The Saturday southbound train was heading to Whittier. This makes it a long day. We start by riding the bus to the train tracks at 7:10am. The train pulls forward to meet the bus, keeping everyone safe. When the train stops, we all climb aboard at one location. Then we walk through the consist to our designated train car.

As I mentioned, breakfast was minimal. I was feeling depleted. I got on the train and started setting up for the day. I was ready to get on with the day!

As the passengers are going to the cruise part of their trip, the southbound DEX trains can be quite fun. Like a party car!

Mine was not. This group was elderly and were not the drinking type.

Also, Derek and I are still working different train cars. Training new employees. This has put a damper on my season and joy as we put together a lot of fabulous and fun things for our quests. I’m used to working with Derek and working with different people is difficult.

I settled into the day and decided a slower paced day was ok. I even got to eat a bite for lunch from a friendly onboard cook who’s actually a chef and understands Celiac. That was a blessing!

Passengers can order Dome Bites, our snack selection, upstairs in the dome. These orders started rolling in. One particular woman ordered the brownie sundae. I am in charge of making some of these Dome Bites. The brownie sundae being one of them. I heated up the brownie and put ice cream on top.

When I delivered it to the lady, she was not pleased. The brownie sundae includes a cherry and chocolate drizzle according to the description. She made sure I was aware of this. I offered to add these items. But she insisted this was fine.

As I walked away, I heard her complaining to her husband about it. I immediately removed the charge. Not wanting to deal with her complaining.

She ate the entire dessert.

Here is my take on this. If your order is wrong and the server tries to make it right and state, “It’s fine”, you lose the right to complain. If you do continue to complain, you’re a difficult person.

Sure enough. When I came around to take payments, I was running through their order. Before I could even finish, she interrupted me and said, “You’re not going to charge me for a brownie sundae. What I got wasn’t a brownie sundae”.

This type of woman, and 99.9% of the times it’s a woman, drives me crazy. As I stated, I tried to make it right. She wanted a free dessert.

When it’s time to close out tabs, the rail guide is supposed to talk up the bartender to help with tips.

This rail guide does not. Because this person is new and unaccustomed to this.

When we are almost to the tunnel to the Port of Whittier, the rail guide goes downstairs to get ready to disembark people. I’m supposed to talk up the rail guide at this point.

The good thing is now I have the microphone. My mind alive with jokes and standup humor. People are laughing. We’re having a good time. I live for these moments.

The guests disembark the train and we set to getting cleaned up and onto our motor coach. Which will take us back to the rail yard. It is about an hour drive. Even though the train returns to the rail yard too, we take the motor coach. It’s my understanding that it’s cheaper to transport us this way.

We arrive at the rail yard around 8:45pm and are home around 9:10pm. I have to do laundry so that we’ll be ready for tomorrow morning’s train!