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Thursday, December 22, 2005

A1 Amtrak

Full marks to Amtrak for observing ultra precautions with our unaccompanied traveling babes.

The elder A-student staying up in Bellingham where she has a vacation job, the Spitfire and I are catching the train to spend Christmas amid the Groves of Academe, la jeune catching an early choo-choo back to Seattle so's to lose no further time hanging with her pals.

Booking online, I did  notice that I was blocked from booking for Child, so I blithely went ahead and booked a single in my name.

Then I got to wondering what would happen when the ticket inspector came round and found A traveling on a ticket under *my* name, so I burrowed further into the Amtrak site. Just as well I did.

To make reservations for unaccompanied minors you must call us at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). You may not book reservations for unaccompanied minors on this web site.

Booking tickets for unaccompanied minors is a whole different rigmarole, and very happy I am to go thru it.

The courteous staffer takes down:

  • Three phone numbers for both the person delivering the mite to the station and who's collecting at the other end.
  • Asks that one arrives one hour before departure (later adjusted to 45 mins) for an 'interview'
  • Efficiently follows up with a phone call to confirm understanding and to explain that the interview is to make sure that the young thing knows who to go to "if she gets any grief on the journey."

    Bravo, I say, and I pass this on as an FYI for anyone else who'll one day make such an arrangement.

    ^5 Amtrak


    // posted by Corfucius @ 2:47 am
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