FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - No checking of ID's on Amtrak
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Old Dec 7, 2007, 8:47 am
  #27  
Gare_NY
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Buffalo to Chicago - Every week!
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 18
Hey there,

In my weekly CHI-BUF travels, I am asked to show my license every time I buy/pick up a ticket, at both stations. Additionally, Buffalo seems to be a rotation point for conductors, so one is always at the station, ready to board with the passengers, and he/she always checks my license and does the ticket lift right inside the station. At Union Station in CHI, my weekly friendly gate agent is John, who knows me by name, but still checks my license and ticket thoroughly.

And I've had an odd juxtaposition of my feelings on this topic for a few weeks now. On the one hand, I really have no problem with Amtrak checking ID's, regardless of how bootless some of you seem to consider these efforts. Sure, one can get a fake ID, and it seems unlikely that the Amtrak ticket agents have much if any training to spot a fake.. but it acts as a very basic first line of defense. I once saw a very beligerent young man at Union get denied his ticket at the window because he couldn't prove who he was, and he got verbally abusive enough that they summoned the police (who are always a presence at Union) to escort him from the building. And honestly, shouldn't Amtrak know the identifications of people who are riding on their vehicles, if for nothing else other than basic identification for emergencies/security/etc? I mean, I don't know about you all, but *I* certainly wouldn't have wanted to ride with that guy!

The juxtoposition I've felt - well.. approaching indignance, really - is when Border Patrol gets on the train at Erie. I've seen them blatantly profile middle-eastern people or Mexicans/hispanics, and then literally walk right past a car full of caucasians. Last week, when they found what apparently was an undocumented alien on the train (he was there with his young American-citizen girlfriend and their 3(!) kids), the one agent questioned him, while a second agent walked the length of the car, not looking at any of us at all, as he said "Are you guys citizens? You're all citizens, right? Good..."

So, yeah.. I don't dig that. I could have just stepped off the plane from an Afghanistan Al-Queda camp for all these guys know.

Anyhoo.. that's my two cents.. which I guess.. hm.. it was pretty inconclusive, sort of like matter meeting anti-matter. So.. take it for what it's worth.

Gare_NY
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