Steve Coogan argues with conductor over passengers standing in First Class section

northwichcat · 6 Sep 2018

The Independent said:
Comedian Steve Coogan was captured on video defending passengers after a ticket inspector said they couldn’t stand in first class on a packed train.

The 52-year-old reportedly said it was "outrageous" that they were told to leave because they didn’t have first class tickets, given that there was space there.

Video footage was uploaded online, but it is not clear exactly what Coogan is saying. He can be heard saying the inspector was not being "pragmatic".

One commuter, according to the SWNS said: "He was saying that it was outrageous that they should face any penalty and that they should have somewhere to sit."

He was being very chivalrous defending the other passengers. There was one woman who was being told to leave even though she had a lot of luggage and wanted to stay with her bags.

The commuter added : "The train was ridiculously overcrowded with people packed into the aisles and a few passengers had wandered into the first class carriage simply to find a seat or somewhere a little bit more comfortable to stand."

The incident happened on the 8:46 train from Lewes, Sussex to London Victoria.

https://www.indy100.com/article/ste...rn-rail-ticket-inspector-packed-train-8525321

Can't really hear the interchange in the video properly but it sounds like it is said the service is only 4 carriages when it's usually 8. Surely if that was the case the conductor should have declassified first class if there was any spare space.

RailUK Forums

CharlieSpotted · 6 Sep 2018

To be fair, if there's one thing that's clear from reading these forums, it's that railway staff are very, very rarely "pragmatic". The reasons for that are manifold, of course, but pragmatism is not a trait I would ever expect of them.

Kite159 · 6 Sep 2018

Another case where the front of the train is rammed due to folk wanting to beat the rush & exit first at Victoria whilst the rear will have space, but because being nearer the rear means a longer walk once at Victoria they would rather stand by the front set of doors, drifting into the 1st class area as they deem fit?

FGW_DID · 6 Sep 2018

If he was that concerned perhaps he could of coughed up to upgrade their tickets!

yorkie · 6 Sep 2018

CharlieSpotted said:
To be fair, if there's one thing that's clear from reading these forums, it's that railway staff are very, very rarely "pragmatic". The reasons for that are manifold, of course, but pragmatism is not a trait I would ever expect of them.

Not true overall.

But if you restrict that to staff in certain roles, for certain TOCs, then I'd agree.

e.g. it is clearly true of many London Paddington gateline staff (with some notable exceptions!)

mrcheek · 6 Sep 2018

I never liked Steve Coogan. I like him even less now.

Bletchleyite · 6 Sep 2018

Almost certainly a LNR south WCML guard would have declassified well before it got that bad rather than arguing about it.

northwichcat · 6 Sep 2018

FGW_DID said:
If he was that concerned perhaps he could of coughed up to upgrade their tickets!

Or the TOC could have upgraded them for free using the savings they had made by short forming the service.

mmh · 6 Sep 2018

Kite159 said:
Another case where the front of the train is rammed due to folk wanting to beat the rush & exit first at Victoria whilst the rear will have space, but because being nearer the rear means a longer walk once at Victoria they would rather stand by the front set of doors, drifting into the 1st class area as they deem fit?

In the video clip, from 28 seconds a passenger in the vestibule can be heard saying it's only a 4-carriage train, so probably not.

"and... I know we all moan but... you've got an eight carriage train when there's no need, and a four carriage train when (muffled)"

Bletchleyite · 6 Sep 2018

mmh said:
In the video clip, from 28 seconds a passenger in the vestibule can be heard saying it's only a 4-carriage train, so probably not.

"and... I know we all moan but... you've got an eight carriage train when there's no need, and a four carriage train when (muffled)"

If it's not actually short-formed, it's probably just one of those services where the demand is right for about 6 but that can't be formed from what is available. There are quite a few LNR services where 12 are excessive but 8 not enough.

Mag_seven · 6 Sep 2018

Can these so called comedians not just shut their traps and stop abusing rail staff doing their jobs. If they have a complaint they should make it via the formal channels.

northwichcat · 6 Sep 2018

Mag_seven said:
Can these so called comedians not just shut their traps and stop abusing rail staff doing their jobs. If they have a complaint they should make it via the formal channels.

How dare someone make a suggestion to make things more comfortable for other passengers on the service they are on, passengers must only speak when they are spoken to. The other passengers should suffer for up to 28 days until someone overworked in an office gets to the suggestion. :rolleyes:

Bletchleyite · 6 Sep 2018

The quandary here is the purpose of 1st, which on SE commuter services generally exists only for a quieter, less crowded environment. The seats, after all, are identical except for an antimacassar.

