Here is one of the comments from someone called "TL driver". A driver posting something like this on here would have to be very brave because of the inevitable posts that would follow.
http://www.londonreconnections.com/2016/last-stand-old-guard/#comment-272173
Can you explain how it is safe for one person to carry be responsible for the safety of over 1,000 people on a train that travels at speed, whilst that number of people in a hall, cinema, theatre etc would need significantly more despite not moving.
It is not just a door issue, it is if anything else goes wrong that a safety trained member of staff becomes essential. The chances of that incident happening might be minimal but so is it in other locations that require more staff to look after that number of people.
That driver best hope he is never involved in an incident with doors!
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I'm not arguing for stripping away several layers of staffing, I'm saying that if DOO means that guards can concentrate on revenue collection and also reduce delays caused by lack of a guard, then I am for it as a passenger. GTR don't seem to have dealt with its introduction very well, but that's a separate issue.
Except they will not be concentrating on the revenue collection that passengers want them to concentrate on. They will be generating revenue from those that always had every intention of buying a ticket, and will be charging them a full single fare, those putting them off travelling by rail. They will not be tackling the abusive, threatening fare dodgers that have no intention of buying a ticket.
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I'm going to standing back from this thread for a bit. All sorts of rumors flying around at the mo. I will still be watching.
I have heard rumours that social media is being looked at by Southern.
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The GTR propaganda machine has managed a few direct hits then; anybody would think there was some sort of national pandemic of train cancellations due to daily catastrophic lack of Guards! Shock - this is a fairy story, much like most of the manure that is coming GTR, Hooray Horton and his witch.
Has it? I suspect lots of passengers believe the lack of guards is done to Southerns standard incompetence!