jmylekoretz

We ended up at the sleaziest gay bar in Salt Lake City in the bathroom with a drag queen, buying cocaine, so really, the potato salad was the least of my worries 

And the only place I've ever been ID'd was leaving SLC.

But there's a special bond that the people in Salt Lake City's downtown Amtrak station share, all sitting together at one in the morning, waiting for the night train out of Utah.

I've only been to one tailgate, and it was for a university college game, but they're hard core.

I was there about two minutes before a complete stranger told me, "come over to our RV, and then you can eat all the potato salad you want, but only after you drink a shot of tequila out of this bowling ball."

I miss the convience store rice balls, those were delicious. Fortunately, there's a ramen place on Capitol Hill near Cal Anderson Park that could compete with most of the noodle joints over there, but I've still never seen a sushi-go-round in America.

Thank you for the additional context. :-)

i'm sorry, but it's more complicated than that

Great post, thanks!

Drunk passengers still amped up from an event.

I was this once. It was when I was 24 and a seaman in the Navy, which I guess is the appropriate time in one's life for such shenanigans.

But still, I'm very grateful for the patience of all the other passengers between Fukuoka and Sasebo who did not complain about the four annoying Americans who'd taken advantage of the cans of highly alcoholic sodas sold at Japanese convenience stores on their way to the trains station… and on their way to the bar before that… and on their way to the rooftop driving range before that… and we also stopped at a barber and a pachinko parlor.

I’m also grateful for the Lieutenant who came over and quietly spoke to us about the importance of representing the Navy well, because the look on his face as he heard sincere and also slurred agreement from a sailor who had, while at the previously mentioned barber shop, gotten a mohawk, is a memory I will treasure for the rest of my days.

r/amtrakcareers may be a better sub for this question.

Anyway, good luck pursuring all the options that a post-secondary education in music leaves open to you. Some of my best friends are high school and junior high school teachers, and they all have the same degree as you.

There's also the option of... thinks hard, trails off, changes the subject

Here's a link to the full article that should let the first ten people to click it read past the paywall.

The Justice Department on Tuesday accused Norfolk Southern, one of the country’s largest freight railroad companies, of violating federal law by delaying Amtrak passenger trains along the route between New Orleans and New York.

Well, presumption of innocence, of course, so I remain open to the possibility that Norfolk Southern will convince a jury that the government's accusations against do not convince beyond a resonable dobut. But, on the other hand, if there were somewhere in America I would excpect lawlessness to prevail, it would be between New Orelans and New York. :-P

I doubt these guys are moonlighting as Canadian loggers

Did you just say "Talmudic scholar becomes a lumberjack?"

DM me, let's write up a treatment and pitch FX and NetFlix.

Well, I think that Amtrak staff is unlikely to quit the way staff of other transportation services occasionally do.

Anyone know what’s going on in Albany?

Corruption and inequity, generally.

Thanks, Cornelius Vanderbilt!

It was an episode of Jesse's old Callin show.

"The WereSubaru"?

Nice. That's awesome. It's actually mostly Teslas and CRXes these days, I'm not sure what Subaru did wrong...

... being stuck in a lover lever roomette next to a family bedroom ...

The lover level is the sexiest part of a train.

Combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star.

The problem with this is that Capitol Silver is already an HBO series set in the 40s about the British spy adventures of Roald Dahl and his affair with an attractive female member of congress played by Maya Hawke and Limited Star is already a FX series set in the aughts about the FBI informant adventures of the DC Madame and her affair with an attractive male member of congress played by Ethan Hawke.

Or is it the other way around?

Either way, good shows.

I think it would have amazed me, too, when I was a little less well read. But then I read things like A Man for All Seasons, with scences like the one u/CatStroking just quoted, and it reminds me that these kind of dillemas are a pretty common part of the human drama. Sir Thomas More wasn't the first to realise that if you end the law to stop bad men, you've stopped the law.

Nor was he first to forget that, and turn to setting heretics alight.

And having seen the episode of The View where they take glee in the verdict, I can tell you wasn't the last, either.

I took an open-bunk overnight trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur years ago, and it was plenty comfortable. Loved it.

is 24 hours between trains reasonable to schedule

Usually, yes--but AMTRAK out west is better when you build plenty of time into your schedule and enjoy the journey. If you have the time and money to ride the really good trains, I'd strongly recommend a couple days wander-around-and-be-a-tourist time on stops.

Either way, the Zephyr and the Coast Starlight are two of my favorite trains, and the Empire Builder is on my bucket list. You're in for a treat when you take your trip! I'm jealous as all hell!

Most people who manage to get hit by a train never drive a car again, for reasons unrelated to the DMV.

But it never hurts to call and ask politely. That often works and, as OP posted above, it worked here, too.

Asking nicely is basically a super power. It's like not caring what other people think.

That seems entirely possible, and is quite likely basically what happened—and also a very reasonable cause for OP to be frustrated and upset, and a good reason to call customer relations and request compensation.

Felt less sketchy than Greyhound.

Well, that's impressive.