As an aside to this, when working a local sevice from Markinch in Fife to Edinburgh the service was diagrammed an ex
Hull Trains 170 with the rather plush (for a train) green armchair style seats in 1st. The service was not advertised as having 1st class - so this section would have been declassified.
Anyway there were two elderly gentlemen, both holding Fife Concession cards, sitting in the 1st class area. They both had their £1 fare ready when I approached. Being in an impish mood, and with a straight face, I politely informed them that they were in 1st and to "look around" at the superior environment that they were occupying. They agreed that it was rather posh and asked what they had to do - I informed them that a 50% surcharge would be in order and that would be an extra 50p each ~ thank you very much. They presented their 50p stating that they thought it was value for money. Of course I did not accept the additional charge but rather informed them that I had been having them on ~ I was then informed that I should have been on the stage (preferably one with a trap door & a noose
) but they were still adamant that the extra 50p was value for money on that particular train.
After they had alighted at their chosen stop I discovered that each had left 50p squarely in the middle of the seat that they had occupied. I'm sure that I was the "talk of the steamie" for a while because whenever I saw them again they would wave 50ps at me.
Cheers
