Amtrak Guest Rewards - Senate passes measure to allow gun transport on Amtrak

just saw this on cnn.com

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/16/amtrak.guns/index.html

I hope some way is found to make it happen sooner rather than later.....

I am a regular traveller to the US for target shooting comps, and I like train travel a great deal...

Always struck me as odd that it wasn't allowed.....

I hope some way is found to make it happen sooner rather than later.....

I am a regular traveller to the US for target shooting comps, and I like train travel a great deal...

Always struck me as odd that it wasn't allowed.....

Wow... never realized it was banned...

With all the hunting that happens up and down the East Coast... sheesh... wonder how many guns are brought onboard or checked out of ignorance of the ban?

Wow... never realized it was banned...

With all the hunting that happens up and down the East Coast... sheesh... wonder how many guns are brought onboard or checked out of ignorance of the ban?
I doubt it. I would think anyone traveling with a gun would check the carriers rules first to see at least how it needs to be secured and find out that Amtrak doesn't allow guns. At least that is the intelligent thing to do and guns should be handled intelligently at all times.

Prediction: If Amtrak is forced to do this, it will take lots of time and money to roll it out, thus further reducing the quality and quantity of passenger rail service for the rest of us.

Congress tells Amtrak to run like a business and make money yet they micro-manage it and pass ridiculous mandates without providing proper funding. Can't have it both ways... :mad:

Congress tells Amtrak to run like a business and make money yet they micro-manage it and pass ridiculous mandates without providing proper funding. Can't have it both ways... :mad:
Maybe if they acted like a business congress wouldn't have to micromanage. The airlines don't have any problem checking guns but Amtrak apparently doesn't care about serving those customers.

Maybe if they acted like a business congress wouldn't have to micromanage. The airlines don't have any problem checking guns but Amtrak apparently doesn't care about serving those customers.

short of legally protected classes (equal protection, TVII, etc) real businesses are free to choose what customers to serve based purely on business planning - you know, when you decide whether certain costs are justified by the additional revenue expected.

I might also add that spending is certainly out of control in Washington, and it is hard for me to imagine Congress considering providing over $1.5 billion to Amtrak, while the rail line intentionally limits its revenue and chooses not to receive passenger miles from this specific and law-abiding segment of travelers.


This is certainly one way to recklessly strong arm someone into compliance with your own personal wishes. Take away all approved funding over a business policy. :rolleyes: This could also have nothing to do with guns and just be an effort to kill Amtrak. If Congress wanted checked firearms there are other ways to push the issue without going to such childish extremes.

I would like to know how many people actually checked firearms on Amtrak before the policy changed many years ago. Of course, with no screening, there really isn't anything to prevent someone from putting a firearm in checked baggage right now anyway.

Since the amendment pokes at Amtrak for limiting revenue, perhaps that means Amtrak should charge extra for checked firearms. The amendment also offered no limitation on charges for checking a firearm. Perhaps $150 per case each way. That would be an excellent "enhancement" that millions of Amtrak passengers have clearly "asked for".


(1) if an Amtrak station accepts checked baggage for a specific Amtrak route, Amtrak passengers holding a ticket for such route are allowed to place an unloaded firearm or starter pistol in a checked bag on such route

I take this to mean a single train forms a route. So passengers on connecting itineraries would be unable to check bags through to connecting trains. This would remove the need for a secure storage area for bags transferring between trains. Of course, to enhance revenue, then you could charge another $150 per case for checking the bag on the second train.

Before I am flamed by NRA card toting members, I don't have anything against firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak and I'm not entirely sure what Amtrak is worried about since they accepted firearms before. The manner in which this went through the Senate and is being forced on the railroad is what really ticks me off.

Since the amendment pokes at Amtrak for limiting revenue, perhaps that means Amtrak should charge extra for checked firearms. The amendment also offered no limitation on charges for checking a firearm. Perhaps $150 per case each way. That would be an excellent "enhancement" that millions of Amtrak passengers have clearly "asked for".An excellent suggestion that I think will make all parties (Congress, Amtrak, gun-toting hicks) happy. :)

"gun toting hicks?" :td:

And yes, an appropriate charge would be fine by me..... I'd assume the suggestion of $150 per bag is motivated more by a personal dislike of firearms than anything....but a charge more directly related to the extra handling costs... No problem.

I would like to know how many people actually checked firearms on Amtrak before the policy changed many years ago. Of course, with no screening, there really isn't anything to prevent someone from putting a firearm in checked baggage right now anyway.

Since the amendment pokes at Amtrak for limiting revenue, perhaps that means Amtrak should charge extra for checked firearms. The amendment also offered no limitation on charges for checking a firearm. Perhaps $150 per case each way. That would be an excellent "enhancement" that millions of Amtrak passengers have clearly "asked for".

I take this to mean a single train forms a route. So passengers on connecting itineraries would be unable to check bags through to connecting trains. This would remove the need for a secure storage area for bags transferring between trains. Of course, to enhance revenue, then you could charge another $150 per case for checking the bag on the second train.

<emphasis mine>

So would AMTRAK then screen all bags to find the guns? Otherwise, pax can just check their baggage w/o declaring the guns... and since there's no screening...

I am acutally rather surprised at an underlying issue with AMTRAK (probably discussed before :p) -

Why is there no screening?

"gun toting hicks?" :td:You didn't see the smiley face, did you?

Before I am flamed by NRA card toting members, I don't have anything against firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak and I'm not entirely sure what Amtrak is worried about since they accepted firearms before. The manner in which this went through the Senate and is being forced on the railroad is what really ticks me off.

AFAIK, Amtrak's primary concern is the fact that they have to employ special procedures to check guns and they have to improve security to keep them from being stolen. Most workers don't want someone's dirty laundry as it were. But a gun is something that they can, with a bit of ingenuity, sell for profit.

It also looked good that they were doing something for security by dropping checked guns at the time. But the primary reason is cost and liability.

And I agree, I don't like the way this is being forced on Amtrak. Of course it's also not a done deal either, as the House version doesn't have this provision and it may well be removed by the committees.

Maybe if they acted like a business congress wouldn't have to micromanage.

While I wouldn't argue that in many areas Amtrak could and should act more like a business, micromanaging is never the solution. In fact, it only makes things worse, a la SDS and Diner-Lite.

Senate Passes Measure to Allow Gun Transport on AmtrakHow about:

Senate Measure: No Checked Guns on Amtrak, No Federal Funding

My nomination for inaccurate headline of the day. :)

This is certainly one way to recklessly strong arm someone into compliance with your own personal wishes. Take away all approved funding over a business policy. :rolleyes: This could also have nothing to do with guns and just be an effort to kill Amtrak. If Congress wanted checked firearms there are other ways to push the issue without going to such childish extremes.


Since the checked guns requirement came without corresponding funding, I look for Amtrak to comply with this directive by a drastic reduction in checked baggage service. Many Amtrak trains and routes do not currently offer checked baggage, and Amtrak could use this new requirement as an opportunity to retire its baggage cars, since they are all over 50 years old and just about at the end of their useful life. This would save the money budgeted for their replacement to cover some of the costs of increased screening. Some Superliner trains could continue token baggage service using the coaches that have baggage compartments on the lower level, but I would expect something along the line of: Checked baggage on the California Zephyr is handled only at Chicago, Denver, and Emeryville. But checked gun service will be available at those points, complying with the bipartisan wishes of 68 senators.