Originally Posted by AlanB

With respect Bob, you either not been on a long distance train in a very long time and/or you need to update your database of experience. While I disagree with much of what you wrote, here's the biggest tip that your database needs updating.

No dining car attendant in at least the last 7 years would ever hand you a pencil to fill out your menu card. Passengers are not allowed to fill out anything on the guest check, except for their car & room number and their signature if they are in a sleeper. Additionally, pencils are not allowed to be used on the guest checks ever!

All guest checks must be marked with a black pen only. They can't use pencils and they cannot even use a blue pen. Those guest checks are scanned by a computer to account for inventory on the train. Anything other than a black pen mark cannot be read by the computer and the Lead Service Attendant is left being responsible for the missing inventory.

The crews are well aware of the repercussions of this rule and would never, ever hand you a pencil and ask you to fill out the guest check. In fact, they won't even give you the guest check to touch at all if you're not in a sleeper. If you are in a sleeper, they are quite specific that you are not to mark off any choices for food, but only to sign and provide a room/car number.

The issue discussed is service, or lack thereof. Rude, condescending, thoughtless employees, who have no business working on the front lines is the core issue.

Through my observations, not only on long distance trains, but on short-to-medium distance routes, without dining cars, along with numerous reports from others, it's easy to see that the situation hasn't changed.


There is also no comparing Amtrak to United/American or any other airline. Airlines get their food delivered 30 minutes or less before departure and they know how many people are going to be on the flight. Amtrak gets its food delivered a few hours before the train leaves the first station. And the train can be in transit for up to 2 days, with people getting on/off along the way and tickets still being sold at upcoming stations.

Yes, but airlines order their food long before 30 minutes before departure. The airlines have a private caterer (Example: SkyChef), deliver the food to the plane and get their data from the airlines, as to the quantities required. They have no trouble getting it right.

As regards the train being en-route two days, today there are all sorts of ways to get the message(s) communicated ahead (radio, mobile phones, internal channels - United and American have their own company channel), to have food ready, if demand is up and inventory is down. Low on steaks, with two more seatings ahead? Set up vendor relationships with a Costco, Sam's Club, Safeway, whatever, along with a local taxi company and have 'em meet the train. Next station, load up on inventory and people get fed. What's the big problem?

Any seasoned and reasonably intelligent on-board service employee should be able to figure this one out.

Not to mention that if the flight does actually provide a meal, then it's a pretty safe bet that everyone will eat the meal. On Amtrak about the only people guaranteed to eat meals are those in the sleeping cars where meals are included. One has to guess how many coach passengers will actually go to the dining car vs. the cafe car vs. having brought something onboard with them.

There is no simple, valid comparison.

Yes, there is. On pre-Amtrak, crack US trains, this problem would be unthinkable and they had less communication options than we have today. Imagine being able to handle a situation, any situation, pre-radio days, with a crew member dropping a message from the train onto a station platform, as the train blew through and the stationmaster, who would often (if not always) be present for the roll-by, picking it up and telegraphing ahead and solving the problem.

So again, with respect, I have to believe that it's been quite some time since you've been on an Amtrak long distance train. It's time to update your database.