Workin' on the train, yeah
Recap: I work onboard an Amtr*k train, and am gone for three days at a time. Stuck on the train with the same passengers/customers for 7 hours each 1/4th of my trip (I technically work 4 different trains when I'm at work, although I don't switch cars or anything, so I get new people on each train).
Some customer suckage, some customer stupid, some customer silly...I wrote down all the suck/stupid/silly from my last trip here. Hope you all get some laughs from it, because I sure did. A bit of language, and a long post hence the cuts -- and I cut for each story, to make it easier to read (I hope!).
Let me just say also first off, there is a bit of snark here that I wish I could say right to the suckies/stupids/sillies faces...But I do not. I remain calm and cordial with them, because this is my job, and I'm a great actress :D I'm glad this community is here to vent to!
I hear the train a comin'
Normally conductors don't let people roam about the train before their tickets have been lifted. On the train that leaves St. Louis at 4:30am (last leg of my trip), I had three young ladies come immediately to the lounge, so I guessed they hadn't gotten their tickets lifted yet...But I served them anyways because I didn't feel like fighting. You know you can usually tell when people are pissed off? I got that vibe from them, so I just did my job.
I was getting the food warmed up in the microwave for the first girls order when the conductor came down into my "panic box" cafe. He started saying stuff to these young women, and they were getting pissier and pissier with him.
Conductor: "Look, I didn't have to let you on the train. We are late in leaving because I allowed you three to get on here, when the station agent told me not to allow you onto the train without tickets."
Girl1: "That aint OUR fault we was late!"
Conductor: "Thats not our fault either, you should be here more than 5 minutes before the train has to leave if you still need to get your tickets."
Girl1: "BUT it was the cab drivers fault, not our fault! You can't blame us for the train being late!"
And this went on for about five minutes. Obviously they got there 5 minutes before the schedualed departure, and tried to get their tickets from the station agent. I don't know what they fought about, but the station agent denied them tickets because girl1 starting shouting and having a hissy fit. Whatever, I don't know the real reason, so be it. After all that the conductor tells them he's going to charge them the full ticket price, blah blah blah. She was pissy about that, she said "I've been riding this train for a year!" Whatever. The conductor leaves.
She started saying to her friends "I'm not paying for no ticket until I get to my destination," and other such things. And all I can think of is "Yeah, right...They'll call the police on her if she decides not to pay for a ticket hehehe."
Thats when girl1 started being extremely rude. She called the conductor many names, including a "Midget-assed motherfucker" which I must admit, I laughed at (just not out loud haha). Kinda stupid to do so openly in front of me, because I could have told the conductor and they probably would have had them tossed off the train. After she learned the price of her food (this was the girl I wrote about in my previous post) she decided not to pay for it because it was "too much". Please! If she really had been riding this train for a year, she'd know the prices lol :P
Found out later, she and her friends paid their fares ($71 each) in 1 dollar bills ;_; blarg! Felt bad for the conductors. They didn't cause trouble anymore on the trip though which was good.
It's rollin 'round the bend,
I get sick of those people who say "Boy, Amtr*k sure is getting rich off of me!". Sorry sir, you are a dumbass if you don't know Amtr*k's finances. They've been the same for the past 30 or so years. I don't see how you can possibly trust your life to the trains when you know absolutely nothing about them. My job is in danger, because the idiots that run the company mistakenly think that getting rid of the cafe/dining car food service is going to save them money. (Not that that is happening yet, but it is in the dining cars...They've made the food quality so bad with the 'ready meals' and getting rid of some chef positions, they are so gross). Ignorance is no excuse, go educate yourself or STFU.
And I a'int seen the sunshine since I don't know when.
Honestly, you are on a train with many other people, not in your own home. Please knock on the bathroom door before deciding to open it. Its nicer for both you and the person you are attempting to open the door on.
Yes, I locked the door before pulling my pants down, but we're talking about being on a train here. Sometimes those locks are quite loose and they can jiggle open again. It's really quite embarassing to have someone just yank the door open with no warning - they didn't knock or anything - (the doors open outward, not inward for those that don't know) while you're doing your business.
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison
I know I am the "most visable" employee on the train -- as the conductors like to hide -- but damn people, please use your brains a bit. I'm selling food, not talking on the radio with the engineer and dispatchers. I am heating up hot dogs, not going outside to protect crossings because crossing-arms at stops are iced up and won't work.
