Folding Bikes - Amtrack's Rule Reversal And Clarifications On Folding Bikes

I have taken my folders on various trains and buses in the surrounding Southern California area. But never on Amtrack trains in spite of it's online posted rules requarding folders of all types. But I think that all folding bike owners, no matter where you are located, will cheer at this Bike Friday articles on Amtrack's reversal of their conductor's book of rules and regulations (which some of them follow to the letter).

See: http://www.bikefriday.com/amtrak (http://www.bikefriday.com/amtrak)

Or you could just read this.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1080080554487&pagename=Amtrak%2Fam2Copy%2FSimple_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy

Amtrak has allowed folding bikes on some of their trains for awhile now; policy is the same as the last time I checked, well over a year ago. Then and now, you have to put folders into the luggage section.

Or you could just read this.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1080080554487&pagename=Amtrak%2Fam2Copy%2FSimple_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy

Amtrak has allowed folding bikes on some of their trains for awhile now; policy is the same as the last time I checked, well over a year ago. Then and now, you have to put folders into the luggage section.

It helps to read the whole story. The policy, however it might be described on the web page, was different in the service manuals given to conductors. There was a by the book conductor who didn't care what the web page said, he was going to stick with the policy in his service manual. Printed out Emails from higher-ups didn't convince him, since they did not specifically instruct him to allow bikes on board. The commuter in question had to go through the Amtrak bureaucracy to get them to issue instructions to the conductor to allow his bike on board. He had been able to bring the bike on another Amtrak train, where the conductors took a more relaxed view.

I can't even really blame the conductor. He had been issued a handbook which clearly told him not to allow folding bikes on board. If the web page said something different, it was up to his superiors to revise the handbook accordingly. Telling a busy conductor "but your web page says . . ." is not likely to be effective when he's been given other instructions.

It's incredible how Amtrak which is running in the red can be so anti-cycle. For crying out loud, you are allowed to bring a full size bicycle into the New York City subway during rush hour!

Thanks Transportation Alternatives.