Falling asleep on trains - my experience

[fowler9]

Well I had an epic adventure this evening. I caught the 20:34 from Lime Street wanting to get off at South Parkway. I fell fast asleep and was woken by the conductor just before Stafford.

She was amazing and printed me off a very none standard ticket for the 22:10 Stafford to Parkway and wrote on the back "Fell asleep, please allow back to LPY". 350371 turned up on it and the conductor came around just after Winsford. I showed him my none standard ticket. He asked to see my original ticket (Which was a Trio). He was absolutely fine. I didn't pay a penny.

My point, if I have one, is that I thought the London Midland staff on the trains, and the Virgin staff at Stafford, were amazing. If you have a genuine problem and aren't taking the mick they will go above and beyond the call of duty to get you home.

This is my general experience of the staff on the railways.

 

[RichmondCommu]

My point, if I have one, is that I thought the London Midland staff on the trains, and the Virgin staff at Stafford, were amazing. If you have a genuine problem and aren't taking the mick they will go above and beyond the call of duty to get you home.

I think this is the general rule of thumb with most things in life. My wife is a Copper and her general attitude is if you're polite and civil with me I won't throw the book at you in the case of minor misdemeanours.

 

[yorkie]

That's good to hear you were allowed back at no extra charge

The fact the Guard had to wake you up helps, as it was then clear it wasn't a scam

 

[Michael.Y]

Let's face it, anyone who falls asleep or misses a stop should be given ample opportunity to travel back. The basic rule of thumb is let the staff know what's gone on before you board.

Young lady on my train with a ticket from Destination A to Destination B, unfortunately train was going Destination A to Destination C. I think any train manager or guard worth their salt would realise that if there's a passenger going A-B but getting on a train at C wouldn't be taking the mick.

 

[fowler9]

I think this is the general rule of thumb with most things in life. My wife is a Copper and her general attitude is if you're polite and civil with me I won't throw the book at you in the case of minor misdemeanours.

Definitely mate. I can't thank London Midland enough. I was getting my wallet out to pay for my ticket and she was on her machine already telling me which service I could get back and not to worry about the ticket.

I hope that no one reads this and takes it as some kind of carte blanche to bunk on. I think it would have been obvious if I had. The conductor on the way back was funny. He saw the ticket I had been given and asked to see my original ticket (The Trio). He shook his head and laughed.

Off the top of my head I couldn't tell you how much a return from South Parkway to Stafford is but I could quite rightly have been stung for that. I am very grateful.
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That's good to hear you were allowed back at no extra charge

The fact the Guard had to wake you up helps, as it was then clear it wasn't a scam

I just wish I had a better way to thank her and the conductor on the train back.

 

[andyb2706]

That never happens to me......because I always wake myself up snoring to the annoyance of my fellow passengers.

Although a work colleague once got on the train at Manchester Piccadilly after seeing a concert and was only supposed to be going to Stockport but ended up falling asleep and wasn't woken up until the train terminated in Nottingham.

He would have gotten away without us finding out except for the fact that the next train back to Stockport wasn't until 0620, that was 20 minutes after he was supposed to be on duty!

 

[fowler9]

That never happens to me......because I always wake myself up snoring to the annoyance of my fellow passengers.

Although a work colleague once got on the train at Manchester Piccadilly after seeing a concert and was only supposed to be going to Stockport but ended up falling asleep and wasn't woken up until the train terminated in Nottingham.

He would have gotten away without us finding out except for the fact that the next train back to Stockport wasn't until 0620, that was 20 minutes after he was supposed to be on duty!

Oh no! What an absolute nightmare. Hopefully it is something they can look back on and laugh about.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

ouch!

I've done an epic overshoot on an ALR once back in 2005 or so, and did a GW HST from Bristol to Plymouth, which then went to Penzance, not sure if that's still the case on the late one via BTM, but the plan was to bail at Plymouth for a connection onto the Up Beds, as not only did I need the 57's for haulage, I planned to use is as a hotel for the night, albeit in the seated parts.

I was feeling shattered so fell asleep somewhere between Weston and Bridgwater. Next minute, I open my eyes...where are we now? What depot is that? Hang on...Long Rock!? F*******! I overshot Plymouth right down to Penzance!

I was seriously bowled here, nothing now until the 0505 Golden Hind to Paddington. Mad as I was I stayed up near the station with bog all to do, until I got on the 0505, I got some more sleep, nodded off right after Penzance and didn't wake up until Royal Oak, which is just as well as I wanted to get to Paddington anyway, just as well I didn't want to get off at Plymouth anymore !

 

[fowler9]

ouch!

I've done an epic overshoot on an ALR once back in 2005 or so, and did a GW HST from Bristol to Plymouth, which then went to Penzance, not sure if that's still the case on the late one via BTM, but the plan was to bail at Plymouth for a connection onto the Up Beds, as not only did I need the 57's for haulage, I planned to use is as a hotel for the night, albeit in the seated parts.

I was feeling shattered so fell asleep somewhere between Weston and Bridgwater. Next minute, I open my eyes...where are we now? What depot is that? Hang on...Long Rock!? F*******! I overshot Plymouth right down to Penzance!

I was seriously bowled here, nothing now until the 0505 Golden Hind to Paddington. Mad as I was I stayed up near the station with bog all to do, until I got on the 0505, I got some more sleep, nodded off right after Penzance and didn't wake up until Royal Oak, which is just as well as I wanted to get to Paddington anyway, just as well I didn't want to get off at Plymouth anymore !

