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Amtrak's concrete slab to be replaced with bathroomless station
The Beaumont Enterprise ^ | Wednesday, June 23, 2010 | MIKE SMITH

Posted on 06/24/2010 5:54:43 AM PDT by Willie Green

Waiting for a thrice-a-week Amtrak train should be slightly more comfortable by February.

Travelers should find a nice, brick gabled roof and benches for seating. The open, modern design borrows from the train depots of yesterday.

Just don't go there too far ahead of the train with a full bladder. The design for the new $1.2 million station near 11th and West Cedar streets lacks restrooms.

The new Beaumont station - paid for with federal stimulus money - is a variation of the design other cities are getting, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.

Some of those designs have lavatories; others don't.

It all depends on ridership levels. Beaumont's low passenger count means the new facility - without restrooms - meet's Amtrak standards, Magliari said.

"In any case, it's a significant improvement over the current, minimal facility in Beaumont," Magliari said.


TOPICS: US: Texas
KEYWORDS: amtrak; boxcarwillie; choochoocharlie; katrina; restrooms; stimulus
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Concrete slab???

Hmmmmm.... I guess that must be all they had left after Katrina....
Well I'm glad they're finally getting around to providing a little shelter from the elements.
The artist's rendition shows it'll be an attractive little whistlestop as well.

The Sunset Limited passes through there on it's way to New Orleans.
They can install some restrooms once they restore service all the way to Florida.
Those poor folks along the Gulf Coast can use all the help they can get after what they've been through.

1 posted on 06/24/2010 5:54:44 AM PDT by Willie Green
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To: Willie Green

SO, plant bushes nearby...


2 posted on 06/24/2010 5:59:38 AM PDT by theDentist (fybo; qwerty ergo typo : i type, therefore i misspelll)
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To: Willie Green
paid for with federal stimulus money

And just think of all the jobs it will create when janitors are needed to clean the things up maybe twice a year.
3 posted on 06/24/2010 6:03:45 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder (The right thing is not always the popular thing)
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To: Willie Green
It will still smell of urine, even without any toilets. Just like the NYC subway.


4 posted on 06/24/2010 6:05:09 AM PDT by Sooth2222 ("Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." M.Twain)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

It won’t be much fun when the rail workers go on strike and hold passengers hostage there.


5 posted on 06/24/2010 6:08:38 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: Sooth2222

DC Metro has no bathrooms, but they do have port-a-johns at the parking lots.


6 posted on 06/24/2010 6:10:20 AM PDT by Perdogg (Nancy Pelosi did more damage to America on 03/21 than Al Qaeda did on 09/11)
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To: Sooth2222
It will still smell of urine, even without any toilets. Just like the NYC subway.

Well, I can finally think about retiring to Texas, and not miss the amenities of my beloved home town! /sarc

7 posted on 06/24/2010 6:11:45 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker (Freepin' Jew Boy)
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To: Willie Green

Once I determined it was TX and not some other Beaumont, I read the article and the comments. The 14 comments are not to be missed should you desire a full and complete study of the proposed station related to it’s location, cost and American Bathroomology. After much deliberation, and exhaustive study, I vote for the concrete slab.


8 posted on 06/24/2010 6:13:01 AM PDT by wita
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To: Willie Green

Restrooms aren’t needed as only High Speed Rail Passenger service makes things whiz.


9 posted on 06/24/2010 6:15:43 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys: Can't fly, can't ski, can't drive, can't skipper a boat, but they know what's best.)
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To: theDentist

Easy for you to say. The distaff side is not amused.

My city has built a monument to government in a new intermodal traffic center. It’s large, fashioned after traditional train stations, and is envisioned as the place for the commuter train folks, the bus and I suppose other public transportation systems. It’s been built now for several months with nice landscaping, parking, working clock in the tower, but is not being used. It was sold on the idea that the commuter train station, really just a large concrete platform, was too far from the downtown area. The city purchased land from Union Pacific and placed its new station downtown. The area isn’t the nicest and during the construction, vandals smashed several windows.

