Trains aren’t best for everybody

John Wilson

My roommate Lee went on a trip to Oregon last month. He wasn’t thrilled with the experience flying there, as he has a medical condition which requires frequent toilet access. So, when he decided to return, I suggested he take Amtrak home, and helped him buy a lower level ticket so he’d be close to the bathroom. This turned out to be a big mistake.
As much as I support rail travel and advocate it, I now have to admit it isn’t for everybody, especially people with disabilities, despite Amtrak being accessible in the legal sense of the term. Lee’s trip home was so bad he would rather have repeated the flying experience, as bad as it was. At least the indignities involved would have been over faster.
His trip involved the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder. These are some of Amtrak’s grandest trains, with great scenery along the way, if you get a window seat. Of course, there is a tradeoff between scenery and ease of getting up when you sit by the window or aisle, respectively.
Lee has Parkinson’s Disease, which means he shakes a lot, freezes up mid-step, and needs a cane to keep his balance when walking. That isn’t very compatible with the shake, rattle, and roll of a train on old, poorly maintained freight tracks. Now, in some parts of the system, like the Northeast Corridor, where Amtrak owns the tracks they run on, the ride is much smoother. However, in other parts of the country, if you don’t have good balance, you may fall down like Lee did twice just trying to get to the restroom.
In addition, the bathrooms themselves are small (though bigger by far than those on a Greyhound bus) and insufficient. The regular toilets are about 4 by 5 feet; there is one larger toilet for mobility-impaired people per car, but it is often in use by people not needing it.
There is no assigned seating on trains; seating is first come, first served. Lee ended up having to sit at the end of the car farthest from the restrooms. There really should be priority seating near the bathrooms for people who need it, just like there is priority seating for people with disabilities on city buses. In addition, there should be at least one staff member on each car with expertise at handling minor emergencies like falls.
In addition, the staff at his origin station didn’t respect him or his needs, even though he arrived before the station even opened. This may be a function of it being a fairly small town; however, it reflects badly on Amtrak.
I still think trains are a good way to travel for most people. The point I am trying to make is that you should know all the facts before booking a trip on Amtrak or recommending it for someone else. I regret my mistake, and I am sorry, Lee.