My Passion...Or "Never Again"? (due to COVID)

OK volks, the COVID-19 pandemic WILL end. Just when and how, who knows.

Now though, might it be time to consider what must pass in order to have you ride Amtrak again?

The answer surely must be somewhere between "Hey I'm a railfan; and this is my passion" and "never again".

To formulate the discussion allow me to lead off with the internet's favorite character,...I

In my case, after my "take it or leave it" Auto Train "Voyage 25" this past January, "I'm done" with any riding other than that which offers a clear cut advantage over any other mode. Think traveling overseas by any mode other than flying.

On the Auto Train, why so harsh? 52(26JAN) arrived LOR some 80ME; the SCSA was "exceptional" to such extent I "wrote her up" with Customer Relations, and I can only hope my praise got to her. The equipment was in "state of adequate repair", i.e. "everything worked" (still "batting a thousand" with showers) and the food "passed muster" (even if serving my one "glass" of "Red or White" from a milk container was an "I don't believe it"). But I was still left with the feelings of an "institutional experience" such as with an airline flight (where wine in First or Business is served in real glassware and from a glass bottle - and you can have whatever you can responsibly drink) or commuter train ride that "got you there" - safely and on time.

This experience lead me to my mindset of "only again if I need to". That means for Auto Train, I must be in Florida with a POV and have need for my next stop to be in the Wash DC area (I have friends there, and Virginia Grape Juice is not sold in Illinois) there is the clear cut advantage to use Auto Train. But there is little to none if my next stop is home in the Chicago area, where a net of 390 miles of driving - and no time whatever - is saved.

Wolverines to Ann Arbor or Detroit, where I hope to again attend concerts? Given their frequency and reliability " uh, not exactly" (and they don't make a "meal stop" in Marshall so I can have Schuler's "to die for" Prime Rib).

So, if I'm in the Corridor, after having gotten there by other means, and I have somewhere to go within same, of course I'd be on Amtrak. But failing that (oh maybe same on the West Coast, but I haven't been out there in 25 years and have no reason to do so), Amtrak, we have had some good rides together over the past forty nine years, but, save what's noted preceding, "I'm done."

I'd ride from Philly to Seattle right now in a bedroom, (have 260,000 points) if it wasn't for (a) being imprisoned somewhere for 2 weeks because they discover somebody four cars down had asymptomatic coronavirus, and (b) AMTRAK deciding they're going to run bus service out to Seattle just when I'm ready to board the train. Given that, I think I'll wait until the panic settles down before I take any trips.

I will, but in December. Give it a few more months.

I rescheduled the trip I was supposed to take this week to Chicago then to DC then back to NH to the end of July. Will see if that's a go or no go in the couple of months ahead.

WashingtonPark wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:02 am I'd ride from Philly to Seattle right now in a bedroom, (have 260,000 points) if it wasn't for (a) being imprisoned somewhere for 2 weeks because they discover somebody four cars down had asymptomatic coronavirus, and (b) AMTRAK deciding they're going to run bus service out to Seattle just when I'm ready to board the train. Given that, I think I'll wait until the panic settles down before I take any trips.

I cancelled an 8,600 mile, 88,000 AGR redemption trip that would have started this past Monday. So now I have almost enough points for two of those trips!

And guess what? They converted the Hiawatha, which I would be on next Wednesday, to a bus! At the rate things are becoming bus-ted, I'm surprised that all or nearly all LDs haven't been bus-ted as well!

My current thinking is when they settle down and the western LD trains return to full-service dining, THEN I'll rebook. I'll NEVER go back if they keep boxed dog food. 5 days and 4 consecutive nights (#421 & #14) existing on that garbage? NO THANK YOU! Make that... OVER MY DEAD BODY!

Assuming that life gets back to normal to the point that we can resume regular social contact (and if it doesn't we have bigger problems to worry about), I'm hoping to do a California Zephyr trip at some point. Regular dining service is definitely a prerequisite. In fact, I'm so disappointed with the contemporary dining that I'd consider flying to Chicago to catch the Zephyr over taking the Lake Shore or Capitol from the east coast.

I remember riding the Silver Comet Birmingham to Richmond in the late 40s early 50s. Nice reclining seats with leg rests. Really reclined enough to sleep OK. Any such reclining seats on Amtrak??

I have three different overnight trips scheduled during October. That’s a little earlier than I’d like so I am taking a wait and see approach.

I was supposed to have gone to DC and BAL all on one trip between 5/14 and 5/23 but the COVID-19 postponed my trip and will be rescheduled when things improve enough. I think if I do this trip, it would be later this summer or earlier this Fall. I would like to make a daytrip somewhere on Amtrak this Summer if things improve a lot. I'm not scheduling any trips until I hear that things will be a lot better than what they presently are.

Absolutely I will. It may not be for some time, but once antibody tests come out and some restrictions ease (perhaps not until vaccines), I’m looking forward to riding again.

Minor update to title to clarify, but a great topic. Would I? Yes, with prudent precautions.

I'm itching to get back on the road again. I'll ride again in a few weeks if it makes sense, with adequate precautions. Maybe a mask, definitely wipes, etc... It depend more on if customers are willing to see me than anything.

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:29 pm Assuming that life gets back to normal to the point that we can resume regular social contact (and if it doesn't we have bigger problems to worry about), I'm hoping to do a California Zephyr trip at some point. Regular dining service is definitely a prerequisite. In fact, I'm so disappointed with the contemporary dining that I'd consider flying to Chicago to catch the Zephyr over taking the Lake Shore or Capitol from the east coast.

That's interesting. How many would be OK with being jammed into the dining car sitting across from people you don't know at the same table in the future with other seating much less than 6 feet away?

I will never get on an airplane, so the alternatives for me are Amtrak, the highway, or stay home. Right now there's no point in going anywhere because everything is closed.

If the Downeaster starts running again, I'll use it to visit my girlfriend in Maine; otherwise, I won't be doing any traveling for the foreseeable future other than for work, and that mostly by car. With one exception, Amtrak doesn't run where I need to go.

I fly whenever I need to travel a few thousand miles away, like to Los Angeles to visit my brother.This is definately not a good time to be doing any traveling. Yes, everything is closed.

In 2021, either in Spring or Summer is supposed to be the NRHS Convention in Portland, Maine. Hopefully, we will have a vaccine for this COVID-19 by then so that way, the odds of many of us getting the virus will have diminished. If I can attend that convention in Portland, then I will go and will Amtrak on the NEC to BOS, maybe spend a night or two in Boston, before heading to Maine on the Downeaster.