Stupid passengers

[bigbaldbruce]

Anyway my own story comes from delightful Middlesbrough (...) I complained to the ticket office staff that they had a problem with the CIS showing erroneous information but they weren't interested.

Middlesbrough station staff are the rudest and least customer-friendly on the network.

 

[shaun]

Has anyone ever done a really bad one, ie got a train at Taunton by mistake and ended up in Reading, King's Cross and York or Euston and Warrington for example?

Once witnessed two people board a FGW HST at Reading and sit in First Class. Nothing out of the ordinary, except our train was now non-stop to Plymouth and they were going to Westbury. Oh dear..

 

[NSEFAN]

I've seen a train full of confused passengers on a London Overground service from Stratford to Willesden which was diverted via Queens Park. Despite many, many announcements en route, there were many people who had no clue what was going on by the time we got to Camden Road, wondering why the train wasn't going via Gospel Oak.

We all are liable to making assumptions about our local service, afterall why should a normal passenger know about Primrose Hill diversions? It amazes me however just how many people descend into their own little world once they enter the railway and pay little attention to what's going on around them!

 

[londonbridge]

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1086728&postcount=14

Of my own mistakes, was coming home from work in Kingston, train was delayed and came in three minutes before the next one was due, I boarded it having managed to miss all the announcements that it would be running non-stop to Waterloo and anyone wanting Clapham Junction should wait for the one behind.

 

[the sniper]

More than one foreign tourist has been disappointed that Longbridge Reversing Siding doesn't quite live up to their expectations of London Bridge...

 

[yorksrob]

More than one foreign tourist has been disappointed that Longbridge Reversing Siding doesn't quite live up to their expectations of London Bridge...

Without the London Bridge trainshed, the two are probably much of a muchness nowadays anyway.

 

[dannypye9999]

My example of stupid people on trains are those that pretend to be asleep when they see the guard coming down the train, even if its not a ticket inspection and just a customer query, or even other train staff walking up/down the train, these people close their eyes and act like theyre asleep in the hope they wont get asked to show a ticket. Do guards really ignore sleeping people during ticket inspections? These people must think everyone on the train were born yesterday.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

My example of stupid people on trains are those that pretend to be asleep when they see the guard coming down the train, even if its not a ticket inspection and just a customer query, or even other train staff walking up/down the train, these people close their eyes and act like theyre asleep in the hope they wont get asked to show a ticket. Do guards really ignore sleeping people during ticket inspections? These people must think everyone on the train were born yesterday.

I just tap the t-key on the nearest piece of metal until it gets that annoying they soon "wake up" lol works 95% of the time

 

[trentside]

I just tap the t-key on the nearest piece of metal until it gets that annoying they soon "wake up" lol works 95% of the time

If that fails, ask for any medical staff onboard to check for signs of life

 

[185]

The OP should never refer to these people as

"Stupid Passengers"

Official railway terminology dictates they, in this day and age should be referred to in the politically correct status as:

"Stupid Customers"


:P

 

[Lampshade]

I once boarded a train at Manchester Piccadilly assuming it would stop at Stockport - it didn't, first stop Macclesfield :roll:

Approaching Preston, I overhear some passengers saying they could catch the train to Midge Hall, I didn't tell them it closed in 1961

 

[dannypye9999]

sometimes im tempted to be stupid but not sure if it will work, but would it be possible to travel between Macclesfield and Adlington (Lancs) on a Macclesfield to Adlington (Cheshire) ticket?

 

[SephenWorceste]

Many passengers at Paddington make the same mistake. They seem not to know which trains stop at Reading. Some even end up in Swindon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Legzr1]

to genuine mistakes such as jumping on the wrong train? I have an example of the latter.

!

How's about qualified drivers travelling pass to pick up a train?

Supposed to go Doncaster to Peterborough so jumped on the Reading train...

Or Newcastle to Doncaster, trains last stop was York then onto to London KX...

Edinburgh to Newcastle, gets involved in a book, finally closes book to see train stopped at York.

