I travelled on Amtrak with my wife and 2 children earlier this month. We took our van and travelled from Orlando to DC. During the trip we noticed a foul smell of the toilet and after a few hours we notified the attendant. They agreed there was a smell and said they would go get someone to assist but never returned. We ended up covering our mouth with our blanket to stop from throwing up and at 9am the following day arrived in DC. When I arrived in DC I contacted customer service who told me this was a problem they knew about and offered me $100 credit which I felt was an insult to me as a customer who paid over $500.00 for this trip which was supposted to be fun! I recommned you re-consider if you plan on taking the Atrak!

After July 4th, the day of America's founding day which celebrate the premise of Freedom and

equality in this country, I finally realize RACISM and discrimination is subtly everywhere in this

country even they dare not clarify it publicly.

On July 5th, Sunday, the I took the train in Califronia From SOLANA BEACH (departs 7/5/09 12:

30 noon) to Los Angeles. The Train number is 775 Pacific Surfliner.


I am a Asian girl carrying a SINGLE slightly over-sized Luggage (2 inches oversize).

To be honest, it was slightly over 60 pounds. Amtrak allows me to take 2 pieces but I just get

ONE piece instead because I have to carry my Computer so it would be troublesome to separate my

stuff into 2 luggages when traveling. I need to have 2 hands to haul the 2 luggages at the same time. When I entered the Amtrak station I was a bit concerned about my luggage so I asked the guy who was selling the tickets in advance and he said it was ok as long as I carry it myself. I thought I can put it on first floor then I am capable of moving it myself because I can drag it. Later the train 775 arrived and my guy friend tried to help me carry the luggage up stair to 2nd floor, but in the process of getting up on the 2nd floor, a good-looking white guy with a dark blue hat in the LAST section of Amtrak said to me that the train is leaving so I have to ask my guy friend to get off the train right away. I have no choice but to ask my guy friend to get off the train even I am NOT capable of carrying the luggage myself upstairs to 2nd floor. After the train started moving, I tried to carry the luggage upstairs myself, but was having some difficulty because I am a very short (only 5'1) and weak girl who is not strong enough to do this independently, therefore, the process is a bit slow.

I was so SURPRICED that the White Amtrak guy in the Last section told me in a very COLD and
indifferent voice : "Pick it Up!"
I struggled and pushed the luggage up but still failed, so I asked him if I can put it in the
first floor somewhere. He said : "NO."
I said : "But the luggage is too heavy, I just cannot do it myself."
He said : "PICK IT UP! It's your luggage!"
I tried again but failed. It is too apparent that I am too weak to do this myself, everyone on
Amtrak can see.
He said: "PICK IT UP!!! JUST GO PICK IT UP!!!"
The voice was so mean and cold so I was a bit scared and SHOCKED. I have never seen someone so
mean on other Amtraks. I was quite satisfied with Amtrak Service except this incident. Amtrak 703, 704 San Joquains Valley has been providing me the Best Service I ever had. I am 100% Satisfied. The people on Amtrak treated customers with respect and smile, and had been very helpful.

He said again: "PICK IT UP! PICK IT UP!!"
Another decent Caucasian woman cannot stand it anymore, so she gently said " I can help you. We
can do it together."
After We 2 GIRLS finally struggled and finish the move of the luggage.
The White Amtrak guy said : "Just want to TEACH YOU a LESSON that you cannot carry Luggage that
are oversized."

Later when I saw him again, I have no idea why this white guy suddenly CHANGED his attitude when
talking to another Caucasian woman. He became extremely polite and helpful. Even the Caucasian
woman is only carrying a slight case, he asked her if she needs some help and smiled to her and
carried her luggage for her.

I did not said this White Amtrak guy was wrong in informing me the message that the luggage was
slightly over-sized, but he should not use this kind of manner with DISRESPECT and mistreatment.
It is an insult to an Amtrak Customer and young child who has hope to USA. It is totally not
Respecting a Human and presents a LACK of CHARACTER and SERVICE in Mass transportation. Also, it
is inconsistent from what the guy selling the tickets told me. My Luggage is not OVERTLY too
Huge, just ONLY 2 inches bigger (30 inches compared to the Limit--28 inches maximum).

If it is not acceptable, why not tell me at the very beginning? Why can't the Amtrak guy just tell me next time NEVER carry any over-sized Luggage even it's only 2 inches over size? I will definitely listen to him and avoid this kind of trouble as being un-cooperative of bringing excessive luggage, but he NEED NOT to use this kind of Attitude and trick to try to Teach me a Lesson by being disrespectful. Personally I feel like an Insult.