Flying Claret · 6 Sep 2018

He might be a 'so called comedian' but he's still a member of the public and entitled to express his concern with the condition on the train. Does it say anywhere that he was abusive? Is there any evidence of this?

bussnapperwm · 6 Sep 2018

Instead of winging to the media, he needs to either write to the TOC in question or his member of parliament.

That's why there is things called elected officials and formal comments and complaints processes. Not using the court of public opinion.

swj99 · 6 Sep 2018

mrcheek said:
I never liked Steve Coogan. I like him even less now.

I'm not a great fan, although his Paul and Pauline Calf characters were absolute genuis.

northwichcat · 6 Sep 2018

Class 172 Fan said:
Instead of winging to the media, he needs to either write to the TOC in question or his member of parliament.

That's why there is things called elected officials and formal comments and complaints processes. Not using the court of public opinion.

Coogan is not whining to media, he was raising his objections with a member of staff. Someone who attempted to video him is sharing the footage with the media.

Mag_seven · 6 Sep 2018

Class 172 Fan said:
nstead of winging to the media, he needs to either write to the TOC in question or his member of parliament.

I wonder if he said "do you know who I am". People like that normally do.

Dougal2345 · 6 Sep 2018

Mag_seven said:
I wonder if he said "do you know who I am". People like that normally do.

"People like that"?

Darandio · 6 Sep 2018

And i'm sure Steve would be just as pragmatic when someone tries to tell him how to do his job. Provided they got past his agent first of course.

Mag_seven · 6 Sep 2018

Dougal2345 said:
"People like that"?

Famous people who like to think they know better than the person doing the job.

mmh · 6 Sep 2018

The "Rules Are Rules" force is strong today.

AM9 · 6 Sep 2018

Wow, posters on this thread seem pretty polarised in their position. It seems that the facts are:

the train was short-formed as 4-car instead of its normal length (8-cars?)
some passengers were standing in 1st class
a passenger (who had presumably paid to travel in the 1st class area) was discussing the appropriateness of the guard/inspector asking those standing without a 1st class ticket to move back into the overcrowded standard class area
the event was recorded on a mobile phone and presumably posted online by an uninvolved passenger standing in the standard class area

The only thing that is unusual is that the person speaking to the guard/inspector is a famous actor/comedian. That does not have any bearing on the discussion.

dk1 · 6 Sep 2018

mrcheek said:
I never liked Steve Coogan. I like him even less now.

If i didn't know better I couldve thought I wrote that post. Here Here!

DarloRich · 6 Sep 2018

CharlieSpotted said:
To be fair, if there's one thing that's clear from reading these forums, it's that railway staff are very, very rarely "pragmatic". The reasons for that are manifold, of course, but pragmatism is not a trait I would ever expect of them.

fairly certain the guys and girls out on the track at stupid o'clock in the morning shoveling crud are fairly pragmatic but then posters here rarely think of them as railway staff.......................

Darandio · 6 Sep 2018

mmh said:
The "Rules Are Rules" force is strong today.

By all means go through the proper channels if you feel the rules are incorrect or should not apply to you, that is fine. Confronting a member of staff, telling them how to do their job and labelling them petty, that isn't.

Journeyman · 6 Sep 2018

Mag_seven said:
I wonder if he said "do you know who I am". People like that normally do.

Nah, the people who say that are usually complete nobodies.

CharlieSpotted · 6 Sep 2018

DarloRich said:
fairly certain the guys and girls out on the track at stupid o'clock in the morning shoveling crud are fairly pragmatic but then posters here rarely think of them as railway staff.......................

I take your point here, but they are not customer facing, obviously.

CharlieSpotted · 6 Sep 2018

Mag_seven said:
Can these so called comedians not just shut their traps and stop abusing rail staff doing their jobs. If they have a complaint they should make it via the formal channels.

His British Comedy Awards, Perrier Award, and BAFTAs would suggest that he is somewhat more than a "so-called" comedian. Whether you like him or not, that was rather disrespectful.

mirodo · 6 Sep 2018

mmh said:
The "Rules Are Rules" force is strong today.

Correct me if I’m wrong, there is a zero tolerance policy on denim in the bar... I think there’s a chap over there wearing jeans. Chap of about six.

Steve Coogan argues with conductor over passengers standing in First Class section

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