Throw Momma from the Train

I thought I would write about the time my husband and I decided to take the Train from Winter Haven, FL to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. we were going to fly to Haiti out of Miami and could catch a local type train from Ft. Lauderdale to the Miami Airport. We decided that instead of having to get up very early and make the 4+ hour drive to Miami and pay to park our vehicle at the Miami Airport for a week it would be much easier and more relaxing to sit back and take the train. Right? WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see where did the nightmare on Track 9 begin. Oh yeah, the train was over 5 hours late in arriving at the originating station. So fortunately we were able to leave with family and get some lunch before the train finally showed up. Because it was late they had wound up adding basically two trains together. So all of the people at our pickup had to get into the last car on the train. It didn't take but just a minute to tell in Florida July weather that the air conditioning was not working on our train car. We were informed that indeed the A/C was broke and we would not have any air and the windows do not open. I voiced my complaints to several employees they finally agreed that we could have a "Free Beverage" Whoopee! So after we were underway. Randy said he would be the brave one and he would go get us something cold to drink, as we were getting pretty sweaty.

So, Randy set off on his quest for cold beverage to soothe out parched lips. Well, 6 train cars later he finally found the "dining car" when he finally gets up to the counter to order our cold drink and explains that we are in the back car with no AC and that the conductor said we could have a complimentary cold drink. He was then informed that the only "free" beverage they were allowed to give us would be "hot" coffee and "hot"tea. What the heck we are sweating on the train car from hell and they want to give us "Hot" beverages. He bickered with them until he was blue in the face. So finally agreed to pay for two can soft drinks and two cups of ice and two very little bags of chips. Then they said that will be $10.00??? The soft drinks were $3.00 each and the chips were $2.00 each (I think I had 4 chips in my bag) cause they are the bags you get in the big packages for school lunches. OK, all is well though we are going to have something cold to drink. Well he proceeds to make his journey back to the end of the train where I am sitting in a pool of sweat wondering if he has jumped from the train or something because he has been gone for like ever. I look up and see him come through the front of the car and then I look back down to put things I have out away so he can sit and we can cool off for a minute. He finally gets there to me and I put the little tray down in front of me and he sets the cardboard tray on it with the soft drinks and chips and I pop the top on my long awaited Diet Pepsi and take a very long drink, only to say what the crap it is HOT! Plus I say my can is bent and won't even sit up on the tray.

Randy proceeds to tell me in a not so nice and loving tone that if I want ice for my hot Diet Pepsi I can go retrieve it from the aisle of our train car. It seems that between the time I saw him come into the door and the time he arrived at our seats. Some idiot stuck his foot out into the aisle and tripped Randy sending everything all over the floor. He was able to retrieve the soft drinks and the chips but the ice was a lost cause as it was all over the floor along with the cups. So I think you get the picture that we drank hot soft drinks and I knew better than to complain again or Randy was going to do a reenactment of the movie Throw Momma from the Train. I was not in a mood to do that.

After a long hot trip to Ft. Lauderdale we missed the local train to the Miami Airport and had to take a cab to the tune of $70.00 and then the trip back was almost as bad although we did have A/C and we brought our own drinks on board with us. So when we got home I called Amtrak (ok I know you have guessed by now the name of the Train) and complained and they said would compensate me. Well, those idiots sent me a voucher that I had to use within a year and could not give away to anyone else. Crap, I did not want to ever set foot on one of their train again but they were also telling me that I could not give the voucher to my worse enemy and give them the thrill of their life. Oh well they say live and learn.