cle wrote: ↑Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:51 pm
Would seem a loss of potential revenue. I'm sure they'd freak in the union, but in the longer stints (e.g. Croton-Poughkeepsie) - the ticket guy could do a trolley run with cans and snacks for sale. Nothing hot or complex - prob sell a good amount of booze. Or check and cater in one.
I don't think there would be enough revenue benefit to outweigh the drawbacks of the potential negatives. The conductors are already pretty overwhelmed with how packed these trains can be without having to wait tables and handle additional money. There used to be cafe car service on the short haul trains but they proved to cost more than they made.
I travel the RHI - NYP portion of the route pretty often and even on the trains I catch with cafe car service, typically don't get hungry/thirsty enough by the time I reach Croton or Yonkers to warrant a visit for snacks. Even if I do by that time I'm already so close to NYP that I'm more likely to just grab food in the city. This is especially true for the return trip, where I'll just make sure I grab something in the city before I depart in case I get snacky. There are enough quick food options around the stations between ALB - NYP where people could stop for more snacks at less cost before jumping on the train. I've made my fair share of stops to the Dunkin' at the Milan Mobile or the Stewarts in town for a coffee and sandwich to house on the train.
I also don't really care to see adult beverage service. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against drinking (I enjoy a couple of Stellas every now and then), but people on crowded Empire trains can be obnoxious sober, never mind when they've been partaking in the City. Plus it's been my experience that people drinking in public tend to have less self control than in private environments. It's easy enough to walk away from a drunk guy/gal out in the open, but being confined together in an AmCan is not my idea of a fun time. I'm sure train crews have their hands full already with the sober crazies, they probably don't want or need the trashed ones too lol.