Furious with East Coast and Southern

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Also my theory is that the train companies generally can and are utter ***** during Nov to March with spurious delays cancellations short carriages signal problems blah blah blah. Like Mcghees selection policy they have a velvet bag of excuses. Today will be number 35 "due to congestion in the Purley area".

But in the warmer months "Apr-Oct" they run fine which of course gets their service averages up. The govt should say 99% currently they are still proud of, what is it? 85% or something because they are allowed.

So glad i pay over 4k a year. here is my anus insert object where you like.

 

[The Wookiee]

Can somebody in the industry, Ernest ? Please answer me this, as the ticket office people didn't seem to know. Why does it coat £10.10 for a single from worthing to h Heath bit for the same journey in reverse the cost is £9.80 ?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Ernest, a mate of mine was not allowed to collect a pre-booked ticket a Brighton yesterday because he did not have the original card the booking was made with. He had the confirmation email and plenty of other ID though. He was forced to pay again.

Admittedly my friend forgot the original card but he actually produced a far higher level of identity and still could not pick up his ticket. Why are rail companies so utterly inflexible? And what happens when a card expires as banks instruct you to destroy them.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

OP seems to have been a bit naive in expecting the trains to run like clockwork so he could make his connection. They don't do during the week so why would you believe they'd suddenly up their game at the weekend? Shirley the thing to do is build in a bit of contingency and assume from the off that you'll miss your connection and pre-book a slightly later train for that leg. Then have a pint while you're waiting.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Ernest, a mate of mine was not allowed to collect a pre-booked ticket a Brighton yesterday because he did not have the original card the booking was made with. He had the confirmation email and plenty of other ID though. He was forced to pay again.

Admittedly my friend forgot the original card but he actually produced a far higher level of identity and still could not pick up his ticket. Why are rail companies so utterly inflexible? And what happens when a card expires as banks instruct you to destroy them.

And what happens if a card is cancelled because it's stolen or for security reasons?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

OP seems to have been a bit naive in expecting the trains to run like clockwork so he could make his connection. They don't do during the week so why would you believe they'd suddenly up their game at the weekend? Shirley the thing to do is build in a bit of contingency and assume from the off that you'll miss your connection and pre-book a slightly later train for that leg. Then have a pint while you're waiting.

Yeah that was a slight cock up on my part - in future ill probably just get a normal return to/from London, then advances to wherever.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

OP seems to have been a bit naive in expecting the trains to run like clockwork so he could make his connection.

Your response says so much about this country and it's people on so many levels. Great Britain eh?

 

[8ace]

You should have just bought a single to Battersea Park to get you through the barriers.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yeah that was a slight cock up on my part - in future ill probably just get a normal return to/from London, then advances to wherever.

Apologies mate, I didn't mean to criticise.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

OP seems to have been a bit naive in expecting the trains to run like clockwork so he could make his connection.

But it doesn't seem unreasonable to EXPECT our train companies to provide the service we pay for ( discounted or otherwise ). Unfortunately the companies and their employees ( as witnessed on this thread ) don't give a shit - all they want is your money. If it was an airline providing such a shit service then you would choose not to use them again. Unfortunately there's not much choice on the railways. They are run by couldn't give a toss companies who employ mindless drones who spurt out "read the T&C's" - their dictionaries have had the words CUSTOMER and SERVICE removed. To add insult to injury they charge the earth and deliver bugger all.

 

[Ernest]

Ernest, a mate of mine was not allowed to collect a pre-booked ticket a Brighton yesterday because he did not have the original card the booking was made with. He had the confirmation email and plenty of other ID though. He was forced to pay again.

Admittedly my friend forgot the original card but he actually produced a far higher level of identity and still could not pick up his ticket. Why are rail companies so utterly inflexible? And what happens when a card expires as banks instruct you to destroy them.

Not sure but it is to do with security reasons, the card could have been stolen and the thief used it to buy tickets etc. I know planes have the same rule that the card used to book the ticket has to be presented at check in or you can't fly. If I had come across this I'd have let the person travel as obvious what has happened but ticket office staff are bound by cash regulations set by the banks etc.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Your response says so much about this country and it's people on so many levels. Great Britain eh?

It says so much about the trains in this country. They've always been unreliable and always will be. You put your trust in the timetable at your peril.

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

this, i was behind the guys buying no less than 50, thats right 50 cans of Stella from the Pumpkin station cafe. must have cost an absoute bomb! if they got through all 50 cans then i take my hat off to them

Actually it was 30 cans between six of us and they were £2 each, so hardly excessive. Yes, unfortunately one of our party (who's old enough to know better) had an incident with the door which did delay the train. I sincerely apologise if any Albion fans were inconvenienced later in their journey, but I didn't think we were that late getting in to King's Cross.

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

If I had come across this I'd have let the person travel as obvious what has happened but ticket office staff are bound by cash regulations set by the banks etc.

Nonsense. I had exactly the same issue once at Paddington station and after production of ID and email the ticket office gave me my tickets. And I don't ever recall showing my bank card at a flight check-in desk. The email boarding slip printed out and passport is all that is required.

 

[Ernest]

A lot of responses on this thread show exactly what is wrong with this country, a sense of entitlement to something you haven't paid for.

No one thinks of the poor commuter paying £4k for his gold card who has to stand between London and Brighton because someone paying £3 for his ticket has decided it is his right not to catch the train he booked and travel on any train thus forcing someone with the correct ticket to stand.

Labour had 13 years to renationalise the railways and did f*** all.

 

[Ernest]

Nonsense. I had exactly the same issue once at Paddington station and after production of ID and email the ticket office gave me my tickets. And I don't ever recall showing my bank card at a flight check-in desk. The email boarding slip printed out and passport is all that is required.

Do you read the T & C's before you book online ? If it states the purchasing card must be produced then it must be produced , if it doesn't and some flights have the verified by VISA security system which doesn't need the card to be produced at check in.

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

A lot of responses on this thread show exactly what is wrong with this country, a sense of entitlement to something you haven't paid for.

No one thinks of the poor commuter paying £4k for his gold card who has to stand between London and Brighton because someone paying £3 for his ticket has decided it is his right not to catch the train he booked and travel on any train thus forcing someone with the correct ticket to stand.

Labour had 13 years to renationalise the railways and did f*** all.

Yet another ridiculous hypothetical argument to justify your petty-mindedness. How often does this scenario you've just conjured up happen?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You should have just bought a single to Battersea Park to get you through the barriers.

You Sir, we're gloriously drunk yesterday

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

Do you read the T & C's before you book online ? If it states the purchasing card must be produced then it must be produced , if it doesn't and some flights have the verified by VISA security system which doesn't need the card to be produced at check in.

And how often has anyone been asked to produce their bank card when booking in? I travel abroad extensively using lots of airlines and have NEVER been asked for my bank card. Stop inventing these silly scenarios up and accept what happens in reality.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I've gone to & from Brum countless times on pre-booked tickets & got delayed for various reasons (eg cancellations, breakdowns & signalling problems). I've never had any trouble travelling on later trains due to earlier hold-ups.