I do not know why we only just stopped a second before you came down to the cafe. I do not know specifically how late we are (I can estimate, but its not good to ask anyone other than the conductors). I don't know specifically how far away we are from _____. I don't even remember what the last stop was usually! lol. Of course, I'm always cordial with questions like that, I just don't understand why they don't ask the conductors. Are they scared of them? I know conductors like to hide, but there are only three cars on my train, they can't be that hard to find!
And time keeps draggin' on.
(What I wish I could reply to these sillies, but I never do).
Customer: "What do you got thats good?" --You think I eat this crap? I bring my own food.
Customer: "What do you got thats edible?" and/or "What of this crap is edible?" --How fucking rude./Nothing apparently.
Customer: "How fresh is your coffee?" --6 hours old, just to spite you. (not really. I continually have fresh coffee lol, the question just annoys me a bit. Its like the passenger is accusing me of having old coffee).
Customer: *Looks over the *text* menu for a minute* "So what kind of sandwiches do you have?" --*facepalm* Don't read much, do you?
But that train keeps a movin' on down to-San-An-Tone
I always greet people with a "Hello, how are you doing today?" followed by a "What can I get for you," no matter what their response. Their responses to "how are you doing?" can range from "Fine" to "I'm ___, how are you doing?", "I'll take ____," to "COFFEE!" or insert any other item there.
I don't care if the customer doesn't answer my pleasant greeting, I realize I can't change their behaviour. However...When they start asking ME personal questions (because ZOMG my job is just so fucking INTERESTING to them /sarcasm) such as:
Customer: "So, where do you live?"
Me: "I'm based out of Chicago."
Customer: "Yeah, but where do you live?"
Me: "I drive to Chicago to report for work." *smile smile*
Customer: "Yeah but where do you live when you aren't on the train?"
Me: "I'm sorry, but I don't give out personal information like that."
or
Customer: "So, how do you like your job?" --I hate it with a passion, thanks.
Customer: "So do you, like, just live on the train the entire time?" --Yes, I'm actually a robot.
Customer: "Where do you sleep?" or "What hotel do you stay at in St. Louis?" --In a hotel/Why the fuck do you want to know what hotel us employees stay at is my question!
Honestly. If you don't answer my simple question about how you are doing, I'm not going to indulge you by answering your questions about my job working on the train either.
When I was just a baby my mame told me, 'Son Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.'
I hang up at least four menues, in addition to whatever is currently in my cafe, so if there is a line of people they can all probably be within an arms reach of a menu to peruse while they are waiting in line. So when I have no line, I get annoyed with the people who pass all of the GOD DAMNED (hehe!) menus to ask me:
Customer: "So, what do you have?"
When I first started, I named things off I sold to them. I've stopped that! I just feel bad telling them to look at a menu, because they describe everything I have to sell (and tell them if I'm out of anything). We're on a train. I don't have that much of a choice between foods. Some snacks, beverages, and sandwiches (and sprinkle in a few high-priced beers and liquor) and thats it. I actually feel bad telling them to look at the menus right next to them, because I know I'd sure feel like a dumbass for being told I passed them all up!
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
Me: "Hello, how are you doing today?"
Customer: "I'm just looking."
Me: "Thats ok! I was just saying 'hi'!" *smile smile*
I don't make commission, and I don't bite. Honest. Saying "hi" is not a crime in this country (yet).
When I hear the whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry.
For some reason, people usually think the bathroom in my cafe car (and there is only ONE) is the ONLY bathroom on the train. People from the other cars will walk all the way down to my cafe car to use the bathroom. When a line forms, I usually call over to them and say that just on the other side of the vestibule in the other car are not one, but zomg two bathrooms -- which they had to pass -- to get into my cafe.
Usually they go "Wow, I didn't see them!!!" and leave. And some continue to wait. At that point I usually lock off that bathroom, because they start to stink it up by continually using it.
My theory is they don't want to use the bathrooms in their own car, because they know or think it will get stinky if everyone in that car uses it. So they go to another car to use their bathrooms. Thats the only reason I can think of walking so much farther to use a damn bathroom, heh.
Even better is when I get the people in coach class who try to go into the business class section -- which is right on the other side of my cafe but partitioned off, and close off with a curtain -- to try to use their bathroom. Now, people pay for business class for various reasons - its more quiet, there's more room to stretch out, there are usually plugs for various electronic devices, etc. They pay extra money to be up there. When I tell a passenger they can't go up there because they aren't ticketed for business class, they usually get so upset, and its just so silly of them in my opinion.
Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine.
Customer: "Do you have any specials?" or "Do fries come with that?" or "What all comes with the cheeseburger?" --This aint McDonalds/Yes, let me which out my deep fryer on the train just for YOU/All items are a la carte.
