Have you ever been mistaken for rail staff, or helped those less familiar with the network?

[D6130]

I have been mistaken for Richard Branson a couple of times on trains....does that count?

That could have been embarrassing if you were on a late-running Virgin train!

 

[Romsey]

I have been mistaken for Richard Branson a couple of times on trains....does that count?

Yes, for commiseration!

 

[voyagerdude220]

I forgot to mention...not being mistaken in this case, but the night the bridge near Carlisle went down in floods I got stuck at Preston for a considerable period of time, and found that the staff had completely lost control of the situation, with probably 500 people stood outside waiting for buses which existed but were in very short supply, and others walking round the station looking lost. A bit of RTTing found that the last Barrow was still running, so by walking around shouting that out (to the dislike of quite a few staff, it seemed) I got a good few passengers to Lancaster (it went out full and standing, though I don't think anyone was left behind) who might have got stuck otherwise.

In the end I got put in a taxi to Edinburgh, probably to get me out of the way

The whole thing was so incompetent that I stung VT for a good £300 or so worth of Delay Repay over the period of disruption, as I had a load of tickets booked up front for several weeks' travel, all of which were eligible for full refunds. The RTVs were used for work travel as work had paid, but it was one of those cases where I'd probably not have claimed as it wasn't the railway's fault and to avoid the moral question of what that should be used for, but it was *so* badly handled I wanted to give them a financial whack for having to do their job for them.

I did write them a detailed letter about it alongside the Delay Repay claims, but unfortunately it didn't get read and a standard response was issued.

Sadly I get the impression that the staff at Preston really struggle to handle disruption well.

 

[norbitonflyer]

In the days when each station had its own enquiry line, my sister and my uncle had phone numbers similar to those of, respectively, Lincoln and Liverpool Street. My sister and her husband used to string callers along - "no trains to Nottingham from here tonight". My uncle kept the Eastern Region timetable by the phone.

 

[faltskog36abba]

When I worked in the Buffet Bar at Manchester Victoria 14 Years ago- We had Many a passenger presuming the Staff knew all about the Railways. As it happened I did, I once escorted a Blind Man to his train and told the Guard which station he required, I also took an Elderly lady laden with luggage to her train. Whilst serving customers I would also be asked When x train was due and Which Platform.

 

[since1814]

Was asked along the lines of "how come we can't get on this one" during disruption, when a "fast" was stopped at the platform waiting for the block to clear. This was at an unstaffed station but I was wearing a suit, so for someone desperate to have somebody to complain at I must have been the best hope.

 

[Furrysquid]

I'm another one who seems to have an "ask me" face. Most of the time it's "How do I get to Moor Street?" (when at New Street) or vice versa, or occasionally "Where's the station?" when standing in the middle of New Street.

(When I first moved to the area, twenty years ago, there was a red line painted on the pavement between Moor Street and New Street to act as a navigational aid. As a confused newcomer, it struck me as a rather good idea.)

 

[Waldgrun]

Looking the other way, so to speak! When I was working on the high level platforms at the station serving the town area of a south coast Naval port, two teenage girls, who I believe where overseas students, came up the stairs. They, then sought out a member of staff to assist them. They went to the first person in uniform they saw, I would say they thought he was in charge, because his uniform had lots of scrambled egg on it, and toped by an impressive white peaked cap!
Needless to say, one high ranking naval officer, was not impressed to be thought of as lowly railway staff!

 

[CeeJ]

I was once waiting for someone outside the Thameslink gateline at St Pancras while wearing a suit and in the space of about 10 minutes I had at least 3 people walk up and ask questions. Such a range too: where's platform 9¾? Where are the Kent trains? Is this ticket valid?

Admittedly I could answer two of the three...

 

[40129]

I was once waiting for someone outside the Thameslink gateline at St Pancras while wearing a suit and in the space of about 10 minutes I had at least 3 people walk up and ask questions. Such a range too: where's platform 9¾? Where are the Kent trains? Is this ticket valid?

Admittedly I could answer two of the three...

Used to happen to me quite a lot when waiting for friends at Wimbledon, except I was always in casual clothes (jeans/shorts depending on weather).

Today I was in railway uniform in one of the large supermarkets and was asked by a customer if I worked there. Bizarrely, my uniform is a completely different color to that supermarket's.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Think I've mentioned it on here before, but I was once mistaken for East Coast staff whilst on a rover and waiting for my first train of the day at Doncaster. Possibly might've been the purple jumper, grey jeans and (slightly lighter) grey trainers that made people think "he's dressed in colours a bit a bit similar to those of the trains we're catching, so he must be staff"

I've had similar when I was wearing a purple t-shirt and grey trousers in Doncaster (probably didn't help) when I was approached by a lad asking me 'ere mate, d'you work 'ere? When's next train t'Retford?' Looking bemused I pointed out checking the timetable on platform 1 and also checking the screens for the next one. He pointed out that he couldn't read a timetable either. Luckily I found a member of staff and pointed him in their direction.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

There's an unofficial member of "bus station staff" who hangs around the bus stops outside MKC doing that sort of thing, he's fairly harmless and quite helpful to people given the lack of official provision. I guess potentially a greater danger on the railway than on what is little more than a set of slightly fancy bus stops on a road, though, and as the "bus station" is a public road not a lot that could be done to stop him even if they wanted to.

