Im not a rail user , why are the government regulators getting away with letting train companies cram people into trains?.
What if one crashed or derailed the lose of life would be huge.
And no thanks to putting him in standard class, I want him arriving at his destination as ready for work as possible, no excuses of a shitty journey with someone's brat bawling at him the whole way, so more than happy for him to travel First. If he was to start taking private jets everywhere there'd be a problem.
Did they really take all of Laxman's possestions away after so long? I can understand the tools, but all the old documents etc? Such a shame and hopefully they didn't end up in the bin.
Watching it also reminded me of what morons the public can be. Some don't seem to realise having a go, being rude and insulting a person isn't right if they are not the cause of the problem. The person will often be on low wages, have no control over what has happened or what the rules are, and are the last to be informed of changes.
Quite a lot was wrong too - drivers aren't required to take a break after every trip, unless they have driven a long distance (east coast trips can be up to 7 hours long so those drivers would, but not all). Also that is not a union requirement but the law across the country that all workers have minimum breaks across a certain period of time.
Im not a rail user , why are the government regulators getting away with letting train companies cram people into trains?.
What if one crashed or derailed the lose of life would be huge.
If standing is banned people would have to wait 30 mins + for the next train. They can choose to do that currently instead of standing and get a refund, but arrive later. Not ideal but things can not be 100% perfect all the time. Nothing's infallible - things break, people jump in front of trains, trespassers go onto the track, cable thefts occur etc. When they do happen stopping people standing would further delay those that urgently need to get somewhere from travelling
Those that chose to wait would be entitled to 50% of the fare back for a 30 minute delay, and 100% if an hour or more. Also a complete refund if reserved seat is unavailable on east coast I believe.
Am I the only one that noticed Cameron traveling in First Class! Now if he was really a man of the people, he would use standerd class. If anything it would show that the government is doing It's bit for the economy.
How shifty did he look aswell!
Can't believe I will defend Cameron but here goes!
Documentaries are ALL very selectively edited. Of 10 minutes of footage the 10 seconds of looking awkward will be picked out. Having a camera pointed constantly at someone through a window will cause some discomfort I'd imagine.
Also I can't begrudge a PM being in first class. Leaders of just about every other country would have either a massive motor entourage or use a whole train.
She reminds me of our HR manager who is always running these ghastly "employee engagement" seminars when everyone just wants to get on with their jobs.
When we were privatised we all had to go down South for a brainwashing exercises. I came up completely disenchanted with the company and, like many other, gave away all the corporate goodies we were given. One friend just left at the reception desk as he left.
By the way, always call HR 'Personnel' as it really annoys them if they are anything like my employer's ones.
That could be because on the tube most staff are employed by Transport for London, who will put forward their best staff to appear. In the privatised rail network there's various companies so you have Network rail, East Coast trains, First Capital Connect, and the cleaning lady (working for an outsourced company by the look of it). With all that it's harder to massage. The cleaning lady being outsourced might also help explain why she hasn't been first class before - as she is no longer employed by the railways she has lost company perks.
Interesting how many people buy into the selective editing, created narrative, and character tropes of this kind of documentary. The makers, if they can, always choose the most eccentric/unique characters, and it will consist of mainly negative ones with a couple of likeable, positive characters. Always juxtapose good news with bad. Conforming to stereotypes helps too such as showing drivers as union members filmed in a pub, and saying union rules are forcing work breaks and delaying trains when its national law applicable to all workers.
Always interesting to watch when a documentry about the railway is on, being as I work on the West Coast it will be interesting to see how we come across when it's our turn.
It was a mix of of the usual which included passengers playing up because they know the camera is there, a manager who really played upto the camera and mangement staff who try to tell frontline staff who have been there for years how to do their job.
I have been on countless customer service courses which have been taken by people who wouldn't last 5 minutes in a frontline job.
I have had positive a positive experience of East Coast, though I use it to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen only about once a month so I've not had to experience it south of Edinburgh (which is where it does get busier). I also travel outwith peak hours normally.
When booking in advance I usually find the first class tickets are cheaper than standard. You get a couple of drinks services and a meal (of fairly mediocre quality) and obviously the extra space/quietness/free Internet is good.
And no thanks to putting him in standard class, I want him arriving at his destination as ready for work as possible, no excuses of a shitty journey with someone's brat bawling at him the whole way, so more than happy for him to travel First. If he was to start taking private jets everywhere there'd be a problem.
Right! So It's ok for the normal commuter to travel in standard class, with someone's brat screaming and arrive at their work with a thumping headache?!
And I take it your happy the taxpayer picks up the bill for a first class ticket? It would do Cameron and his cronies some good to see how the real world turns on a day to day basis!
And I take it your happy the taxpayer picks up the bill for a first class ticket? It would do Cameron and his cronies some good to see how the real world turns on a day to day basis!
I have no problem with Cameron (or the PM from any party - I would have said the same about Blair or Brown) travelling First Class on trains and at least Business on planes. I sometimes book First Class on trains when travelling for business as if I need to guarantee a seat and get some work done - and often it doesn't cost much more.
