AMTRAK Station Chaos

This was originally written on March 6, 2013.

My adventure first thing this morning:

So I got up at normal time and checked the IRS emergency hotline. The DC office is closed. OK, sounds good. I just needed to change the train ticket I was going to use today.

Normally, you can change your ticket on the AMTRAK website. I had originally bought this ticket at the Washington station, however, so I thought I had to go to the Richmond station to have a person switch it. I threw on a pair of jeans and headed over.


I get to the station around 4:15. There is one employee working there. I've seen him before. He looks like Ali Feizollahi in about 20 years. He's behind the counter, frantically plugging things in. He tells me the computer system isn't working, so it needs to be restarted. It'll just be a few minutes.

I go and sit down. A few minutes later, the 4:25 train comes into the station. People are trickling into the station. At this point, the one employee walks outside carrying a stack of newspapers. Where is he putting those? Who knows?

Now he's just disappeared. Where is he? I'm just sitting there waiting.

A guy from the 4:25 train sits down in the station. He looks like a stereotypical West Virginia football fan (a large gentleman with a big beard). I would guess he's about 45 or so. He says something to another person in the station, and he has a high-pitched Southern accent.

Now the "mountain man" guy is quasi-flirting with a college-aged student who was also on the train. Apparently, they are both taking a bus to West Virginia. An older man now joins the conversation. Mountain Man says his bus doesn't leave until noon. The old man says that's a heck of a layover. The Old Man says that there is a restaurant nearby that serves good food. He also clarifies that he is in town to get his eyes checked.

Now the Amtrak employee is back at the computer. We keep making eye contact, but he won't call me up. He's fidgeting. Now he's walking away. Ok, now he's back at the machine. Now where's he going? Now he's back. OK, he's ready for me. I've been there for almost an hour.

I have a simple request: Please change my trip for today to April 2. I want the exact same train numbers and times. I just need a new day.

He looks at me as though I asked him to split the atom on the spot. He turns his screen to me and says I have multiple trips booked. True, I say, I have to book many trips in advance. But I want to change the one for today. I hand him my ticket for TODAY.

He's pounding the keys one at a time, with the fury of someone who just insulted his wife. "What day?" he asks. TODAY! Come on. He asks me to sit back down. He will call me up "when he's done." What is this, a two-hour job? Other people have switched tickets for me in a matter of seconds.

Now he's shaking his head. He calls me back up. He says he can't change it. No, he's getting some kind of error. But apparently I can call Amtrak and they can switch it for me. He doesn't give me a number. I'm going to have to just leave.

I go back to my car and call Amtrak with the number on the back of my Rewards card. A very nice man was able to switch my reservation and e-mail me a new ticket. It took about 45 seconds.

Lesson learned for next time. Back to bed for an hour. What a waste of time!