My parents turned 80 this year and we wanted to have a big birthday celebration for them with all 7 of us kids. Since 4 of the kids now live in NC, my sister in Apex offered to host for this weekend.

I'm up near Reading, PA and did not feel like driving 8 hours each way to spend the weekend there so I drove to Philly and left my car in a garage and hopped on the Amtrak Carolinian to get me to Cary, NC

Trip down was pretty uneventful but HOLY CRAP on the trip home I got stuck near this woman who talked rapid-fire on her phone pretty loudly for HOURS. Like a conversation that should be private and not broadcast to half the train car. After 2 hours of her yapping nonstop loudly I went and spoke to a conductor that she would not STFU and I'm starting to get pissed off. He rolls his eyes like he sees this all the time and says "walk back and then in 5-10 min I'll come and handle it". So he does but of course by then she's quiet and he can't do anything.

This happened on and off the whole trip between her speaking loudly on the phone and then talking people's ears off around her interspersed with an annoying laugh. I think she was one of these people who just don't know how to modulate their voice, like the concept of an "indoor voice" is foreign to them and she was nervous or something and talking was how she dealt with it. Like she just could NOT SHUT UP and had to fill the time by talking. I ended up putting on my headphones with music for a while to drown her out then when the car started to empty out, I moved far away from her as I could not take it much longer. I guess I could have been more of an asshole and got the conductor again or just confronted her to tell her to shut the hell up but I didn't want to deal with any confrontation at this point, I just wanted to get home. And of course she's going to Philly too.

Along with that incident the other thing I noticed was just how old the train seemed. Like 1970's vintage and the ride was rarely smooth. Was riding trains in Germany 30 years ago that were faster, smoother, nicer and just light years ahead of what we have. I guess that's what happens when you have an interstate highway based system in your country and not a public transport based one.

Annoying, yes. Inconsiderate, absolutely. Illegal, no. Probably not even a violation of any policy.

It's public transit, and as such you'll be interacting with the unwashed masses, and most of them are useless assholes. It's just how it is. Be happy...you could have taken Greyhound and encountered physical fights, stabbings, and flagrant drug use!

The difference with Europe is that over there people mostly know how to behave...although I encountered plenty of scary stuff on public transit living over there, too.

Similar 'adventure' several years ago on Amtrak, going from Atlanta to DC. Overnight train. Woman in front of me talked ALL night. ALL night. NEVER shut up. NEVER. Finally stopped about 7AM, not long before I got off at King Street. Didn't have a ticket in her name - seems her son bought it in his name and gave it to her. Three conductors standing around her figuring it out. And I'm thinking "please toss her off the train".

Amtrak - never again.

I haven't ridden a train in many years. Back then I just sat in the bar car to get away from the annoying people. If I had to take Amtrak nowadays, the only way that I'd do it is in a sleeper.

Could have been worse. At least you did not go on an airline.

As a follow up, I leared so much from this woman that I really shouldn't have but she chose to broadcast it to half the train car.

She's Jewish and lives in Philly but was engaged to a Catholic guy and was trying to figure out a wedding and how to make this work. Half of her calls appeared to be to her poor fiancé who she seemed to be both haranguing and pleading with back and forth. Holy moly.

At one point she dismissively tells him "you're exhausting to me, you're sapping my energy...don't you recall this was how I ended up in the psych ward last time?"

I almost wanted to snatch the phone out of her hand and say "RUN AWAY DUDE, RUN AWAY!!!"

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
A. Be happy...you could have taken Greyhound and encountered physical fights, stabbings, and flagrant drug use!

And ... me, being born in the back seat, on HWY 41.

Would you please quit talking on the phone and finish the blow job i paid you for? Loud enough to be heard on the other end of the phone.

Throw Mama From The Train!

quote:

almost wanted to snatch the phone out of her hand and say "RUN AWAY DUDE, RUN AWAY!!!"

Lol...it would have been almost worth enduring all of that with you just to watch you do that . Sadly, if he hasn't figured that out on his own already, there's nothing that can be done to help him.

Crazy people who use the fact that they're crazy to manipulate other people are the worst kind of crazy.

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Originally posted by RichardC:

And ... me, being born in the back seat, on HWY 41.

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

I ride from Central Illinois to Chicago and they have signs saying you can't have your speaker turned on. I complained to a conductor last year or so and he told the lady to be quiet or she might get off early.

I took Amtrak twice last year. Coast Starlight, LA to Seattle, and California Zephyr, Oakland to Denver. I saw enough reviews and videos, and knew to spend the extra money and get a private “bedroom.” Worth it to me.

Only downside was I traveled alone so I got stuck at mealtimes with strangers. It was torture. I can only take so much courtesy and pleasantries.

Slower than a plane, and the cars are older, though fairly well maintained. It was a very pleasant way to travel. Ridiculously expensive, however.

I will never take amtrack again. Its pretty close to being on gray hound. Filled with dirt bags and homeless people. The bathroom still haunts me lol

Anytime we head north from Richmond we take Amtrak to avoid the horrible 95 north traffic. Most trains have a Quiet Car where you have to be quiet, no music, loud phone calls, talking, etc. Something to think about for any future Amtrak journeys.

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Originally posted by maxwayne:
I ride from Central Illinois to Chicago and they have signs saying you can't have your speaker turned on. I complained to a conductor last year or so and he told the lady to be quiet or she might get off early.

She didn't. Was on earbuds or headset and just spoke loudly to the person on the other end.

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Originally posted by Ronin101:
The bathroom still haunts me lol

It's been since I was a little kid that I was last on an American train, but in Europe I remember pressing the flush lever and watching the little flap open up and dumping everything out on the tracks below...you could actually see the ties whizzing by through the hole. I can't imagine they do that here, right?

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

It's been since I was a little kid that I was last on an American train, but in Europe I remember pressing the flush lever and watching the little flap open up and dumping everything out on the tracks below...you could actually see the ties whizzing by through the hole. I can't imagine they do that here, right?

No, the bathrooms are the same tech as airplane bathrooms with the flush button that makes a loud sucking sound. I'd imagine it's all being collected in a tank.

quote:

It's been since I was a little kid that I was last on an American train, but in Europe I remember pressing the flush lever and watching the little flap open up and dumping everything out on the tracks below...you could actually see the ties whizzing by through the hole. I can't imagine they do that here, right?

Well back in the 50's on a train trip from KC to Dallas I observed the same rr ties whizzing by thru the hole of the flushing toilet.
We must be of similar age, lol. Interestingly the plumbing fixtures, lavatory and toilet bowl, were made of brass.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:

quote:

It's been since I was a little kid that I was last on an American train, but in Europe I remember pressing the flush lever and watching the little flap open up and dumping everything out on the tracks below...you could actually see the ties whizzing by through the hole. I can't imagine they do that here, right?

Well back in the 50's on a train trip from KC to Dallas I observed the same rr ties whizzing by thru the hole of the flushing toilet.
We must be of similar age, lol. Interestingly the plumbing fixtures, lavatory and toilet bowl, were made of brass.

I was born 3 decades after the 50s, but the communists kept most of Eastern Europe at least that far behind, so growing up there in the 90s was probably pretty similar to the US in the 50s. One thing's for sure, we made sure we watched where we were walking when we played on the tracks !

quote:

No, the bathrooms are the same tech as airplane bathrooms with the flush button that makes a loud sucking sound. I'd imagine it's all being collected in a tank.

Well, that's good, I guess...but I have an irrational fear of those, too. In my mind, anything that involves suction/pressurization and feces has potential to go horribly wrong. When I'm on a plane I always wash my hands, unlock the door, and get ready to run out before I flush, lol!