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Southern train cancelled as first class passengers throw hot coffee at each other

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Tetchytyke

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From http://www.brightonandhovenews.org/...-other/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Two rowing first class passengers were thrown off a commuter train at Hove Station yesterday morning after an early morning row in which hot coffee was thrown about the carriage.

The 6.29am Littlehampton to London Bridge service was stopped at Gatwick Airport station as a result, forcing hundreds of customers to cram themselves onto the next train.

The row broke out at Hove Station at about 7.15pm. Witnesses said the argument was over a seat, and that the pair threw coffee over each other.

The train was kept waiting at the station for almost half an hour while police dealt with the incident.

A spokesman for Southern said: “I can confirm that there was a disturbance in one of the First Class accommodation areas on the 06.29 Littlehampton to London Bridge service at Hove yesterday morning.

“The police were called and spoke to the people concerned off the train. We don’t know if the people re-boarded.

“As a result of this incident, the train was 28 minutes late leaving Hove station and to ensure the timetable was not disrupted by a very late train arriving in London, the train was terminated at Gatwick Airport station where passengers boarded alternative London Bridge services to continue their journeys.”

I'm just amazed GTR didn't try and blame the guards for this one too :lol:
 
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duncanp

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Hope they have their season tickets confiscated and are banned from the railway, for a short period at least.

After all, if airlines don't tolerate disruptive passengers, why should the railway.
 

D1009

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Two rowing first class passengers were thrown off a commuter train at Hove Station yesterday morning after an early morning row in which hot coffee was thrown about the carriage.

The 6.29am Littlehampton to London Bridge service was stopped at Gatwick Airport station as a result, forcing hundreds of customers to cram themselves onto the next train.

The row broke out at Hove Station at about 7.15pm. Witnesses said the argument was over a seat, and that the pair threw coffee over each other.

The train was kept waiting at the station for almost half an hour while police dealt with the incident.

A spokesman for Southern said: “I can confirm that there was a disturbance in one of the First Class accommodation areas on the 06.29 Littlehampton to London Bridge service at Hove yesterday morning.

“The police were called and spoke to the people concerned off the train. We don’t know if the people re-boarded.

“As a result of this incident, the train was 28 minutes late leaving Hove station and to ensure the timetable was not disrupted by a very late train arriving in London, the train was terminated at Gatwick Airport station where passengers boarded alternative London Bridge services to continue their journeys.”
Must have taken an awful long time to get from Littlehampton to Hove.
 

HowardGWR

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One wonders if they will pay for any upholstery clean-up, even if they are not charged.
 

Bishopstone

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With the ongoing GTR troubles - alongside the usual incidents of train and infrastructure failure - most a.m peaks have seen one or more ex-Littlehampton train cancelled or short formed. I believe, even on a good day, there is some standing from Hove on the London Bridge services.

Not to excuse behaviour of this nature, whatever the class of travel, but if the present circumstances persist and we have a long, hot summer, I should think it's inevitable that more tempers will fray.

Though I sometimes travel first class myself, it's difficult to justify the (few) empty seats at the moment when the peak timetable is depleted by cancellations and short formations. The Thameslink side of GTR automatically declassifies short-formed services - as FCC did beforehand - but for whatever reason, Southern do not.
 

rebmcr

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A lot of these sort of articles are composited by robots nowadays, there is little to no human intervention once the information enters the system.
 

Philip C

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I believe, even on a good day, there is some standing from Hove on the London Bridge services.

Back in the good old days (mid seventies) when the 0649 Littlehampton to London Bridge ran non-stop from Hove (0730) to East Croydon it was habitually over-loaded to the extent that some passengers brought folding seats with them (of the type described as Shakespeare Folding Stool on Google) for use in the guard's luggage area.

As for flying drinks I once acquired a beer hair-wash on the Hastings line which seemed a strange answer to a question about the tickets two men had when they were very noisy in first class on a late evening down journey.

In terms of good manners how many remember the human snakes which formed (especially on down peak mainline services via Chatham) at Cannon Street in advance of the arrival of incoming stock. Most civilised (why does spell-check offer vivisected?) and a mark of how reliably Southeastern (Division and TOC) has delivered its stock over the years.
 

GodAtum

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Hundreds of commuters were forced off a train after two first class passengers threw hot coffee at each other in a row over seats in a brawl.

The brawl on the 6.29am Littlehampton, in Sussex, to London Bridge service saw the police called and led to the service being cancelled.

It followed an altercation between two first class passengers.

British Transport Police were called to Hove station in East Sussex following reports of an assault at about 7.20am.

The train was held for 30 minutes while they investigated the incident and by the time it arrived at Gatwick train operator Southern cancelled the service.

British Transport Police have confirmed that they attended the incident, but say no arrests were made.

Commuters took to social media to complain about the incident which saw many people being made late for work and forced to cram into overcrowded carriages on other services.

The men were referred to by other passengers as "two clowns" who needed to "grow up".

A BTP spokesman said: "We were called to Hove station at 7.19am on Monday, May 23 to reports of an assault on board a train.

"Officers attended and spoke to two men about the alleged incident. No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...s-forced-off-train-after-two-men-throw-coffe/

Anyone on that train or found video footage?
 

DarloRich

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I blame the guard and/or the RMT. it wouldn't happen if you only had the driver on the train ;)

What a pair of silly billys. Was it really worth a chat with Inspector Knacker and a potential charge over a seat? They could have at least got off the train and settled it like men.



Indeed - typical sloppy journalism. Where are the proff reeders?

fried ;)
 

Busaholic

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In terms of good manners how many remember the human snakes which formed (especially on down peak mainline services via Chatham) at Cannon Street in advance of the arrival of incoming stock. Most civilised (why does spell-check offer vivisected?) and a mark of how reliably Southeastern (Division and TOC) has delivered its stock over the years.

