[Travelandtourism] Amtrak issue requesting help

Fri Nov 22 15:11:07 UTC 2013

Jordan:
Cheryl Echevarria here, did all the information help you yesterday and today.
Please give us an update on your travels so we know how you did, and what you did and did the people with Amtrak understand what you wanted and needed.
Please fill us in, on all. Thank you.

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerwww.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations at echevarriatravel.com
 Take the stress out of this year’s holiday shopping with NFB’s Bid for Equality national online auction: Black Friday, Nov. 29, to Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3. View our must-have donations and register to make your Bid for Equality. The future is in your bid! Echevarria Travel has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

From: cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
To: jordanandseptember at gmail.com
CC: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org; mriccobono at nfb.org; vyingling at nfb.org
Subject: RE: Amtrak issue requesting help
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 14:31:32 -0500

Jordan I am now on the phone with Amtrak. The did get the call from you on your complaint. And they  are noting everything and putting in the complaint about someone not meeting you and being left at the bathroom.
Jody in customer service has said first of all, some one should have met you at Union Station, the red caps are the ones that meet you. You were to let them know what you want to do, find your luggage, maybe find a place to go to the bathroom and find a place to eat and then find your next gate to the your next destination.
I mentioned to Jody, that you had requested a meet and greet, in the future and moving forward to your next stop, you are to ask the conductor to call the station before you get there, not when you get on the train now, but try to do it first thing in the morning before you arrive at the station, because you may not have the same conductor tonight as you will in the morning.
Let the conductor know you have a meet and assist request on your ticket, once the red cap meets you, which may not be right away, because Chicago as well as, Union City in DC is very busy, so you may have had to wait a bit when you arrived in Union City for the assistance.
When you get off the train in Chicago, because you have a lay over before you arrive in Kansas City.  Let the Red Cap know you want to go to Passenger Services. For those of you who are reading this, please follow all of these steps. I will break it down later.
Once at Passenger Services, especially since I think  you have a 6 hour wait in Chicago.
That you want to find where the bathroom isWhere the food court or restaurants areWhere your next gate is.Maybe there is someplace close you can go to, do something while you are waiting.
Let them know exactly what you needs are from them.
Do you need them to give you directions, or possibly just walk you to the bathroom and then find your way back to your seat?
Do you need to find the restaurant and then find you way someplace else.
Do you need help finding your luggage, that the red cap can do
Do you need anything else.
Please be specific! Passenger Services doesn't read minds, and some of us like to find our way around places with no assistance. Myself and Anil Lewis come to mind on this.
Jody, was saying she is sighted and she gets lost in Chicago because it is huge.
So once again Jordan and anyone who is going to be traveling via amtrak in the future.
1st call amtrak to make your reservations and let them know exactly the services you are going to need, such as if you are traveling by cane, with a guide dog, other other disabilities.
2nd at the train station, go to passenger services if you have a long wait for your train, if not find a red cap to help you with the luggage and finding your gate.
3rd Once on the train, find your conductor, and let that person know at your stop you will need assistance and your have it on your ticket, for them to please call ahead to that station and have the Red Cap waiting for you. If you have a long train ride, ask the conductor, when is it a good time to remind them of the above information.  You might have a different conductor right before coming to your station, so they will give you the best advice.
4th Once of the train at your destinationIf you are not going on to another station the Red Cap will help you with your luggage to get you to the taxi or meeting place for the person who is picking you up
If you are going on to another train right away, the Red Cap will get you to that train.
If you have a few hours in between trains, please let Red Cap know that you need to get to Passenger Services. When you get to Passenger Services be specific to what your needs are. You need to know where the bathrooms are and need help finding them, You need to know where the restaurants are and need help finding them. You need to know where there might be some entertainment or something to do to keep your busy before your next train. You need to find your gate.
The passenger services will give you recommendations, give you a phone number in case, you are at a restaurant and your want to get to your gate, or something else, so they can assign someone to help you.
Cheryl Echevarria, PresidentNFB Travel & TourismNational Federation of the Blindcherylandmaxx at hotmail.com631-236-5138

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerwww.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations at echevarriatravel.com
 Take the stress out of this year’s holiday shopping with NFB’s Bid for Equality national online auction: Black Friday, Nov. 29, to Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3. View our must-have donations and register to make your Bid for Equality. The future is in your bid! Echevarria Travel has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

