J STEPHEN HURST sent a message to Joseph Boardman that said:
6656 Swan St
Ventura, CA, 93003
I made a round trip from OXN to MOT on Amtrak recently. It was the kind of trip I had long wanted to make and the result was mostly a disappointment. I will not make another trip on Amtrak.
First the high points: The food was reasonably good and served speedily and hot .The connection in Portland was made albeit with a delay. The accommodation for sleeper customers there was excellent and the service provided was flawless in Portland. The weather was clear, giving opportunity for viewing the passing scene. Because we were behind schedule, the snow on Mount Shasta was brilliant in the setting sun.
The service in the sleepers was wonderful on the trip out and back except for the leg southbound on the Coast Starlight. On the trip across the plains, our attendant alerted us that the lunar eclipse was visible and invited us to come down to view it together. Except for the southbound Coast Starlight, the attendants were solicitous, smiling at passengers and a delight to chat with.
The southbound Coast Starlight was not a pleasant place to travel at all. I had the feeling that the staff had received a dressing down that they resented and were active in designing ways of irritating passengers. When I boarded the Coast Starlight in Portland, the lunch service was near its end. I ordered lunch and, as the meal proceeded, a cook came from the kitchen to eat. In a loud voice and offensive language he spewed out bile endlessly. As I left, the told his tablemates that he didnât have a problem with new friends provided there were gangsters.
On the diners of the other trains, condiments and dressings were on the table in paper bowls. On the southbound Coast Starlight, a passenger was required to ask and was often delivered the wrong item. My ketchup was finally delivered after my fries were cold.
That afternoon, I remarked to the lounge car attendant that I felt the crew was under some kind of a tension. He assured me there was nothing going on. The next day, he recognized me as I ordered drink in the lounge, recalling my observation the day before, he assured me, again, that nothing was going on.
As I waited for my car attendant on the Minot platform my return trip, I had to ask an Amtrak employee in a white blouse to help me with my luggage. This was the first of the long walk Amtrak had arranged for me. When we got to the sleeper, I gave a $5 tip. She thanked me with almost embarrassing emotion.
Five or six coach cars had been added between the diner and lounge cars and the sleepers on the return run. The waa made the trip to eat tedious, especially for those of us of advancing age. I have to say this was an action that showed certain neglect on the part of Amtrak. The cars were antiquated and near the end run the failure of the toilets in most of the car that I was in was announced. Earlier, a sewer stench leaked into the sleeper. The attendant asked over the loud speaker that we flush frequently and spray deodorizer when we left the toilet.
Finally, I realized that the inadequate rail alignment through the Milk River Drainage in Montana has never been addressed. In the early 70âs I had traveled from MOT to Glacier National Park. It is impossible to walk in the train through long parts of that stretch. It was really fun trying to make it to and from the diner with the extra cars installed. As I was going to the diner, I met a young lady who I was passing. She was reaching from seat to seat as I was. She told me she had fallen in to the lap of another passenger because of the rocking and rolling of the train. This has to be fixed.
I was traveling on reservation number 23157 and would be happy to answer questions you might like to ask.
J Stephen Hurst
8050216 8149 Paynepeed@sbcglobal.net
