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Those of you that are regulars to this site, have read my views on coach versus sleeper. I'm really quite surprised and impressed that GBN hasn't tried to bait me on this one. My views have changed a little (but not much) since my tirade that ignited some colorful conversation on the subject. I will say this; variety is the flavor of life (ok, I may have butchered that saying). Yes, I'm young and my body can handle overnight in coach better than the chronologically advanced. If I had the money, I would splurge for the comfort, but not the isolation. Maybe its because I love observing people (and the more bizarre, the better), but I find it personally despicable how people will spend $500 or more to hide themselves away in a closet on rails because they cannot tolerate being integrated with 'the rabble'. I certainly wouldn't have joined these kids in their debauchery, but I might have been slightly amused by the scene. Some of us are disconnected because we fail to understand that the next generation isn't any better than the prior. Only the technology and vehicles of their rebellion have changed.
Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Getting back to wine-in-a-box, Corbett Canyon is my daily drinker. It's smooth with no bitter aftertaste. Yes, I'm under doctor's orders to drink 8 oz of red wine each day. It was that, or eat an aspirin a day...
And sleeping in coach.. I cannot do it. I cannot sleep sitting and I cannot sleep being surrounded by 50+ strangers. A decent percent of our population is nuts... bonkers... loony-toons... Because I have not personally screened everyone on the train, I cannot vouch for everyone's sanity...
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Peons! We in the elite classes prefer the locomotive, where you get to hang out with the cream of the crop as well as enjoy the best view on the line.
Of course, we have to put up with Matt . . .
;-)
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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I too can enjoy the "interesting" people one meets anywhere. However, I really appreciate the ability to withdraw (and to sleep prone) when situations get too "interesting". Traveling in a sleeper gives me this choice, and I take it every chance I get. For instance, a drunken discussion with twenty-somethings can be somewhat entertaining, but as the author indicated himself, it can also be mundane and repetitively boring, and I have no desire to put up with it for the sake of making out with the smell of vomit. Even in my younger days, there were unsavory liquid lines I never crossed. First class on the train give me choice, coach does not.
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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I think I recounted it before, but on a trip back home on the Silver Meteor (coach) back in May, 2007, my sleep was interrupted by the appearance of several of North Carolina's "finest" walking through the coach to the lounge car to quell a disturbance.
It seems that several youths ("did you say yootz" - My Cousin Vinnie) had decided that the lounge should stay open all night for their imbibing of adult beverages, but the train crew had other ideas. The group was escorted off the train at one of the stops in NC, and, as far as I know, may still be the guests of the Tar Heel state today.
-------------------- Ocala Mike Posts: 1618 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Matt Bown, the host of "Extreme Trains," the human pinball machine . . .
To be fair, often it's his cameraman who seems supercaffeinated.
I kind of like Matt anyway. He is such an eager small boy around trains that it's hard to dislike him.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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In my early train riding days during the 50s, I don't recall any problems in those wonderful old "Hi level" Budd cars on the El Cap...the porters would issue full-sized BED pillows for the coach passengers for a fifty cent rental. Even my mom seemed to be able to be comfortable. I don't recall anyone behaving badly, and when you went to the diner parents controlled their kids. Seems today we have a 'dumbing down' of the citizenry; just watch Jay Leno and those "Jaywalking" episodes to see how truly clueless so many are. But as for today I would not do a 2 1/2 day train ride in the chairs; mainly because my old bones can't take the 'sleeping contortion' in the chair car...
Posts: 589 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Three yeas ago we were in Denver and I got a miserable cough.Got aboard the CZ aweek later and it was still with me. The car attendents on both the CZ and CL were super. Now my point..I simply couldn't sleep lying down so they made the chair in the bedroom into a bed using pillows and blankets so I could get some sleep. They brought all our meals and kept bringing me hot tea. I could have been a memnber of the family. I cringe when I think of what it would have been like in coach . I rode onthe El Cao several times as a child. They had one car that was woman and children only. The seats were very comfortable and the atmosphere excellent. A Tip:: Paulette on the CZ brought me a cupof tea with a Hall menthal cough drop in it. "It will help" she assured me.It did and now all my friends use that for coughs and I tell them courtesy of Amtrak
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Ah, GBN, I see you found the blog referred to in the original post. You're right, that young fellow is well on his way into alcoholism.
