"Good Ideas For The Body Politic" - A Distillation Of My Activist Thinking
Lifetime Amtrak Passes For Seniors
(a previous edition)
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Lifetime Amtrak Passes For Seniors
A few weeks ago, sister Janet and I visited my daughter Maria at UNC-Asheville.
While there, we bought "lifetime passes" to the National Park (and Recreation Lands) system. They cost 10 bucks, the best deal on the planet. http://
Anyhow...
I got to thinking about "government passes" and it occurred to me that Amtrak should sell lifetime "senior passes" for $1000.00 a piece.
I've been chatting up this new idea, and, so far, no one has poked holes in it.
Amtrak passes would "sell like hotcakes," and since trains run anyhow -- and usually with low ridership -- they would cost the government next to nothing.
A bit of background...
An Amtrak route passes within two hundred yards of my home.
Over time, it has become clear that these "neighborhood trains" are underutilized and often nearly vacant.
Now, fast forward.
I asked sister Janet two inter-related questions:
1.) Would you buy a lifetime Amtrak pass for $1000.00?
2.) In the absence of a lifetime Amtrak pass, how often would you likely take the train in your remaining 20 years?
Janet's answer to Question #1 was a resounding, "Yes!"
Her answer to Question #2 was an equally resounding, "Never!"
My own answers to these two questions are identical to Janet's.
While there, we bought "lifetime passes" to the National Park (and Recreation Lands) system. They cost 10 bucks, the best deal on the planet. http://
When the agent handed Janet her newly issued pass, he said: "This expires when you do." (What a great line!)
Anyhow...
I got to thinking about "government passes" and it occurred to me that Amtrak should sell lifetime "senior passes" for $1000.00 a piece.
I've been chatting up this new idea, and, so far, no one has poked holes in it.
Amtrak passes would "sell like hotcakes," and since trains run anyhow -- and usually with low ridership -- they would cost the government next to nothing.
A bit of background...
An Amtrak route passes within two hundred yards of my home.
Over time, it has become clear that these "neighborhood trains" are underutilized and often nearly vacant.
Now, fast forward.
I asked sister Janet two inter-related questions:
1.) Would you buy a lifetime Amtrak pass for $1000.00?
2.) In the absence of a lifetime Amtrak pass, how often would you likely take the train in your remaining 20 years?
Janet's answer to Question #1 was a resounding, "Yes!"
Her answer to Question #2 was an equally resounding, "Never!"
My own answers to these two questions are identical to Janet's.
Conclusion:
Lifetime Amtrak pass would entice American seniors who, in the absence of a pass, would never take an Amtrak train.
Admittedly, the availability of lifetime senior passes may require the exclusion of travel in certain highly-transited corridors like Boston - New York; or New York - DC.
Or, perhaps it will prove necessary to impose "black out" times on busy routes, obliging seniors to travel "in the dead of night."
Most remarkably, even I -- the world's "most frugal Scot" -- would buy a $1000.00 lifetime pass "in a heartbeat."
With a lifetime pass, I would -- at least annually -- visit family in upstate New York and friends in Florida.
From whatever angle I consider a lifetime Amtrak Pass, I see no downside.
Everywhere I look, it's "Win. Win. Win. Win..."
Advantages include:
1.) Doing a great kindness to American seniors.
2.) Profitable utilization of an underutilized resource.
3.) Giving "green transportation" a "shot in the arm" and a "higher profile." (Remember: Trains move a ton of cargo 500 miles on a gallon of fossil fuel.)
Plus...
Every time a thousand are sold, Amtrak pockets a million dollars.
And it's all gravy!
With 20,500,000 seniors living in the United States, $2 billion dollars is currently "left on the table" --- money that's just sitting there waiting for someone to take it.
With 20,500,000 seniors living in the United States, $2 billion dollars is currently "left on the table" --- money that's just sitting there waiting for someone to take it.
And most passholders will die within 15 years of issuance, and an even larger percentage will, as a function of aging, use Amtrak ever less.
And the pool of new seniors buying passes is self-regenerating.
In addition to the profitability of this over-looked "gravy train," an Amtrak senior pass would be a tremendous boon for retirees living on scant resource. Just by implementing a new (and profitable!) policy, pinched seniors would suddenly be able to visit distant family and friends.
A senior rail pass would also provide excellent advertisement for Amtrak.
Finally, consider this fringe benefit....
Since children always travel half price, senior passes would encourage retirees to travel with grand kids, a practice that would be great fun for everyone while instilling "brand loyalty" that lasts a lifetime.
What's not to like?
*****
"Bibliography"
Amtrak: When Government Absurdity Meets Government Inefficiency
Amtrak And American Freight Trains: What's The Essential Difference in Their Business
Model?
Amtrak (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak
*****
European railways served 426 billion passenger kilometers in 2013, compared to America's 27.6 billion passenger-kilometers (one passenger-kilometer is one passenger traveling one kilometer by rail). The US ranks 11th in the world on this measure, even behind Egypt (in 9th).
May 20, 2015
List of All Countries by railroad usage: https://en.wikipedia.
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