Travel Fuckups
Posted: Wed 9 September, 2009 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Driving, National Express East Anglia, Travel, Work-related |1 Comment »Just to add to my general joyous demeanour, there’s also news today that my train route is going to be hit by a week-long strike from 21st September. It turns out that ASLEF’s workers have rejected the deal offered by National Express East Anglia (and written about by me here) so the strikes are back on.
What I still don’t understand is what ASLEF et al expect to get out of these strikes. Any support or sympathy they might’ve got from people (and let’s bear in mind that passengers get treated abysmally by NEEA too, not just the staff) is going to be wiped out by the strike action affecting everyone for a week.
People might have a bit more sympathy and/or understanding if they knew just what ASLEF/RMT were demanding as a deal for their drivers, and/or what NEEA had offered in return. But neither organisation has either the common sense or the PR knowledge to do that.
So instead, assuming I’m still working on the current contract, I’m going to be going in to London by car instead of train. I’m going to angle for doing some work from home as well, which would be nice – although I’m not yet convinced it’ll happen. But it should make for an interesting week…
Talking of train f”k ups! I get a train from Chichester at 2.41 all the way back to Norwich. Obviously changing in London. the 5 pm is cancelled and therefore the 5.30 is COMPLETELY packed. I get on get to Manningtree and am told I have to get off because I am travelling on an “off peak” ticket. I explain to him that my journey started at 2.41 and even if it didn’t the 5pm would allow me to travel.
The conductor was having non of it. Basically escorted me off the train. I quickly explain this to another ‘railguy’ who confirms that I am right, by this time the train had gone. I missed my connection back from norwich and added another 3 hours onto my journey. All because the ticket conductor wasn’t intelligent enough to realise he had made a mistake and didn’t want to look silly infront of his assistant
Amazing what people become when they get a bit of power.