Companies Using "Because of COVID" As An Excuse For Poor Service

[Blindtraveler]

Oh FFS, ScotRail, or rather transport Scotland are absolutely loving this and they, the pandemic has been milked dry for excuses and reasons and cover-ups where the railway is north of the border are concerned. It's very frustrating

Quite surprised network Rail who operates Glasgow Central are playing the game still

 

[duncanp]

Oh FFS, ScotRail, or rather transport Scotland are absolutely loving this and they, the pandemic has been milked dry for excuses and reasons and cover-ups where the railway is north of the border are concerned. It's very frustrating

Quite surprised network Rail who operates Glasgow Central are playing the game still

I would suspect that there are other reasons why that escalator at Glasgow Central is out of service, and as ever, COVID is being used as a convenient excuse.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Very possible. From what I remember all the escalators at Glasgow Central are coming up to midlife and could therefore be either undergoing or be overdue you are a major overhaul. I remember back in the mid 2000s where are they they did pretty much all the station escalators across Glasgow almost all at once with the exception of partick which was about to get a major rebuild anyway, but GLC and and nearby argyle Street all got replacements within 18 months or so

 

[Falcon1200]

Somewhat off topic, but does anyone know why the escalators at Glasgow Central, from the Low Level booking office area to the main station, are signed 'stand on the left'? Every other escalator I have ever been on, including just yesterday those not far away at Partick, are of course 'stand on the right'!

 

[Razorblades]

Somewhat off topic, but does anyone know why the escalators at Glasgow Central, from the Low Level booking office area to the main station, are signed 'stand on the left'? Every other escalator I have ever been on, including just yesterday those not far away at Partick, are of course 'stand on the right'!

A bit of subliminal socialist programming?

 

[greyman42]

I would suspect that there are other reasons why that escalator at Glasgow Central is out of service, and as ever, COVID is being used as a convenient excuse.

Why would they use covid as an excuse? I think passengers would be far more accepting of the reason if they just said the escalators were out of use due to maintenance issues.

 

[duncanp]

Why would they use covid as an excuse? I think passengers would be far more accepting of the reason if they just said the escalators were out of use due to maintenance issues.

Passengers might accept an escalator being out of use for maintenance issues if they could see that work is being done to fix those issues.

But if there is a long delay in repairing the escalator (quite possibly for entirely justifiable reasons such as a shortage of labour or spare parts) it is easier to blame COVID, as it hides the truth an gets Network Rail off the hook.

 

[Hadders]

Somewhat off topic, but does anyone know why the escalators at Glasgow Central, from the Low Level booking office area to the main station, are signed 'stand on the left'? Every other escalator I have ever been on, including just yesterday those not far away at Partick, are of course 'stand on the right'!

I noticed this last year when I visited Glasgow on business.

It's just Scotland being different.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I have a feeling that actually this might be completely on topic, I'm sure I remember reading somewhere back in the darker days of restrictions that they were doing this on on these particular escalators to try and enforce some kind of physical distancing between riders on the adjacent machine.

 

[duncanp]

I have a feeling that actually this might be completely on topic, I'm sure I remember reading somewhere back in the darker days of restrictions that they were doing this on on these particular escalators to try and enforce some kind of physical distancing between riders on the adjacent machine.

If you close a particular escalator, it means that everyone is forced on to any alternative stairs and escalators that are available, which doesn't exactly help social distancing.

Rather like my local swimming pool, who closed one set of toilets to "..aid social distancing..", thus making everyone use the one set of toilets still open.

How exactly does that help social distancing?

 

[pdeaves]

If you close a particular escalator, it means that everyone is forced on to any alternative stairs and escalators that are available, which doesn't exactly help social distancing.

Rather like my local swimming pool, who closed one set of toilets to "..aid social distancing..", thus making everyone use the one set of toilets still open.

How exactly does that help social distancing?

It doesn't, but it give 'them' the impression that 'they' have done something.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I suppose the leisure venue in question had to do something in the way of virtue signalling as as they were one of the last things to reopen every time and I couldn't actually do a great deal in the way of penalising the public anyway.

 

[duncanp]

I suppose the leisure venue in question had to do something in the way of virtue signalling as as they were one of the last things to reopen every time and I couldn't actually do a great deal in the way of penalising the public anyway.

..apart from making us come "..swim ready.." which meant arriving at the pool with swimming trunks on underneath your trousers, so that you could get changed at the poolside.

We weren't allowed to use the changing rooms beforehand, as they were infected with the deadly lurgy.