But there’s problems. The station doesn’t have near enough parking for the commuters on the train, let alone other types of commuters. The city sold the station on the idea that it would draw business to the old downtown area but chances are high the parking situation would discourage increased business there. It also requires the commuter train to change its route from the outskirts of our city to city center where the route would bisect the all the city’s main north-south and east-west streets in the southern half of the city and shut them down several times a day. There is no way for auto commuters to take an alternate route at present, although I suppose overpasses would be possible in the future (but this is California so such measures would be years from now). The city (pop. 85k) has a fledgling bus service and a few taxis.

All in all, the planning was lousy, the timing was lousy, the vision myopic. But we have a cute retro station sitting empty near my office which, I believe, does have bathrooms.


10 posted on 06/24/2010 6:16:50 AM PDT by caseinpoint (Don't get thickly involved in thin things)
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To: Telepathic Intruder
And just think of all the jobs it will create when janitors are needed to clean the things up maybe twice a year.

It'll provide some construction jobs to build the thing.
No sense hiring a full time janitor if there aren't any restrooms.
I'm sure Amtrak probably has the conductor do a quick inspection of the facility every time the train passes through. Only send somebody out to spruce things up whenever it's necessary.

11 posted on 06/24/2010 6:20:35 AM PDT by Willie Green ("Some people march to the beat of a different drum - and some people polka. ..")
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To: Willie Green
Well, for a station that sees a train only three times a week, I guess it's not bad.

But I have to admit that it compares poorly even to the smallest unstaffed Japanese train station that I remember using. That station did see at least a few trains per day, though.

12 posted on 06/24/2010 6:22:42 AM PDT by snowsislander (In this election year, please ask your candidates if they support repeal of the 1968 GCA.)
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To: Willie Green

From what I understand they do this to keep bums and winos away from the station.


13 posted on 06/24/2010 6:23:54 AM PDT by Perdogg (Nancy Pelosi did more damage to America on 03/21 than Al Qaeda did on 09/11)
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To: Perdogg

“DC Metro has no bathrooms”

Yes I know and I have had some pretty uncomfortable commutes.


14 posted on 06/24/2010 6:31:19 AM PDT by heylady
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To: Perdogg
From what I understand they do this to keep bums and winos away from the station.

Do what???

Bums and winos are attracted to plain concrete slabs???

(forheadslap)Ooooooo... (/foreheadslap)

I get it now... the bathrooms!

LOL! Yes... very good point!!!
No sense attracting the riff-raff until there's enough ridership to merit a full time station attendent.

15 posted on 06/24/2010 6:33:06 AM PDT by Willie Green ("Some people march to the beat of a different drum - and some people polka. ..")
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To: Willie Green

$1.2 million dollars for an ADA compliant roof. No shit. Here I thought that people were getting ripped off when they spent $800,000 on a McMansion with granite countertops, four bedrooms, three car garage, four bathrooms, a hot tub, and an inground pool.

What did I know? Those people should be happy they got walls, never mind toilets.


16 posted on 06/24/2010 6:35:17 AM PDT by sig226 (Mourn this day, the death of a great republic. March 21, 2010)
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To: Willie Green
"I'm sure Amtrak probably has the conductor do a quick inspection of the facility every time the train passes through. Only send somebody out to spruce things up whenever it's necessary."

That's funny. Sure=Amtrack. Very, very funny.

17 posted on 06/24/2010 6:36:42 AM PDT by Leisler ("Over time they create a legal system that plunders and a moral code that glorifies it." F. Bastiat)
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To: Willie Green

Can’t be worse than being ON an Amtrak with a non-functioning restroom in EVERY car.

Ann Arbor to Chicago in July, 1994.
I had a great car at the time, so I a cannot imagine what the f&^k I was thinking.

Never again.


18 posted on 06/24/2010 6:43:38 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: Willie Green
It all depends on ridership levels. Beaumont's low passenger count means the new facility - without restrooms - meet's Amtrak standards,

Now transfer this government "reasoning" to the Medical Care bill. God save the Republic!

19 posted on 06/24/2010 6:48:10 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: wita
I read the article and the comments. The 14 comments are not to be missed

Thanks for the heads-up.
"Howard" and "AlanB" seem to have the best input.
Perhaps a couple others, but they don't stick out much from the predictable static.

But yes... "Howard"s comment is particularly informative.

20 posted on 06/24/2010 6:54:04 AM PDT by Willie Green ("Some people march to the beat of a different drum - and some people polka. ..")
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