Amtrak Guest Rewards - Conductor Power Trip on 157

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.5.0.81 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Anyone else on 157 today? Conductor had police escort a young guy on crutches off the train for taking up two seats. The passenger told him he was stretching his leg (the one with the cast) and would move it as soon as someone needed the seat. By the time the cops arrived, he had in fact already done so and had a lady sitting beside him. Didn't matter--still ejected. This conductor is always a jerk. Thankfully, I don't see him too often. My "usual" conductors are much more polite and friendly.

Did you contact Amtrak to complain about this conductor?

Sounds like this guy has the same attitude of the FA on AA that told me that if I didn't put my bag in the overhead instead of under the seat (it was a plastic grocery bag with 2 books and an orange in it) that I would be removed for not listening to her. I was waiting for her to use the "Sir our Country is under attack you must listen to me" line that another AA FA used on me and my seatmate when they tried to make us move to the back of the plane for some nonrevs.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.5.0.81 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Not yet. Will be contacting Amtrak when I get to my destination and have something more than a BlackBerry.

Are Amtrak police obliged to remove the passenger from the train once the conductor has requested them to do so?

I have seen situations arise in the UK in which a conductor has called police assistance, and once the British Transport Police arrived they have simply told the staff member concerned to cool off and stop wasting their time.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.5.0.81 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Not yet. Will be contacting Amtrak when I get to my destination and have something more than a BlackBerry.

Curious if you filed a complaint. I hope you did--this behavior is truly reprehensible.

Are Amtrak police obliged to remove the passenger from the train once the conductor has requested them to do so?

I have seen situations arise in the UK in which a conductor has called police assistance, and once the British Transport Police arrived they have simply told the staff member concerned to cool off and stop wasting their time.

As the master of the train, what the conductor says goes. I can't recall any specific laws or written policies specifically laying out that the police "must" remove someone, but the unwritten understanding is that the conductor is the final authority for all matters on-board the train (just like the captain in command of an aircraft).

As the master of the train, what the conductor says goes. I can't recall any specific laws or written policies specifically laying out that the police "must" remove someone, but the unwritten understanding is that the conductor is the final authority for all matters on-board the train (just like the captain in command of an aircraft).

Same rule on trains in the UK - barring driver-only operated trains, the conductor (or guard as we tend to call them) is in charge and "what they say goes". I know this very well - I have worked as one in the past.

However the British Transport Police will not support guards by removing passengers from trains unless they are convinced there is a very good reason for doing so, nor do guards have to authority to remove a passenger physically.

The UK rail network is extremely busy in many places, and delays to one service can very, very quickly snowball to yield significant knock-on effects. The emphasis on punctuality on the British system therefore is such that it would be a foolhardy guard who caused significant delay to a train by taking a stand and refusing to proceed without good cause. And a passenger on crutches taking up two seats but happily freeing up the second on request certainly would not be considered a good cause.