Ha ha. Epic indeed. Ah well. All part of lifes rich tapestry. Going back some 20 years me, my girlfriend and her mate all dozed off on the RER in Paris at about midnight and woke up 4 hours later back in the centre of Paris (I take it it runs pretty much 24 hours?).

 

[alxndr]

Worst I've done was falling asleep at some point from Exeter and waking up fifteen minutes or so before Salisbury, where I was changing. All perfectly fine and normal. Except, when I checked the National Rail app to check where I was (I'd not discovered RTT at this point) it tried to tell me I was delayed by over an hour. Same thing happened everywhere else I looked. Yet when we pulled in I checked my watch and it was showing the correct time to be arriving.

I still have no idea what happened. Maybe I was more asleep than I thought, but I was certainly very puzzled and concerned what on earth had happened until I was safely on my next train.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Ha ha. Epic indeed. Ah well. All part of lifes rich tapestry. Going back some 20 years me, my girlfriend and her mate all dozed off on the RER in Paris at about midnight and woke up 4 hours later back in the centre of Paris (I take it it runs pretty much 24 hours?).

Jeez, I wouldn't want to fall asleep on a Parisian suburban train, it is a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

I usually have the opposite problem, both my trips on the Caledonian in seated accommodation have been stubbornly sleepless.

 

[snail]

Young lady on my train with a ticket from Destination A to Destination B, unfortunately train was going Destination A to Destination C. I think any train manager or guard worth their salt would realise that if there's a passenger going A-B but getting on a train at C wouldn't be taking the mick.

Yes, I've done Preston to Lancaster via Oxenholme a couple of times after forgetting that not all northbound trains stop at Lancaster! Not had any problems getting back without paying for the return journey.

 

[CC 72100]

Going back some 20 years me, my girlfriend and her mate all dozed off on the RER in Paris at about midnight and woke up 4 hours later back in the centre of Paris (I take it it runs pretty much 24 hours?).

And you still had all your personal belongings at this point?!

Not quite 24 hours - from my station (zone 3 / 10 minutes from Gare de Lyon) last train back to mine was around 00:30, first train 5:30ish if I can remember. Disneyland branch had a train back after mine and a train before the first one on mine two, so at least 4 hours interruption.

Some nights (NYE etc.) does run all night, although train every 15/30 minutes.

 

[Techniquest]

Maybe email LM customer services to send your personal thanks? They will be grateful to hear good news from you!

 

[gazthomas]

Great result! Last year I fell asleep on a late night train to Peterborough. I should have got off at Stevenage but I didn't wake up until the train terminated. It was past 1am so no train back. I didn't fancy waiting for 3 hours plus for the first train back so I got a taxi. A £110 lesson!

 

[bb21]

Ouch! Would have been cheaper to get a hotel for the night I would imagine.

 

[gazthomas]

You're probably right, but I didn't have all my senses working at the time

 

[cb a1]

Much to the amusement of my colleagues.

Works Xmas night out in Edinburgh a few years ago. Decided to be good* and go home to Dundee about 9pm IIRC.

Woke up in Montrose. Missed the last train south by 10 minutes and had to stump up £50 for a taxi home.

*I raise this because the last two trains north from Edinburgh (at the time anyway) terminated in Dundee so I could have slept to my heart's content.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Great result! Last year I fell asleep on a late night train to Peterborough. I should have got off at Stevenage but I didn't wake up until the train terminated. It was past 1am so no train back. I didn't fancy waiting for 3 hours plus for the first train back so I got a taxi. A £110 lesson!

Bloody hell! Why didn't you call a family member? If I'd rung my wife I'm pretty certain she would have driven up the A1 to collect me but her Karma bank would have been topped up for some considerable time!

 

[Spamcan81]

Great result! Last year I fell asleep on a late night train to Peterborough. I should have got off at Stevenage but I didn't wake up until the train terminated. It was past 1am so no train back. I didn't fancy waiting for 3 hours plus for the first train back so I got a taxi. A £110 lesson!

Similar happened to me. Fell asleep after leaving Kings Cross and woke up in Cambridge. Should have detrained at Letchworth. Was the last train and nothing back to Letchworth for several hours so like you it was an expensive taxi back home.

 

[fowler9]

Jeez, I wouldn't want to fall asleep on a Parisian suburban train, it is a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

I usually have the opposite problem, both my trips on the Caledonian in seated accommodation have been stubbornly sleepless.

You know what mate of all the places I have been in the world which include Bolivia and Peru, Paris was the dodgiest with Barcelona a close second so I count myself lucky. Ha ha. The city of love is vastly over rated. Berlin where I have just visited felt very safe, which instantly puts me on guard. Ha ha.
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You're probably right, but I didn't have all my senses working at the time

Who does
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Maybe email LM customer services to send your personal thanks? They will be grateful to hear good news from you!

I considered doing that but was worried the conductor would get in trouble for not charging me.

I would be grateful to hear she wouldn't do in which case I will send a formal compliment to London Midland. I capped off my 2 weeks off work by going to a beer festival in Waterloo. I dozed off on the 23:38 from Lime Street and woke up at Warrington Central. Taxi home this time. £37. Tried to get the ex to let me crash over in Warrington but I think she was already asleep when I texted. That or she ignored me. Back to work as normal on Monday so my new habit of dozing off on trains should pass.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I considered doing that but was worried the conductor would get in trouble for not charging me.

You could praise them without giving the exact details? Simply saying that x was extremely helpful and is a shining example etc etc?