by west point
IMO-----There definitely needs to be a reservation system so anyone on a LD , Regional or state supported can order a meal with enough advance warning. The lack of such just shows lack of any planning by management.
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rohr turbo wrote: ↑Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:27 pm 'advanced warning?' I disagree. Most people who reserve a train in the future don't have any idea how hungry they'll be or what they'll be in the mood for when the day comes.Fresh tasty options on the spot. There is only so much cooler space and you need it for your beer and other cold items. Dont forget there are not that many places to re stock once you leave, its a 3 day trip you have what you have so your fresh tasty items better be able to survive in a cooler that bounces between 33 and 45 degrees. There are no temp controls back there.
I think there should be a variety of tasty, fresh, attractive options available on the spot. Shouldn't be so difficult. I'm sorry the Subway on Empire experiment was stillborn. Unions should not get in the way of progress.
mcgrath618 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:32 am 42/43 really need better food. It’s a long train ride, and the cafe car doesn’t cut it. Having been on it thrice, I found myself arriving in Philadelphia wanting a cheesesteak.Agreed. It's why I think Flex Dining is better for those 8-hour hauls. $10 zap meal that's better than a Jimmy Deans Breakfast Sandwich? Sure! Did the Pennsy thrice and every time back from Pittsburgh would transfer at 30th street to go south to BWI. Got lunch there both ways.
Railjunkie wrote: ↑Tue Aug 24, 2021 8:24 am There are no union rules over better food. However the use of non union employees in a union shop well lets just say I prefer not to get into that side of the discussion.. Lack of storage is a concern I dont need to be on a three day trip and have some drunk fool wandering through my car helping himself to my "fresh and tasty" products because I dont have enough room to store them all.It sounds like slightly different equipment could make a big difference. If we were the committee to design new cars, maybe we would decide to have better refrigeration and better locked storage in the cafe cars. In Sweden I used a cafe car that had most of the food displayed in self-service cases; there were roll-down doors in front of the cases that the attendant would close and lock when they had to leave the car. Wouldn't a setup like that make work easier for the LSA, and make it easier to have better food more of the time? (By the way, do they really charge you for missing coffee cups as though the cups were full? They don't check how much coffee you used? Sounds awful.)
ALL SHORTAGES COME OUT OF THE LSA POCKET!!!! PERIOD.
STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue Aug 24, 2021 3:21 pm Agreed. It's why I think Flex Dining is better for those 8-hour hauls. $10 zap meal that's better than a Jimmy Deans Breakfast Sandwich? Sure! Did the Pennsy thrice and every time back from Pittsburgh would transfer at 30th street to go south to BWI. Got lunch there both ways.How many times do I have to post these statistics before it sinks in?
I also think using milage doesn't help the case. Boston to DC is 456 miles, but on the NEC is roughly 8 hours if not more, and to get decent grub you got to go on the Acela.
Better food is possible.