PatriciaFirst to rec
“Thanksgiving weekend 2011 or so, I was in a loooong line of travelers waiting to board an Amtrak train from DC to NY to visit my parents, with a suitcase and a very squirmy toddler in tow. Suddenly my elbow was firmly gripped by one of these gentlemen, who threw my suitcase on a cart and said "follow me" which for some reason I did without hesitation. We (my kid and I plus a small assortment of parents and older and/or less mobile folks) were taken to a little behind the scenes holding area. Soon, we were escorted to the train, helped to board any car we picked, and seated comfortably together with our bags stowed securely. Only after the RedCaps had situated us did they allow the rest of the travelers on board to squabble over seats. I have never looked back. Red Cap assistance is a FREE service (just tip) which is available to anyone. You don't have to have kids or any infirmity or even bags. Just say you want a Red Cap and you can sit in a comfortable seating area and be guaranteed early boarding (at least in DC and NY). It is one of the few things in life that sounds too good to be true but is really true, I've done it dozens of times. Just tip these guys and please tip them well, they are world-weary pros and in my experience very kind.”
