by Henry Kisor
The last time my wife and I rode No. 8 from Seattle to Chicago, I booked very early and got Roomette 2 in the Seattle sleeper.
But when we boarded, the attendant -- one of those flippant, annoying young women who calls everybody "you guys" -- told us she had moved us to Roomette 10 (a much less desirable room, because it's at the end of the car over the trucks) because there was a toilet smell in Roomette 2.
She had set up Roomette 2 as the service room, with ice and drinks and munchies, for the car. (She was in Roomette 1 herself across the aisle.) There was no toilet smell.
Her service was terrible. After waiting 40 minutes I made up the beds myself. Did the same thing the second night.
Several times my wife heard her whine to another passenger that she wasn't feeling well. But her cheerful chattiness with train crew, especially at the smoking stops, belied that.
I planned to complain to Amtrak management about her when we reached Chicago, but the whole thing slipped my mind. I guess I am just too tolerant a fellow.
But in retrospect I regret not having filed the complaint. I wonder how many other passengers have suffered under her attitude that the sleeping car should be set up for HER benefit and not for the passengers'.
At the very least I should have spoken with the conductor. I think he might have agreed that we should not have been moved out of our contracted roomette. Sure, the attendant probably would have been so angered she would not have given us good service, but she didn't do that anyway.
The moral of this story: If you feel that you have not been given good service, COMPLAIN.
But when we boarded, the attendant -- one of those flippant, annoying young women who calls everybody "you guys" -- told us she had moved us to Roomette 10 (a much less desirable room, because it's at the end of the car over the trucks) because there was a toilet smell in Roomette 2.
She had set up Roomette 2 as the service room, with ice and drinks and munchies, for the car. (She was in Roomette 1 herself across the aisle.) There was no toilet smell.
Her service was terrible. After waiting 40 minutes I made up the beds myself. Did the same thing the second night.
Several times my wife heard her whine to another passenger that she wasn't feeling well. But her cheerful chattiness with train crew, especially at the smoking stops, belied that.
I planned to complain to Amtrak management about her when we reached Chicago, but the whole thing slipped my mind. I guess I am just too tolerant a fellow.
But in retrospect I regret not having filed the complaint. I wonder how many other passengers have suffered under her attitude that the sleeping car should be set up for HER benefit and not for the passengers'.
At the very least I should have spoken with the conductor. I think he might have agreed that we should not have been moved out of our contracted roomette. Sure, the attendant probably would have been so angered she would not have given us good service, but she didn't do that anyway.
The moral of this story: If you feel that you have not been given good service, COMPLAIN.