 

[quarella]

whenever anyone asks if the 142 standing in the platform next to them is going to "insert name of any far away place you wouldnt want to go on a 142 here"

Or the cute passengers that always ask where first class is on a 142

Due to HST failures it is not unknown for DMUs of various types to be pressed into service Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter or even Bristol TM. ATW units hired in as a special to Cardiff Central.
Which passenger is the more stupid. The one for thinking a 142 was the London train (or part replacement) or the one ignoring CIS, announcements etc and getting themselves stranded.

 

[pethadine82]

On an EMT train, the train manger was doing a routine ticket check.
One pax had his ticket in the mouth before handing it over.
The guard said that he would not touch his ticket due to saliva, and told the pax to cross the ticket out and write the date using that pax's pen.
Very amusing.

 

[6Gman]

The late Sir Peter Parker once boarded a train at Crewe for a meeting in Carlisle only to realise after it set off that it was non-stop to Euston. It can't get more embarrasing than that, surely?

The Deputy Chief Controller, London Midland Region, was once accompanying the Crewe rail cricket team to a fixture in Buxton. They arrived in plat.14 at Picc and headed across the footbridge to catch the connection to Buxton.

"This one" he cried - until somebody pointed out that as an e.m.u. it was unlikely to be going to Buxton ..........

Deputy Chief Controller!

(Names will be with-held ...)

 

[PaxVobiscum]

'Customers are reminded to always use the handrail and take care on the stairs'. This can get very irritating very quickly. It's just as well that I almost always have my headphones with me when travelling.

I know, I know - the split infinitives! (shudder).

Actually, I agree and have posted about this myself. It now drives me to take the lift (which, because it is so unbelievably slow, has caused me to miss my train more than once :roll: ) to avoid the auditory onslaught. To save having to listen to all that rubbish for another 29 minutes I get the lift back to the high level when that happens.

Perhaps I now qualify for a stupid passenger.

 

[thelongestroad]

I had a couple of passengers who decided to board my train today who intended on going to station A, but ended up at the next stop station F and probably added about 2 hours to their journey to backtrack.

I take no issues with stupidity per say.... it's when passengers try and blame their incompetence or stupidity on me when I take issue.

 

[Howardh]

Ahem, I've jumped on the "wrong" train and then discovered it was the "right" train.
In other words, caught a train that I thought was the one to take me to my destination, then once we got moving they read the calling stations which omitted mine, so got off at the next station to transfer...only to find the station screens were showing that the train DID stop at my destination.

Oh, I wasn't the only one!!

 

[Qwerty133]

Ahem, I've jumped on the "wrong" train and then discovered it was the "right" train.
In other words, caught a train that I thought was the one to take me to my destination, then once we got moving they read the calling stations which omitted mine, so got off at the next station to transfer...only to find the station screens were showing that the train DID stop at my destination.

Oh, I wasn't the only one!!

EMT during peak hours by any chance? I think the TMs get complacent with calling patterns and forget that services have additional stops during the peak, and even when they remember the additional stops, don't remember that the additional stops can change where to change trains for other locations.

 

[Minilad]

Not stupid as such, just baffling.
A women approached me today while I was standing next to a Manchester bound train and said Is this Manchester ? I was tempted to say "no madam this is Birmingham" but I refrained. I responded in the affirmative and she then said "oh great, only it doesn't say what platform on my ticket" She genuinely thought her ticket would tell her what platform the train would be on despite being an open ticket

 

[ExRes]

Standing on the platform at Derby having a few minutes before bringing a 222 service back to St Pancras, passenger walks up to me and asks one question

"Is this the train that I want ?"

:roll:

 

[Parallel]

We seem to get at least a couple of people every time at Bath Spa getting on the Portsmouth Harbour service thinking it goes to London Paddington. To be fair, there is only a gap of 7 mins between most Portsmouth and London services, and they both depart from the same platform, but with plenty of announcements (including manual announcements occasionally "STAY ON THE PLATFORM IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE LONDON TRAIN") and three electric display boards, it does make you wonder.