CC: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org; mriccobono at nfb.org; vyingling at nfb.org
From: jordanandseptember at gmail.com
Subject: Re: Amtrak issue requesting help
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:54:44 -0500
To: cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com

I am still at the station, and my phone number is 985-640-3044.  I leave for Chicago at 4::05, and then leave for Kansas City on Friday.  Meet and assist is what apparently ended up on my ticket.  The Red Cap asked me where I needed to go, and after I asked him to take me to get my bags checked, the restroom, and to find something to eat, he left after helping me locate the restroom.  I'm about to go locate food one way or another..  I can forward the e-mail from when I changed my reservation to yesterday, the 20th, and I can forward my origional reservation as well.  II'll send an e-mail along with what occurs in Chicago tomorrow as well.Thanks,Jordan

Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 21, 2013, at 12:36 PM, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:

Good afternoon Mr. Jordan Gallacher:
I am reply not only to you but to also to the NFB Travel & Tourism Division, Mr. Marc Riccobono, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, and also, Ms. Valerie Yingling, down in our headquarters in Baltimore.
I am so sorry this has happened to you, and we need everyone to let us know what happens to them while traveling whether it be by train, plane, bus, cruise lines, etc.
For us to have a full picture, just please reply to everyone on this e-mail.
You have stated that you arranged for assistance with Amtrak, are you saying that your arranged this assistance when you booked your trip to Washington, DC - Union Station, arriving today, November 21st, 2013 from Sidell, LA on Amtrak Train 20, or upon arrival at the train station in Sidell, LA.
If you made these arrangements, do you have a confirming e-mail or a name of the person who made the reservations for you.
What kind of assistance were you asking for, as well. I am not trying to upset you, but we want to make sure get all the details.
You also, say that when you got off the train you had gotten some assistance from the Red Cap and he helped you find your luggage and then proceeded to assist you finding the bathroom and then left you there?  Did you ask him if he would be waiting for you when you left the bathroom, I know this is a stupid question, but some Red Caps only think tips, and might have thought, even though it is wrong, that you may be tipping him, because you are blind.
Normally when I travel on Amtrak, it is the Red Cap who meets and assists with these issues, where you told by an Amtrak Representative that someone else from Amtrak will be meeting you for assistance?also thank you for letting us know, because there will be over 500+ NFB members heading to Washington, DC on January 27th, 2014 for our Annual Washington Seminar, and I for one will be taking the Amtrak from NY City to Union Station. So we need to keep an eye on the issues.
Are you still at the Amtrak Station? Send me your phone number and I can try and call Amtrak myself, let me know where you are and when you are planning on getting home.
Is someone picking you up at the Amtrak Station or are your suppose to take a taxi to your ending destination.
Um the statement on the airlines, might pertain to yourself, and I am glad you haven't had any issues with them, but more and more blind people, if you have been following this list, as well as, NAGDU or other talk lists with the NFB. That the airlines are taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps or more backwards in that level.
Please give us an update.
I might have to ask you some personal questions by phone or e-mail off this list to find out more information on purchasing your ticket, so I can call Amtrak and find out more of what happened.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Echevarria, PresidentNFB Travel & TourismNational Federation of the Blindcherylandmax at hotmail.com631-236-5138

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerwww.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations at echevarriatravel.com
 Take the stress out of this year’s holiday shopping with NFB’s Bid for Equality national online auction: Black Friday, Nov. 29, to Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3. View our must-have donations and register to make your Bid for Equality. The future is in your bid! Echevarria Travel has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

> Subject: Amtrak issue requesting help
> From: jordanandseptember at gmail.com
> Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:10:06 -0500
> To: info at nfbtravel.org
> 
> Hello,
> I am having an issue with Amtrak and requesting the Travel and Tourism Division's help to resolve it.  Here's what happened on part 1 of my trip.
> I arrived at Washington Union Station today, November 21st, from Slidell, LA on Amtrak 20.  I received pretty prompt service from a Red cap after getting off the train, although there was none there to meet me as there was supposed to be.  I get my two bags checked and then proceed to the restroom.  The Red Cap just leaves me at the restroom.  I had to call Amtrak's Customer Relations twice to get assistance, and I still have not received the assistance I have asked for both times.  I need to find lunch somehow.  This is more than rediculous.  I never have this type of issue with airlines where I cannot get assistance to where I want to go, and this is the second time I have had this sort of problem with Amtrak.  This needs to be put a stop to.
> Thanks,
> Jordan Gallacher
> 
> Sent from my iPhone