Weird Things You See People Do on the Railway

[xotGD]

Why do so many people wear their company id round their necks on the train? Is it really a good idea to broadcast your name and place of work to every random stranger? Some workplaces specifically advise staff to remove their id before they leave.

 

[boxy321]

I wish I had a brolly in the Pendolino on Friday. The air-con despatched half a pint of sweaty water on my head when it self de-iced!

 

[duffield]

Why do so many people wear their company id round their necks on the train? Is it really a good idea to broadcast your name and place of work to every random stranger? Some workplaces specifically advise staff to remove their id before they leave.

Quite. I leave my id round my neck but put the card in my shirt pocket when travelling to/from work. You never know who your company may have upset, leading to some random passenger wanting to 'have a word with you'.

 

[yorksrob]

Why do so many people wear their company id round their necks on the train? Is it really a good idea to broadcast your name and place of work to every random stranger? Some workplaces specifically advise staff to remove their id before they leave.

I work for a Local Authority and always remove my i.d when off-duty for fear that someone will start talking about their dustbins !

 

[pdeaves]

I work for a Local Authority and always remove my i.d when off-duty for fear that someone will start talking about their dustbins !

A-ha. Next time I'm in your area and see someone without any ID i'll know it's you!

 

[yorksrob]

A-ha. Next time I'm in your area and see someone without any ID i'll know it's you!

A-ha. Next time I'm in your area and see someone without any ID i'll know it's you!

I've nowt to do with the bins, honest I don't !!!

 

[lincolnshire]

I also think its something hanging round your neck that people will want to make a grab for if they are a bit upset about what happening and want to have a word with you about there problem.
As a apprentice you was always taught never to have anything hanging round your neck be it tie etc that could be caught up ion machinery as you could be dragged into the machine if it caught. As far as I am concerned I.D lanyards round your neck are in same category even if they are supposed to give way when pulled, why put the thought into someones head first to grab hold of it.
I always thought they must be in case someone got lost then they could return the person to where they worked just like a luggage label.

 

[Class 33]

There is a rather nutty women I've seen frequently at Clifton Down station in Bristol over the past several months. A woman aged about 50 odd, who whenever she is at the station waiting for the train she asks people "Scouse me. Can you buy tickets on the train?". Every time people tell her yes(though she may have to find the conductor on the train to do so). But yet every time she's getting the train from that station she asks people the same old thing "Scouse me. Can you buy tickets on the train?"!!!! Not only that but she always travels to Bath, BUT she insists on buying a return to Bristol Temple Meads and then from there buying a return to Bath, because she says she has to get on another train at Temple Meads to Bath, so she needs two separate tickets. Even though people have told her a number of times if she buys a return to Bath Spa from Clifton Down, that ticket will be valid to and from Bath Spa even though she needs to change trains. But no, she refuses to believe it and every time insists on buying two separate return tickets! She is often rude and abrupt to other people on the station and on the train too.

Some of you who use Clifton Down station may perhaps have seen this nutty women too!

Saw that nutty woman again on the train yesterday when I got on at Redland. She sits next to strangers on the train and chats nonsence to them, even though there are usually a reasonable number of sets of two spare seats available. She was sat in a bay of 6 seats yesterday, next to a group of three people. After a few minutes they moved to another bay of 6 seats as they were fed up of her chatting nonsence to them.

Also another woman of similar age to her got on at Redland. And she asked her "Scouse me. Have you brought a ticket?". The other woman said "No. Not yet.". She then said "Can you buy tickets on the train?". And then a few minutes later she asked this woman if she wanted to play Eye Spy. And then they started "Eye spy with my little eye. Something beginning with....."!!!!

She can also be a bit irate and abrupt to conductors on the trains. When she saw the conductor coming down the carriage she stool up and called out to her "Scouse me. I want to buy a ticket.". The conductor then said to her "OK. I'll be with you in just a mo.". Only about a minute or so later she then stood up and called out to her again "Scouse me. Can you come her please. I want to buy a ticket." in a more abrupt tone. The conductor then said "Can you sit down please. I will be there in just a mo.".