What astonishes me further is how shortsighted he is about what future employers are going to think about these posts. Already Facebook "profiles" are resulting in disaster in the personnel offices for those who write them.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Ah, GBN, I see you found the blog referred to in the original post. You're right, that young fellow is well on his way into alcoholism.
What astonishes me further is how shortsighted he is about what future employers are going to think about these posts. Already Facebook "profiles" are resulting in disaster in the personnel offices for those who write them.
And my employer has cautioned those of us in the state's employee to virtually 'watch our step' should we choose to express ourselves on My Space or Face Book.
Can't say that this isn't wise counsel.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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As a charter member of the Devil's Advocate club It occurrd to me that maybe,just maybe we were "being had " by someone who wanted to see how far a discussion could go and his/her ability to write would take him/her.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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TrainLady, to me there seem to be too many entries in that blog (most of them having to do with drinking) for someone to be that wily.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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If impecunity was an overriding consideration, I would be (and have been) willing to sit up a night in Coach. Were that to be two nights in a row, though, I would go to great lengths to either spring for a sleeper, break the journey, or find alternate transportation of the aviation variety.
Some people can sleep just fine in a coach seat. I am not one of them.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Your original subject sums it up for my wife and I. I really would not mind coach if other people were not in it. But this is the exact reason why we never ride in coach anymore. This is also why we like the Coast Starlight best. The first class passengers have their own lounge car, and therefore we don't have to mix with the riff-raff.
A little off the subject, but this is why I wish travelling on Amtrak was a lot more expensive. If it were quite a bit more expensive than flying, then we would not have to put up with these kinds of passengers.
Posts: 446 | From: Phoenix, Arizona | Registered: Jul 2000
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Riff raff huh? And I've been accused of starting class warfare in here. It just goes to prove that while the universe may not be infinite, human arrogance is.
Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Nice to hear I'm not the only one without a cellular telephone. I can't stand the things, and have learned that they tend to turn even the nicest people into obnoxious boobs in public. I have friends and family and loved ones who I cherish and enjoy spending time with, but there is absolutely no one on this planet that I would want to be permanently tethered to, or allow them to have constant access to me and my thoughts during all waking hours. And if I don't take their call on purpose, it only creates more drama and questions once I do speak with them.
I love to take the train down to San Diego or up to Portland just by myself, explore and hang out and do whatever suits my fancy, and I can't even imagine having people I chose not to include in the trip calling me or texting me daily.
Friends at work were showing off their new "App" on their iphones that allow them to see exactly where on the planet the other iphone user currently is. I'm sorry, I like my coworkers, but I will never care that they are at the grocery store at 8:00 PM.
As for the usual argument "What about emergencies?", in the last four decades I have yet to come across an emergency that a cell phone would have prevented or helped with. I blew a tire once on a lonely highway on a rainy night in North Carolina. Know what I did? I got out and changed the tire.
The day the airlines allow cell phone use inflight is the day I will have to restrict all of my travel to Sleeping Cars or private automobiles. Sadly, I think that day is coming.
Posts: 56 | From: Orange County, CA | Registered: Jun 2007
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I love sleeping on a train, though I've been lucky not to have to try to sleep in coach. I also like to be able to get away from those interesting folks. Since I work with the public I don't want anything to do with them when I'm on the train for fun. Then you have to listen to other people's phone conversations and kids too. I think coach is fun for "very" short trips for me anyway.
Posts: 16 | From: Pittsburgh, PA | Registered: Jun 2008
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My family was just here for 16 days celebrating the holidays (and who knew that 16 days could feel longer than three weeks, but I digress...) and my niece's husband spent the entire time (less the ten minutes it took him to open his Xmas gifts) logged on to the computer communicating on Facebook. Fine with me since I cannot stand him, but how rude is it to go to someone's home and never tear yourself away from the laptop?
