Burned again
Spent three hours at the Fort Totten Metro stop last night waiting for Heather to get there, thanks to the geniuses at AMTRAK.
Heather's train was supposed to leave Rhode Island yesterday around 12:30, where she was visiting her cousin Becky. Becky wrote at about 1 to say that she'd left Heather on a train that was having engine problems. Checking the website at a bit after 1:30 showed that the train was dealing with an hour's delay - in other words, it hadn't left yet.
A few hours later and the website shows that "due to service interruption, you must call to find out the schedule". I call around 4. They tell me that the train is under a 1:40 delay but they usually make up delays of under two hours (?) and I should still be at the station on time to pick up my train. Uh-huh. How do you make up a 100 minute delay?
Second call nets me the information that the engine problems led to that specific train being taken out of service, and that all of the passengers were put on another train, which is only 2 minutes behind. Huh? Not sure which to believe, I leave to make sure I'm on time just in case Heather is...
Feh. THREE HOURS at the hot, humid Metro station. To add insult to injury, I worked late yesterday and came straight from work, which means I ended up hungry and thirsty at the station as well...
Ugh. Don't use Amtrak.
posted by Fogger at Wednesday, July 12, 2006
3 Comments:
If you had a cell phone or a blackberry, or any other method of instant communication, you could have contacted Heather personally to find out where she was, instead of sitting around for 3 hours. Oh, and 3 hours is not really considered a "delay" by Amtrak ... that's very nearly on time. Just thought you should know ...
July 13, 2006 6:47 AM
If you had a cell phone or blackberry, or any other form of instant communication, you could have contacted Heather directly and known what was going on instead of sitting around for 3 hours.
Oh, and 3 hours is not considered a "delay" by Amtrack. That's very nearly on time. Just thought you should know ...
July 13, 2006 6:49 AM
If Amtrak had given me the right information, I wouldn't need a cell phone or blackberry.
3 hours late is a delay. Amtrak saying otherwise is why I won't use them again.
July 13, 2006 6:53 AM
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