A 90-Year-Old’s Amtrak Experience (2)
Friday, June 8, 2007
Monday, April 9th
The Seattle weather cooperated to send me on my way at 8:05 AM on a blustery, but dry, day.I joined families with children and other "special" people at the station to get a "head start" boarding the train. My seat location was good, but the mechanics of the seat back were broken. No way to lean back. But I chose to stay put, since my seatmate was getting off in Eugene and that gave me two seats for the night. Catherine, my seatmate, on the way to meet her sister, was pleasant company. Her concern was to be on time, which she was. Shortly after Eugene, the rest of us had to wait three hours while a freight was repaired in front of us. Being late is rarely a problem for me because I do not have people meeting me and therefore I do not become a problem for Amtrak. Whatever time we are late, there are a number of people who have to be connected at Amtrak expense to whatever transportation is necessary to get them where they're going.
While Catherine and I had been visiting, we noted with concern the young couple who expected their young 3-year-old to either sleep or sit quietly across the aisle while they slept or chatted. After three hours of sleep, her good behavior was rewarded with a huge piece of daddy's candy bar (all three of them seemed never to stop snacking). When young Isabella seemed in line for some form of punishment from her parents, I asked if I could read to her, only to find they had not brought any toys or books. However, 
she was content to come and sit in my lap and look at a magazine that I had, which was about parks and had some animals and trees, so she was content. I had guessed correctly that Isabella was going to be high as a kite by nighttime, so her mother and she spent a restless night while daddy was totally oblivious. I managed a good night in spite of the other people's distress.
