Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
room. In the meantime, other passengers are asking to have their
beds made up, and there may be a station stop coming up where
he has to board new passengers. Cut the attendant some slack if
you can. Train attendants and serving personnel in the dining cars
have very tough jobs, and sometimes even the best of them will get
cranky. Try to keep things in perspective, and don't let one person
having a bad day spoil your trip. In the unlikely event that you run
into a real problem employee, seek out the conductor. If you're
not satisfied with the action taken, note the employee's name and,
after you get home, contact Amtrak about the problem. (How-to
details are at the end of this chapter.) But do it! Amtrak can't deal
with problem employees if you don't go to that trouble.
Rattles and Squeaks
As mentioned in an earlier chapter, the railcar in which you're rid-
ing has probably been around a long time. The constant motion of
the train can cause strange noises to develop, and some can drive
you crazy when you're trying to sleep. Usually it's something easy
to find and simple to fix—slamming a washcloth in a rattling cabi-
net door, for instance—so at least make the effort. The next step
is to call your attendant, who will probably be able to locate the
problem and take care of it quickly. On rare occasions, mysteri-
ous squeaks and rattles just can't be silenced. When that happens,
it may be possible to change rooms. Otherwise you'll just have
to tough it out. Heck, if a rattle will bother you that much, you
won't be sleeping much anyway. (I must confess that the myriad
sounds produced by a moving sleeping car is like a lullaby for me.)
Problem Passengers
Occasionally the stranger sitting next to you can turn out to be
something of a problem—a constant talker, for instance. When it
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