I used to say the last one (all items are a la carte). Roughly half of the people I'd say this too didn't understand what it meant, so now I just think it, like the responses above lol.
Some customer suckage, some customer stupid, some customer silly...I wrote down all the suck/stupid/silly from my last trip here. Hope you all get some laughs from it, because I sure did. A bit of language, and a long post hence the cuts -- and I cut for each story, to make it easier to read (I hope!).
Let me just say also first off, there is a bit of snark here that I wish I could say right to the suckies/stupids/sillies faces...But I do not. I remain calm and cordial with them, because this is my job, and I'm a great actress :D I'm glad this community is here to vent to!
I hear the train a comin'
Normally conductors don't let people roam about the train before their tickets have been lifted. On the train that leaves St. Louis at 4:30am (last leg of my trip), I had three young ladies come immediately to the lounge, so I guessed they hadn't gotten their tickets lifted yet...But I served them anyways because I didn't feel like fighting. You know you can usually tell when people are pissed off? I got that vibe from them, so I just did my job.
I was getting the food warmed up in the microwave for the first girls order when the conductor came down into my "panic box" cafe. He started saying stuff to these young women, and they were getting pissier and pissier with him.
Conductor: "Look, I didn't have to let you on the train. We are late in leaving because I allowed you three to get on here, when the station agent told me not to allow you onto the train without tickets."
Girl1: "That aint OUR fault we was late!"
Conductor: "Thats not our fault either, you should be here more than 5 minutes before the train has to leave if you still need to get your tickets."
Girl1: "BUT it was the cab drivers fault, not our fault! You can't blame us for the train being late!"
And this went on for about five minutes. Obviously they got there 5 minutes before the schedualed departure, and tried to get their tickets from the station agent. I don't know what they fought about, but the station agent denied them tickets because girl1 starting shouting and having a hissy fit. Whatever, I don't know the real reason, so be it. After all that the conductor tells them he's going to charge them the full ticket price, blah blah blah. She was pissy about that, she said "I've been riding this train for a year!" Whatever. The conductor leaves.
She started saying to her friends "I'm not paying for no ticket until I get to my destination," and other such things. And all I can think of is "Yeah, right...They'll call the police on her if she decides not to pay for a ticket hehehe."
Thats when girl1 started being extremely rude. She called the conductor many names, including a "Midget-assed motherfucker" which I must admit, I laughed at (just not out loud haha). Kinda stupid to do so openly in front of me, because I could have told the conductor and they probably would have had them tossed off the train. After she learned the price of her food (this was the girl I wrote about in my previous post) she decided not to pay for it because it was "too much". Please! If she really had been riding this train for a year, she'd know the prices lol :P
Found out later, she and her friends paid their fares ($71 each) in 1 dollar bills ;_; blarg! Felt bad for the conductors. They didn't cause trouble anymore on the trip though which was good.
It's rollin 'round the bend,
I get sick of those people who say "Boy, Amtr*k sure is getting rich off of me!". Sorry sir, you are a dumbass if you don't know Amtr*k's finances. They've been the same for the past 30 or so years. I don't see how you can possibly trust your life to the trains when you know absolutely nothing about them. My job is in danger, because the idiots that run the company mistakenly think that getting rid of the cafe/dining car food service is going to save them money. (Not that that is happening yet, but it is in the dining cars...They've made the food quality so bad with the 'ready meals' and getting rid of some chef positions, they are so gross). Ignorance is no excuse, go educate yourself or STFU.
And I a'int seen the sunshine since I don't know when.
Honestly, you are on a train with many other people, not in your own home. Please knock on the bathroom door before deciding to open it. Its nicer for both you and the person you are attempting to open the door on.
Yes, I locked the door before pulling my pants down, but we're talking about being on a train here. Sometimes those locks are quite loose and they can jiggle open again. It's really quite embarassing to have someone just yank the door open with no warning - they didn't knock or anything - (the doors open outward, not inward for those that don't know) while you're doing your business.
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison
I know I am the "most visable" employee on the train -- as the conductors like to hide -- but damn people, please use your brains a bit. I'm selling food, not talking on the radio with the engineer and dispatchers. I am heating up hot dogs, not going outside to protect crossings because crossing-arms at stops are iced up and won't work.
I do not know why we only just stopped a second before you came down to the cafe. I do not know specifically how late we are (I can estimate, but its not good to ask anyone other than the conductors). I don't know specifically how far away we are from _____. I don't even remember what the last stop was usually! lol. Of course, I'm always cordial with questions like that, I just don't understand why they don't ask the conductors. Are they scared of them? I know conductors like to hide, but there are only three cars on my train, they can't be that hard to find!