What a nutcase she is! I wonder how many years she's been constantly asking people "Can you buy tickets on the train?"!!!

No doubt I will probably see her again this morning asking the same question, as I have to goto Clifton Down to get a new season ticket.

 

[syorksdeano]

Saw that nutty woman again on the train yesterday when I got on at Redland. She sits next to strangers on the train and chats nonsence to them, even though there are usually a reasonable number of sets of two spare seats available. She was sat in a bay of 6 seats yesterday, next to a group of three people. After a few minutes they moved to another bay of 6 seats as they were fed up of her chatting nonsence to them.

Also another woman of similar age to her got on at Redland. And she asked her "Scouse me. Have you brought a ticket?". The other woman said "No. Not yet.". She then said "Can you buy tickets on the train?". And then a few minutes later she asked this woman if she wanted to play Eye Spy. And then they started "Eye spy with my little eye. Something beginning with....."!!!!

She can also be a bit irate and abrupt to conductors on the trains. When she saw the conductor coming down the carriage she stool up and called out to her "Scouse me. I want to buy a ticket.". The conductor then said to her "OK. I'll be with you in just a mo.". Only about a minute or so later she then stood up and called out to her again "Scouse me. Can you come her please. I want to buy a ticket." in a more abrupt tone. The conductor then said "Can you sit down please. I will be there in just a mo.".

What a nutcase she is! I wonder how many years she's been constantly asking people "Can you buy tickets on the train?"!!!

No doubt I will probably see her again this morning asking the same question, as I have to goto Clifton Down to get a new season ticket.

Just tell her the rules have changed and if you don't have a ticket then it's xxx amount of pounds fine.. And record the next bit for us all to see

 

[al78]

I also think its something hanging round your neck that people will want to make a grab for if they are a bit upset about what happening and want to have a word with you about there problem.
As a apprentice you was always taught never to have anything hanging round your neck be it tie etc that could be caught up ion machinery as you could be dragged into the machine if it caught. As far as I am concerned I.D lanyards round your neck are in same category even if they are supposed to give way when pulled, why put the thought into someones head first to grab hold of it.
I always thought they must be in case someone got lost then they could return the person to where they worked just like a luggage label.

I don't wear mine outside work but that is because it might come off or get in the way, not because I want to live in a permanent state of fear over what extermely unlikely bad event might happen to me today. If someone tried to grab my lanyard and was obviously looking to do me harm, they would be calling for an ambulance 10 minutes later if they didn't lay off.

 

[2HAP]

Take a cat with them, which is what I'll be doing next Saturday.

 

[LowLevel]

Take a cat with them, which is what I'll be doing next Saturday.

Prepare for angry meowing for the duration!

 

[2HAP]

Prepare for angry meowing for the duration!

I'm hoping he'll do what cats do best - sleep.

 

[trainophile]

I'm hoping he'll do what cats do best - sleep.

So long as he doesn't poop .

 

[2HAP]

So long as he doesn't poop .

Yes, that's the one I fear most. Wee won't be a major problem as there will be plenty of absorbency in bottom of cat basket. If needs must, I'll have to take advantage of the disabled loo at Waterloo when I change trains.

 

[Paul L]

I don't wear mine outside work but that is because it might come off or get in the way, not because I want to live in a permanent state of fear over what extermely unlikely bad event might happen to me today. If someone tried to grab my lanyard and was obviously looking to do me harm, they would be calling for an ambulance 10 minutes later if they didn't lay off.

Wow, tough guy. If you are lucky they won't be carrying a knife!
The reason for good social behaviour originates from the fact that it is impossible to know the mental state of a fellow passenger. Take care people..

 

[Clayton]

I don't wear mine outside work but that is because it might come off or get in the way, not because I want to live in a permanent state of fear over what extermely unlikely bad event might happen to me today. If someone tried to grab my lanyard and was obviously looking to do me harm, they would be calling for an ambulance 10 minutes later if they didn't lay off.

