@Amtrak update. I will preface this by saying that I love Amtrak. I am a regular customer. I returned to Amtrak even after suffering a concussion and broken collarbone in the Philadelphia derailment of 188 in 2015. So this incident will not sour me on using this impt public rail.
But this was truly bizarre. I left the train at Baltimore and called over the lead conductor and the agent/conductor who attempted to remove me from my seat. I laid it out. She mow said “she wanted to keep empty seats at the front.” Me: “oh so there were no “special passengers.”
I laid out the facts and made clear that I know thst it is absolutely contrary to policy and unacceptable to pick one passenger from an unassigned seat and demand she move. Lead conductor (man) just has his mouth open. The woman agent/conductor now drops her head.
At the point I said I was getting off in Baltimore - the next stop is on the train - she should have known that she had totally screwed up and apologized. Instead “follow me. I’ve found a seat for you.” Lead conductor admits he has no explanation and apologizes. I get his name.
She is looking frankly, unwell. I will deal officially with @Amtrak on Monday which, up to this moment still has not DM’d me or responded. So, that’s actually my concern at this point.
What really disturbs me is how someone with this authority can just entirely make up something so ridiculous and approach a customer in this way. I did wonder when she was carrying on - how far will I take this? And the immediate answer in my mind was “all the way.”