This has never happen in school even since I've been in the US, especially in California. The

professors who are well educated in our University treat me with respect and fairness. Most of

the Caucasians I met are very friendly and nice, except in this case on AMTRAK, which was a

total SHOCK to me. I liked the US very much because I think US is generous enough to tolerate

different people to enter this country, and they grant me the chance to live in the US, gives me

opportunity to be in the US to get educated (I pay out of my own pocket). They have great ideas

and promotes humanitarianism. They are open-minded and great leaders. They tolerates me to live

and study here even my ancestors had made no contrubutions to this country, which I was very

grateful and thankful to. Therefore, I think being on this land I need to be humble and thankful

to what was granted to me. I was taught from book that the Premise of US allows us to pursue the

happiness, regardless of our gender, race, even economic status. It is the character counts, not

the superficial appearance---skin color, race, gender, social-status, or even money in your

pocket. However, seems like it's only an ideal, and mean people in the real word are everywhere.

I thought US is different from my country, but seems like the WORST part of Humanity is all the

SAME everywhere.

This is the most Sarcastic day, after July 4th, the celebration of the founding and Premise of

USA.

Anyway, I am going to change the luggage right away and avoid any trouble in the future, because the over-sized luggage is partly my responsibility of not being 100% strictly following the Rules, yet this kind of DISRESPECT is still not acceptable being a PAID Customer of Amtrak Service. Things can be negotiated, delivered and talked in a well manner sometimes, need not to use this kind of low level tricks of disrespect.

1st class r/t ticket Vancouver, BC to Los Angeles. One of the perks to having a 1st class ticket is that the Red Cap will load your luggage on and off the train for you. There is no need to check baggage. It travels with you in the 1st class car. Everything's fine until the return trip and the porter gives my wife's bag to a traveler who gets off in San Jose. SJ traveler doesn't notice right away but eventually returns bag to SJ station. SJ station puts bag on next train going north (24 hours later). My wife is told Amtrak policy says they can't forward her bag across the border to Vancouver for security reasons. Passengers must accompany their bags. My wife had to spend an additional night in Seattle waiting for her bag. Not only was there an additional hotel stay, but nearly $100 in phone charges trying to find her bag ($2/min outside Canada on her cell phone). To add insult to injury, her jewelry was missing when she got the bag back.

As if this wasn't enough, Amtrak Customer Service will do NOTHING. She was told there is no recourse. No manager/supervisor to speak to. No address/fax/phone number/email they will give out. You're on the train for 36 hours between LA and Seattle and you are entirely responsible if anything happens to your luggage, including Amtrak's mishandling of it.

In October of 2007, my wife and I (65 years old) began a two thousand dollar Amtrak trip in a standard roomette. We were soon subjected to stultifying high temperatures and a lack of ventilation in our 6 and-a-half by 3 and-a-half foot compartment. The unsmiling, condescending and insolent conductors professed helplessness in the face of the oppressive conditions, and when I asked one of the conductors what his name was, he immediately covered his identity badge with his hand!

We continued to object to these conditions, and finally the conductor had the train stopped, called in local marshals, and ejected my wife and I from the train in the middle of the night.

We were forced to quickly pack all of our luggage and drag our bags off the train without any assistance. We had our tickets confiscated, and were left standing in the dark around midnight, after being told that we were forever banned from Amtrak trains. However, we were not the only couple who was profoundly distressed by our Amtrak experience. When the conductor overheard me speaking to one of the marshals about this, he immediately returned our tickets to us and offered my wife and I the option of getting back on the train the following day! What was it that I told the Marshall? That approximately 12 hours before, another couple had been kicked off the train with the accompaniment of the police for complaining about the suffocating conditions!

It's one thing that Amtrak charges high prices for the honor of occupying a tiny bedroom in one of their obsolete railcars. It's another thing if in addition, the service personnel are generally rude, insulting and sadistic. The only exception to this would be in the dining car where a gratuity is expected. My wife and I sued Amtrak for this abusive service and our abandonment in an unknown town in the middle of the night. We won with little difficulty.

It seems Amtrak has a stable of attorneys on call to take care of litigations of this type. Make sure you are prepared with adequate legal support the next time you travel Amtrak.

The trip South in January had a few problems but the return in early March was a disaster. We ride in the lower level as my wife cannot climb the stairs.

The ride was so rough, it bounced my sleeping head on the window. Too fast over bad tracks.

We had our meals delivered to our seats - service was poor as was the food. The fish (Tilapia) was burned for dinner but the rice was ice cold. In the morning, the milk for our cereal was frozen solid.

A trip to the diner (no service) got some useable but still with ice crystals. Hard to get coffee as well.

Long wait at Lorton - all water fountains broken. Place was a dump.