Reaching a traveler with no phone?

July 4, 2009 12:00 PM

I'm in the UK, and would like to get a message to a passenger who's now on an Amtrak train scheduled to arrive into Boston's South Station in a couple of hours. She doesn't have a cell phone. It would be fine to get her the message at any point before she leaves South Station. Any suggestions?

(It would be very very useful to get her the message, but it's not a matter of life and death, if that makes a difference.)

posted by muhonnin to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

Is there email on the train? Would she be hooked onto it? There's email on the Montreal-Toronto train, but that's Canada for ya.
posted by musofire at 12:07 PM on July 4

Musofire: thanks for the suggestion, but no--she doesn't have any communications equipment of any kind. Her mobile phone in the UK doesn't work in the US, so she didn't bring it, and she's traveling without a laptop.
posted by muhonnin at 12:10 PM on July 4

Well here's a number for the concierge at the station - they should be able to transfer you to someone who can make an announcement.

1-617 330 1230
posted by Pants! at 12:13 PM on July 4

Have you called Amtrak? It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that they'd be willing to have a conductor take a short message to her en route, or page her during the time she's likely at the station. (I mean, I wouldn't rely on it, but it's worth a shot.)
posted by hattifattener at 12:13 PM on July 4

Pants!: Thanks a lot for that number. The concierge (a heck of a nice guy) couldn't help me directly, but put me in touch with someone from Amtrak who is going to page her when she arrives at the station. Fingers crossed. . . .
posted by muhonnin at 12:29 PM on July 4

Just a quick follow-up--it worked! I called Amtrak back at the moment when the train was supposed to arrive, they paged her, and I was able to deliver the message. Thanks to everyone for your help. . . .
posted by muhonnin at 2:16 PM on July 4 [2 favorites has favorites]