Left the Arcade Fire gig on Wednesday night at 11pm and got home at 1pm on Thursday 14 hours later. First train took 3 hours to get from London Bridge to East Croydon and was re-routed up and down the track 3 times. Spent an hour at East Croydon being drip-fed conflicting information from a variety of people representing a variety of areas of the rail service before being advised to board another train (at about 4am) which would limp back to Victoria where we would be 'looked after.' Spent the rest of the night sleeping in a 'specially allocated ' and cold train. At 9am feeling ignored and let down decided to hire a car and drive back to Hove.
I appreciate problems do happen but the way Southern reacted (or did not react) to the 100 or so stranded passengers was truly shocking. I'm fit, able and had some money in my pocket and whilst I felt abandoned and frozen to the bone I was able to look after myself. This was not the case for some older people and a very young couple who did not have any money to buy provisions. Both were let down very badly. And the Southern Area manager who breezed in at 9am could trump the BP fella for lack of PR skills. It also seems no one is empowered to take any decisions other than him.
I appreciate problems do happen but the way Southern reacted (or did not react) to the 100 or so stranded passengers was truly shocking. I'm fit, able and had some money in my pocket and whilst I felt abandoned and frozen to the bone I was able to look after myself. This was not the case for some older people and a very young couple who did not have any money to buy provisions. Both were let down very badly. And the Southern Area manager who breezed in at 9am could trump the BP fella for lack of PR skills. It also seems no one is empowered to take any decisions other than him.