Just saw this on Twitter: Very British Problems

[trainophile]

VeryBritishProblems ‏

Read platform number
Hear platform number
Walk to that platform
Re-read platform number
Get on train at platform
Worry you're on wrong train

Made me because it is so true. I would also add "ask another passenger if this is the train for ****".

 

[DaleCooper]

That's me except add:

Read on board PIS display which confirms this is the correct train
Worry that PIS display might be wrong

 

[Ianno87]

VeryBritishProblems ‏


Made me because it is so true. I would also add "ask another passenger if this is the train for ****".

Nah, the usual British response is to fret you're on the wrong train, but then be too polite/scared/unwilling to check with the person sat nearby who obviously travels on this train every day where it is going.

 

[Groningen]

It could happen in any country.

 

[Busaholic]

It could happen in any country.

In which other country would you need to know whether you are on a Southern or Gatwick Express branded train (or their equivalent) in case you are presented with a Penalty Fare sufficient to pay off the National Debt or be frogmarched in front of the local complicit beak?:-x

 

[Groningen]

In the Netherlands if you check in at the wrong traincompany that you get a fine of 50 euro plus the part you travel. If you have a paper ticket than it is no problem as long as you check in.

Remember this from October 2014!

Passenger 'almost faints' after being handed £1,000 bill for boarding wrong train for journey from Birmingham to London

Man was travelling with 38 friends when mistake was spotted by inspectors
Meant to have boarded London Midlands service, but took faster Virgin train
They were forced to buy new tickets for the entire journey or face large fine

A rail passenger was said to have 'almost fainted' after being presented with a £1,048 bill by ticket inspectors after mistakenly boarding the wrong train. The unnamed man, thought to be in his 40s, had been travelling from Birmingham New Street station to London Euston with a group of 38 family and friends. The group had bought tickets that only permitted them to travel on London Midland services.

Source: Daily Mail

 

[trainophile]

^ In my experience there is almost always an announcement, often several, on Virgin, stating that London Midland tickets are not valid on this train. I suppose none of the 38 were listening :roll: .

 

[jon0844]

Why would anyone think a London Midland ticket WAS valid on Virgin trains? They won't even look similar (for example, boarding a Thameslink vinyled train that is operating for Southern).

When booking, I assume prices were checked. Someone probably went 'these tickets are loads cheaper than Virgin' and booked them on that basis.

I'm off to Barcelona on Easyjet in a couple of weeks. Must consider whether to go to Luton, or try my luck at Heathrow boarding a BA flight instead...

 

[DaleCooper]

Why would anyone think a London Midland ticket WAS valid on Virgin trains? They won't even look similar (for example, boarding a Thameslink vinyled train that is operating for Southern).

When booking, I assume prices were checked. Someone probably went 'these tickets are loads cheaper than Virgin' and booked them on that basis.

I'm off to Barcelona on Easyjet in a couple of weeks. Must consider whether to go to Luton, or try my luck at Heathrow boarding a BA flight instead...

To some a train is a train is a train, not everyone is an enthusiast.

 

[Jonny]

Why would anyone think a London Midland ticket WAS valid on Virgin trains? They won't even look similar (for example, boarding a Thameslink vinyled train that is operating for Southern).

When booking, I assume prices were checked. Someone probably went 'these tickets are loads cheaper than Virgin' and booked them on that basis.

I'm off to Barcelona on Easyjet in a couple of weeks. Must consider whether to go to Luton, or try my luck at Heathrow boarding a BA flight instead...

The difference is that there is a check-in process for flights but not (domestic service) trains. Also, the gate etc. is clearly explained during check in.

Then again, there is the airline concept of codeshare. Through the wonders of codeshare, I once travelled (literally) halfway around the world on Qantas codes but Emirates planes.

 

[southern442]

To some a train is a train is a train, not everyone is an enthusiast.

Yes but most people have eyes!

 

[DaleCooper]

Yes but most people have eyes!

Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't realised.

 

[Ianno87]

In the Netherlands if you check in at the wrong traincompany that you get a fine of 50 euro plus the part you travel. If you have a paper ticket than it is no problem as long as you check in.

Remember this from October 2014!



Source: Daily Mail

They got 'fined' £27.50 per person. Seems pretty reasonable in the circumstances

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To some a train is a train is a train, not everyone is an enthusiast.

Yes but most people have eyes!

If you've been an enthusiast for most of the time you've been capable of being enthusiastic about anything, it's hard to imagine that most "normals" won't even register what colour the train they're travelling on is. Yet apparently this is the case. Even enthusiasts won't notice subtle differences in an area that isn't of interest to them: for example a friend of mine is an aviation enthusiast and can't tell the difference between a 156 and a 158, whereas I'd struggle to tell the difference between a 737 and a comparable Airbus.

 

[fowler9]

Once worked with a girl who told me she had never been on a real aeroplane, just an airbus. Perhaps Airbus should consider changing their name because it sounds a bit like bus! Ha ha.

 

[southern442]

If you've been an enthusiast for most of the time you've been capable of being enthusiastic about anything, it's hard to imagine that most "normals" won't even register what colour the train they're travelling on is. Yet apparently this is the case. Even enthusiasts won't notice subtle differences in an area that isn't of interest to them: for example a friend of mine is an aviation enthusiast and can't tell the difference between a 156 and a 158, whereas I'd struggle to tell the difference between a 737 and a comparable Airbus.

My point though is that, whilst they may not pay attention, it should be expected of them to pay attention because things like who operates your train and the limitations of your tickets matter a lot. It's not something everyone takes into consideration but I think that it's not too bad of an idea for people to start being more observant. Just because we are enthusiasts and take things like this into consideration without thinking, it doesn't mean that other people shouldn't take information like this in.

 

[jon0844]

I wouldn't have thought only enthusiasts would know what train to get. Let's remember, a lot of people buy tickets from the train operator they intend to travel with, so they must know there's a difference.

Maybe some booking engines don't make it as obvious which operator you're using, but I assume the tickets said on them?

And if they said 'London Midland only' then you'd surely go 'Hey, what does this mean?' and ask at the very least.

If all of that doesn't work, well then you end up paying and go to a newspaper with your best sad face pose.

 

[455driver]

To some a train is a train is a train, not everyone is an enthusiast.

To some its-
find cheapest ticket on screen,
dont read information but tick box to say you have,
buy ticket,
go to platform and get on quickest train to your destination (they always manage this bit),
moan when caught playing the 'but the man on the platform said it was okay' routine,
go to Daily Mail remembering the sad face routine,
moan about how expensive train fares are to anyone who listens even though it would probably cost more to do it in a car.

That about sums it up!

 

[fairysdad]

That's me except add:

Read on board PIS display which confirms this is the correct train
Worry that PIS display might be wrong

To be fair, the other day at Waterloo, the PIS announced that the Epsom train was leaving from Platform 12. Not entirely out of the question when there's a bit of disruption. Cue a fairly large number of people - myself included - wandering over from Platform 1 (where it usually departed). I saw a 450 in the platform and realised it was a mistake, but I suspect some people boarded without really noticing it was the wrong train, and found themselves on a Pompey service! The PIS did get corrected, making me wonder what caused the issue - I suspect a fat finger on the keyboard accidentally hitting both the 1 and 2 keys!