(Mystery of the Metropolitan Lounge!) One of the “treats” of train travel are the little hidden things that you find out about in sniffing around the corners and edges of travel sites on the Internet. The lounge business is one of these. Not every station big or little has a special lounge for long distance travelers. Los Angeles and Chicago are two that I am aware. As mentioned I was on the look out for the one in Los Angeles as I had heard about it and wanted to see what the fuss was about. Well, I was right about it being hidden. You had to be on your “A”game to find it. It was behind the Amtrak Ticket Area, where there was a small sign, very modest, directing you to an elevator that would take you to a second floor area. Now, if I did not know about this and where it was I would have been out with the rest of the hoy-palloy sitting out in the great hall looking at the ceiling! Once you got off the elevator there it was and you were greeted by a little enthusiastic Amtrak employee who checked your ticket, ( they did not want just any Joe Doak finding their way into to this “sanctum-sanctorium”) informed you where to put your luggage, asked if you wanted it to be checked, and showed you the wide range of refreshments for your dining pleasure. And also showed the password for the free Wi-Fi. So this is what it was like to be “a special Customer! “holy punched ticket, traveler!” So by-gumpy I was going to partake in these dubious pleasures placed before me! First I scoped out a seat near the back door, flung myself into the padded chair and checked out the scene. The place was already crowded with people like me who were getting on the “Coast Starlight,” but there were other folks who where getting on other trains headed out in various directions and more kept coming.
Now I had arrived early so I could find this place so I had plenty of time to look about. One thing that was pretty obvious, there are a lot of “gray-hairs” traveling and a lot of them are just like me, just riding the rails for the heck of it. There was an added wrinkle to this bustling scene, people are allowed to bring small pets on board the train now. And so there was woman with a small dog in a ratty carrier ( I am not kidding, this carrier was patched with various kinds of worn duct tape!) the little dog was none to happy about this either and expressed his opinion in various squeaks,growls and muffled barks. I keep thinking, ” what was Amtrak up to with this new idea?”
The whole idea of the lounge, other than keeping the rich travelers from mixing with the ordinary “Coach riff-raff” was you were escorted to the platform early so you could avoid the rush to get on the train. It was a good idea, well intentioned and might have worked but we Amtrak passengers are like a herd of pussy cats and once the little man started us off and we all got on the elevator it was every person for themselves! If I had thought about it I could have ridden with the red-cap in his people mover cart and really looked down my nose and at the little people. No, I trecked out to the platform with the rest of them looking at the signs that indicated which car I was to get on. Only there wasn’t a train next to the track! Then came the announcement that the train was late! This is where the train started, how could it be late? So we all milled around the platform, with our luggage, trying to stay out of each other’s way.
Now it’s May in Los Angeles, it should be warm but there was a spanking wind and the temperature was in the low 50s. For this trip I had been given the advice to wear “layers,” I have never been so glad to have followed that advice! ( in fact I almost went into my luggage for my gloves!) Finally, after about 40 minutes the train backed into the station without a bye or leave and we all scambled aboard. One thing I had not considered, looking at my ticket, these cars are double deck, of course I thought I was upstairs, surprise, I was downstairs and so were several other folks. Well the stairs are bearly wide enough for one person going sideways but several, with luggage and the passage is nigh impossible. ( I would like to meet the guy who designed the stairs in these coaches, I would like to make him run up and down them several times with a backpack weighing 50 or so pounds!)
(Having fun on the train or is me, or is this train getting later by the minute?)
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