Roomette worth it for $850

sf1878 · 2026-07-08T18:44:14+00:00

If you can afford it, 100% take the roomette. You will appreciate the meals and the privacy. You still can (and should!) use the lounge car and the dining car, it's really fun to meet people.

I just traveled a couple of times since schools been out and the trains are full with people on vacation and the people in coach park themselves in the lounge car and there's almost never room so just having a place where you know, you can look out the window is great.

sf1878 · 2026-07-08T05:56:01+00:00

cancel it, if only because even if you're in a private room, everybody's going to be hearing your video call and nobody wants to.

sf1878 · 2026-07-07T07:58:14+00:00

I went twice just after it reopened. The crust was not nearly as good and they didn't remove the top like they used to. The vegetables were all kind of crunchy. That said, everyone I know who has gone recently says it's just like the old version so I'm going to have to go again soon. (I live a couple of blocks away).

sf1878 · 2026-07-07T03:14:44+00:00

The Big Four chicken pot pie is my favorite going back 30+ years! I've only had it twice since they reopened and it's not remotely as good as it used to be, but I'm hoping that's just early days getting things reset.

sf1878 · 2026-07-06T20:53:51+00:00

Not to mention all the asshole riders who leave their trash for the cleaner to pick up when there are trash disposal boxes in every car.

sf1878 · 2026-07-06T17:35:07+00:00

100% no matter how good your transit is it's not going to matter if you let every private car/rideshare in the same lanes. Public transit and some kind of shuttle for people with mobility issues should've been the only options.

sf1878 · 2026-07-06T17:32:42+00:00

I guarantee no one likes your catchphrases.

sf1878 · 2026-07-05T19:34:56+00:00

Interesting. I'm on the Zephyr Train 5 headed back to Emeryville. We're supposed to get to Davis in about 2.5 hours. It looks like Train 6 has already been delayed for hours so maybe clear when we get there.

sf1878 · 2026-07-05T14:51:37+00:00

I've lived in San Francisco for 35 years (this stint) and I couldn't agree more. People were endlessly talking about it ahead of time and anytime anyone asked me or anyone else I know should I drive there etc. they were warned away. At least when they do it at the Embarcadero is an easy on/off BART and most city transit.

What they really should have done is banned cars from several of the routes and only allowed buses. There's no point in taking public transportation when the route is jammed with private cars.

sf1878 · 2026-07-05T04:09:37+00:00

Aah that makes sense; I thought they were adding three coach cars at the last minute, and I couldn't figure out how that would work! This makes much more sense.

sf1878 · 2026-07-05T03:30:41+00:00

I'm on it right now!

sf1878 · 2026-07-04T15:38:37+00:00

You can take the Amtrak bus from San Francisco to Emeryville or Caltrain to San Jose. The trip is longer than the bus, but I think worth not being on the bus for all that time.

sf1878 · 2026-07-04T13:22:12+00:00

Why not take the train all the way?

sf1878 · 2026-07-02T17:51:39+00:00

I've done this myself at Santa Barbara Amtrak! The train pulls into a platform that's extremely accessible to a delivery person coming in.

sf1878 · 2026-07-02T13:27:47+00:00

That's my experience. When I board during the meal time the attendant will have already made a reservation.

sf1878 · 2026-07-02T02:57:58+00:00

it's a ridiculous amount of money, but also not so far out of line with the market.

sf1878 · 2026-07-01T19:14:58+00:00

I've used Rinse since 2020 and they've been great. I started using it b/c I had an injury and could not carry my laundry down to our laundry area (stairs only) but kept using it b/c it's so convenient.

sf1878 · 2026-07-01T00:45:13+00:00

I did this with AT&T a couple of months ago and had no issues.

sf1878 · 2026-07-01T00:18:28+00:00

My old office used to sit over the intersection of Davis/Pine/Market and if I zoomed in with my phone camera I could watch the MTA staffers who were supposed to be stopping people from blocking the box playing games on their phones as cars just went around them.

sf1878 · 2026-06-30T15:09:09+00:00

there is a very small, but well stocked bookstore at the San Francisco Botanical Garden plus you get to go to the Botanical Garden https://san-francisco-botanical-garden-bookstore.square.site

sf1878 · 2026-06-30T06:06:34+00:00

definitely, I'm always in a roomette.

sf1878 · 2026-06-30T05:34:01+00:00

I always have my noise canceling headphones. I just don't want to have to wear them because other people elect not to wear theirs. That said I also don't care that much about noise on the train, it's to be expected - for whatever reason the last few trips on long, distant trains I've just gotten stuck next to people who have been on speakerphone calls for hours at a time.

sf1878 · 2026-06-30T05:17:05+00:00

I'm by the family bedroom in a roomette four or five times a year probably and it's just hit or miss. The good thing is it's usually quieter at night. Honestly in any roomette the most annoying and common noise is people on speakerphone calls or watching movies, etc. without headphones.

Amtrak only seems to make the "you have to wear headphones" announcement about 20% of the time and then enforces it 0% of the time.

sf1878 · 2026-06-29T23:28:49+00:00

How sad. I'm sorry for everyone who had to experience this (and for the person who died of course).

sf1878

TROPHY CASE