MyBlackJourney.com

I'm not sure what to make of this. This website looks to be officially created by Amtrak solely for black people.

I know this can be a touchy topic, I'm just a little surprised. Does Amtrak plan to create a website for other races or ethnic groups I wonder?

http://myblackjourney.com/ is the website and you can see the NRPC's copyright information on the bottom.

MyBlackJourney.com

Amtrak has developed a microsite focusing on African American passenger rail travel called MyBlackJourney.com. The new site features information on popular African American cultural destinations served by Amtrak trains as well as information and travel advice tailored to family reunions and HBCU student travel.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... 1267298916

Yes, it is an official Amtrak site ... part of their Black History Month celebration.

gprimr1 wrote:Does Amtrak plan to create a website for other races or ethnic groups I wonder?

If there was a market opportunity in creating a website targeting another ethnic group or race, they'd be foolish not to. As we know, Amtrak.com is also available in Spanish -- presumably that's for the domestic Spanish-speaking population, not visitors from Spain, notwithstanding the emergent Talgos. (The German is less comprehensible. But since train travel is a good medium between past and present, maybe they're targeting the Mennonites.)

Yes, it is an official Amtrak site ... part of their Black History Month celebration.

Makes sense. I was really wondering there.

travelrobb wrote:(The German is less comprehensible. But since train travel is a good medium between past and present, maybe they're targeting the Mennonites.)

Nice.

I've seen a surprising number of Mennonites on my train trips. Last fall, there were not only Mennonites traveling Denver-Chicago, but several other German speakers who took the time to try to communicate (I imagine it's something like trying to talk to Shakespeare in English). I was surprised. I agree with your general take - that there's no harm in gearing a marketing campaign towards a specific market segment, even if it's a racial segment. A mywhitejourney.com site wouldn't attract many white people, because most white folks identify less with being white than with some subsidiary identity - Irish-American, etc.

And it's actually a pretty interesting, expansive campaign -- for instance, I think it's interesting that they've chosen to feature Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell. This wouldn't be on a list of sites of unique importance to African Americans - it's a Revolutionary War relic, and while in a sense the Revolution created some of the impulses that freed northern slaves, that's definitely not its primary symbolism in anyone's mind, black or white. It's interesting to see Amtrak broadening the meaning of some of the images of American freedom.

The Mennonites are a large Amtrak demographic because they do not fly on airplanes. But many (most?) of them do not use telephones either, much less computers.

No, the German-version Amtrak.com is there for German tourists. They do get six weeks of government-guaranteed vacation time, after all. If you've ever been in a major American tourist destination in summer, you'll hear a lot of Germans talking to each other about where "das Information-Center" is located.

http://www.motionpoint.com/company/moti ... akcom.html
"Outside of North America, Germany is one of our top markets," said David Lim, Amtrak's Chief Marketing Officer. "These customers are very comfortable using rail travel in their home country, and we want to make it easy for them to be able to enjoy rail travel in the United States, as well."

Maybe I should use this thread as an opportunity to ask what the proper course of action is if I were to get a sleeping car attendant who is actually named George. That has Larry David Moment written all over it.

taoyue wrote:The Mennonites are a large Amtrak demographic because they do not fly on airplanes. But many (most?) of them do not use telephones either, much less computers.

The Amish shun telephones, the Mennonites are generally accepting of them. Much of the adherence to religious rules varies from area to area. In some areas you can't get the Amish to put any reflectors on their vehicles ... in others battery operated lights are the norm. In some areas Amish use of a phone would be unheard of ... in others phones are just kept outside of the home. They are fine at work, or in that little booth outside of many homes where someone will run if the phone rings, just not in the home. At least in this area. The Amish here won't drive anything for personal use. But they will accept rides and pay for them.

The Mennonites are at least one step away from the strictest rules. Car ownership and driving is fine (and they drive around their Amish friends). Cell phones are popular and home phones are common. I would not be surprised to see internet usage as well. It is not the same religion or rules. Most are just as literate in English as other English speaking Americans, although private conversations are often held in their German like language. (That's what keeps it private.)

Amtrak's choice of German likely has more to do with foreign travelers. Mennonites will ride but most can use the English language site.

The Mennonites are a large Amtrak demographic because they do not fly on airplanes. But many (most?) of them do not use telephones either, much less computers.

In the Film "Witness" there is a long sequence of Amish in Philadelphia's main station, and a short piece on a train.

taoyue wrote:The Mennonites are a large Amtrak demographic because they do not fly on airplanes. But many (most?) of them do not use telephones either, much less computers.

No, the German-version Amtrak.com is there for German tourists. They do get six weeks of government-guaranteed vacation time, after all. If you've ever been in a major American tourist destination in summer, you'll hear a lot of Germans talking to each other about where "das Information-Center" is located.

http://www.motionpoint.com/company/moti ... akcom.html
"Outside of North America, Germany is one of our top markets," said David Lim, Amtrak's Chief Marketing Officer. "These customers are very comfortable using rail travel in their home country, and we want to make it easy for them to be able to enjoy rail travel in the United States, as well."

Even non-German, North-America-based employees of some German companies get six weeks vacation-- I know this from having a couple friends at Deutsche Bank.

My understanding, by the way, is that the German spoken by the Mennonites (and others) is an archaic dialect, basically 18th Century German: just like the French spoken in Quebec is essentially 17th Century French.

Who could forget the infamous sex in the city episode that featured Amtrak ?

David Benton wrote:Who could forget the infamous sex in the city episode that featured Amtrak ?

I have not watched a single episode.

Since this thread has degenerated into a discussion of sex and sects (religious), did you hear about the Amish woman who liked to make it with multiple partners? She needed two men-nonnite!

Sorry, people; lock the thread, moderator, before we get into politics or race.

Sounds good to me.