How awful this tale was today.
A woman was commuting to work by train and challenged two men for smoking on the station platform. The result was she ended up on the track narrowly missing electrocution and fortunate to escape with just a broken wrist.
It is not at all typical of a normal trip into work but is symptomatic of the everyday aggression and nastiness that seems to build up amongst people commuting into the capital.
One day we may retire to the country !
Showing posts with label Trains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trains. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Sunday, November 11, 2007
"Get him!"- Training Tips for Rail Ticket Inspectors- What not to say !
I am coming to the depressing conclusion that rules (e.g. buying a ticket) on our railways are only for polite and non-threatening people.
The other morning I missed my usual direct train to London Cannon Street and needed to change trains at London Bridge.
London Bridge Station is never a very relaxing place and at 8 o' clock in the morning is bordering on madness with people running from Charing Cross bound trains to get on Cannon Street trains and people from Cannon Street trains running the other way. The management of London Bridge station sometime concluded that it was not possible to get these trains arriving on immediately opposite platforms, meaning everyone has to get up a crowded flight of stairs and then down an equally crowded flight of stairs to the waiting train two or three platforms away. Sometimes they like to keep people fit by advertising a train that has already left so that when you get down onto that platform you find no train and have to go to yet another platform- back up the same flight of stairs and back down a third. The effect can look like some strange version of musical chairs with large groups of commuters running up flights of stairs in formation.
Despite the fact that most South Eastern stations have ticket barriers meaning it is not possible to get onto the train unless you have a ticket (or jump the barrier), the other morning South Eastern ticket inspectors decided to introduce a random ticket inspection at the top of one of the previously mentioned flights of stairs.
If this wasn't awkward enough, they didn't stand logically at either side of the stairs but staggered at various points around the corridor that connects all the platforms. With at least half the passengers wearing Ipods or other headphones and everyone else in a hurry it wasn't clear that this was a ticket inspection point at all.
Most people were hurrying straight through. I myself had headphones (listening to the news as it happened) so carried on oblivious until I vaguely heard someone call "Get him". The next thing I knew was that a ticket inspector appeared beside me while all the other passengers carried on regardless.
I had my ticket so there was no issue but I was a little bemused why I was the only one stopped. I don't consider I look threatening and am wondering if that was the reason why I was singled out.
My brother tells me of a time he was on a South Eastern train when a three strong group of baseball cap wearing youths evaded the ticket collector by hiding in the train lavatory. The ticket collector knocked timidly only to conclude to other passengers "I think that one's a loosing battle."
The depressing moral of the story is you only need a ticket if the ticket collector isn't afraid of you.
As for my friends at London Bridge next time you want to check for tickets at some random spot at 8am:
1) Stand together at a clear point at which you expect all passengers to show their tickets and don't let anyone through.
2) While I understand that in the absence of appropriate equipment e.g. Tasers, it may not be desirable to press all passengers for a ticket, do not shout phrases such as "Get him" at law abiding non-threatening passengers. To do so is mildly offensive and likely to alienate normally allied passengers in the battle against the hooligan minority found on London trains !
The other morning I missed my usual direct train to London Cannon Street and needed to change trains at London Bridge.
London Bridge Station is never a very relaxing place and at 8 o' clock in the morning is bordering on madness with people running from Charing Cross bound trains to get on Cannon Street trains and people from Cannon Street trains running the other way. The management of London Bridge station sometime concluded that it was not possible to get these trains arriving on immediately opposite platforms, meaning everyone has to get up a crowded flight of stairs and then down an equally crowded flight of stairs to the waiting train two or three platforms away. Sometimes they like to keep people fit by advertising a train that has already left so that when you get down onto that platform you find no train and have to go to yet another platform- back up the same flight of stairs and back down a third. The effect can look like some strange version of musical chairs with large groups of commuters running up flights of stairs in formation.
Despite the fact that most South Eastern stations have ticket barriers meaning it is not possible to get onto the train unless you have a ticket (or jump the barrier), the other morning South Eastern ticket inspectors decided to introduce a random ticket inspection at the top of one of the previously mentioned flights of stairs.
If this wasn't awkward enough, they didn't stand logically at either side of the stairs but staggered at various points around the corridor that connects all the platforms. With at least half the passengers wearing Ipods or other headphones and everyone else in a hurry it wasn't clear that this was a ticket inspection point at all.
Most people were hurrying straight through. I myself had headphones (listening to the news as it happened) so carried on oblivious until I vaguely heard someone call "Get him". The next thing I knew was that a ticket inspector appeared beside me while all the other passengers carried on regardless.
I had my ticket so there was no issue but I was a little bemused why I was the only one stopped. I don't consider I look threatening and am wondering if that was the reason why I was singled out.
My brother tells me of a time he was on a South Eastern train when a three strong group of baseball cap wearing youths evaded the ticket collector by hiding in the train lavatory. The ticket collector knocked timidly only to conclude to other passengers "I think that one's a loosing battle."
The depressing moral of the story is you only need a ticket if the ticket collector isn't afraid of you.
As for my friends at London Bridge next time you want to check for tickets at some random spot at 8am:
1) Stand together at a clear point at which you expect all passengers to show their tickets and don't let anyone through.
2) While I understand that in the absence of appropriate equipment e.g. Tasers, it may not be desirable to press all passengers for a ticket, do not shout phrases such as "Get him" at law abiding non-threatening passengers. To do so is mildly offensive and likely to alienate normally allied passengers in the battle against the hooligan minority found on London trains !
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday Night on the London Underground
A picture from my mobile phone- here the tube train has stopped at Moorgate.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Snow way for trains.................
This white scene is all it takes to stop London's trains- at least for a couple of hours as happened on Thursday this week......
