Exactly. My train (0831 Redhill to Victoria) was the usual 377/6 this morning, with so-called first class half-full of uncomprehending or uncaring Gatwick arriving passengers who were then joined by sheeple at intermediate stations who just plonked themselves down without even looking round. I would put a lot of money on almost all of them not having first class tickets. The conductor was nowhere to be seen for the entire journey. Why do they not use the single first class section on these units to base themselves in, as some do, so as to provide at least a token deterrent?
On the subject of first class and confusion around its application, I was almost amused last night when the conductor of my GWR Redhill to Betchworth leg threw a group of schoolboys out of the section marked as first class, even though first class was abolished on these stopping trains from last October (despite 166s being sent away for re-painting, they still manage to turn up on almost all the stopping trains rather than 165s)! When he returned to the section a few minutes later I pointed out the abolition and he was unaware that it had happened! To be fair, the only reference to it that I have seen anywhere has been the timetable header '1' code having been removed from the relevant columns (except two evening workings in one direction only where it has been left in place in error!). No wonder staff, let alone passengers, don't know of the change.
