A friend was returning from Belgium and presented a London Intl(CIV) to Birmingham Stations Route High Wycombe single, with a Railcard, priced at around £9, at the barrier at Euston asking to pay the excess to the Any Permitted single at £14.65, expecting to pay around £5.
However the lady at the barrier (I will reveal her name begins with a C) claimed that tickets from London Intl(CIV) cannot be purchased from her and that he should have bought the excess in Brussels. He had tried, but they said it had to be done over here.
She then tried to insist on selling a much more expensive ticket from London Terminals, and if he didn't accept that he should go to Marylebone, etc etc... but eventually relented and let him speak to the Train Manager, but gave the TM a load of instructions such as ensuring that the customer has means of payment etc. The way she spoke to him was as if he was a criminal, and was the sort of person who makes you feel like driving next time. In all his trips abroad he never once met someone like her.
Anyway the Train Manager was a much nicer person (as is usually the case; the nasty barrier people just don't cut the mustard to become TMs) and the passenger was able to do their journey without being further harassed my Mrs 'C' who did not board the train and presumably went to harass people boarding a later service from Euston. Poor people...!
Euston are getting quite a reputation! Anyone going through there? Feel free to PM me for advice before you pay the lovely barrier staff a visit....
However the lady at the barrier (I will reveal her name begins with a C) claimed that tickets from London Intl(CIV) cannot be purchased from her and that he should have bought the excess in Brussels. He had tried, but they said it had to be done over here.
She then tried to insist on selling a much more expensive ticket from London Terminals, and if he didn't accept that he should go to Marylebone, etc etc... but eventually relented and let him speak to the Train Manager, but gave the TM a load of instructions such as ensuring that the customer has means of payment etc. The way she spoke to him was as if he was a criminal, and was the sort of person who makes you feel like driving next time. In all his trips abroad he never once met someone like her.
Anyway the Train Manager was a much nicer person (as is usually the case; the nasty barrier people just don't cut the mustard to become TMs) and the passenger was able to do their journey without being further harassed my Mrs 'C' who did not board the train and presumably went to harass people boarding a later service from Euston. Poor people...!
Euston are getting quite a reputation! Anyone going through there? Feel free to PM me for advice before you pay the lovely barrier staff a visit....