Today's
long-distance trains provide passengers with most of the comforts of home,
especially if you’re riding in a sleeping car.
You have privacy, your own bed to sleep in at night, and a car attendant
to look after whatever you night need.
But
don’t expect things to be perfect.
Despite the impression you may get from Amtrak’s promotional materials,
a train is not a cruise ship on
wheels. Aboard ship, there’s often
nothing to see out there but ocean, so cruise lines provide a myriad of
activities to occupy passengers.
The
train is different. There is constantly changing scenery right outside your
window and, consequently, you’re pretty much left to your own devices for
entertainment. That’s when passengers pull out the portable DVD players and
other electronic devices.
That
said, with several hundred people living together in close quarters for one or
two days, there are bound to be some inconveniences. Bear that in mind, and before making an issue
out of something, ask yourself if you're being unreasonable under the
circumstances.
I once
listened to a woman in an adjoining room berate the train attendant
unmercifully because he had been unable to silence a minor rattle somewhere in
her room. The poor man had tried several
times to find it without success and clearly it was time she thanked him for
his effort and made the best of things.
So,
before boarding, why not resolve to lighten up a bit? There's too much to enjoy on the train to let
minor things spoil your trip.
2 comments:
Amen! I'm always surprised that some people expect service in the diner like they are in a fancy restaurant or something! I've also seen people expect the car attendant to wait on them as if they are the only ones in the sleeping car.
It's the age-old problem of people expecting the same level of service they would get on a luxury cruise ship. It's simply not possible and - again - it's a shame that long-distance train rides are sometimes described that way.
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