Amtrak and Yellow Stepstools

     On Saturday, we dropped off a guest (we had company last week) at a local Amtrak station. (Local, where I live, means 90 minutes away.) Apparently, Amtrak is not very good.

      The station was an ugly brown building, at least thirty-five years old. It didn't look any better inside. Everything was rather run-down. I saw a large poster in the waiting room, but it wasn't hanging on the wall; it was standing in a corner. I won't start on the restrooms. But I can tell you that two out of three urinals were functioning and that only one of two graffitti-covered stall doors had a lock. There were no mirrors, and separate faucets for hot and cold water; not just separate faucets, but faucets of completely different designs (and ages). There was a paper towel dispenser, but unfortunately no paper towels.

      Trackside wasn't any nicer. The platform was level with the tracks. Every wagon door did have a built-in ladder to help passengers get up, but since even that wasn't enough for elderly travelers, there were six or seven old yellow stepstools standing about. There was a loudspeaker on the platform, and it worked well for announcements; but between announcements it blared annoying music with the volume on high. On second thought, maybe I should be pleased there was a speaker at all.

       The trains themselves didn't look great either. The engines seemed new enough, but the wagons looked quite old. At least the train we were waiting for was only fifteen minutes late. (That really was a decent showing. A week ago, when our guest arrived, the train was at least an hour behind schedule.)

      I realize that Amtrak is short on funding. And perhaps (indeed, probably) a lack of money is the real issue. But this is still rather embarrassing for America. This station was on a fairly well-traveled route, in a city of 200,000. Something has to change if we want to provide decent rail service in this country.

      I've been in Europe several times, and things there are very different. Service is generally fast and efficient, and cities a tenth the size of the one I was in on Saturday boast equal or better facilities. At the very least, platforms reach up to the level of train doors. No yellow stepstools. Can't we at least manage that?