We have a very strange attitude in this country - you'd never get an American saying their President should take the Greyhound bus.
Although, I'm sure the train he was on didn't leave 60 mins late. They would have found a driver pronto!
How can it be that trains are delayed for over 1 hour because a Pheasant has been hit? Pheasants are hit all the time by cars. Surely, the train should have just continued?
It really does make you wonder what is going on with a Company that is so slack to have trains that run out of fuel. (East Coast is currently run by the Government rather than a private franchise). Good job they don't run airlines!
East Coast had to pay Network Rail £150 for every minute that a train was delayed. (That is one of the reasons that the TOC's give themselves plenty of slack in the schedules). Anyway, that being the case, you would think that at a busy terminus like King's Cross they would have at least one driver on standby so that in the event of a late arrival, they could turn the train around and get it off back north. (The drivers had to have a 30 minute break before they could resume their duties).
It remains to be seen what the programme about the West Coast (Virgin) route will reveal but based on this first episode, the overcrowding surely strengthens the case for HS2?
How can it be that trains are delayed for over 1 hour because a Pheasant has been hit? Pheasants are hit all the time by cars. Surely, the train should have just continued?
Easy, the Phesant could have damaged an air line or isolating cock (post the vulgarities elsewhere thanks) causing the train to come to a stand and require investagation or remedial work.
Just imagine what the outcome would be if you hit one in a car and it damaged the radiator or a hose etc
How can it be that trains are delayed for over 1 hour because a Pheasant has been hit? Pheasants are hit all the time by cars. Surely, the train should have just continued?
At first I thought they said the train had hit a "peasant".
have to say that cleaners attitude to people who travel in first class was atrocious. Not everyone who travels in first class, reads seedy books and does not tidy up for themselves. If thats her attitude to the job, give it to someone who really wants the job.
It's always appeared to me that the managerial types who put charters up on the wall and talk about the title of their Powerpoint presentations are invariably the most vacuous and useless.
Oh all this business speak crap is making me scream! :mad:
LMAO when I saw the management presentation, reminded me of where I used to work. We called it "death by powerpoint" and it was full of fancy slides, fancy ideas and the usual corporate buzz words and phrases.
I couldn't wait for them to be over and get back to doing some proper work!
Right! So It's ok for the normal commuter to travel in standard class, with someone's brat screaming and arrive at their work with a thumping headache?!
And I take it your happy the taxpayer picks up the bill for a first class ticket? It would do Cameron and his cronies some good to see how the real world turns on a day to day basis!
Wasn't said at the time of the false accusations about the Chancellor travelling first class that many politicians choose to upgrade to first class at their own expense.
I wonder if we are the only country where there are people moaning about the Prime Minister travelling first class?
I seem to remember that MPs can travel first class if they have a reason to do so but that some of the heaviest users of first class rail travel are in the Labour party! One Labour MP always travels first class.
LMAO when I saw the management presentation, reminded me of where I used to work. We called it "death by powerpoint" and it was full of fancy slides, fancy ideas and the usual corporate buzz words and phrases.
I couldn't wait for them to be over and get back to doing some proper work!
An ex-police friend told me how he walked out of similar session, just told them that he would rather go and do some real work.
Good Lord, I hope theres a helpline number for viewers after watching this! Its not exactly cheering....:(
They were a miserable lot, but the one on his own in the rest room, who worked in the ticket office, was very funny with it..."they should try working here".
As no doubt does that useless twerp of a manager that has pretty much unanimously been criticised on this thread, and you can bet that if drivers are on 50k he's on a good deal more.
Apologies for not reading through this thread properly as it may have already been said, but this is a far, far cry from the BBC Tube show from a few months back. The staff in this are not coming across well at all are they?
This is far more likely to piss off already annoyed passengers.
have to say that cleaners attitude to people who travel in first class was atrocious. Not everyone who travels in first class, reads seedy books and does not tidy up for themselves. If thats her attitude to the job, give it to someone who really wants the job.
As she doesn't come in contact with the customers, what does it matter what she thinks of them?
As long as she does the job she's paid to do, in a timely manner.
She's been there years, so I guess she does the job to an acceptable standard as judged by her managers.
Comments
I thought the same thing after that guy walked away happy from the new desk.
"A satisfied customer, we should have him stuffed."
What if one crashed or derailed the lose of life would be huge.
Bit pointless, those showed were in ASLEF not RMT.
Watching it also reminded me of what morons the public can be. Some don't seem to realise having a go, being rude and insulting a person isn't right if they are not the cause of the problem. The person will often be on low wages, have no control over what has happened or what the rules are, and are the last to be informed of changes.
Quite a lot was wrong too - drivers aren't required to take a break after every trip, unless they have driven a long distance (east coast trips can be up to 7 hours long so those drivers would, but not all). Also that is not a union requirement but the law across the country that all workers have minimum breaks across a certain period of time.
