Wednesday, 18 January 2012
The best of Britain’s railways...
The recent winds and bad weather reminded me of a friend’s comment about last year’s snow. Stuck on a train in Scotland the guard gave out his own coffee, from his flask, to keep passengers warm. That is what public transport is about, that is what is so important about staff. In fact this friend is much enamoured with ScotRail. On the way to Scotland this year she forgot her sleeper carnets – ouch, big bill one way! Staff said pay up, but apply for refund – that is now happening. That is how passengers should be treated – not like criminals when there is no intent, no guilty mind or intention to defraud – just human error.
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Sadly the sleeper experience is exactly the reverse of that delivered to 'Benny' a bank worker, when the ticket issue machine at Glasgow Central was broken and he only had the print-out sheet with the collection code and journey details.
ReplyDeleteContra to the policy of issuing the ticket you should have got if the facility at the station was available the guard insisted that the man bought another ticket, the Police were called and B was bullied in to agreeing to buy a single with his credit card. We left late by 15-20 minutes
Travelling to Motherwell the guard went to issue the ticket, and since Scotrail still don't have credit card readers, or ticket machines on the overnight train this was a scrappy handwritten paper (excess) ticket and a scrappy hand processed paper voucher for the credit card. Being a bank worker B was not pleased to have a receipt on which the goods were described as Ticket (one word) and demanded that the transaction was properly completed. This was not acceptable to the guard who then stopped the train at Motherwell untill the Police again turned up and eventually escorted B off the train and dumped him in the middle of Motherwell at 1 am with not a thought for his welfare or ability to get home. All those who witnessed this episode were appalled and we had arranged that B called us to ensure he was safely home.
Of course efforts to actually raise a duty manager at midnight proved fruitless, although my thoughts for a reserve option now if TOC public affairs go into hiding is to call a 24 hour local radio station with a phone in show or a newsdesk like the Glasgow Herald or Evening Standard.
We rolled in to Carstairs with the P Way squad near purple with rage at losing over an hour from the night time work window, waiting for the last train to pass. And the guard was ticked off - for delaying the train. All could have easily been resolved, as indeed I did for the same trip. I too could not collect my ticket that night, having discovered that the booking office was now closing at 9pm (not clearly announced - and a scrawled paper note stuck inside the glass doors), but having had his moment of superiority with one passenger the guard forgot to check my ticket, and so to the puzzlement of the counter staff at Euston I bought it on arrival there
That was in a cold January some 5-6 years ago. The guard was still working on sleepers last time I travelled that way
Just noted a very sensible way that one bus operator gets drivers to deal with exact fare issue.
DeleteIf you don't have the exact fare the drivers can issue a credit note from their ticket machine which can be redeemed against your next journey or reclaimed from the company travel shop. Just think how much frustration and hassle (and delays to the bus service) that saves