In the 1970s, having moved to Sittingbourne from London to afford to buy a house, I caught my first peak train to London, arriving at the station about twenty minutes before it was due. I chose a random spot on the platform, to discover I was soon joined on an otherwise-deserted platform by a woman who stood so close I could almost tell what she'd had for breakfast, and a short time after that by two or three others who obviously knew each other. Of course, unbeknown to me, I had chosen the precise spot where a carriage door would stop, so I was first on to the train and, it soon became clear, occupied a seat which one of 'them' regarded as reserved for them. This repeated itself every day thereafter, though I never got to be the first on the train again.
 

infobleep

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In the 1970s, having moved to Sittingbourne from London to afford to buy a house, I caught my first peak train to London, arriving at the station about twenty minutes before it was due. I chose a random spot on the platform, to discover I was soon joined on an otherwise-deserted platform by a woman who stood so close I could almost tell what she'd had for breakfast, and a short time after that by two or three others who obviously knew each other. Of course, unbeknown to me, I had chosen the precise spot where a carriage door would stop, so I was first on to the train and, it soon became clear, occupied a seat which one of 'them' regarded as reserved for them. This repeated itself every day thereafter, though I never got to be the first on the train again.
Your problem was you didn't have a fight. If you'd done that all would have been well!

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 

Master29

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With the thousands no doubt this has cost Southern I wonder why they don`t try recoup some of it at least from this pair of numpties. If you defaulted on a rail ticket that`s what happens doesn`t it?
 

jon0844

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I thought Southern axed the free tea and coffee so as to stop these types of fights? :D
 

tsr

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I thought Southern axed the free tea and coffee so as to stop these types of fights? :D

Just as it so happens, getting rid of trolleys has actually stopped quite a few complaints about customers not getting their dishwater "on the house". I never had any complaints about them getting it on each other, however...
 

All Line Rover

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I'm not sure what the relevance is of the disorderly passengers being first class ticket holders. First class isn't reserved to royalty. I've seen BTP being called to the Euston lounge on more than one occasion - and I don't even visit the Euston lounge that often - to deal with abusive first class ticket holders on Thursdays / Fridays (complaining that they aren't being allowed in more than 1 hour before their train departs!). Complain in a calm and civil manner by all means, but don't shout so loudly that the whole station can hear you.
 

tsr

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With the thousands no doubt this has cost Southern I wonder why they don`t try recoup some of it at least from this pair of numpties. If you defaulted on a rail ticket that`s what happens doesn`t it?

Anybody who did this on my trains would likely be removed for causing interference to the comfort of other passengers. My understanding of the Byelaws is that this would be entirely reasonable. If they didn't leave when asked then the BTP or station teams would be requested to assist. I've seen too many simmering arguments boil over and either end up with, or run serious risk of, violence beyond this. It's usually between those under influence of drink/drugs but clearly it doesn't have to be. Of course BTP would be informed of the incident and they could take details; any Southern conductor would have limited options for recording such, and it could delay the service further.
 
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Master29

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I'm not sure what the relevance is of the disorderly passengers being first class ticket holders. First class isn't reserved to royalty. I've seen BTP being called to the Euston lounge on more than one occasion - and I don't even visit the Euston lounge that often - to deal with abusive first class ticket holders on Thursdays / Fridays (complaining that they aren't being allowed in more than 1 hour before their train departs!). Complain in a calm and civil manner by all means, but don't shout so loudly that the whole station can hear you.

There seems a sense of entitlement among song people..." I paid more than them" or "I`m of a better sort!!". Even though the ensuing moments prove otherwise as you have no doubt observed. Other than that there may be no apparent reason at all, but as you say what does it matter what class they were travelling in. A punch up is a punch up. Just a different mentality..."Queensbury rules" as opposed to " d`ya wonna fight mate?"
 
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sarahj

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There seems a sense of entitlement among song people..." I paid more than them" or "I`m of a better sort!!". Even though the ensuing moments prove otherwise as you have no doubt observed. Other than that there may be no apparent reason at all, but as you say what does it matter what class they were travelling in. A punch up is a punch up. Just a different mentality..."Queensbury rules" as opposed to " d`ya wonna fight mate?"

The other night *I was working a train (21.03 from Ecr, but it came from vic, to HGS). As I checked tickets, I went into first class. Some passengers showed me stnd tickets, I said, pay upgrade, or leave, they left, but one remained. He asked for a ticket from Vic to Pev (Pevensey and Westham). I told him it would be a first class one and it was £47.80. He paid up, and asked for a receipt. I moved on.
Later on in the trip, he came up and complained it was terrible that after buying a first class ticket at such a price, that he had to squeeze through a train when he needed the toilet and also one was not working. I pointed out that it was working, just engaged, but hard to answer the first point. What did he expect for his £47.00 on a 4 coach commuter train. And FWIW, his first class section actually had the sliding doors and plugs.
 

FOH

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Perhaps he flies regularly but first time on the train. On a plane a first class ticket would most likely have a dedicated toilet in the same section and plane toilets do seem a lot more reliable than on trains.
 

sarahj

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Perhaps he flies regularly but first time on the train. On a plane a first class ticket would most likely have a dedicated toilet in the same section and plane toilets do seem a lot more reliable than on trains.

He was not that kind of chap..;)
 

gimmea50anyday

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Interesting that one about first class, took a train from Clacton to London last year, guard puts me and family in first class which incidentally are the exact same seats as TPE's standard class so for someone out of the area I couldn't tell what the difference was either!
 
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