At the moment, I am sitting in Amtrak’s First Class Lounge in Chicago’s Union Station. The Southwest Chief arrived this afternoon just about on time and I have until probably 9:15 tonight to relax when the Lake Shore Limited will take me on another overnight ride to Springfield, Massachusetts.

This give me ample time to report on my rail journey from Los Angeles and still get a bite to eat.(Dinner will not be served in the Lake Shore dining car tonight because of the “late” departure.)

Sitting here in the First Class Lounge in Chicago’s Union Station, I’m not sure when exactly we exactly arrived here in Chicago, but as long as it was close to being on time, I’m fine with that.

In the meantime, it’s the little things that bother me about Amtrak’s operation . . . and I know this is going to sound as though I’m really being picky, but if your employees screw up in little ways and no one calls them on It, the next thing you know, they’ll be making really big mistakes. Anyway, here’s what the Amtrak employee overseeing the two dozens folks waiting on trains in the First Class Lounge bellowed out a couple of minutes ago:

“We’re now boarding train 370, the Peer Marquette, on track 20.”

Dad Gummit! The departing train is the Pere Marquette and its name is pronounced PEAR, like the fruit, not PEER, like staring at something intently. I don’t know . . . maybe that shouldn’t bother me, but correct pronunciation of the name of one of my employer’s trains, strikes me as basic good business practice for an employee.

I know, I know . . .  I’m being picky. And I must also admit that I could have been the only person here in the lounge that noticed, let alone cared. But that’s the kind of thing that has always bothered me. AndI do believe, it’s the kind of thing that should bother mangement, too.