4 ms·

I'm currently writing from my mobile office (the amtrak train). I am literally on the last leg of a cross country rail trip that included taking the sleeper car

I'm currently writing from my mobile office (the amtrak train). I am literally on the last leg of a cross country rail trip that included taking the sleeper car and stopping in San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Rochester and New York. For what its worth I was never searched once. I think you just got incredibly unlucky. Which route were you on?

jMyles 8y ago
I've done the entire California Zephyr, the entire Empire Builder (twice), and parts of the Coast Starlight, Ethan Allen Express, Acela, Lake Shore Limited, Wolverine, Southwest Chief, Capitol Corridor, and... I dunno, a couple others also. I have done nearly the entire system and only been subjected to this treatment this one time. Now, was it luck? I'm not sure. I did find out from an Amtrak employee that the only people searched by the DEA on my trip were myself and a colleague (seven cars behind me). We work at a blockchain startup, and in both cases, this was our first Amtrak trip since starting this job. The same employee told me that she believed that people "involved in bitcoin" were targeted. Furthermore, the agents questioned my colleague about his hardware wallet and took several photos of it (and, according to him, seemed uninterested in anything else). (Side note: the Amtrak employee also told me that Amtrak folks are terrified of the DEA agents and wished they'd just be gone. She told me that they had made unwanted advances to her and other female Amtrak staff.) So I don't know if it was luck or targeting, but yes, most of my Amtrak experience has been quite pleasant by comparison.
- Mirioron 8y ago
  Are you sure they weren't police trying to do some "civil asset forfeiture" (stealing)? People that deal with bitcoin might end up having a lot of cash on them and the police might want to take it.
  - jMyles 8y ago
    Yes, I suspect that's precisely the impetus.

jMyles 8y ago

I've done the entire California Zephyr, the entire Empire Builder (twice), and parts of the Coast Starlight, Ethan Allen Express, Acela, Lake Shore Limited, Wolverine, Southwest Chief, Capitol Corridor, and... I dunno, a couple others also. I have done nearly the entire system and only been subjected to this treatment this one time. Now, was it luck? I'm not sure. I did find out from an Amtrak employee that the only people searched by the DEA on my trip were myself and a colleague (seven cars behind me). We work at a blockchain startup, and in both cases, this was our first Amtrak trip since starting this job. The same employee told me that she believed that people "involved in bitcoin" were targeted. Furthermore, the agents questioned my colleague about his hardware wallet and took several photos of it (and, according to him, seemed uninterested in anything else). (Side note: the Amtrak employee also told me that Amtrak folks are terrified of the DEA agents and wished they'd just be gone. She told me that they had made unwanted advances to her and other female Amtrak staff.) So I don't know if it was luck or targeting, but yes, most of my Amtrak experience has been quite pleasant by comparison.

Mirioron 8y ago
Are you sure they weren't police trying to do some "civil asset forfeiture" (stealing)? People that deal with bitcoin might end up having a lot of cash on them and the police might want to take it.
- jMyles 8y ago
  Yes, I suspect that's precisely the impetus.