Thank you, sir, for the honest report on what
is going on now with Amtrak in Seattle and for
sharing your wonderful memories of an era that
is, sadly, gone. I, too lament the passing of
the relaxed and friendly times I knew for so long.

As for young people -- you cannot really miss
what you never had. Oh, you can yearn a lot for
better times, but if you never had something, it
is impossible to really know what having it meant
in all its fullness.

Theses are, indeed, hard and sad and tyrannical
times we all are living in now.

And your poor dear wife -- having to sit in asoaking
wet sleeper room. And Amtrak sleepers are very very
expensive. Talk about lousy service! And not getting
your money's worth! Wow.....

The above incident is yet another good reason why I
will never again ride Amtrak, Heck -- if I want to
gamble, I'll go somewhere where it is only money --
and not much of that -- that I will be risking, not
my entire vacation, I do not enjoy being mistreated,
and I expect and deserve -- as do we all -- to be able
to rely on getting really good service when I travel --
all the time. (Yes, there always will be a few problems
but they should be few and far between, and not the rule,
as they are too often now.)

Getting there should be half the fun. It used to be.
And could be again, if good people with superb values
were in charge, and skilled and caring people were the
ones doing the jobs.