Wish List for Better Rail Travel Incomplete

I wish

  1. I wish Congress would revamp and improve the most efficient form of long-distance mass-transit in these days of global warming from inefficient use of fossil fuels.
    1. Congress spends hundreds of billions on subsidizing highway and airways but only a billion or so on Amtrak.
    2. Every member of Congress who votes against adequate funding for Amtrak should be barred from travel on Amtrak as well as their descendents.
  2. I wish conductors would not disappear.
  3. I wish parents would not change diapers anywhere on the train except on the diaper changing tables of the toilets. Parents who do not change babies in the toilettes should lose any special privileges accorded parents, e.g., first claim on extra, empty seats. Soiled diapers are to be disposed in the trash bins by the sink with the spring loaded trap doors. If they need assistance in watching other children in the coach, they should ask someone to help. Other passengers would prefer watching other children for a moment than ride miles with the stench of air fouled by soiled diapers.
  4. I wish there were posted rules for Amtrak passengers and employee.
  5. I wish the public announcement systems that work in all cars well enough to hear.
  6. I wish bathrooms had toilet paper holders that did not get wet from the sink spray.
  7. I wish in the coach Cars that
    1. Car attendants would clean toilets: Some do, most don't
    2. Newspaper are placed over clogged toilets and doors locked.
    3. Regular cleanup announcements (8,2,8): Please clean up around your seat.
    4. No eating in coach seats except for soda, chips, coffee, water, cookies.
      1. No prepared food.
      2. No convenient food.
      3. No spicy food.
    5. Turning seats to make a bed when seats available.
    6. Posted passenger rights and responsibilities.
  8. I wish in the Cafe Cars
    1. No crates on seats.
    2. No toilets used as storage rooms.
    3. No locked toilets in cafe car.
    4. Electrical outlets
      1. Will not be taped over.
      2. Multiple in Lounge cards
      3. Training of attendants in resetting circuit breakers
    5. Time Limits on Parking self at tables.
  9. I wish in the Lounge Car
    1. Hot water dispenser in upper lounge car wet bar.
    2. Muliple electrical outlets
    3. Re-instate Movies
  10. I wish Amtrak had a pro-passenger president and CEO.

Incomplete: Complete at launch or publication

    1. If this bathroom is not clean, could you kindly clean it up.
    2. If it is too dirty to clean up, please contact the conductor.
    3. Toilette Etiquette: opposite of john.
  2. Opposite of John.
  3. Bathrooms: L-shaped Toilet paper holders off the paper towel rack so it does not get wet when guys miss or faucets splatter--see picture.
  5. Solutions:
    1. City health inspectors should be board trains and impound unsafe, unhealthy trains until cleaned up.
    2. All train toilets should have hourly cleanliness check sheets like most business establishments.
      1. Amtrak personnel should not be sitting and talking when they could be pro-active and preventative.
      2. Amtrak personnel should be required to clean dirty toilets or find other jobs.
        1. Canadian train personnel do this on their trains.
        2. A lot of people would like to have an Amtrak job.
    3. Congress should revamp and improve the most efficient form of long-distance mass-transit in these days of global warming from inefficient use of fossil fuels.
      1. Congress spends hundreds of billions on subsidizing highway and airways but only a billion or so on Amtrak.
      2. Every member of Congress who votes against adequate funding for Amtrak should be barred from travel on Amtrak as well as their descendents.
      3. All current Amtrak passenger personnel should be terminated like the air controllers in the 1980's, for Amtrak personnel are universally anti-passenger in their actions, demeanor and talk. It is better that the few good people suffer the inconvenience of finding another job than the masses suffer this universal incompetence and meanness. A new broom sweeps clean.
  6. City health inspectors should board Amtrak trains and halt movement if conditions are found to be unhealthy and unsafe.
  7. In additional arenas of management, I am amazed at the lack of problem-prevention and -solution by a team that sold themselves as business managers.
  8. Amtrak BB
    1. If a train runs out of water, conductor gets suspended for 30-days without pay.
    2. If personnel have to clean up messes that they allow to occur, not getting waters and fluids, then they will be better at preventing messes. As is, they move to the dining car in front of the stench, sit and talk while passengers gasp for air. It is the old back of the bus, separate but equal doctrine on Amtrak. While I will go to my grave wishing the history of America had not had the discrimination by whites against blacks, everytime I see a black abuse their position to disrepect another human being of all and any color, I realize that there are a lot of blacks who would have no problems with a system in which they are the massas and the whitinenies are become red neckies.