I've done something sort of not too dissimilar myself in that I used to put timetables up in my local bus shelters until the Council started doing it themselves. Even got a message of thanks graffitied on one once, which was nice.

There's one (or was) who was hi vised up with shirt and rucksack at Huddersfield bus station. Whether Metro, who own the bus station, cottoned on to this unoffical person acting as a supervisor I don't know but my mate had dealings with him being patronising to anyone who challenges the rucksack bloke.

 

[Heritage-DMU]

This happened to me and my son at Euston a few years ago. We were waiting for our train back and generally minding our own business, we were dressed casual and wearing rucksacks so not exactly stand out. First we were approached by a lady who wanted to know how to get to Dartford - my son could have worked out how to do that but we thought we would only confuse her so we said we didn't know. Shortly afterwards we were approached by a man who wanted to know if his ticket was valid for travel to Manchester - my son was able to answer in the affirmative for that one! We have no idea why we became a magnet for queries that day!

 

[Derbyshire Gra]

Funniest I recall was my first Belgian bash in 1994. Drivers tend to look very casual in Belgium. I was at Liege Guillemins and was walking along the line of locos in the south end dock, when 2728 arrived light engine and stopped on the end. The driver alighted, walked straight to me and jibbering something I didn't understand, passed me the loco key. I politely declined in English.

 

[EssexGonzo]

I have once, on Liverpool Street. it was strange - I was wearing a dark blue suit, red tie and had a lanyard visible under my fastened jacket. Also no laptop case so I may not have looked like a traveller. Still strange, as just about all station staff were wearing some sort of uniform or tabard.

The couple were French and in their 50’s with not very good English. They had tickets for a Norwich service - an easy one to help them with!

 

[SHerr]

Not really ‘not staff’ as I am but as I worked for a non-operational department I am taking the liberty! In the early 90s working for the Civil Engineers Dept in the days where you undertook site visits by train if you could, I was stood at Darlington station in Orange waterproof coat, drenched, when I was approach by a passenger and asked ‘Is that the train for Teeside?’ Trying to be polite I asked where in Teesside as it’s an area not a place and the response was ‘just Teesside’. After a few minutes I pointed them to a Saltburn train figuring they would sort themselves out! From that point I’ve always held a good level of respect for front line staff.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not really ‘not staff’ as I am but as I worked for a non-operational department I am taking the liberty! In the early 90s working for the Civil Engineers Dept in the days where you undertook site visits by train if you could, I was stood at Darlington station in Orange waterproof coat, drenched, when I was approach by a passenger and asked ‘Is that the train for Teeside?’ Trying to be polite I asked where in Teesside as it’s an area not a place and the response was ‘just Teesside’. After a few minutes I pointed them to a Saltburn train figuring they would sort themselves out! From that point I’ve always held a good level of respect for front line staff.

If people ask me in that sort of way I'd usually ask to see their ticket to find out that way where they are going. That also allows me to see if there's a TOC restriction or an Advance they aren't telling me about.

 

[GW43125]

I once was stood by the window on an HST out of Paddington, and got asked where the buffet was and when we got to [wherever we were going]. I've had a couple of people ask me questions when they've seen/heard me talking about trains to friends, and have offered help a few times.

I was once waiting for a bus to the station from uni, in my work fleece holding a flask of tea, when a lady asked me how to get into the city.

There was also the lady who asked me if we were nearly at Cardiff when we slowed down outside Maidenhead (bloody Oxford turbos), having only left Paddington some 15-20 minutes ago.

 

[Esker-pades]

Many a time, mostly with quick route-finding stuff.

One time I had to break the news to someone that her ticket was an advance single so could only be used on the 10:52 train. It was 06:15. I wrote that up on my blog, because it was a fun/long interaction.

Link: https://felixunstructured.weebly.com/lusblog/kyle-line-journey-2-stromeferry-and-lochluichart

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I don't work on the railways, but quite a few years ago, when I was travelling between Newport and Cardiff central, I often used to get asked for help on the latter station. I worked it out that the coat that I was wearing looked very similar to the First Great Western platform staff. I did try to help people, but sometimes I couldn't, so I'd direct them to the office, where the staff were hiding.