Somehow that didn't seem to matter after swimming, as we were graciously allowed to use them afterwards.

However there was at least one other pool in Birmingham (Ladywood Leisure Centre - I'm looking at YOU ) which had in its COVID bedwetting blurb "...please be prepared to go home in wet swimmimg trunks in case the changing rooms are out of use in order to maintain social distancing..."

Having wet swimming trunks underneath your trousers isn't exactly good for personal hygiene, but at least you could relax and know that the leisure centre was "..keeping you safe.." from COVID.

 

[LondonExile]

Passengers might accept an escalator being out of use for maintenance issues if they could see that work is being done to fix those issues.

But if there is a long delay in repairing the escalator (quite possibly for entirely justifiable reasons such as a shortage of labour or spare parts) it is easier to blame COVID, as it hides the truth an gets Network Rail off the hook.

COVID may very well be the underpinning reason.

So many spare parts are manufactured in China, which until recently was locking down whole cities and factories, causing shortages of parts globally.

It's perfectly plausible (perhaps even likely?) that COVID regulations in China have prevented Network Rail from getting their hands on the parts they need to fix the escalator!

Whether that's a sensible thing to communicate (or even if that is the logic behind the poster) is of course a different question...

 

[danm14]

I noticed today that Hannon Coach, one of the two operators of bus services between Belfast and Glasgow, are still claiming on their website (despite it being updated regularly) that their £10 each way fare increase imposed in 2020 is a temporary measure to make up for losses due to coach capacity restrictions, and that they hope to remove it when restrictions are eased. Restrictions on coach capacity were in fact lifted entirely in both Northern Ireland and Scotland in the first half of August 2021.

Due to the capacity limitations imposed on coach travel because of Covid-19 restrictions we have regrettably been forced to increase our standard single fare to £39 each way. This price includes the ferry and a very generous baggage allowance of 2 x 23Kg bags.

We hope to return to our normal standard fare whenever the current restrictions ease.

Belfast-Glasgow

Belfast Glasgow Express Your Express Service Between Belfast & Glasgow Hannon Coach are proud to be the only provided to offer a true direct express service between the cities of Belfast and Glasgow. BELFAST GLASGOW Express Bags go

hannoncoach.com

 

[Razorblades]

I noticed today that Hannon Coach, one of the two operators of bus services between Belfast and Glasgow, are still claiming on their website (despite it being updated regularly) that their £10 each way fare increase imposed in 2020 is a temporary measure to make up for losses due to coach capacity restrictions, and that they hope to remove it when restrictions are eased. Restrictions on coach capacity were in fact lifted entirely in both Northern Ireland and Scotland in the first half of August 2021.

That sounds like one for Trading Standards.

 

[johnnychips]

Possibly this belongs in the ‘Crap Bus Stations’ thread in another area of the forum. I went to Louth today. The bus station is nice, has three platforms and clean toilets you can pay for by contactless (40p). However, there is no indication at which platform the services depart from; a Covid sticker relic on one of the shelters, and one, just one, poster giving a list of services. Timetables? I paraphrase: ‘because of frequent timetable changes due to Covid we aren’t putting them up’.

Same at Mablethorpe (photo shows a bus stop sign basically saying what I wrote above):

 

[WAB]

Possibly this belongs in the ‘Crap Bus Stations’ thread in another area of the forum. I went to Louth today. The bus station is nice, has three platforms and clean toilets you can pay for by contactless (40p). However, there is no indication at which platform the services depart from; a Covid sticker relic on one of the shelters, and one, just one, poster giving a list of services. Timetables? I paraphrase: ‘because of frequent timetable changes due to Covid we aren’t putting them up’.

Same at Mablethorpe:

I find bus stop timetables a bit pointless, frankly. There is no assurance that it is a current timetable, even pre-covid. Driver shortages and the ongoing cull of routes have only heightened this. A list of routes, destinations, via points and operator, accompanied by contact details and where to obtain live travel information from. An area map in the London spider style would also be helpful.

Of course, if there is a commitment to keep timetables up to date (i.e. within 24 hours of any change), then they serve a use.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I find bus stop timetables a bit pointless, frankly. There is no assurance that it is a current timetable, even pre-covid. Driver shortages and the ongoing cull of routes have only heightened this. A list of routes, destinations, via points and operator, accompanied by contact details and where to obtain live travel information from. An area map in the London spider style would also be helpful.

Of course, if there is a commitment to keep timetables up to date (i.e. within 24 hours of any change), then they serve a use.

