shelbyfv

This is obviously "dog whistle" BS and has no place on BF other than P&R. Please take your resentments and prejudices somewhere else.

indyfabz

Because it's wholly inaccurate. I work for a railroad that has many union employees. Here and in the industry, people can and do get fired all the time for actions at work and outside of work.


More importantly, you have not made any connection between your generalized, albeit uninformed beliefs, to the particular incident in question. You don't like unions. We get it. But what facts do you have that link unionization to this particular incident? None. Are you beginning to understand the problem with your thinking?

indyfabz

At its narrowest, Amtrak baggage handlers. Sadly, painting folks with a broad brush is not uncommon 'round these parts, although it's most often seem in the A&S forum. Someone gets hit by a truck and you will invariably find disparaging comments denouncing all truck drivers are antagonistic to cyclists.


The simple fact remains is that you have no idea what caused the damage. It could have been due solely to something like equipment failure. And sometimes people make mistakes not out of neglect or indifference to their duties, but rather because people the rest of us are, you know, not perfect. As such, to malign an entire "group" (does that word sit better with you?) is simply not warranted.

SquidPuppet

You have created and assigned an inaccurate meaning to the words that I wrote. You've wrongly labeled me a prejudiced against an entire class/group of people.

There is not one single negative word describing baggage handlers in my posts. I never said Amtrak baggage handlers were bad people. I never said they deliberately damaged bikes. I didn't even insinuate that they damage bikes due to a neglectful attitude toward their duties.

What I did say is that it's doubtful that they handle the bikes with the same passion and care that a C&V enthusiast does. Which is probably 100% true. Why? Because they can't. I suspect they are very busy and we know they are on a strict time schedule. They are most likely hustling. When people hustle things go "Bump". They have to load and secure many bikes in tight quarters. This probably means straps or clamps or some other means to fasten the bikes to a rack. Bikes close together on a moving vehicle are likely to bump into one another. Pedals from bike "A" may strike frame tubes on bike "B". Etc. Stuff happens. The baggage handlers treat the bikes like freight because the bikes are freight, not passengers. They are not in the wrong for doing this and I never said that they were. They are doing their job. More power to them.

If you read my previous posts again maybe you will notice that as opposed to slamming the baggage handlers, I did quite the opposite. I put the burden of responsibility on the OP. In that, handing your unboxed bike off to be dealt with as freight, one could somewhat reasonably expect some travel scars.

The irony of this exchange is not lost on me, though. While making false accusations that I am a prejudiced and judgemental person, you do so with a nauseatingly condescending tone. The same tone that you seem to address almost everyone else here with, regardless of the topic. You might choose to examine that.

Cyclist0108

I've got nothing to offer, apart from sympathy. You can take pictures, etc, and try to get compensated, but compared to the airlines or even Greyhound bus, Amcrash is particularly hostile. (They sort of combine the efficiency of the US Post Office with the compassion of the IRS.) The last time I took it was to take 2 bikes from Denver to Chicago in 1993. I vowed never again.

Ty0604

Yeah, I did. They apologized and told me I needed to call customer service.

Correct. The PDX-LAX was walk up checked service and the LAX-SAN was roll on service. Thanks for the links.

What are you talking about? Karma for what?

Yeah, I do have before and after photos. Pretty clear ones.

"Unscathed" would have been a few minor scratches which I think is common during transit. These scratches are deep and long. Far beyond what anyone would consider acceptable. A busted brake level is a whole new level and no excuse for that.

Thanks everyone else. Didn't mean for this to become political. I'm going to send Amtrak my photos and see. Doesn't hurt to ask.

indyfabz

"It's just 'Freight' to them."

100% pejorative, especially with the use of quotation marks, whether you grasp that or not.

BTW..."Class" is a term related to unions. Google "craft or class."

Buh bye.

SquidPuppet

LOL mind reader. There is no contempt behind that comment. It's used it to emphasize that the handlers are not going to coddle the bikes.

You are reading into it what you want to see.

Thanks, but I won't be needing any language lessons today.

eja_ bottecchia

I understand your point and yours is a good suggestion.

Nevertheless, it is freaking aggravating that people can't (or won't) do their job right and that one has to appeal to their graciousness in order to get them to fix what they apparently messed up. The OP's bike should have been returned to him in the same conditions that it was prior to the trip.

What kind of people does AMTRAK hire anyways?

mulveyr 

FWIW, as someone who has used Amtrak a half-dozenish or so times to transport my and my family's bikes across NY, the employees--particularly the baggage staff--have been awesome. Friendly, loaned tools to deal with a particularly difficult pedal removal, and helped move bikes around when I was dealing with two loaded touring bikes and a nine-year-old.

And as others have noticed, sometimes sh*t happens. People slip, items get dropped, etc.