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Do poeple usualy use the train to dump a stash? I've seen poeple bord the train, Wait to get up to speed, then dump a load of coke,weed,acid,ect.out the window. Does this happen often?
------------------ JONATHON D. ORTIZ
[This message has been edited by JONATHON (edited 02-12-2004).]
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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What movie was this?
There is a notable presence of sniffer dogs and the like at Albuquerque, but that's the extent of what I've seen in thousands of miles of Amtrak travel.
Geoff M.
Mike Smith Member # 447
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On one of our trips on the CZ, there was an announcement that smoking non-tobacco products on the train was strictly prohibited and would result in the person or persons being handed over to the authorities. At the time, we were passing through the Rockies and a woman became ill from the altitude. About 10 minutes after the "non tobacco" announcement, we pulled off onto a siding that had 2 cop cars waiting there (ambulance had not arrived, yet).
I'm assuming Amtrak found all kinds of "stuff" in their holding tanks....
CG96 Member # 1408
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During my last train trip, the Capitol Ltd was delayed because one of the sleepers had to be fumigated. The reason for the fumigation was that one of the previous occupants had overdosed and died as a result. This was one of the few times this had happened since the Greyhound Bus strike of several years ago ( during that strike, passengers who would normally ride the bus were taking the trains. This clientele made the train rides rather infamous as the passengers in question would routinely get high, inject their drugs, get into arguements, etc, and the crews would have their customer service skills really, really tested).
There have been legends and anecdotes about Amtrak's Florida trains being used for drug shipments, due to the fact that Amtrak doesn't have ( and can't perform) the same type of security checks that the airports do. Rail depots aren't the same as airports, and the profit motive for illegal drugs is so strong that the drug runners will figure out that when there is high security in Miami, the security may be more easily by-passed at one of the smaller, less-used stations somewhere furthur along the line (say, Wildwood, for example).
The truth of the matter is that if someone wants to get something into the United States, they will be able to do it. If you intensify the security in one location, the profit motive is so strong that the drug runners will simply go somewhere else.
[This message has been edited by CG96 (edited 02-13-2004).]
Sheriff Member # 2521
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I have assisted the DEA in several bust at the Sacramento Depot. The DEA does random checks at the Grayhound Bus station and Amtrak. I have watched these guys and they are better than a sniffing *** . I have been the Conductor on the train when they ask my permission to search the train and found 5 pounds of Cocaine, 5 pounds of meth, and on another occasion 2 1/2 pounds of pot. There are a lot of people who carry their personnal drugs of choice on the trains because unfortunately we have limited security means to discourage this from happening. Although there are different kinds of tell-tell signs that tip us off we cannot catch them all. We do have those certain "red flags" that we watch for.
MikeSmith: I can assure you when the cops showed up at the siding you were talking about it was 99% certain the Conductor discovered who was smoking the pot and had the police waiting.
Two weeks ago my son (who also works for Amtrak)busted a guy coming into Chico on the Starlight with a 1/2 pound of pot and a small bag of cocaine in his possesion.
JONATHON; I can only say if the passenger dumped his stash he must have been worried he was going to get busted. Sometimes they get drunk and creat problems in which the Conductor might threaten to have the police come and take them off the train. This might pull their trigger enough to dump.
JONATHON Member # 2899
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When I went into the bathroom he had just come from, I looked in side and seen it literd with beer bottles and little tubes
------------------ JONATHON D. ORTIZ
Mike Smith Member # 447
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Sherrif, It really was an 87 year old lady with altitude sickness. The ambulance showed up about 4 minutes after we arrived and transported her to the hospital.
The Chief of Onboard Services and I had a chuckle about what was in the holding tanks, after his announcement and the stop.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Surprising, isn't it, that you can get altitude sickness on a train? But then I stayed a couple of nights at Pinecliffe, something like 6-7000ft ASL which is lower than the Moffat Tunnel, and I certainly felt the effects of it then. Shortness of air, insomnia etc. I guess most people don't notice it when you're only up over 6000ft for a few hours on the CZ.
Geoff M.
JONATHON Member # 2899
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Doe you mean at June lake?
------------------ JONATHON D. ORTIZ
Sheriff Member # 2521
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Mikesmith: I see, so it really was a medical emergency. I'll bet their were some nerveous pot smokers on board when they saw the red and blue lights. Anytime we have to call the cops and they come with the lights going it makes the rest of the trip uneventful. Very quite! All the roudys settle down.
Mike Smith Member # 447
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That's exactly what happened, Sheriff.
Sheriff Member # 2521
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geoffm: I'll tell you guys something you might be interested in knowing for your furture trips. We, Conductors always keep a close eye on our passengers who are of age when going over the mountains. The altitude will cause shortness of breath in the elderly and if they have had heart problems in the past it is very important to keep a close eye on them specialy over the 6000ft. mark. I know we have some retired members on this forum who travel a lot so please watch yourself at these high altitudes. If you start to have shortness of breath notify the Conductor so we can monitor you until the train drops over the other side of the mountain. You will usually feel better going down the hill.
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