How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Jan 4th 2011, 10:56 am
#16
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Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I think the service you received at Ipswich was the exception rather than the rule, you had great service and then of course we expect it to continue from other staff in the same industry, unfortunatly that doesn't always happen, a bit like JJ getting rubbish service from one bank and great service from the next.....
I'm not sure which railway companies you used, but I did find it all a bit confusing I have to say. The previous times I had travelled on trains was a LONG time ago in the days of British Rail, where it all seemed to be as one.....now you have all these little companies doing their own thing. So for instance travelling from Windermere it would be on First Transpennine, then change at Oxenholme and then it would be on to a Virgin Pendolino, both different companies with their own sets of rules and fares and of course service levels. I think it used to cost me about £36 return to Runcorn and I could never get it any cheaper, booking it online, paying last minute whatever. Yet my sister can get a Virgin Pendolino return all the way from Runcorn to London (!!) for 20 quid if she books in advance online!!!
And Rosie I am not 100% sure here, but I don't think Frome station is manned full time, the few times I departed to Bath or wherever on a Saturday it seemed deserted and I had to buy a ticket from the train conductor so don't show up with all those bags LOL!!
I'm not sure which railway companies you used, but I did find it all a bit confusing I have to say. The previous times I had travelled on trains was a LONG time ago in the days of British Rail, where it all seemed to be as one.....now you have all these little companies doing their own thing. So for instance travelling from Windermere it would be on First Transpennine, then change at Oxenholme and then it would be on to a Virgin Pendolino, both different companies with their own sets of rules and fares and of course service levels. I think it used to cost me about £36 return to Runcorn and I could never get it any cheaper, booking it online, paying last minute whatever. Yet my sister can get a Virgin Pendolino return all the way from Runcorn to London (!!) for 20 quid if she books in advance online!!!
And Rosie I am not 100% sure here, but I don't think Frome station is manned full time, the few times I departed to Bath or wherever on a Saturday it seemed deserted and I had to buy a ticket from the train conductor so don't show up with all those bags LOL!!
Jan 4th 2011, 9:23 pm
#17
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Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
After living in the US and Australia too I'd say "welcome to the world" unfortunately. Although since I've been back I've noticed how terrible people's work-to-rule motto is.
I had someone to install Sky tv and we had to move my tv bracket a tiny bit, as I'd just arrived I had no tools and the bloke told me "I don't have a screwdriver, I don't bring my toolbox"! After all if he had he may have been forced to help me out a tiny bit!
Washing machine installers, landlord and his odd-job man have all demonstrated that everyone tries really hard to do as little as possible - or nothing if they can get away with it. It's slightly better in the US but only because they expect you to dig into your pocket and give them a big fat tip!
I had someone to install Sky tv and we had to move my tv bracket a tiny bit, as I'd just arrived I had no tools and the bloke told me "I don't have a screwdriver, I don't bring my toolbox"! After all if he had he may have been forced to help me out a tiny bit!
Washing machine installers, landlord and his odd-job man have all demonstrated that everyone tries really hard to do as little as possible - or nothing if they can get away with it. It's slightly better in the US but only because they expect you to dig into your pocket and give them a big fat tip!
Jan 4th 2011, 9:45 pm
#18
Home Sweet Home
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Surrey, England
Posts: 5,128
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Frome station is manned half days only - office closes at 12 noon. When I first visited the area, I changed at Westbury - no bags, just my overnight things! And whilst I was waiting for the connecting train, I got talking to a man who happened to live in Frome, he also happened to be a theatre director, and was returning from an Australian trip. Long story short, when we got to Frome, he phoned for a taxi from the yellow 'taxi' phone at the statin, and offered me a ride into town on his dime. He warned me about the station being an unmanned one, and wea talked about the fact that the train line is so quaint because you can ask the conductor to stop at specific train halts, and if you are at one of those halts, you can flag down the train as it approaches! I had not heard of that outside of movies about the 1940s or thereabouts, so I am still fascinated with the idea. Maybe in the spring or summer I will take a train ride to see for myself. Yes, the fact that the train lines are separately owned, and the lines are also separately owned, makes it difficult to know who to complain to or who to thank when things go wrong/right. I am sorry that you think I had an unusual experience at Ipswich - that, to me, should be the norm. There I go, showing my naivete again I guess...
