Eglu Go & guinea pig zippi run

[Egluntyne]

**Here**

 

He admits we "kicked off" but after the conductors unacceptable comments, and the fact that decent folk on the train offered to stump up there should have been a different outcome.

[Geoid]

No ticket, no train ride, but the conductor shouldn't of said that. He was very rude.

Edited August 14, 2008 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a jobsworth . Good for the other passengers though .

[Donna_0]

Oh dear, should have had his discount rail card, but then its not as if the conductor couuldn't see that he qualified for a forces discount..would have only needed the service number and home unit to check!

I guess the conductor only operates in black and white with no grey areas.. I know I would have bent the rules but thats me, so long as it wasn't a regular occurrence.

 

- Barbara 28/07/08

- Margot 04/08/08

[chelsea]

I work in a similar role with airline passengers.

 

The trouble is in todays world not everyone is honest (as im sure he is) and there are always people trying it on so you never know if someone is genuine or not. Every day I get a passenger asking me to change their flight tickets free of charge because someone has died or because they are seriously ill and unfortunately now we have to ask for proof (death cert or doctors note) in order to do it without cost, but there are people who are really rude when you ask for proof so you can clearly see that they are trying it on.

 

I would suspect the conductor is on the receiving end of lots of aggro and abuse daily so has to follow strict rules as otherwise once they give into one passenger they have to give in for all.

 

Suppose that's life really, the trouble makers always spoil it for the genuine passengers.

[TheGirlsMum]

Should probably keep my head down here but.........OH is in the navy and they have to pay towards their railcards, that's neither here or there but he said he didn't have his ID card on him and that is a serious matter he could get into trouble for that. He probably meant his railcard tho.

 

 

I'll slope off now.

[Egluntyne]

The fact that other passengers were prepared to put their hands in their pockets to help him out puts a different complexion on it I reckon, and the conductors comments were appalling. Worthy of a warning I would say.

 

Ordinarily I would say not ticket, no journey....I once posted about an event I witnessed where a very snotty woman had forgotten her railcard and refused to pay the difference. She was very abusive to the staff and was thrown off the train by the transport police who were waiting at the next station, despite having been given several chances to change her mind and stump up.

 

There was a round of applause from the passengers on that occasion as the staff had been very fair and had put up with some dreadful behaviour.

[BeckyBoo]

Nothing surprises me in the way we treat our "heroes". Because it's not really "our" war I think a lot of people don't feel like the fighting is really on their behalf, therefore the level of support isn't there. I think he should have been allowed to continue his journey. I find it astonishing that someone can be fighting in Iraq one day faceing goodness only knows what, then have to take a train home, on public transport in full combat gear because his barracks were closed and he couldnt get his stuff. What on earth is that about? Wether you support the war or not I think our soldiers airmen and sailors deserve far better treatment than that.

 

Mrs B

[Tiggy]

my Dad was in the RAF & always says how people were polite to him & he often did not get charged anything on public transport even taxis sometimes, but OK the soldier should have been carrying his railcard ID but who else would be wearing full battle gear

[Guest]

I think the conductor was doing a difficult job, at times it must be very hard dealing with passengers. Indeed I know a conductor and she has been physically assaulted on more than one occasion by passengers.

 

The article has undoubtedly been sensationalised by that particular paper and the soldier does say "I admit I was kicking off and swearing a bit". Was that when this poor conductor made his inappropriate comment? After recieving a load of abuse from a soldier in full fatigues - who would have easily looked like a total headcase about to attack as he shouted and swore.

 

I think there is another side to this story and I totally doubt the validity of the written word as an accurate representation of events.

[Clur]

Always two sides to a story, and I have seen conductors verbally abused, BUT it does seem as though this one should have applied some common-sense.

[Stevie]

I know camouflage clothing is popular on civvy street,but anyone with an ounce of sense could have seen he was a serving soldier.What more evidence did the conductor require-an SA80 draped over his shoulder?

[BeckyBoo]

Can I also point out that in the public sector, when you are employed in a position where you will be dealing with members of the public, day and night sometime in varying states of inebriation then I'm sorry, but you must learn to bite your tongue. I've had all sorts of insults, abuse, you name it I've had it thrown at me. I've been told where to go in no uncertain terms, I've been abused and faced varying levels of aggression. Do you know what you are supposed to do? Be nice. It's your job to deal with the public and although they are not always right, you are not supposed to yell abuse back. It not only lowers you to the level of the person shouting at you, it will not make things better and is more than likely to inflame the situation. I'm sorry, that conductor should not have made derogatory comments to a customer no matter who they were. If I told some of my "customers" what I thought of them I'd be out of a job

 

There are no doubt two sides to every story, but I think it serves to highlight how borderline the level of support for the armed forces is in this war

 

Mrs B

[Guest]

I still think it has NOTHING to do with how he was dressed the conductor was being a bit jobsworth and then found himself facing an abusive customer, he reacted bady but this isn't news.

 

Nor is it news every time a conductor, a lowly paid job, faces abusive and sometimes violent "customers", many of whom are fare dodging in one way or another. As was already stated, many people do try it on and some are very dodgy indeed.It is one of those areas where abusive customers SHOULD NOT be tolerated as there is no protection for the staff - they are on the "front line" themselves. Very different to sitting in a call centre, or behind a protective screen and facing an abusive customer.

 

 

This one happened to be a "war hero" probably one of many who travel by train EVERY DAY. Undoubtedly not the only one who hasn't paid a correct fare, be they young or old. The fault here is with the paper who consider a bad transaction "newsworthy".