A positive, thorough Amtrak rant

Amtrak. Several word associations come to mind when I think of Amtrak, none of which are positive. We’ve all heard the horror story in the 90s when a toilet backfired onto an innocent passenger, and we’ve seen evidence of train and car collisions. Well, I recently had the experience of riding on Amtrak, from which I’d like to clear up some misconceptions and elaborate on how great it is.

Short summary of the upcoming rant for the impatient or otherwise employed-and-busy crowd
• Amtrak tickets are dirt cheap compared to the $4.00 gas prices or escalating airplane tickets
• Dealing with the train station > dealing with airports and security
• Seats are comfortable and spacious
• The view along the way is much better than looking out the window to see construction on the freeway (follow photographic scene excluded)
• On select travels, Amtrak provides free alcohol!
• Amtrak can run off schedule every now and then, but it’s still much more predictable than halted traffic in rush hour or major cities you are unfamiliar with.


My journey
Now, for those of you who have time and/or patience. I rode Amtrak for the first time because I had to go last minute to San Luis Obispo to attend an evening with the boyfriend’s family. San Luis Obispo, for those of you who haven’t visited, is absolutely beautiful. Nestled in the central coast between gorgeous beaches and green rolling hills, it’s a wonder that such pristine places exist so close to Los Angeles.

The total trip is approximately 200 miles away from Pasadena, an easy three-hour venture in the car providing there is light traffic. In the spirit of my sans car mentality as of late, I thought I’d explore my options with trains. I’ve never really taken an actual train anywhere, short of a quick trip on Germany’s Inner City Express. Thus, I had no idea what to expect of the trains here, especially Amtrak, and this is what I found:

Ticket prices
Tickets were surprisingly cheap, even with having purchased them the night before. To San Luis Obispo, a one-way ticket only set me back $30, or the equivalence of 2/3 of a tank of gas in my car. I can get roughly 350 miles in my tank, depending on driving conditions, so it wasn't completely unreasonable anyway.

Discounts
There are many options for ticket discounts, such as 25% discounts for the “Student Advantage” discount (prior registration required) or a 10% AAA discount, which requires no previous registration other than listing your information when buying tickets. Unfortunately, the AAA discount is only valid when purchasing tickets three or more days in advance (not a problem for most, since I’m inherently incapable of planning ahead).

For longer journeys, prices jump of course. But even still, they rival the price of a plane ticket. Not to spoil the pleasant surprise of this Amtrak rant, but I’m probably going to look into riding home to Ohio on Amtrak, due to the fickle nature of the airlines at present).

Ticket Confirmation
Amtrak tickets must be printed out at the station, similar to the airport. You receive a confirmation page you print out and take either to the Amtrak counter for assistance, or to a self-serving kiosk.

Unlike the airport, there is no limit on how soon you must arrive to the station to print out your ticket. I’ve had countless occasions where I’ve had to catch a different flight from not being aware of the ever-changing check-in time restrictions at airports.

No, you can come to the train station and check in 5 minutes before the train leaves to print out your ticket and hop on if you desire. But let me tell you a little about this, since I actually did arrive with 5 minutes to spare. This was not wise, but nor is the idea of me trying to do anything important during brutally early morning hours. Nonetheless, it became obvious as I was trying a walk-jog in Union Station that I would miss my train- and thus my weekend with the boy’s parents (damn?)- if I went to print out my tickets.

Instead, I went immediately to the train platform in a hectic mess. I found the conductor, who was lingering outside the train yelling the cliché yet exciting “all aboard!” as they do in old movies. I explained the situation, showed him my prepaid ticket confirmation sheet, and somehow he sympathized and let me board the train anyway, telling me it happens all the time and that he could print out my ticket for me when the train stopped at the next station. I hate playing the ‘dumb college slacker kid’ card when I knew I was blatantly at fault for not allowing more time for myself in the morning, but I suppose misunderstanding that an additional ticket needs to be printed is a reoccurring mishap.

Point being, the conductors were an estimated 800 times more receptive to human error than airport attendants are (not that I fault them for taking safety precautions, I’m just saying…)

Seats and space
One notable plus of riding on Amtrak versus any airliner is the amount of space each passenger has. The particular train I was on had only two seats instead of the usual 3 to an aisle. Also, the leg space was phenomenal! In addition to reclining seats, a footrest could be elevated.

On-board treats
Though my train ride was only 5.25 hours, a food car was open the entire time to purchase snacks. After a few hours, a sit-down lunch was offered in the dining car, which I unfortunately declined. I must say, I am a fan of having options at all hours instead of once during your flight, if at all anymore, on planes.

Boozin’ for cruisin’
My favorite part about riding Amtrak is their promotional deal for free drinks! Hey, I’m over 21 and might I remind you not driving, so I must say there’s something to be said about enjoying a cocktail while cruising around. Anyway, check the Amtrak website for participating trains, but the idea is that many overnight trains are offering up to $100 in free drinks. Whatever it takes to boost ticket sales, right?

Between snacks, drinks, and foot room…
The actual ride itself was pleasant. The route to San Luis Obispo was aesthetically pleasing; most of the journey took place on the Pacific coast or through rolling hills. I’d imagine that most other journeys are more beautiful than the view from driving on the interstate.

Along the way, the conductor would announce interesting points of interest along the way, just as airplane captains do…one in every 50 flights. There was also a “viewing car” which had comfy seats and tables arranged around even bigger windows than in the passenger cars.

In summary...
Amtrak is the way to go. No, I’m not a paid representative. I’m just a financially strained college student who is afraid of flying and appreciates the prospect of free alcohol. The only downside I can possibly think of is that the train arrived in San Luis 20 minutes late, which was really no deal to me, but I’m really stretching to try to think of all possibilities to make this review seem balanced.

Go Amtrak! Go Metro! Go travel!