Why weren't Amtrak trains used to evacuate people from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit?
by 
Egao No Genki
ANSWERS: 4
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Well, to put it simply, the train company, like the airlines and buslines, has the legal right not to expose their 'rolling stock', that is their vehicles, not to mention their employees, to the physical danger present in adverse weather conditions. They were protecting their property.
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Maybe if the Government offered to pay the Amtrak employees 2x or even 3x overtime pay, reimbursed their operating costs for immediately before, then during, and after the disaster, and even subsidized passenger ticket costs, then Amtrak may have accepted it. Lets hope they do this next time. Incentives (keyword) to do heroic acts and go above & beyond the call of duty would override companies' initial fears!
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Actually, according to CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/13/katrina.response/index.html), Amtrak did offer to help get people out of New Orleans. However, the offer was turned down. So, somewhere along the line somebody screwed up. It was not a matter of AmTrak not being willing to help. It was a matter of those who were in charge not accepting help when it was offered.
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Why didn't the mayor use the city buses to evacuate before it hit? The real answer is - the evacuation order was given. Most of those who stayed did so of their own free will. Some of those who stayed did so intentionally to get an opportunity to 'loot' an abandoned city. They didn't expect a flood of this proportion.
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