Beautiful Amtrak Story on Joe Biden

[TheCoxwain]

Source: Washinton Post

"Some mornings he would ride down on the train and literally buy the entire car and conductors coffee," says Claire DeMatteis, who worked for Biden for 10 years and sometimes rode the train with him. He'd get up and say, " 'Anybody want coffee?' And anybody who wanted got coffee."

He talks to passengers. He talks to the folks who take his tickets. He talks policy and family and everything in between. If he's waiting for a train, he talks to the folks at the ticket counter and to the shoeshine guy and the redcap guy and to Johnson, the newsstand cashier -- which is why, when Johnson found out Joe was joining Obama's ticket, she called her mother to brag about "my friend."

He throws parties for retiring conductors, and once had a crewman serenaded by bagpipes. For Biden's first day back at work following two operations for brain aneurysms in 1988, he took the train, naturally. "The engineer saluted him with a longer-than-usual toot of the train's whistle," UPI reported at the time.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/08/26/ST2008082603569.html

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I got a lump in my throat reading this story

[C_U_L8R]

1. And John McCain.... wants to get rid of Amtrak

[Cha]

2. Kick for JOe Biden, his speech last night..

and the future of Amtrak!

[monmouth]

3. Tearing up again...n/t

[MissDeeds]

32. Same here

The more I learn about Joe, the more I love him. Wow. What a fine, caring man, and true man of the people.

On Wednesday night, listening to Beau describe his father, and the kind of sacrifices he's made, my husband, who is a "stiff upper lip" kind of guy, was visibly moved. We both were overcome with enormous respect for Joe Biden, but at the same time felt a twinge of pain for the kind of fathers we both had. I hope Biden's kids are aware of how lucky they are - but something tells me they know.

[TheCoxwain]

4. I gave up my AAA membership

as they campaign against all public transportation proposals - I bought costco roadside assistance instead.

[wryter2000]

8. Odd

AAA members get a discount on Amtrak.

[TheCoxwain]

13. Here is the Dope on AAA

http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/media/2001/010101amicus.html


Now you know

[wryter2000]

20. Wow. I had no idea n/t

n/t

[Muttocracy]

25. Better World Club is another option. nt

[satya]

24. I learn something new here every day! Thanks for this, no more AAA for me. nt

[YOY]

5. YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! ALL ABOARD!

This Amtrak Employee loves his Biden!

I only know of two guys in our big office who dislike him! (A few consider him a bit bland but like him none-the-less)and they're FReep f***tards who would bite the hand that feeds them.


On edit: I love that shot of Wilmington station!

[wryter2000]

9. This Amtrak rider loves Amtrak employees

You folks are the best! :loveya:

[YOY]

10. Thank the nice folks who work on the trains first!

They're hard working Union folks and we couldn't do it without them! I'm just in low level IT management behind the scenes.

Damn, you made me tear up...

[wryter2000]

19. It's been a weepy couple of days around DU...in a good way

And it's not going to stop for a while. I'm loving it.

BTW, I didn't know until recently McSame wanted to get rid of Amtrak. Over wryter2000's dead body!

[YOY]

21. and over YOYs unemployed body

x(

[madmax]

35. Tears of Hope n/t

[YOY]

11. self delete

dupe

[TheCoxwain]

12. I wish I could use Public Transportation

But there is nothing that I can use to get to my work place ... I hate myself for having to use my car everyday.

The Automobile industry has rigged the whole system - they influenced land use policy and encouraged 360 degree urban sprawl that would place a terrible burden on any Public transportation infrastructure. Big Auto and Big Oil ensured that we will have to eat out their hands for decades if not centuries.

They have committed a crime against humanity by manipulating public policy in order to secure their profits. And we are the ones paying through our noses.

[YOY]

14. If we had a small fraction of the DOD's budget...a TINY fraction

If you look at the numbers you'd laugh. Then the DINOs and Republicans look at the emaciated Amtrak and ask "Why are you so skinny?"

[nxylas]

17. Both Obama and Biden are pro-rail

I hope they will put policies in place that will help urban transportation too.

[grace0418]

6. Thank you for the link! That lump in the throat you have must be catching.

Great story. I didn't know a lot about Joe, but I like him more and more.

[wryter2000]

7. Darn

I wish I rode that train. I'm a huge Amtrak fan but on the left coast.

[Triana]

15. That's our loveable, gruff, unpretentious VP. It's sad that he won't be able..

...to ride the train anymore! :(

[pansypoo53219]

16. I took a train trip in 05 i think.

i has a very nice time. switched trains and the people on amtrak are extremely nice. most put up with my barefoot ways. and when my return train was delayed by hours(freight? didn't find out why or forgot), they made sure people with connector tickets got to where they were going(buses).
tho, midwest express airlines gives you a WARM chocolate cookie before you land. AMTRAK should think about cookies.

[wryter2000]

22. I'm planning my dream train trip next summer

I live at the Oakland end of the California Zephyr. I've taken the train to Reno many times and loved it. Next year, I plan to take it to Chicago, switch to another train, and ride to DC.

Yes, the freight trains screw things up, and I may not make my connection, so I'm leaving a day ahead of time. If I do make the connection, I'll get to the conference a bit early, but no biggie.

I can't wait to see the country by rail.

Actually, my real dream trip is to take the Coast Starlight to Seattle, take the ferry to BC, and connect with the Canadian rail system, but I'll have to get a lot richer before I can do that.

I love me some Amtrak.

[YOY]

27. You forgot to mention the Dining Car!

We kick the airlines' asses in that department!

[wryter2000]

28. Oh, yeah

I love the diner. Last time I went to Reno, we went through the middle of a snow storm in the Sierra while we were having lunch. You can't beat that.

[awoke_in_2003]

29. How bad are the prices

in the dining car? Plan on doing a trip next year.

[YOY]

34. Depends on what you order.

We're talking dinner between 8$ and 20$ from dishes like vegetarian lasagna (cheapest) to flanksteak and baked potato (more expensive). The winelist is pretty damn good and the beer list is decent. Desert is extra but the red velvet cake if we have it is superb.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. Doesn't sound bad. nt

[progressoid]

18. Very nice.

K&R

[tilsammans]

23. Great story!

Thanks for posting. I'm a big public transit fan too. :thumbsup:

It's so nice to see that Joe's a regular Joe.

[PatSeg]

26. I loved this story, thanks

I'd just gotten past last night's "lump in my throat" and now its come back!

[jillan]

30. "He used to have a picnic at his house for the train crews,"

Wow - what a great guy!

[Sequoia]

31. This makes we all teary-eyed. What a great man. I didn't about him before this.

Big shot like that taking a train like the common folk. I heard him last Saturday morning on TV (after he'd been VP choice) about how his wife and daughter died in the car wreck and how his sons had to be cut out with the jaws of life. What a tragedy to go through.

Thanks for this.

[DemReadingDU]

33. evening kick

nice article!