Amtrak trip "Exceptionally unpleasant", for UK executive and colleague Options

[RailHaRRy]

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Subject: UK Exec.: Amtrak trip "Exceptionally unpleasant"

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> On a recent visit to the United States I traveled on the Metroliner
> service from New York to Boston. My experience was so exceptionally
> unpleasant that I wanted to draw it to your attention.
>
> On 23 April I and a colleague, Mr John Turner, bought tickets for the 2250
> Service from New York Penn Station to Boston South Station. This was a
> Metroliner service, replacing the Acela which had recently been withdrawn
> from service. As we planned to work together on the journey we bought
> First Class tickets, hoping to get adjacent seats.
>
> The accommodation on the train was filthy and inadequate. We were unable
> to sit together, because the First Class coach was full, and I was forced
> to eat my meal on my knees, because the fold-away table was missing.
>
> At New Haven two passengers left the coach and we moved to their seats so
> as to be able to work together. About five minutes later the coach
> attendant asked us if we would move back to our previous seats, as one of
> the two passengers whom we had seen leave had been joined by her boyfriend
> and they wanted to sit together. We were surprised to hear this, and
> explained that we, also, wanted to sit together and as it was not possible
> to reserve seats on the Metroliner we assumed that they had no more right
> to the seats than we had.
>
> Five minutes later the conductor arrived. As soon as he arrived, he
> started shouting at us. He told us very clearly, at the top of his voice,
> that the seats had been reserved by the other two passengers; and that we
> were required to move immediately. At no time did he lower his voice; or
> apologize for the difficult situation that we were in; or did he ask for
> our help. We asked him, politely, how other passengers had been able to
> reserve seats when we hadn't, and we asked him to lower his voice. I
> should stress that at no time were we rude or threatening, and at no point
> did we show any sign of wanting to respond to him with any kind of
> violence.
>
> The conductor, however, told us - still shouting - that we were a
> "security risk" and that, if we didn't move, he would have us removed at
> the next station. Not wishing to make matters worse, we then moved to our
> previous seats.
>
> Although we had done as he requested, the conductor did call for backup,
> and at Providence three uniformed policemen came on board. They told us
> that, because the conductor had requested it, they would not remove us
> from the train; but that if we gave "any more trouble" we would be removed
> from the train and "criminal charges might be brought".
>
> We did not respond to this because it was clear at this point that any
> verbal objection however politely phrased would be met almost certainly
> with physical violence. After the police had departed, we asked for
> witnesses, but none of the other passengers were prepared to come forward.
> We asked the attendant for her name, but she just said "I ain't seen
> nutting". The Conductor, however, told us that his name was Eduardo, but
> refused to give us his surname.
>
> This experience was by far the most unpleasant that I have ever had in
> forty years of traveling on four continents. The intimidation by Amtrak's
> conductor and police was utterly disproportionate to the situation and was
> aggravated by being completely unwarranted. For Amtrak officials to treat
> First Class passengers, on their flagship service, in this manner, will
> come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the customer service norms of
> the US and International commercial travel business.
>
> For myself and my colleague, the experience was very unsettling and left
> us unable to talk about the event for some time afterwards. We felt
> violated and abused as strongly as if we had, in the event, been subjected
> to physical maltreatment.
>
> My main concern in writing this letter, however, is not to obtain personal
> redress for the emotional trauma we underwent or the shock of being
> treated, in public, like criminal miscreants.
>
> I am far more concerned for what this incident says for the policies of
> the United States Government and the benefits or otherwise - of the
> subsidies which appear to support Amtrak. It is unthinkable that an
> incident like this could have happened on board an international air
> carrier, or any other commercially-minded business. It is as least
> possible that it is Amtrak's special status in the transportation industry
> which has created an environment within which staff behavior like this can
> thrive.
>
> I would love to hear that this incident was unique and is not in any way
> representative of the culture of management at Amtrak. If, however, this
> is not the case, would you please explain to me what purpose Amtrak serves
> if it isn't there to serve its passengers ?
>
> Yours sincerely,
> Philip Allen, Chairman, DecisionSoft Limited