I was once mistaken for a plain clothes policeman in Newport. I was outside the Cathedral waiting to go into a Funeral, so was in the full suit, white shirt, black tie getup. Outside the Cathedral were a couple of parking bays, and I was stood just by them; suddenly, I thought of something that I knew that I had to remember, so reached into my pocket and pulled out the notebook and pen that I always carry with me and wrote it down. All of a sudden, a lady got out of one of the cars and said, in a panic stricken voice ... "Please don't book me, I'm not staying here long!" When I told her that I wasn't a policeman and I wasn't booking her, she wasn't impressed - she got back into the car, and drove away!

 

[silverfoxcc]

This occurred in the early 90s. My lad who was 16 and i were doing a travelcard day in London and just got turfed out of KX/SP underground with countless others due to 'operational reasons'

Decided we would head to Waterloongt by bus, when out of the blue a Chinese chap walked up to me and started asking me in very halting English how to get to Paddington. After a minute of language difficulties, i took a rick and asked him if he spoke Cantonese or Mandarin. He said Mandarin ,at which point my lad took over and gave him direction bus routes and the correct bus stop. in fluent Mandarin He was being taught the language at school at the time The look on the chaps fsce was a picture from complete disbelief that he had got someone 'first hit' thast could help but also didn't have a problem in giving him all the gen.
It came in handy as he is now with a Chinese lass and the kids are bi-lingual

 

[grah2702]

Many many years ago I boarded a train at Doncaster which was deltic hauled and was NON stop to Kings Cross.
I was at the window immediately behind the locomotive when this middle aged lady approached and tried to go through the connecting door which of course was locked because was next to the locomotive.I told her that was the end of the train and she said thank you and then asked me to confirm the train was for York well she was distressed to put it mildly when I told her that the next stop was London Kings Cross.I advised her to find the guard and explain to him but I assume she had no luck as we did not stop until Kings Cross.

 

[nicolaboo]

Not long after restarting my train hobby in 2018, I was a Crewe and in a short period of time, while I was near the departure information boards, I had about four people ask various queries and I tried to help, while caveating my answer with my non-official role in any matters.
It was not long after this spurt that I realised my blue trousers and red jacket was a pretty close match to the Virgin staff on station.

 

[43094]

One from quite a few years ago:

I had an understanding of how to use TRUST, (albeit only being at University at the time), and was having a few days away on a Rail Rover in GWR-land.

Obviously TRUST was useful for finding allocations to enable chasing of required Valenta power cars:

Me: Approaches help-point at a significant-sized station to ask for allocations of a few services.

Employee: Looks them up, gets chatting (no queue at this point). ‘Do you know how to use TRUST’

Me: ‘Yes’ (demonstrates)

Employee: ‘I’m going on my break, look up what you like’ (but don’t touch anything else)

A steady stream of customers then ask me for help over the next hour or so before the employee re-appears, I was able to help them using the journey info function in TRUST.... (my next required power car was still an hour away, and it was warm in the help-point!)

The employee was happy enough with it - can’t see it happening these days!

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

When ‘incognito’ I’m never asked for help at a station (although my spidey-sense has the ability to spot a confused traveller at fifty paces, and perhaps I offer help before I’m asked).

However I’m asked for help by customers of Sainsbury’s roughly once a month!

I am of average height only, but several times I have reached goods from the top shelf in a food store for people who could not stretch that high. Seems very discriminatory

Once at a bus station in Norddeutschland an American asked me where the times of buses on Samstag were. I explained that the sixth day is known locally as Sonnabend

 

[Ianno87]

I am of average height only, but several times I have reached goods from the top shelf in a food store for people who could not stretch that high. Seems very discriminatory

Supermarket policy is always to keep some staff presence on the shop floor to avoid this and assist such customers (e.g. don't have breaks all at the same time)

 

[stj]

In the 70s/80s used to take the all line timetable on spotting trips and placed it on the table and often got asked for train times and connections even had guards borrow it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Supermarket policy is always to keep some staff presence on the shop floor to avoid this and assist such customers (e.g. don't have breaks all at the same time)

Very often the high shelves carry signage asking customers not to do it themselves even if they can reach. I still do, though.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Very often the high shelves carry signage asking customers not to do it themselves even if they can reach. I still do, though.

Sorry, asking customers not to help others? I like to browse and compare products, read the small print, maybe put back what I do not want, might take ten minutes
Trouble is, food stores just have too many products

 

[A Challenge]

Sorry, asking customers not to help others? I like to browse and compare products, read the small print, maybe put back what I do not want, might take ten minutes
Trouble is, food stores just have too many products

The top shelf, at least in some supermarkets, seems to take cartons of products that are left without the fronts torn off so you can't get the products out, presumably to simplify restocking when they don't all fit on the shelves below.