Amtrak Dining as a Social Experiment

My mother and I made the trip from Chicago, IL to Sacramento, CA on the California Zephyr, an Amtrak route with overnight accommodations. Spending more than fifty hours on a train means taking meals on board and we had a total of six meals in the dining car.

Events are regimented by schedule on a trip like this. Breakfast is served for a certain period; lunch is served for a second time span, and dinner for a third. The two early meals are offered on a first-come-first-served basis with dinner being by appointment.

In order to handle all of the passengers desiring to dine within the allotted time period, parties are assigned tables by the dining car steward. A party of fewer than four persons will find themselves sharing a table with others, seated to fill in the available space as efficiently as possible. This situation can create interesting combinations of diners and allows for some off-the-cuff analysis of social interactions.

Our first meal resulted in us being seated with a woman who was enjoying a bottle of wine as she waited for her meal to be served. She introduced herself as an experienced train traveler and a writer, currently living in a northern suburb of Chicago. Before I could ask what sort of writing she did, a fourth was added to our party - a man from Arkansas. He placed a camera with a long lens attached on the table.

Before any more conversation could develop, the woman offered to share her wine with the young man and she seemed to turn into a coquette before our eyes. The two of them got into conversation, and in a large part my mother and I ceased to exist. I was intrigued by the change in the woman's demeanor and speech patterns in response to the presence of the man.

He identified himself as a consultant dealing in computer programs for financial institutions. He related anecdotes about his travels; she added hers and our comments were largely ignored. Although he was the last to arrive at the table, he became the "alpha" figure there.

Our server was a lovely and efficient woman, who kept our beverages filled and our food coming in efficient order. She had a gracious smile for everyone, and even delivered the bad news of a menu item not being available in a friendly way.

Breakfast the next morning found us seated with a friendly couple from Ohio. We enjoyed a lively conversation with them, as we all shared information about our respective home towns and travel experiences. The situation was one of four peers sharing time together. We laughed together over our inability to get the attention of our server, a somewhat grumpy fellow who was good at avoiding eye contact with his customers. The meal was congenial in spite of his inattention.

A couple from Iowa shared our table at lunch. They were seasoned train travelers and we spent the time sharing our experiences thus far and learning a few tips from them for future excursions. Another friendly meal, spent in companionable company.

The only drawback to the meal was being assigned to the surly server again. He once again managed to give minimal service while treating us as though we were an imposition on his time. Yet the meal was still enjoyable. The pleasant conversation overcame his attitude.

At dinner, we were added to a table with two retired gentlemen. Although they had been in conversation before our arrival, they graciously included us from that point on. One was from Massachusetts and the other from Colorado. The topics of conversation were varied, with modes of travel, historical events and work stories as part of the mix.

I was delighted to find these two men, members of a generation where women were often perceived as second-class, treating us as equals at their table.

Our server was a friendly man. He did a great job of bringing the courses in a timely manner and keeping our beverages filled. In the course of the meal, he included a joke or two and kept us smiling.

Our second breakfast introduced us to two ladies who both happened to be from Colorado, although they were not traveling together. Novice train travelers as well, the four of us had a very pleasant time exchanging stories and things we had learned. We shared perceptions of the past few days.

Once again, our server was the grumpy fellow. The four of us joked about his attitude and slowness, but didn't let it interfere with us enjoying the time together.

Our final meal on board was lunch. We were seated with a couple of apparent Asian descent. They gave a slight nod of acknowledgment when we greeted them, but said nothing more to us during the course of the meal. They conversed quietly in a non-English language, although they ordered their meals in English. We were most definitely two individual parties sharing a single table.

Six meals, six sets of dinner companions. What could have been nothing more than a means of fulfilling the simple necessity to eat became an intriguing study of human nature and relationships. Here are a few summary observations.

The quality of the dining experience can be impacted by the server, but not decided by the server.

Convivial companions will overcome slow service by keeping the attention on the conversation rather than the server's shortcomings.

An excellent server can deliver even bad news in a way that is encouraging rather than deflating.