(Editor’s Note: Barbara Grill is a member of the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee and chairperson of the committee’s Disability/Senior Task Force.)
My love affair with traveling began when my aunt brought me to Florida on a train. Our trip took place during the Second World War and the train was crowded with GIs moving around the country. I still remember that trip even though I was only four years old.
That was the first of many train trips. My train travels have carried me to many of life's important milestones as well as to far-flung corners of the United States, Canada and Europe. For example, I moved from Chicago to Las Vegas with all my earthly possessions boxed and secured in the Santa Fe train's baggage compartment to the waiting arms of my future husband!
I have to admit, though, that, in those days, train travel was not my favorite way to go. In fact, I'd travel by automobile, bus or plane — any mode that would get there. During some of those years, my business log recorded over 20,000 miles often criss-crossing several times across the Continental Divide. When the time came to settle down, we settled in Sarasota, Fla. My responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom really did settle me down, for I remained in one place with our two daughters, and I did not once leave the state of Florida for 13 years.
Ultimately the wanderlust struck again and I was off, this time traveling with friends and sometimes with my two grown daughters. By now, Amtrak had come into existence and the train had become my preferred mode of travel. Over time my vision degenerated due to retinitis pigmentosa and it became evident that a safe, travel-friendly mode of transportation was now a determining factor in planning for any trip.
Several years ago, while returning to Sarasota from San Francisco after attending my oldest daughter’s wedding, a seemingly unpleasant incident turned into an opportunity for me to use much of the knowledge gleaned from all those years of travel. Although I carried documentation to prove my legal blindness, a very rude conductor collecting tickets decided to challenge my state of Florida documented disability. What an embarrassment! After that, it seemed as though all the Amtrak employees on that train were observing my every move. My entire trip was overcast by mixed feelings of anger, discomfort and frustration. Then approximately 100 miles from Denver, to my surprise, a distinguished gentleman in a suit approached me and introduced himself as an Amtrak Product Line Director. Taking only a few minutes, this gentleman learned from Amtrak employees the details of the incident, examined the documents certifying my legal blindness, and assured me that things would be made right. Once in Denver where I had planned to spend a few days, he returned the documentation (after making copies) and helped me with my luggage into a waiting taxi.
A few weeks after my return to Sarasota, a letter arrived containing an apology, a solution for the inappropriate behavior of the conductor, a travel voucher, and a partial refund check. And more intriguing than all of that was some unsolicited advice to contact the coordinator of the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C. and to apply for a position whenever the next vacancy occurred.
This was all too tempting to pass up, so I researched what the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee (ACAC) was all about. ACAC is a very large committee comprised of a maximum of 31 individuals residing in all parts of the United States. The bylaws are pretty specific about the composition, allowing for appointment of three people with disabilities, two senior citizens aged 62 or older, and one full-time college student, etc. The mission statement clearly defines what the work of the ACAC will be: to establish and maintain communication with consumers, to improve quality of service from the customer’s point of view, to provide for direct input to management about customer perception of service and to facilitate inclusion of customer observations into service monitoring and modification.
This sounded quite straightforward and, at the same time, challenging. So I applied for membership and subsequently corresponded with the program administrator over the course of several months. After about a year had gone by, I finally received a telephone call from the administrator asking whether I was still interested in pursuing an appointment to the ACAC. Of course I was interested! She went on to explain the responsibilities of membership. A few months later, I attended my first quarterly meeting of the committee in Jacksonville, Fla.
Before departing from Sarasota, I tucked a copy of the October 2000 “Braille Forum” into my suitcase. That particular issue contained Julie Roberts’ letter to the editor expressing profound criticism of Amtrak. More about this in a moment. During the orientation for new members, another blind member of the committee asked for volunteers to join his task force. I approached him and introduced myself during a break in the formal proceedings. We chatted about his four-year tenure on the committee and the interesting work he was doing. I described the article, which had appeared in “The Braille Forum” and gave him a copy to take back to Ohio with him so he could scan and read it. He made an interesting proposal. Would I be interested in joining forces to form a new task force to explore disability issues?
We presented the examples of Julie Roberts’ experience along with my unfortunate incident involving the rude behavior of the Amtrak conductor to show a need for the Amtrak Advisory Committee to approve the formation of a task force to study and make recommendations that could resolve disability-related complaints and issues. The ACAC broadened the scope of the task force to include special needs of senior citizens. Thus, the Disability/Senior Task Force (DSTF) was born. Several other ACAC members joined our task force team and I agreed to serve as co-chair of the DSTF.
We decided to explore Julie Roberts’ complaint and learn how it was resolved. It took some digging but ACB located and contacted her for us. Roberts gave permission to the American Council of the Blind to allow for her telephone number to be given to me. My co-chair called her for more details about the incident, which were exactly as she had written for “The Braille Forum.” Not only were she and her traveling companion neglected on the train, treated very badly by a Thruway Motorcoach driver but they also lost her luggage! Although it took many months, Roberts was sent a letter of apology containing a travel voucher and a check for her lost luggage. And she made an interesting comment: “I need to become more assertive.”
This would be my very first and most important of the following tips for visually impaired individuals who travel on Amtrak:
1) Be assertive at every stage of your contact with Amtrak whether it be making reservations, traveling onboard the train or moving about the station. Ask numerous questions and let someone know when your request is not being honored. Communicate.
2) When making reservations, let the reservationist know that you are visually impaired and will need assistance. Even if you do not want assistance, it is wise to have your ticket indicate that you have a visual impairment.
3) You may request meals at your seat or sleeping compartment when onboard the train.
4) Remember that arrangements for special diets need to be made when making reservations so your ticket will indicate same.
5) Ask for a short tour of the train to orient yourself to the location of restrooms, dining car, café car and emergency exits.
6) If you want assistance into the station when departing the train, it is always wise to remind the attendant to call ahead so someone in station services will meet the train.
7) Don’t assume that there will be an Amtrak employee waiting to meet you at every station because there may be only one very busy employee in the station or the station may be unmanned. Check ahead.
8) Plan to wait in the “accessible handicapped passenger” area of the train station and arrange for the accessible handicapped carts, if you feel you need this assistance to or from the train platform.
9) Plan a vacation on a train that features Trails and Rails, a joint project of Amtrak and the National Park Service which is an excellent program that offers on board narratives about the history, geographic wonders and cultural heritage along many routes.
10) If you do have difficulty with any aspect of the service on board the train, ask to speak to the lead service attendant who will make an effort to correct your problems.
11) Remember to take some dollar bills to tip employees for the personalized special service you may be provided.
12) Amtrak guarantees your satisfaction with your travel experience; therefore, if you do not experience satisfaction after reporting poor service or a bad trip, contact 1-800-USA-RAIL [872-7245].
13) Finally, if you do not feel that any of the tips above are strong enough to get you the satisfaction you deserve, address a written complaint to Amtrak at Office of Customer Relations, 60 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002.
Bon voyage!