Dr. Amtrak and Mr. Train
On the way up to Alexandria VA, we took the Cresent 20, as we boarded the train we were shown to our seats by one of the conductors and they checked our tickets. They also wrote our destination code (ALX) on a slip of paper and put that above our seats. Every so often a conductor would come by to make sure we were comfortable and happy often striking up random conversations with the people around us. One of the conductors looked and acted just like he steped right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, right down to his ducktail hair style. When we got close to our stop the conductor came by to make sure we were awake and ready to depart. When we hit our station, they even helped with the carry on luggage. All we could talk about was just how pleasant traveling by rail was and how we would always look at train travel first where possible.
On the way back from Alexandria VA, we hopped aboard the Cresent 19. The conductor instructed each of us as we got on to take a left at the top of the stairs and walk back until we found a seat. The train was well underway when the first person in line turned around and announced that we had reached the end. By this time a little over half of the nine or so people had found seats. At this point, we all turned around and started walking the other way in hopes of running into a conductor who could perhaps guide us. My group walked all the way up to the cafe car and saw no conductors so we sat down there and plotted our next move. No conductor ever greated us or punched our tickets. A line quickly formed in the cafe car for snacks and drinks, and for about two hours was half the length of the car. People waiting, many of them regular train goers were upset to find that the snack bar was only staffed by a single person and he had clearly had enough. Suddenly three conductors show up and take seats in the end of the cafe car. There is a guy looking and sounding for all the world like a Sawyer reject. (right down to the aligator shoes) He apparently made his connection to the Cresent 19 (he was going all the way down to New Orleans) at Union Station in DC. But his bags didn't. I couldn't tell if he forgot his carry on luggage or if he was supposed to pick up his checked bags and check them again for the new train. Either way, they were working with him trying to get the bag situation figured out. Once he went back to his seat the conductors set to work to figure out where the three missing riders were. Um...dude, we're right here. They never asked us if we were the ones, and we made a group decision not to offer. They were the railroad professionals after all. They never so much as said "hi".
The train stopped as it did several times before without any sort of announcement and we just happen to overhear that we were in Charlottesville VA and they were taking a smoke break. The snack bar closed almost on the fingers of someone waiting to buy. The was potentially good news as we observed that the crew changed before in Charlottesville. Great news for everyone except the the snack bar guy who we found even more irate and still alone when the snackbar reopened.
The train began again and for a time the situation was unchanged. Then the train stopped. It was pitch black outside, no moonlight, no stars, nothing. After an hour of sitting here with no explaination Sara finds a 1800 number on the ticket and calls it on her cellphone to figure out what was going on. The automated system didn't tell her why we stopped, but it did tell her that we were going to be two hours late getting into Greensboro. I overheard someone ask the snackbar attendant. He didn't know anything, and wouldn't care if he did. My boss finally decited she had had enough and gaffed a passing conductor. Apparently a freight car had broken down somewhere ahead of us and we would be waiting there until it was repaired. He said they thought it would be cleared in two hours. When she asked about any seats opening up he told her that a bunch of folks had gotten off at Charlottesville and if she walked down far enough she was sure to find something.
I was sent to go find something.
Four cars later I found a car with only four people in it total. Sara and Jeanie joined me. At this point it is after midnight. It would probably be a great time to sleep. We couldn't go to sleep however, because we had no indication that anyone would let us know when we were going to hit our stop so we were left to fend for ourselves. That meant that until the train pulled into Greensboro, we were all peering out of the windows trying to figure out where we were. When the train finally arrived in Greensboro we all felt like we could finally relax.
That was of course, until we found out that one of our checked bags didn't make it. The best they could tell us was that it was either still on the train, or still in Alexandria. Sara filled out a form and they said we should call them.
On the plus side, Sunday afternoon we got the call that our wayward bag had made it back to Greensboro, so after work today we will go get it.
I still like the train, but I like Cresent 20 much better than Cresent 19.