Last edited by Beedubya; Jan 4th 2011 at 9:53 pm.
Jan 4th 2011, 10:06 pm
#19
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
After living in the US and Australia too I'd say "welcome to the world" unfortunately. Although since I've been back I've noticed how terrible people's work-to-rule motto is.
I had someone to install Sky tv and we had to move my tv bracket a tiny bit, as I'd just arrived I had no tools and the bloke told me "I don't have a screwdriver, I don't bring my toolbox"! After all if he had he may have been forced to help me out a tiny bit!
Washing machine installers, landlord and his odd-job man have all demonstrated that everyone tries really hard to do as little as possible - or nothing if they can get away with it. It's slightly better in the US but only because they expect you to dig into your pocket and give them a big fat tip!
I had someone to install Sky tv and we had to move my tv bracket a tiny bit, as I'd just arrived I had no tools and the bloke told me "I don't have a screwdriver, I don't bring my toolbox"! After all if he had he may have been forced to help me out a tiny bit!
Washing machine installers, landlord and his odd-job man have all demonstrated that everyone tries really hard to do as little as possible - or nothing if they can get away with it. It's slightly better in the US but only because they expect you to dig into your pocket and give them a big fat tip!
My personal experiences with tradesmen (not many tradeswomen around here - maybe that's the problem!) is that they don't return your calls, don't clean up after themselves (how difficult is it to sweep up and throw out stuff, rather than sweep it under the floorboards?), don't turn up on time (or don't turn up at all!), don't follow up on promised tasks - I'm amazed some of them are even in work.
If I had a grown child looking to earn a living, I'd tell them to learn a trade and be reliable and they will never be out of work. Reliable, honest tradespeople are like gold dust!
Jan 4th 2011, 10:22 pm
#20
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Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I hired a "local" handyman to do a few jobs at my house. His ad said "lowest proces guaranteed", but when he arrived he had left an important tool at home so he went back to get it. He was gone for an hour - an hour that he subsequently added to the bill!
My personal experiences with tradesmen (not many tradeswomen around here - maybe that's the problem!) is that they don't return your calls, don't clean up after themselves (how difficult is it to sweep up and throw out stuff, rather than sweep it under the floorboards?), don't turn up on time (or don't turn up at all!), don't follow up on promised tasks - I'm amazed some of them are even in work.
If I had a grown child looking to earn a living, I'd tell them to learn a trade and be reliable and they will never be out of work. Reliable, honest tradespeople are like gold dust!
My personal experiences with tradesmen (not many tradeswomen around here - maybe that's the problem!) is that they don't return your calls, don't clean up after themselves (how difficult is it to sweep up and throw out stuff, rather than sweep it under the floorboards?), don't turn up on time (or don't turn up at all!), don't follow up on promised tasks - I'm amazed some of them are even in work.
If I had a grown child looking to earn a living, I'd tell them to learn a trade and be reliable and they will never be out of work. Reliable, honest tradespeople are like gold dust!
Jan 4th 2011, 10:41 pm
#21
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 148
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Islandwoman sorry to hear about all your trials and tribulations with the great BR system, keep smiling I know you are
My approach is to say that even with all these issues we encounter day to day they are still not enough to want to make me rush back to the US where the same issues exist but the 'whole' is still something less than where I am. After all we do not move for the people we do it for ourselves!
