Week ending 5/19/07:
As we chew up miles of track on the daily commute, I sometimes wonder "how in the world does The Department of Homeland Security keep tabs on this labyrinth of rail lines, both freight and commuter, that make up our nation's rail system?" I guess you know the answer. Let's face it, the so-called "security check" conducted on Amtrak is a joke. No screenings of passengers, no screening of luggage or packages (they don't even enforce the baggage size limitation). Even the announced "random ID check" is so random that it just about never occurs! Not that asking for a picture ID 1/2 hour or more AFTER the train leaves the station was ever any big deterrent or safeguard. These concerns were brought into focus for me this week on the evening trip back to Baltimore. There was a young man, mid-twenties or so, dressed in clothing that identified him as Muslim. He was accompanied by two young woman of similar age and dressed in long berkas. What created the alarm was their conversation in what sounded like Arabic, the young man praying, and his videotaping of several chemical plants in Delaware (these were the only things he taped during the trip). Several passengers were very uneasy with this routine, so they went and reported his actions to the conductor (Amtrak does advertise "if you see something, say something") as part of their security alert. The conductor acted appropriately and asked for their ID, which they produced in the form of passports. When we arrived at Wilmington, he alerted a cop who was patrolling the platform. The train was delayed for about 30 minutes while the cop went through whatever protocol was in place (he did remove the three from the train to continue questioning them). After that time, they were allowed back on the train to continue to Baltimore. The conductor (who I have come to know as a result of my regular railing on his train) shared with me that the guy's name came up on a "watch list" that the cop called in, but that his name was very common, similar to "John Smith", so there was no way of knowing whether he was just an unlucky innocent, or a world terrorist. The conductor said the cop had called ahead to see if they could get any additional information regarding their identity. Needless to say, that was not real comforting, but several of us decided to keep an eye peeled for trouble(like that was some real protection). Anyway, when we arrived in Baltimore, sure enough, these three people were greeted by some cops and two FBI agents. I continued on my way, so I don't know the outcome of their discussion. Anyway, I hope you get my point. If this was really a bad guy, maybe his research efforts were cut short and a planned attack was averted. Maybe he was only one of a number of similar events that has gone unreported or undiscovered. The commuter and freight systems (zinc chloride, phosphoric acid, choline gas, petroleum distillates, etc.) are one big nightmare of a potential HAZMAT disaster. One investigative reporter recently wrote of his escapades through the Northeast corridors' rail system when he demonstrated security breakdowns as he climbed HAZMAT trains and locomotives in various rail yards, videotaping derailing levers or peeking into signal boxes that control rail traffic, and never being stopped or questioned by workers who observed his actions! Yikes! It's only through the grace of God that we are spared! We need prayers, vigilance and a renewed call on public officials to make our rail system a priority security issue!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Wait Loss Clinic
Week ending 5/12/07:
Nothing is more maddening than the inefficiency of the Amtrak ticket counter. Baltimore may be the worst, although NY may be a close runner-up! It never ceases to amaze me. Here's the scenario: arrive within 15 minutes of your anticipated departure and it will be a crap shoot, maybe you'll make it maybe you won't. Not because things were too hectic or too crowded, but just because the "reservation agents" didn't feel like doing much at that particular point in time. The reason they call them "reservation agents" is because they reserve the right to serve you! This can occur when there's only one or two people in line! These agents don't have a clue regarding customer service, or if they do, they simply don't care. Their process goes something like this: help one passenger get a ticket, then leave your station, walk around from counter to counter (at least three), go into the back room, come back, fumble with some stuff under the counter (purse, lunch bag, etc.). Now decide to move the bags, boxes, brochures or whatever, while the increasingly fidgety soon-to-miss-the-next-train passenger nervously keeps looking at his/her watch! Finally the agent is back at their computer terminal and the coup-de-grace occurs: they just stare into the terminal for about 5 minutes. What they are looking for I don't have a clue. Maybe the train schedule, maybe last night's lottery numbers or maybe the next vacation they are planning using their rapid reward miles from Amtrak. I don't know, but what I do know, is all of this happens while an otherwise needy passenger watches the minutes tick by, and you then hear over the loudspeaker that your train is boarding! Then and only then do you see that God-send from heaven: the lit up "Next" sign with he arrow pointing toward the appropriate counter. Then it's a mad scramble to see if you can make it. Unfortunately, the usual outcome is a race to he stairs that lead to the platform, only to see the doors slam shut and the train begins to pull away from the station as you cry out "No, wait!" And whoa unto those that cry out in protest to the reservation agent. Not only do they walk SLOWER and create more delays, but they remember you next time! You can be sure you have made their hit list and that ticket you need to re-write will all of a sudden, not be available. It will be sold-out! This routine could almost be forgiven if there were not several occasions where the agent stares out at the one or two people in line, and still decides to ignore them. The agent usually expresses no interest or remorse that their lack of attention may be a material factor in creating a bottleneck that keeps an otherwise important business transaction from happening. That short window of time that can mean the difference between making a meeting that closes the deal that day, or missing the opportunity and deferring to reach an agreement, maybe indefinitely, and maybe not at all! How much commerce is at stake? Such power! Such a loss!
Nothing is more maddening than the inefficiency of the Amtrak ticket counter. Baltimore may be the worst, although NY may be a close runner-up! It never ceases to amaze me. Here's the scenario: arrive within 15 minutes of your anticipated departure and it will be a crap shoot, maybe you'll make it maybe you won't. Not because things were too hectic or too crowded, but just because the "reservation agents" didn't feel like doing much at that particular point in time. The reason they call them "reservation agents" is because they reserve the right to serve you! This can occur when there's only one or two people in line! These agents don't have a clue regarding customer service, or if they do, they simply don't care. Their process goes something like this: help one passenger get a ticket, then leave your station, walk around from counter to counter (at least three), go into the back room, come back, fumble with some stuff under the counter (purse, lunch bag, etc.). Now decide to move the bags, boxes, brochures or whatever, while the increasingly fidgety soon-to-miss-the-next-train passenger nervously keeps looking at his/her watch! Finally the agent is back at their computer terminal and the coup-de-grace occurs: they just stare into the terminal for about 5 minutes. What they are looking for I don't have a clue. Maybe the train schedule, maybe last night's lottery numbers or maybe the next vacation they are planning using their rapid reward miles from Amtrak. I don't know, but what I do know, is all of this happens while an otherwise needy passenger watches the minutes tick by, and you then hear over the loudspeaker that your train is boarding! Then and only then do you see that God-send from heaven: the lit up "Next" sign with he arrow pointing toward the appropriate counter. Then it's a mad scramble to see if you can make it. Unfortunately, the usual outcome is a race to he stairs that lead to the platform, only to see the doors slam shut and the train begins to pull away from the station as you cry out "No, wait!" And whoa unto those that cry out in protest to the reservation agent. Not only do they walk SLOWER and create more delays, but they remember you next time! You can be sure you have made their hit list and that ticket you need to re-write will all of a sudden, not be available. It will be sold-out! This routine could almost be forgiven if there were not several occasions where the agent stares out at the one or two people in line, and still decides to ignore them. The agent usually expresses no interest or remorse that their lack of attention may be a material factor in creating a bottleneck that keeps an otherwise important business transaction from happening. That short window of time that can mean the difference between making a meeting that closes the deal that day, or missing the opportunity and deferring to reach an agreement, maybe indefinitely, and maybe not at all! How much commerce is at stake? Such power! Such a loss!
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