And time keeps draggin' on.
(What I wish I could reply to these sillies, but I never do).
Customer: "What do you got thats good?" --You think I eat this crap? I bring my own food.
Customer: "What do you got thats edible?" and/or "What of this crap is edible?" --How fucking rude./Nothing apparently.
Customer: "How fresh is your coffee?" --6 hours old, just to spite you. (not really. I continually have fresh coffee lol, the question just annoys me a bit. Its like the passenger is accusing me of having old coffee).
Customer: *Looks over the *text* menu for a minute* "So what kind of sandwiches do you have?" --*facepalm* Don't read much, do you?
But that train keeps a movin' on down to-San-An-Tone
I always greet people with a "Hello, how are you doing today?" followed by a "What can I get for you," no matter what their response. Their responses to "how are you doing?" can range from "Fine" to "I'm ___, how are you doing?", "I'll take ____," to "COFFEE!" or insert any other item there.
I don't care if the customer doesn't answer my pleasant greeting, I realize I can't change their behaviour. However...When they start asking ME personal questions (because ZOMG my job is just so fucking INTERESTING to them /sarcasm) such as:
Customer: "So, where do you live?"
Me: "I'm based out of Chicago."
Customer: "Yeah, but where do you live?"
Me: "I drive to Chicago to report for work." *smile smile*
Customer: "Yeah but where do you live when you aren't on the train?"
Me: "I'm sorry, but I don't give out personal information like that."
or
Customer: "So, how do you like your job?" --I hate it with a passion, thanks.
Customer: "So do you, like, just live on the train the entire time?" --Yes, I'm actually a robot.
Customer: "Where do you sleep?" or "What hotel do you stay at in St. Louis?" --In a hotel/Why the fuck do you want to know what hotel us employees stay at is my question!
Honestly. If you don't answer my simple question about how you are doing, I'm not going to indulge you by answering your questions about my job working on the train either.
When I was just a baby my mame told me, 'Son Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.'
I hang up at least four menues, in addition to whatever is currently in my cafe, so if there is a line of people they can all probably be within an arms reach of a menu to peruse while they are waiting in line. So when I have no line, I get annoyed with the people who pass all of the GOD DAMNED (hehe!) menus to ask me:
Customer: "So, what do you have?"
When I first started, I named things off I sold to them. I've stopped that! I just feel bad telling them to look at a menu, because they describe everything I have to sell (and tell them if I'm out of anything). We're on a train. I don't have that much of a choice between foods. Some snacks, beverages, and sandwiches (and sprinkle in a few high-priced beers and liquor) and thats it. I actually feel bad telling them to look at the menus right next to them, because I know I'd sure feel like a dumbass for being told I passed them all up!
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
Me: "Hello, how are you doing today?"
Customer: "I'm just looking."
Me: "Thats ok! I was just saying 'hi'!" *smile smile*
I don't make commission, and I don't bite. Honest. Saying "hi" is not a crime in this country (yet).
When I hear the whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry.
For some reason, people usually think the bathroom in my cafe car (and there is only ONE) is the ONLY bathroom on the train. People from the other cars will walk all the way down to my cafe car to use the bathroom. When a line forms, I usually call over to them and say that just on the other side of the vestibule in the other car are not one, but zomg two bathrooms -- which they had to pass -- to get into my cafe.
Usually they go "Wow, I didn't see them!!!" and leave. And some continue to wait. At that point I usually lock off that bathroom, because they start to stink it up by continually using it.
My theory is they don't want to use the bathrooms in their own car, because they know or think it will get stinky if everyone in that car uses it. So they go to another car to use their bathrooms. Thats the only reason I can think of walking so much farther to use a damn bathroom, heh.
Even better is when I get the people in coach class who try to go into the business class section -- which is right on the other side of my cafe but partitioned off, and close off with a curtain -- to try to use their bathroom. Now, people pay for business class for various reasons - its more quiet, there's more room to stretch out, there are usually plugs for various electronic devices, etc. They pay extra money to be up there. When I tell a passenger they can't go up there because they aren't ticketed for business class, they usually get so upset, and its just so silly of them in my opinion.
Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine.
Customer: "Do you have any specials?" or "Do fries come with that?" or "What all comes with the cheeseburger?" --This aint McDonalds/Yes, let me which out my deep fryer on the train just for YOU/All items are a la carte.
I used to say the last one (all items are a la carte). Roughly half of the people I'd say this too didn't understand what it meant, so now I just think it, like the responses above lol.