I'm officially a dinosaur (a connected dinosaur, but still a dinosaur) who has a cell phone but only uses it for emergencies. Not only that, I'm glad there were no cell phones when I was a teenager. The excuse "But I didn't have a dime for the pay phone," got me out of trouble more times than I can count.
Posts: 26 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I forgot to add that I enjoy sitting in coach and meeting new people, but when it's time to sleep, I prefer a sleeper. Just as I discovered last spring that I'm too old now to enjoy staying in funky old motels, I also do not enjoy sleeping in coach. I can't seem to fall asleep on airplanes, either.
Posts: 26 | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by blancoj: I forgot to add that I enjoy sitting in coach and meeting new people, but when it's time to sleep, I prefer a sleeper. Just as I discovered last spring that I'm too old now to enjoy staying in funky old motels, I also do not enjoy sleeping in coach. I can't seem to fall asleep on airplanes, either.
There was a time when I didn't mind a funky old hotel and I have certainly stayed in some funky ones.
Now I have a couple or three preferred chains....the cheap one (Red Roof) that I use when I'm alone and the couple of step-up chains (Choice Hotels or Country Inn) that we look for when the family is along.
And admittedly, one of my long-time favorite Red Roofs is beginning to edge towards seedy....that extra $25 per night might be worth it!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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QUOTE]There was a time when I didn't mind a funky old hotel and I have certainly stayed in some funky ones.[/QUOTE]
My love for funky motels ended this past May when we stayed at the Chief Motel in Custer, SD. I had read many glowing reports about how this motel was funky in a fun way. It was not, it was just funky.
Posts: 26 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Yes, I also have had an M.O. of staying in one chain of motel when I am alone and another when wife or other family members are with me. And I agree completely--Red Roof, which used to work nicely, has slipped.
When wife and I travel the road, Country Inn is so nice. I like the books by the fireplace in the lobby.
When I was younger I did not mind more spartan accomodations. But then again, the same was true of traveling in coach while on an overnight train. Posts: 255 | Registered: Nov 2001
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My favorite chain of hotels when traveling are usually a Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express. Some of these hotels are VERY nice. One of the nicest Holiday Inn Express hotels I've stayed in is located in Tehachapi, CA of all places. And one of the best Hampton Inns I've stayed in is located in Ukiah, CA. When staying in a large metro area, I usually go for the full-service hotels (Hilton, Marriott, Omni, Westin etc) but in smaller towns I have found that the two chains I mentioned above are really excellent.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Mr. Smith and I are on the same page regarding hotel brand levels, but our reasons for selecting such are reversed.
When I am on auto trips, such as Chicago Wash (connect with Auto Train, visit friends, visit and stock up at wineries), I prefer to have my overnight en route stop (Pgh or Akron) at full service hotels. The reason is that when I put the auto to bed or turn it over to the valet, I will have no reason to go near it until next morning. Therefore I need not be concerned with finding a restaurant or about having moderate alcohol; also I'm starting to loose night vision and if a drive at night in an unfamiliar environment can be avoided, so much the better.
At destination, I'm visiting with friends or family (NY area). There we will be going out to Dinner and maybe a concert, and consequently, I have no need for the full service restaurant in this case. However, if I were visiting a city as a destination on my own, I too like Mr. Smith would be seeking a major brand full service hotel.
Posts: 10970 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Some readers might be interested in another approach to accommodations on the road, during the summer. Many universities (often in downtown areas, ie. Columbia Univ.) offer residences during the summer at very reasonable prices. I've been planning a rail trip to Halifax from Toronto and will be staying at Dalhousie University for a few days.
Posts: 33 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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How do you find those, Dan, i.e. the universities offering reasonable short term rates in summer?
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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I'm more familiar with Canada, of course, but if I decided on visiting an American city, then I'd begin a search of universities in that city. In New York City, for instance, I'm familiar with Union Theological Seminary which offers hotel-like accommodations all year on a leafy street in NW Manhattan, if available. A/C, TV, Fridge. www.landmark@columbia.edu For my trip, I Googled "Dalhousie University, summer accommodations". Also, I'm taking a ferry to Newfoundland and will stay at Memorial University in St John's for a few days..$25 a night for a single room! I searched in the same way as I did for Dalhousie. McGill University in Montreal is similar. www.mcgill.ca/residences/summer/ If you don't have luck with the university's web site, phone them directly.