Those that chose to wait would be entitled to 50% of the fare back for a 30 minute delay, and 100% if an hour or more. Also a complete refund if reserved seat is unavailable on east coast I believe.
Can't believe I will defend Cameron but here goes!
Documentaries are ALL very selectively edited. Of 10 minutes of footage the 10 seconds of looking awkward will be picked out. Having a camera pointed constantly at someone through a window will cause some discomfort I'd imagine.
Also I can't begrudge a PM being in first class. Leaders of just about every other country would have either a massive motor entourage or use a whole train.
He tends to frequent some very posh restaurants.
When we were privatised we all had to go down South for a brainwashing exercises. I came up completely disenchanted with the company and, like many other, gave away all the corporate goodies we were given. One friend just left at the reception desk as he left.
By the way, always call HR 'Personnel' as it really annoys them if they are anything like my employer's ones.
That could be because on the tube most staff are employed by Transport for London, who will put forward their best staff to appear. In the privatised rail network there's various companies so you have Network rail, East Coast trains, First Capital Connect, and the cleaning lady (working for an outsourced company by the look of it). With all that it's harder to massage. The cleaning lady being outsourced might also help explain why she hasn't been first class before - as she is no longer employed by the railways she has lost company perks.
Interesting how many people buy into the selective editing, created narrative, and character tropes of this kind of documentary. The makers, if they can, always choose the most eccentric/unique characters, and it will consist of mainly negative ones with a couple of likeable, positive characters. Always juxtapose good news with bad. Conforming to stereotypes helps too such as showing drivers as union members filmed in a pub, and saying union rules are forcing work breaks and delaying trains when its national law applicable to all workers.
It was a mix of of the usual which included passengers playing up because they know the camera is there, a manager who really played upto the camera and mangement staff who try to tell frontline staff who have been there for years how to do their job.
I have been on countless customer service courses which have been taken by people who wouldn't last 5 minutes in a frontline job.
When booking in advance I usually find the first class tickets are cheaper than standard. You get a couple of drinks services and a meal (of fairly mediocre quality) and obviously the extra space/quietness/free Internet is good.
Right! So It's ok for the normal commuter to travel in standard class, with someone's brat screaming and arrive at their work with a thumping headache?!
And I take it your happy the taxpayer picks up the bill for a first class ticket? It would do Cameron and his cronies some good to see how the real world turns on a day to day basis!
I have no problem with Cameron (or the PM from any party - I would have said the same about Blair or Brown) travelling First Class on trains and at least Business on planes. I sometimes book First Class on trains when travelling for business as if I need to guarantee a seat and get some work done - and often it doesn't cost much more.
We have a very strange attitude in this country - you'd never get an American saying their President should take the Greyhound bus.
Although, I'm sure the train he was on didn't leave 60 mins late. They would have found a driver pronto!
It really does make you wonder what is going on with a Company that is so slack to have trains that run out of fuel. (East Coast is currently run by the Government rather than a private franchise). Good job they don't run airlines!
East Coast had to pay Network Rail £150 for every minute that a train was delayed. (That is one of the reasons that the TOC's give themselves plenty of slack in the schedules). Anyway, that being the case, you would think that at a busy terminus like King's Cross they would have at least one driver on standby so that in the event of a late arrival, they could turn the train around and get it off back north. (The drivers had to have a 30 minute break before they could resume their duties).
It remains to be seen what the programme about the West Coast (Virgin) route will reveal but based on this first episode, the overcrowding surely strengthens the case for HS2?
Easy, the Phesant could have damaged an air line or isolating cock (post the vulgarities elsewhere thanks) causing the train to come to a stand and require investagation or remedial work.
Just imagine what the outcome would be if you hit one in a car and it damaged the radiator or a hose etc
At first I thought they said the train had hit a "peasant".
LMAO when I saw the management presentation, reminded me of where I used to work. We called it "death by powerpoint" and it was full of fancy slides, fancy ideas and the usual corporate buzz words and phrases.
I couldn't wait for them to be over and get back to doing some proper work!
Wasn't said at the time of the false accusations about the Chancellor travelling first class that many politicians choose to upgrade to first class at their own expense.
I wonder if we are the only country where there are people moaning about the Prime Minister travelling first class?
I seem to remember that MPs can travel first class if they have a reason to do so but that some of the heaviest users of first class rail travel are in the Labour party! One Labour MP always travels first class.
An ex-police friend told me how he walked out of similar session, just told them that he would rather go and do some real work.
And running out of Fuel......what's that all about.
The Singing One.....:eek:
As no doubt does that useless twerp of a manager that has pretty much unanimously been criticised on this thread, and you can bet that if drivers are on 50k he's on a good deal more.
This is far more likely to piss off already annoyed passengers.
As she doesn't come in contact with the customers, what does it matter what she thinks of them?
As long as she does the job she's paid to do, in a timely manner.
She's been there years, so I guess she does the job to an acceptable standard as judged by her managers.