40+/- years ago I was offered those at the gate end of the a Delta gangway in Atlanta. My immediate thought was W*F, OVER? Folks, that didn't occur just once, but every flight through ATL for nearly six months. I'm happy that I just took delivery of a hybrid vehicle, because I figure I'm going to doing alot more long distance driving. Besides, mid-price motels have darn good restaurants, and my favorite wine.
The NTSB's final report has been issued for the 02/2018 crash of the Silver Star in Cayce, SC. Included in the report is a request from the NTSB to the FRA that the FRA look into "the causes of passenger injuries in derailments like this and to look into potential methods for mitigating those injuries, such as installing seat belts in railcars." Seriously? Amtrak's new CEO from the airline industry will love this, later adding oxygen masks and life rafts to all railcars.
And when you get to your destination, you've had the ability to stop at will, and enjoy any sights along the way with greater leisure. Plus, when you get there, (possibly faster), you won't need to rely upon anyone to drive you around or rent a car. You already have (cheaper!) wheels.
Seat belts? Well, they'll be making a lot of unscheduled stops, to take off passengers who aren't at all happy with such a ridiculous edict. They'd better install seat belts on the toilets and in any dining facilities and.....
All great ideas Box, especially the toilet protection! We can supplement with airbags and remind passengers to stay seated while the train is moving.
Engineers yes, because there will be a camera in the cab to make sure they're wearing the belts - and staying alert. Conductors no, since they'll be too busy collecting fines from passengers who refuse to wear the belts.
Meal report from 24 hours on board ATK #20, Crescent. Breakfast: Hot - Jimmy Dean sausage/egg/cheese muffin. Cold - various cereals, yogurt, packaged muffins, oat/honey breakfast bar. Lunch: Asian noodle bowl. gummy, tasteless except for unidentifiable spice. Possibly sustain life, but not pleasantly. Supper: Red Wine Braised Beef. Reasonably good flavor and texture. Though still a typical freezer aisle microwave meal. Small glass of wine helped. Overall impression, food no longer the pleasant enhancement to traveling by train that we all enjoyed. You might as well be eating at a roadside grab-n-go fast food chain. One other joke, the utensils are now colored silver, but still cheap plastic. Amtrak Customer Service will be getting a letter and an email. If enough of us write, maybe Anderson and his staff will get the message that we travel by train because we want to, not because we have to. Amtrak is NOT an airline or a bus.
I have a feeling engineers will be unhappy, the day such a requisite goes into effect. A union grievance following, quickly.
I rode round trip on the Crescent, Amtrak #19 & #20, this past weekend and sampled all four Flexible Dining entrees. Two were adequate, but the other two were bad. Therefor I wrote the following email to Amtrak Contact Us, also forwarded it to my Congressman. I expect nothing from a single complaint, but I'm hopeful that enough people complain so perhaps something will change. "While traveling on the Crescent this past weekend, I experienced Amtrak's new Flexible Dining offerings. This is food that might be offered at roadside fast food chains, or found in freezer aisles of low budget grocery stores. Amtrak should be ashamed to offer this menu to First Class passengers on overnight trains. Delta Airlines would not offer this menu to First and Business Class passengers on overnight and intercontinental flights. Amtrak should have the same consideration and respect for their First Class passengers, not insult them. "If the cost of food and chef's salaries are such a concern, then increase the price of sleeper space slightly to cover those costs."
Hope you did ok with Flex Dining (sorry for the reply to an old forum)! It's great that they at least left the old dining car as a lounge so there is space to get out of rooms and seats!
