Amtrak Passenger Safety

On August 12, 2011, all five members of the Washington family boarded an Amtrak train in Fresno. We took a train from Fresno to Bakersfield and a bus from Bakersfield all the way to Pasadena. When we returned on August 15, 2011, we took a bus from Pasadena to Bakersfield and a train from Bakersfield back to Fresno. On both train rides and the bus ride on August 15, we had no problems with all Amtrak company employees about our 6-year old autistic son not wearing shoes.

However, on the Amtrak Bus 63181 from Bakersfield to Pasadena, driver Silvia ** abruptly pulled the bus to the side of Highway 99, risking all our lives on a Friday night at 5:00 p.m. (we have four witnesses to this account). To our surprise, she approached us asking why our son was not wearing shoes. We told her that he is autistic but she told us that he still has to wear shoes. We asked her if she understands what autism is. She said no, looked at David and said to him, "You don't look autistic!" She said that she was going to have to call her supervisor.

Then, another Amtrak bus pulls over in front of us. The driver gets out, talks outside to our driver and then boards our bus to tell us that Amtrak policy was that all passengers should wear shoes. One of our witnesses, Lavelle **, loudly told the second bus driver, "I know it's not your policy to risk all our lives by pulling the bus over like she did! So, you need to get off this bus because you don't know what happened!" The second driver said, "You're right. I'm just telling you the policy." On her way out, she said that the CHP are on their way. Our driver stayed outside of the bus and said nothing until CHP came an hour later.

Meanwhile, a full bus that had no clean restroom, were held captive in a dangerous position on the edge of Highway 99. Ten minutes before the CHP arrived, a Kern County sheriff arrived and talked to the bus driver outside. The driver opened the door and I went to talk to the officer. When I got outside, I started to tell the sheriff what happened from my perspective. But the bus driver rudely said, "It's not you that I had a problem with." She said, "Your husband is the one that needs to come out and talk to the officers!" I was confused! So, I got back on the bus and told my husband that they wanted to talk to him.

Richard ** exited the bus and started to tell the sheriff his side of what had happened. He also mentioned how everyone on the bus agreed that the bus driver had put all of our lives in danger with her reckless driving. She responded that she only pulled the bus to the side because Richard had stood up and yelled at her, which never happened! She said that she felt threatened by Richard and that is why she called them. Richard said, "Why would I stand up and yell when I had no idea why you were pulling the bus over in the first place?" She said, "You think I'm a bad driver?" Richard said, "I had no problems with your driving. It's when you risked our lives by abruptly pulling over that I had a problem with!"

Then, the sheriff told Richard to file a complaint. The sheriff looked at the driver and asked, "Are there any other problems? Do you still feel threatened?" She told him that she no longer feel threatened and we can continue with our trip. Then, she said that she has a special child at home. Richard told her that she should be ashamed of the way she treated us. After that, we got on the bus and we continued to Pasadena. All of the other passengers were calling to tell people about what had happened. Below are the names and the numbers of the eye-witnesses:

David Emilio **: **

We have filed complaints with the CHP and Amtrak, and would like help on how to proceed with this further.

Thank you for your time.

Elissa **

I travel on Amtrak from DC, Baltimore to NY or Stamford 4 times a week, sometimes 6. The conditions are appalling, trains are filthy. The CDC should be called in to do swap test on trains and bathrooms with the high urine smells, no hand sanitizers, no soap, carpets that are stained and smelly. They do not change the headrest white towels. This is a fact, because I have seen makeup stains on them. The armrests are not wiped. The magazine holders have left over food. On one trip, I saw a mouse run by. The women where screaming. Sometimes bugs are munching on the food and people's tissues, hair sticking out of them. This is unacceptable!

Whether you pay a $135 or $49 ticket, no one person should be subjected in a country of so much, to have a physical environment that foster unhealthy transportation standards. The NY Long Island train & local trains are 100 times cleaner than Amtrak. Something must be done to clean these trains, given it is the busiest corridor in the Northeast. If nothing is done by Labor Day, a complaint will be filed to a very high level. I cannot have my teams traveling in these conditions.

On 8/18/03 my parents, my husband, my 2 year old son, and my 6 month old daughter rode the train from Roseville, CA to Reno, NV. We returned back to Roseville the following day on 8/19/03 - 4 hours behind schedule. Upon approaching the Roseville station, the conductor announced our arrival and to get ready to de-board the train. We gathered our things and started towards the car where we boarded the train.

When we got there, we noticed other passengers (elderly and disabled) as well as an opened, unattended door leading to the outside of the train onto the tarmac. My husband set our 2 year old son on the tarmac (as well as a piece of luggage) and then turned around to get a stool so others could get off. The train started moving, wihtout any kind of warning, and picked up speed rather quickly. My son started screaming and running towards the train, my husband looked at me and said I have to jump for the safety of our son.

He then leaped hitting the pavement and rolling - I, having our 6 month old strapped to the front of me - yelled to all the passengers brace yourself and I pulled the plug on the train causing it to do an emergency stop. I checked for my husband to see if he was okay - he was banged up a little bit, our son was very shaken - then I went to get an attendant.

Basically at this point the conductor as well as two other attendants approached us, as well as all other passengers getting off the train, and wanted to know who opened the door. We all said the door was opened and the accusations started to fly. I asked the conductor, "wait a second, aren't you concerned about my husband sustaining some injury and my son?" His reply was "no ma'am my concern is who opened the door."

As soon as we got home we called the Amtrak police and made a report exactly 30 minutes after the incident. We have gotten nowhere, 4 months later. I will mention my husband is a firefighter for 20 years, he did sustain some injury which caused him to be out of work for one week.

The huge issue here is neglect and safety concerns (not to mention, the treatment we have received from Amtrak). I am seeking help because I do not know what else to do. We have done everything they have asked us to do (calling so-and-so, giving a statement, waiting for results, etc.). Right now, we have been told by the detective - no criminal act happened and there is no law against the way we were treated.

After being passed to management on 10/18/03, Steve Shelton informed us that the whole investigation was not done correctly - a report should have been taken immediately because anytime the plug on a train is pulled it needs to be investigated as to why! As of 12/1/03 he told me that the crew didn't remember the incident when interviewed. But on 10/10/03 my discussion with the detective proved that they did remember.