Flamingo
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 6,810
It's nothing to do with one passenger being more important than another. More to do with somebody paying for a service.
For example, if a Standard Class passenger has reserved a seat, and another has not, as the rules stand, the passenger who reserved the seat is entitled to it (even if they paid less), and the passenger who did not reserve a seat is not. Both are Standard Class ticket holders, and both are equally important, but if the non-reservation holder is sitting in a reserved seat, I will move them out to make way for the reservation holder. However, if First Class is full, I will not go through Standard Class moving passengers out of seats to allow a First Class ticket-holder to sit down.
If a First Class ticket-holder has paid for First Class, they are entitled to travel in it. Under ordinary circumstances, a Standard Class ticket-holder is not entitled to travel there without permission. If the Standard Class passenger is not willing to pay for the privilege, they can't travel there. In a lot of cases it has more to do with the over-inflated ego of the individual traveller, and their own sense of importance. How else do you account for the individual (season ticket holder) I have come across standing in First Class on three different trains in the last fortnight? Why does he think he is entitled to stand there? What about his season ticket makes him more important than the thousands of others?
I have seen very well known faces from show-business and politics in both classes (and passed by hundreds more unrecognised, I am sure). If the train had crashed, I'm sure that news stories would have concentrated on the fact that "Joe Blogs, Footballer and his wife, Joanne Blogs, Actress" were on the train, but this would not mean that when the Blogs get on the train they are entitled to any more service than the couple of shop-workers in the table across from them who decided to splash out on an Advance First Class as a treat on their birthday trip to London.
It is actually very democratic - all anybody needs to do is pay the correct fare. My colleagues and I don't care about their religion, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation, occupation, criminal record or dress sense. All we care about is that they have a valid ticket.
For example, if a Standard Class passenger has reserved a seat, and another has not, as the rules stand, the passenger who reserved the seat is entitled to it (even if they paid less), and the passenger who did not reserve a seat is not. Both are Standard Class ticket holders, and both are equally important, but if the non-reservation holder is sitting in a reserved seat, I will move them out to make way for the reservation holder. However, if First Class is full, I will not go through Standard Class moving passengers out of seats to allow a First Class ticket-holder to sit down.
If a First Class ticket-holder has paid for First Class, they are entitled to travel in it. Under ordinary circumstances, a Standard Class ticket-holder is not entitled to travel there without permission. If the Standard Class passenger is not willing to pay for the privilege, they can't travel there. In a lot of cases it has more to do with the over-inflated ego of the individual traveller, and their own sense of importance. How else do you account for the individual (season ticket holder) I have come across standing in First Class on three different trains in the last fortnight? Why does he think he is entitled to stand there? What about his season ticket makes him more important than the thousands of others?
I have seen very well known faces from show-business and politics in both classes (and passed by hundreds more unrecognised, I am sure). If the train had crashed, I'm sure that news stories would have concentrated on the fact that "Joe Blogs, Footballer and his wife, Joanne Blogs, Actress" were on the train, but this would not mean that when the Blogs get on the train they are entitled to any more service than the couple of shop-workers in the table across from them who decided to splash out on an Advance First Class as a treat on their birthday trip to London.
It is actually very democratic - all anybody needs to do is pay the correct fare. My colleagues and I don't care about their religion, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation, occupation, criminal record or dress sense. All we care about is that they have a valid ticket.