Posts: 33 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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Mr Adams: In NYC, Columbia University/Union Theological Seminary sounds great, but if one is traveling Amtrak and arriving at Penn Station with luggage, taking the subway all the way up to Morningside Heights in NYC Manhattan, is pretty inconvenient. It's way too far to walk, and taxis would be quite costly. One could take a bus, I suppose, but it's slow--and luggage on a NYC bus is no fun either. So it pretty much has to be the subway. If one travels light and is young, it's perfectly do-able; but older people with more luggage, after taking a cross-country trip . . . I'd say, not so doable.
OTOH, your suggestion for McGill sounds like an excellent idea for me to consider if I go to Montreal again in summer. Although usually I tend to go in fall, and school is open. . . .
Re chains: I too like Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express when affordable and when the location works for me. Breakfasts are usually good too. In fact, I often prefer them to full service hotels, which rarely include breakfast and which offer it at very high prices.
OTOH, in some cities, the location of these isn't convenient. And in first-tier-tourist meccas, they aren't always so cheap! In NYC the one near Penn Station (called Hampton Inn Madison Square Garden, I believe, on W31), when I checked, wanted $320 for a weeknight in March! And I looked at the place, rooms are smaller and more cramped than a typical Hampton Inn (though breakfast room is nice enough) . . . but it's convenient, not just to Penn Station but to Madison Square Garden above it, so it can charge that amount, I guess.
Posts: 2655 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Whenever I/we go on train trips and need an overnight stay someplace, the first chain I always check is Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express -- especially in a city we haven't been to before where the lcoal hotels are not familair to us.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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I like my cel phone, but it does have a power off feature, and it's easy to use. I have never felt the need to establish a facebook account, and if I did my kids would think I'm trying to act well under my age anyway (my friends know how to contact me, and I let new ones in on the numbers). It's always all about choices. As Forrest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does". I imagine one could have a perfectly decent Facebook page if one wanted to, that any employer could read without the author worrying. Just have to understand how pervasive and "unprivate" the web is. A...maniac, I love talking to the riff, but have a hard time putting up with the raff!
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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When things get a little too entertaining, relief starts and ends with an X; XANAX. .5 mg's and I may as well be in my own private room. In fact, I'm on another planet. I don't have to pay $400 plus for a room.
-------------------- Patrick Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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The last 'funky motel' I stayed in was along US 23 between Ashland, KY and South Portsmouth, KY (guess who was riding the Cardinal the next morning?).
It was an old roadside hotel that was undergoing renovation....they were doubling the room sizes by adding on to the back of the building.
So......I spent the night in a room that smelled of sawdust......where I could walk on into the new section to watch CSX freight trains roll by....and where there was no telephone because they hadn't finished re-wiring that part of the building yet.
They knocked $15.00 off the rate for not having the telephone.
I'd have paid $10.00 extra NOT to have had the phone to begin with.....I was on VACATION!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: OTOH, in some cities, the location of these isn't convenient. And in first-tier-tourist meccas, they aren't always so cheap! In NYC the one near Penn Station (called Hampton Inn Madison Square Garden, I believe, on W31), when I checked, wanted $320 for a weeknight in March! And I looked at the place, rooms are smaller and more cramped than a typical Hampton Inn (though breakfast room is nice enough) . . . but it's convenient, not just to Penn Station but to Madison Square Garden above it, so it can charge that amount, I guess.
My employer's policy used to be, and maybe still is, if going to New York City, stay in Newark and take the PATH trains in to the office.
Posts: 2979 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Usually we stay with family in NJ, but a couple years ago we stayed in a 'real' hotel - not one of the cookie cutter chains when staying late in the city for the Westminster dog show at Madison Square Garden.
While on the modest side, it was very comfortable and best of all a pleasant walk to Penn Station (except when we did it in an ice storm). The Hotel Stanford has me on their mailing list and I just got an ad for a $99 rate Jan 14 through end of Feb. The hotel is located in what I guess you could call an Asian district but that made it all that more interesting.
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