My Train Season Ticket

Junkie · Post by **Junkie** » Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:00 pm

Hello folks, welcome to my world.

As some of you may already know, I drive a 2001 4.4 as the family car, having sacrificed the rest of the fleet to move east toward London for work.

A knock on effect of this is the need to take a train each day, in and out of our fair capital to get to my place of work and return home either after a social beer or otherwise on the first one available after the moment they stop paying me.

For this priviledge I pay the handsome sum of almost four grand a year...

So, the dilemma unfolds; I'm basically a nice guy, polite and respectful especially towards the ladies... opening doors, 'after you' etc etc

What I have quickly learned, to my own cost I'll have you know, is that in order to be assured of a chance at a seat on the hour journey is to become the opposite of every value i have been taught. Unlike the Tube which is predictable as to its consistent stopping point, this service is random and you either find yourself stood at the door and first on, or else last despite being on the platform before everyone else.

Often left standing with many others, moaning about why they cant lay on extra coaches, why cant we bump up to first class yadda yadda, they now actually employ a second train ticket guy who basically looks like a thug with a shaved head, stubble and earrings but knows the rule book backwards. From what I see its due to the grief the conductor gets that warrants the chaperone, perhaps at its funniest when non-first class passengers stand in the vestibule between coaches whilst on a standard class ticket, hilarious exchanges ensue but you cant beat the rule book and they will offload you into the custody of the railway plod if you kick off.... apparently, ahem.

One year on, just renewed the annual ticket and I'm a seasoned pro, disrespectful sh1t and rude to anyone who gets in my way, pushing and using my ample frame to deter would-be seat stealers, able to read reserved seat tickets at 10 metres for that elusive free shot, basically everything I'm not.

If you cant beat them, try kicking instead.

Sanj · Post by **Sanj** » Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:17 pm

Much the same as you - mindful of everything and everyone around us. So when she was pregnant with our first and second, did they give up a seat - HELL NO!

So glad she's out of that sh!t hole!

I never like going into the city but when I do, still the same, I'll stand rather than scramble for that seat and always leave it for childeren, elderly, pregnant, etc.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:37 pm

I take the Gatwick express, very civilised

ITBarbie · Post by **ITBarbie** » Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:46 pm

Totally agree I worked in the city for years and used to get off at London Bridge and before that Victoria. I gave up working up there just 4 days before my first child and was huge when pregnant. There was no mistaking I was pregnant as was a size 10 with a very pronounced bump but do you think one sod would give me a seat? HELL NO!

I found it was normally middle aged white city types that were the worst

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pvr · Post by **pvr** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:19 am

I would have though, but then again I was raised in the civilised part of Europe

535dboy · Post by **535dboy** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:51 pm

[quote=""pvr""]I take the Gatwick express, very civilised

[/quote]

Was civilised before they started letting you on!

Also the peak hours comes from Brighton so less like to be civilised!

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 8:59 pm

Never go at peak, either before or more often after.

Junkie · Post by **Junkie** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:24 pm

Well, tuesday cometh, with lots of the same and a random selection according to the delays, signal faults, line side problems, engineering works overrun, wrong kind of leaves....

I chose the place I live and the method of transport but as for adding quality of life I remain on the fence, nice house with local countryside, beach and facilities Vs. the misery line to the daily grind.

By the way, has anyone else put the heating on tonight? Its cold...

535dboy · Post by **535dboy** » Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:23 am

[quote=""pvr""]Never go at peak, either before or more often after.[/quote]

I've noticed you are a late riser!

kena · Post by **kena** » Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:35 am

Am I glad I don't live down there

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Sun Aug 29, 2010 11:07 am

[quote=""535dboy""][quote=""pvr""]Never go at peak, either before or more often after.[/quote]

I've noticed you are a late riser![/quote]

Depends on what time zone. I generally work the USA time zone so if I am in the office at 830, that is 2:30 am US time

Got a bit firmer re the 10 - 11 pm meetings they tend to organise as I simply don't want to join those anymore that late in the evening.

shocks · Post by **shocks** » Sun Aug 29, 2010 10:12 pm

[quote=""pvr""]
Depends on what time zone. I generally work the USA time zone so if I am in the office at 830, that is 2:30 am US time

Got a bit firmer re the 10 - 11 pm meetings they tend to organise as I simply don't want to join those anymore that late in the evening.[/quote]

Similar here pvr, have teams in the US, mainly RTP and SJC (corp hq) - started to back off from any 9pm+ SJC scheduled meetings ways back and demand that they be more civil to us europeans is finally starting to work, though the rise in conf calls has been back on the go these past couple of months

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