This is made worse when the Portsmouth Harbour train is delayed and is due to arrive at xx:42 or after, we had about 20 passengers board wanting London a few weeks ago - It was quicker for them to get off at Bradford On Avon and then go back to Bath for Paddington than it was to change at Westbury!

 

[GatwickDepress]

While waiting at East Croydon one afternoon on a First Capital Connect 319, a middle-aged chap and his wife boarded. The conversation went thus:

"Excuse me, does this train go to Brighton."
"Um, yes, it does."
"Ah. Well, we'd like to go to Gatwick Airport, not Brighton.
"Uh... we call at Gatwick Airport. It's the next stop."
"That's not good enough."

There was a dissatisfied sigh and he walked off the train, his wife trundling along behind like a tanned suitcase. I have no idea why our lovely service wasn't good enough, or if they ever made it to Gatwick Airport ... One of life's little mysteries, I suppose.

 

[island]

I have on a couple of occasions boarded at London Bridge a train to Gravesend via Sidcup hoping to go to Lee, and found it to be one of two trains per day that is fast to New Eltham

 

[Minilad]

While waiting at East Croydon one afternoon on a First Capital Connect 319, a middle-aged chap and his wife boarded. The conversation went thus:

"Excuse me, does this train go to Brighton."
"Um, yes, it does."
"Ah. Well, we'd like to go to Gatwick Airport, not Brighton.
"Uh... we call at Gatwick Airport. It's the next stop."
"That's not good enough."

There was a dissatisfied sigh and he walked off the train, his wife trundling along behind like a tanned suitcase. I have no idea why our lovely service wasn't good enough, or if they ever made it to Gatwick Airport ... One of life's little mysteries, I suppose.

My pet hate that. Asking if the train goes somewhere different to where they want to go.

 

[91103eastcoast]

A few years ago a lady wanted to travel to Birmingham New St from Darlington. The XC service to Birmingham was delayed, and the announcements and staff made it clear. They got on the National Express East Coast HST I got on and it wasn't until Newark that the mistake was realised. The worst bit is that we pulled into Peterborough late at 1652, the same time as the Birmingham bound XC service was pulling out. D'oh!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

While waiting at East Croydon one afternoon on a First Capital Connect 319, a middle-aged chap and his wife boarded. The conversation went thus:

"Excuse me, does this train go to Brighton."
"Um, yes, it does."
"Ah. Well, we'd like to go to Gatwick Airport, not Brighton.
"Uh... we call at Gatwick Airport. It's the next stop."
"That's not good enough."

There was a dissatisfied sigh and he walked off the train, his wife trundling along behind like a tanned suitcase. I have no idea why our lovely service wasn't good enough, or if they ever made it to Gatwick Airport ... One of life's little mysteries, I suppose.

Was an FCC 319 not good enough then?

 

[tsr]

While waiting at East Croydon one afternoon on a First Capital Connect 319, a middle-aged chap and his wife boarded. The conversation went thus:

"Excuse me, does this train go to Brighton."
"Um, yes, it does."
"Ah. Well, we'd like to go to Gatwick Airport, not Brighton.
"Uh... we call at Gatwick Airport. It's the next stop."
"That's not good enough."

There was a dissatisfied sigh and he walked off the train, his wife trundling along behind like a tanned suitcase. I have no idea why our lovely service wasn't good enough, or if they ever made it to Gatwick Airport ... One of life's little mysteries, I suppose.

How bonkers. Quite how they expect to get there faster (well, unless the 319 got delayed by a 442 which was seeking employment as a cooked item in a bread roll), I don't know.

Unless, as above, they wanted to actually speed up time itself to avoid a rattly-doored, stuffy, graffitied tin.

 

[nottinghamcity]

I know my way around BHM but on one occasion managed to get a Birmingham international stopper, when trying to get to Walsall. Both 323s admittedly, but I must have gazed out of the window at the departure screen! In reality the greatest risk is large stations, and boarding when the train is about to leave.