Garbage in, garbage out. But that applies to online information as much as it does to at-stop publicity. There are online resources which do not flag changes in advance, even when data has been inputted, so you have to constantly recheck. There are online resources which do not post changes until well after the event, so checking on the day doesn't help.

That applies to non-transport sectors as much as any other so remains applicable to the OP. I have visited museums, checking the opening times online before I left home, to find myself 'removed' early due to it closing at a different time than posted. That was pre-covid but I cannot imagine the situation has improved as a result of covid. More likely generic waffle has replaced actual factual information. Shops, pubs, restaurants ditto especially around public holidays.

Returning to bus station/stop times. Such things may take a lot of time, therefore money, to update. If you no longer have someone based at the bus station who can update the displays, then someone has to be identified to do that job, to go out from wherever they are based to do that update etc. Obviously individual route stops have always had that issue.

My view is that you either do the job properly, or accept that you cannot do it properly and therefore don't do it at all. I would rather no information than incorrect information.

 

[duncanp]

Even if you don't post a full timetable at the bus stop, you should be able to post something which says the route number of the bus, where it goes, the time of the first bus, an indication of the frequency and the time of the last bus.

If such information is not there, it acts as a disincentive for people to travel, particularly if you are in a rural location with no phone signal or WiFi access, or it is a time of day when the "helpline" is closed.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If such information is not there, it acts as a disincentive for people to travel, particularly if you are in a rural location with no phone signal or WiFi access, or it is a time of day when the "helpline" is closed.

Especially so at some deep rural location where if you miss the 9.30 a.m. bus to the nearest market town on a Tuesday morning, the next service is not until the following Tuesday, and actually now departs at 9.15 a.m.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Especially so at some deep rural location where if you miss the 9.30 a.m. bus to the nearest market town on a Tuesday morning, the next service is not until the following Tuesday, and actually now departs at 9.15 a.m.

And only serves that stop by request to the operator by 1800 the previous day!

 

[Bungle73]

Bit of an odd thing written on the British Museum's website.............

The safety and security of our staff and visitors is very important to us. Face coverings are recommended for the protection of yourself and others, unless you’re exempt. Please be considerate of people and exercise social distancing where you can – especially in smaller spaces..........

Visit

Find opening times, entry, travel and facilities information and also details of our Museum activities.

www.britishmuseum.org

Bit strange to be talking about social distancing, years after that ceased to be a thing, and when their paid-for exhibitions are notoriously crowded, making any attempt at distancing fruitless. And when I went yesterday, apart from a few outliers, no one was wearing a mask.

 

[duncanp]

Bit of an odd thing written on the British Museum's website.............

Visit

Find opening times, entry, travel and facilities information and also details of our Museum activities.

www.britishmuseum.org

Bit strange to be talking about social distancing, years after that ceased to be a thing, and when their paid-for exhibitions are notoriously crowded, making any attempt at distancing fruitless. And when I went yesterday, apart from a few outliers, no one was wearing a mask.

Pretty pointless making visitors to the British Museum wear masks and socially distance, when many of them will have travelled there by public transport, where masks and social distancing is no longer required.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Pretty pointless making visitors to the British Museum wear masks and socially distance, when many of them will have travelled there by public transport, where masks and social distancing is no longer required.

Almost certainly it'll be because no-one has bothered updating the relevant page(s) of the British Museum website anytime recently.

 

[Bungle73]

I see Waitrose have decided to bring back the free coffee offer for their loyalty card holders that they scrapped in 2020 due to Covid. Not a customer, but it took them long enough......

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I see Waitrose have decided to bring back the free coffee offer for their loyalty card holders that they scrapped in 2020 due to Covid.

Think you now have to bring your own cup, though!

 

[stuartl]

Think you now have to bring your own cup, though!

You do, but that's part of their drive to reduce single use plastics. I think it did apply before Covid.

 

[duncanp]

You do, but that's part of their drive to reduce single use plastics. I think it did apply before Covid.

So if you want a free cup of coffee you have to remember to bring a cup with you.

What about using old fashioned china cups and saucers and, er, washing them after each time it has been used.

Making everyone bring their own cup sounds like a sleight of hand by the bean counters which allows Waitrose to pretend that they have brought back the offer of free coffee, whereas in fact they are making it difficult for people to take up the offer, so that most people don't bother.

Then in 6 months time Waitrose will withdraw the offer, claiming that not enough people make use of it.

 

[Dent]

What about using old fashioned china cups and saucers and, er, washing them after each time it has been used.

The offer is for a takeaway coffee, drinking from a cup and saucer on the move is obviously impractical and would practically guarantee that Waitrose would never see most of their china again.