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Conversations on the way to London Bridge
This week London has been slow to get back to work and the papers are reporting that trains restaurants, taxis and offices are all quieter as people take extra holiday into the New Year.
I however have no such luxury and made my way into London on January 2nd.
A minority of regular commuters seem to travel with friends- either genuine friends or "train friends" who they have got talking to after commuting on the same train for a number of years- making friends can be a slow business in the UK !
The majority, including myself, are generally silent. I have been taking my current route less than a year and certainly have no "friends" on the train !
However the silent majority is sometimes forced to listen to the early morning chats of the talking minority. Some chats can be truly banal and limited to decorating, gardens and sales in the shops. I heard one woman tell a "story" of how her the top half of her umbrella had shot accross the room when she had tried to open it.
Others go a little deeper. Animated mothers bemoan the state of schools or children's behaviour in general. More morbid older commuters run through all their family and friends who are suffering ill health (or worse) at present. Shameless girls recount their latest "man fiascos" for all to hear. "Lads" laugh over the latest stag weekend or similar.
At New Year, people were scratching around for material after quickly exhausting the topic of who they had visited on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most Christmas's were reported as "just family, you know" with reassurance "it was good though".
On January 2, I was trying to read my book while two loud voiced men accompanying a bored looking woman recounted their Christmas's. Once that was exhausted, the main talker, a man in his 30s turned his attention to the progress of his house purchase. House purchasing can be slow and complicated here so there are always "tales of woe" possible.
Once that was done and the train was stopped about 2 miles from London Bridge, the talker turned to current events for inspiration. "So old James Browne died. Did you see that ?". His companion had but there was a disagreement about the date he had died.
"What about Saddam ?" the house purchaser asked chirpily. "Did you catch the old neck break ?". "It was on the web but they may have taken it down now".
His companion had clearly not seen this as a highlight of his Christmas holiday and as a number of passengers peered nervously over their papers to see who this psycho was, the train at last arrived at London Bridge.
There it is, the conversations on the train to London Bridge. Everything from failed dates to nasty videos of "unseemly" (per The Sun), "undignified" (per George W Bush) executions get discussed by someone.
The rest of us can only listen...............
I however have no such luxury and made my way into London on January 2nd.
A minority of regular commuters seem to travel with friends- either genuine friends or "train friends" who they have got talking to after commuting on the same train for a number of years- making friends can be a slow business in the UK !
The majority, including myself, are generally silent. I have been taking my current route less than a year and certainly have no "friends" on the train !
However the silent majority is sometimes forced to listen to the early morning chats of the talking minority. Some chats can be truly banal and limited to decorating, gardens and sales in the shops. I heard one woman tell a "story" of how her the top half of her umbrella had shot accross the room when she had tried to open it.
Others go a little deeper. Animated mothers bemoan the state of schools or children's behaviour in general. More morbid older commuters run through all their family and friends who are suffering ill health (or worse) at present. Shameless girls recount their latest "man fiascos" for all to hear. "Lads" laugh over the latest stag weekend or similar.
At New Year, people were scratching around for material after quickly exhausting the topic of who they had visited on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most Christmas's were reported as "just family, you know" with reassurance "it was good though".
On January 2, I was trying to read my book while two loud voiced men accompanying a bored looking woman recounted their Christmas's. Once that was exhausted, the main talker, a man in his 30s turned his attention to the progress of his house purchase. House purchasing can be slow and complicated here so there are always "tales of woe" possible.
Once that was done and the train was stopped about 2 miles from London Bridge, the talker turned to current events for inspiration. "So old James Browne died. Did you see that ?". His companion had but there was a disagreement about the date he had died.
"What about Saddam ?" the house purchaser asked chirpily. "Did you catch the old neck break ?". "It was on the web but they may have taken it down now".
His companion had clearly not seen this as a highlight of his Christmas holiday and as a number of passengers peered nervously over their papers to see who this psycho was, the train at last arrived at London Bridge.
There it is, the conversations on the train to London Bridge. Everything from failed dates to nasty videos of "unseemly" (per The Sun), "undignified" (per George W Bush) executions get discussed by someone.
The rest of us can only listen...............
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Police on the Trains
There was quite a novel excuse for the delayed train this morning. Police had to search the train at one of the earlier stations.
That was the only explanation given. This could have been anything from escaped priosoner, fare dodger ( a bit over the top if it was) to suspected bombs.My train starts in quite a sleepy outer London suburb. It is an unglamorous and largely unknown part of the city. However that does not stop it being on the track to the centre (Victoria, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street are all on direct lines). So maybe in this time of terrorism, it is a real possibility that terrorists could start their morning at the sleepy extremities of the capital. This was certainly the model that Al Quaeda operatives adopted to deadly effect in the Atocha bombings in Madrid, March 2004. Nearly 200 died in that attack.
Of course, I hope this never happens and there was some other explanation for the Police search of the train this morning.
However in this time and especially after the tube bombings of last year, anything seems possible on the journey to work.
That was the only explanation given. This could have been anything from escaped priosoner, fare dodger ( a bit over the top if it was) to suspected bombs.My train starts in quite a sleepy outer London suburb. It is an unglamorous and largely unknown part of the city. However that does not stop it being on the track to the centre (Victoria, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street are all on direct lines). So maybe in this time of terrorism, it is a real possibility that terrorists could start their morning at the sleepy extremities of the capital. This was certainly the model that Al Quaeda operatives adopted to deadly effect in the Atocha bombings in Madrid, March 2004. Nearly 200 died in that attack.
Of course, I hope this never happens and there was some other explanation for the Police search of the train this morning.
However in this time and especially after the tube bombings of last year, anything seems possible on the journey to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