Unless he was tougher or more aggressive than you, of course. Quite likely, since you are posting on a nerdy rail forum!

 

[trainophile]

Unless he was tougher or more aggressive than you, of course. Quite likely, since you are posting on a nerdy rail forum!

For a newbie that's quite offensive .

 

[LowLevel]

Unless he was tougher or more aggressive than you, of course. Quite likely, since you are posting on a nerdy rail forum!

Don't take it on first appearances. We've had some proper lunatics over the years

 

[Clayton]

For a newbie that's quite offensive .

I’m here as well so am no better!

 

[frediculous]

Taking your furniture on a rush-hour Networker.....[link]

 

[Ianno87]

Quite. I leave my id round my neck but put the card in my shirt pocket when travelling to/from work. You never know who your company may have upset, leading to some random passenger wanting to 'have a word with you'.

My main reason for removing my lanyard outside work is on the off-chance I act like a berk (or someone thinks I'm acting a berk) somewhere out and about, and suddenly my face and my employers name are suddenly used negatively on social media.

 

[al78]

Wow, tough guy. If you are lucky they won't be carrying a knife!
The reason for good social behaviour originates from the fact that it is impossible to know the mental state of a fellow passenger. Take care people..

No "tough guy" about it. If someone attacks me, I will defend myself as the law entitles me too, end of. Fortunately I haven't been put to the test yet, but what I would actually do in such a situation depends on the situation itself. I am not going to get involved in a fight I have no chance of winning, but I will stand up for myself if I can.

 

[Paul180]

Watch two people at North Camp Station on platform Two buy tickets from the TVM then proceeded to walk of the end of the platform stand in the middle of the level crossing to smoke. Why they did this who knows, It would have been a lot easier and safer to use the exit next to the TVM.

 

[xotGD]

I saw a chap waiting to board a train the other morning with a pack of 5 or 6 dogs.

Presumably there is a limit of dogs per passenger?

 

[maire23]

Why do so many people wear their company id round their necks on the train? Is it really a good idea to broadcast your name and place of work to every random stranger? Some workplaces specifically advise staff to remove their id before they leave.

My work ID doesn’t have the company name on it- I don’t often wear my work ID out of work but I’ve often got my uni ID on which has the name of my uni on it as I’m in uni a lot and forget I’m wearing it when I go off campus. That has actually worked in my favour a few times in shops and things when the assistants have spotted the uni ID round my neck and given me student discount when I didn’t know it was offered in that place. I got 10% off my dinner on Friday when I went to a cafe bar in the local independent cinema and they told me its 10% off for staff and students of my uni but it’s not advertised anywhere!

 

[Ianno87]

I saw a chap waiting to board a train the other morning with a pack of 5 or 6 dogs.

Presumably there is a limit of dogs per passenger?

Seem to recall reading in Conditions of Carriage is that any animals carried basically must not be a nuisance* to other passengers - no limit on number (though 5 dogs would be difficult to not class as a 'nuisance')


*You could technically take your pet alligator, provided it wasn't too big and behaved itself.

 

[Jimini]

I haven't been through the whole thread so apols if this one's already been posted, but I saw this thread this morning and it reminded me of this little nugget:

 

[SignallerJohn]

I don't wear mine outside work but that is because it might come off or get in the way, not because I want to live in a permanent state of fear over what extermely unlikely bad event might happen to me today. If someone tried to grab my lanyard and was obviously looking to do me harm, they would be calling for an ambulance 10 minutes later if they didn't lay off.

Are you going to look to put the damage on him over a period of 10 minutes? Or is it because you’re putting so much work in that he won’t be able to do anything for 10 minutes!?

I hope I don’t ever grab your lanyard!

 

[Fearless]

Taking your furniture on a rush-hour Networker.....[link]

In my days in the booking office, I once had a woman come up to my window and ask if she could take a bath on the train. I said, no, there are toilets but no baths. She said no, could she take THIS (pointing) bath on the train with her. Yep, she had a bathtub there beside her.