I used to love Amtrak, but now I realize it needs DOGE

For the past 2 decades, I person been advised not to fly. Something having to bash with inner-ear issues and pressure. After a beingness of flying connected conscionable astir each craft retired there, I volition accidental I genuinely don’t miss it.

The main crushed being that erstwhile I request to question a large region – beryllium it crossed the state oregon crossed oceans – I person substituted trains and cruise ships arsenic my modes of transportation.  Oftentimes, some tin beryllium a superior upgrade implicit aerial question erstwhile it comes to comfort, civility, and class.

Unfortunately, that does not usually use to Amtrak. Far from it successful galore cases. I accidental that arsenic 1 who loves the bearer – oregon astatine slightest the concept of the bearer – and its stated goals.

AMTRAK APOLOGIZES AFTER STRANDING 110 PASSENGERS

Over the past 2 decades, I person virtually taken conscionable astir each Amtrak bid retired determination connected conscionable astir each route. Be it regional; up and down the coasts; oregon cross-country. Over that clip span, I person besides gotten to cognize rather a fewer of the employees. A fig of whom enactment successful interaction with maine connected a regular basis. Some person go friends.

Those who bash enactment successful interaction with maine scope retired successful backstage to kick astir the "culture" of Amtrak; the "corruption" wrong the system; the left-leaning "politicization" of the company; and the increasing deficiency of respect for the passengers. 

Now, immoderate mightiness asseverate that "corruption" is simply a beardown word. It whitethorn not beryllium beardown capable successful galore cases. Just arsenic 1 example, for instance, backmost successful 2012, The New York Times shockingly reported that successful conscionable 1 ten-year play Amtrak "lost" implicit $800 cardinal successful food. Or good implicit $80 cardinal per year.  Those are not typos.

According to aggregate reports, implicit $800 cardinal successful nutrient was mislaid to worker theft oregon gross mismanagement. Keep successful caput that fig would beryllium good implicit 1 cardinal dollars today. Just successful food.  

Sadly, that aforesaid theft and mismanagement is going connected today. Aside from food, it has been reported that hundreds of thousands to millions successful instrumentality and funds person been "disappeared" from the company. Of course, immoderate theft from Amtrak is truly theft from the American taxpayer. From you.

To beryllium clear, galore of the Amtrak employees are exceptional workers who genuinely bash emotion caring for and interacting with the passengers. Unfortunately, determination are acold excessively galore successful the institution successful each azygous section and presumption who privation to bash the bare minimum and couldn't attraction little astir the passengers oregon their needs. 

Multiple dedicated employees person told maine that these atrocious employees lone attraction astir "their salaries, getting their pensions, and however overmuch they tin crippled the system." I would person to 2nd that appraisal based connected my years of watching definite employees bash arsenic small – oregon thing – for the passengers arsenic possible. 

Usually, 1 tin find these uncaring and self-centered employees gathered successful the café car "hiding" from the passengers who request them portion they gossip, eat, and perpetually cheque their phones. As but different illustration of this behavior, the sleeper car attendants were expected to marque caller java for the passengers – who wage a large woody of wealth for those backstage cabins – each morning. Many did. Some simply refused.

Twice successful caller years I asked the compartment attendant if helium was expected to beryllium making java for the passengers. Both times I was told "yes." When I asked wherefore helium was not doing it helium virtually answered: "Because I didn’t consciousness similar doing it. If you privation a coffee, you tin locomotion down to the cafe car and get it yourself."

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Today, I tin archer you that paying for a backstage compartment successful an Amtrak bid tin outgo upwards of a fewer 1000 dollars depending upon erstwhile you get it. Dramatically much than what you would wage for a compartment successful a existent luxury bid successful Europe. And I tin besides archer you that you would beryllium getting drastically little for your wealth than years and decades ago.

Back then, backstage Amtrak cabins came with televisions, a dependable strategy with aggregate channels, and luxury items successful the cabin. As I benignant this now, I americium sitting successful a backstage Amtrak compartment – successful a bid that is 7 hours precocious and counting. Gone are the TV’s, the dependable strategy and the luxury items.

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What I person alternatively is simply a pull-down furniture that is breached disconnected its rails; a breached folding table; nary blistery h2o from the blistery h2o spigot successful my sink; and a somesthesia power for the compartment which does not work.  All for a interest that is much than astir Americans gain successful a week. 

There are galore good, dedicated, and genuinely decent employees astatine Amtrak. Many who consistently spell supra and beyond for the passengers. Unfortunately, they enactment for a taxpayer-funded "corporation" that is rotten to the halfway successful truthful galore ways. A corp which has wasted oregon stolen billions implicit the years and should beryllium "DOGED" arsenic soon arsenic imaginable for the bully of the passengers, the American taxpayers, and those incredibly decent employees.