The Polite Traveler

Amateur Hour on the West Coast Rails Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, I will never, ever, ever – did I mention never? – ride Amtrak north from CA for an overnight trip.  Why?  Please read along. Note : Follow CDC and Amtrak guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.    Old, Smelly and Rocky Plain and simple.  This train smells old and rotten.  I noted a constant air freshener smell emanating from the air vents attempting to mask the stink, but it didn’t work well.  In fact, our clothes and baggage now smell like the darn train!  After some time, the smell just seemed to blend in with all the other train annoyances, like the constant, and sometimes violent, rocking.  I expected some, after all, this is a tall box running along metal rails.  Nevertheless, this was extreme, nothing at all like the many other trains I’ve ridden. Seating in Business Class: The En...