loss.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
We're all jealous, that's why, and when Chris was shy about revealing how he financed all those miles, we just had to know. For a while it kept our minds off all those domestic squabbles on Capitol Hill, etc.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
quote:Originally posted by RR4me:
WHY would ANYONE care????
Well, actually, I don't anymore. What you missed was an original thread started by Chris and later deleted wherein he SOLICITED questions that might be of interest for his Saturday program. I'm the one that wanted to know the whys and wherefores of his travels, and also wanted him to talk about the many acquaintances he struck up on his trips.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
quote:Originally posted by RR4me: I haven't been posting here for quite awhile. Did I miss something? What in the world is the big deal with how Chris pays for his trips, or why he takes them? Have you all been watching too much pseudo-news shows, where they create "interest" in minutia or irrelevant stories simply by starting to talk about it? WHY would ANYONE care???? I'm at a loss.
Actually the original question wasn't a big deal. The overreaction and shut down of the forum topic caused a lot more action than the original question. What was being hidden, and why did it have to be buried? That's why it suddenly became a big deal! And the answer wasn't exactly exciting after all that!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I was hoping Chris would reveal that he was a pneumatic blonde's personal boytoy and she financed all his trips. Instead his answer was perfectly reasonable, if something of a letdown.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
OK, I did miss something, then. Oh well, I guess it pays to stay involved.
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
It was three older ladies who would by me ten rides for about ten years until two died and the other ended up in a nursing home and just had a stroke,
![[Smile]](smile.gif)