My contribution is this. Has anyone had this experience. Good old Royal Mail. In the last 6 weeks. I have had two items lost never to be seen as yet. Mail from the USA posted at the beginning of December is now beginning to arrive at the beginning of January. All priced correctly for airmail. Don't know really if this was the USPS or RM but most likely one in the same for efficiency. But this occurrence takes the biscuit (so nice to write biscuit not cookie
):
Before Xmas, sat in elderly parents home. We actually heard the postman (not person I know the gender) drop the mail through the box. Car was on drive. In with the letters was one of those pre filled out notes saying that he had tried to deliver a parcel but no one was at home
We called the local Post Office and low and behold the postie at the depot said the parcel was there. After having a good laugh I put on my snow shoes and walked the 1/4 mile to the depot. I passed the original postman on the way. I collected the parcel. I passed the postman on the way back and was no doubt home enjoying my tea before he reached the depot. Oh the parcel was about the size of a normal paperback.
I did ask the post office manager as best I could without laughing to please remind his employee that if he was going to be lazy at least have the efficiency and gumption to do it properly.
Two lessons. Don't pay Amazon or anyone else extra for delivery with the RM, it matters not. And remember the average work ethic in the UK remains pre 1979!
But I still would not choose to live anywhere else
My approach is to say that even with all these issues we encounter day to day they are still not enough to want to make me rush back to the US where the same issues exist but the 'whole' is still something less than where I am. After all we do not move for the people we do it for ourselves!My contribution is this. Has anyone had this experience. Good old Royal Mail. In the last 6 weeks. I have had two items lost never to be seen as yet. Mail from the USA posted at the beginning of December is now beginning to arrive at the beginning of January. All priced correctly for airmail. Don't know really if this was the USPS or RM but most likely one in the same for efficiency. But this occurrence takes the biscuit (so nice to write biscuit not cookie
):Before Xmas, sat in elderly parents home. We actually heard the postman (not person I know the gender) drop the mail through the box. Car was on drive. In with the letters was one of those pre filled out notes saying that he had tried to deliver a parcel but no one was at home
We called the local Post Office and low and behold the postie at the depot said the parcel was there. After having a good laugh I put on my snow shoes and walked the 1/4 mile to the depot. I passed the original postman on the way. I collected the parcel. I passed the postman on the way back and was no doubt home enjoying my tea before he reached the depot. Oh the parcel was about the size of a normal paperback.I did ask the post office manager as best I could without laughing to please remind his employee that if he was going to be lazy at least have the efficiency and gumption to do it properly.
Two lessons. Don't pay Amazon or anyone else extra for delivery with the RM, it matters not. And remember the average work ethic in the UK remains pre 1979!
But I still would not choose to live anywhere else
Last edited by confusedenglishrose; Jan 4th 2011 at 10:44 pm.
Jan 4th 2011, 10:44 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 216
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I hired a "local" handyman to do a few jobs at my house. His ad said "lowest proces guaranteed", but when he arrived he had left an important tool at home so he went back to get it. He was gone for an hour - an hour that he subsequently added to the bill!
My personal experiences with tradesmen (not many tradeswomen around here - maybe that's the problem!) is that they don't return your calls, don't clean up after themselves (how difficult is it to sweep up and throw out stuff, rather than sweep it under the floorboards?), don't turn up on time (or don't turn up at all!), don't follow up on promised tasks - I'm amazed some of them are even in work.
If I had a grown child looking to earn a living, I'd tell them to learn a trade and be reliable and they will never be out of work. Reliable, honest tradespeople are like gold dust!
My personal experiences with tradesmen (not many tradeswomen around here - maybe that's the problem!) is that they don't return your calls, don't clean up after themselves (how difficult is it to sweep up and throw out stuff, rather than sweep it under the floorboards?), don't turn up on time (or don't turn up at all!), don't follow up on promised tasks - I'm amazed some of them are even in work.
If I had a grown child looking to earn a living, I'd tell them to learn a trade and be reliable and they will never be out of work. Reliable, honest tradespeople are like gold dust!
Jan 5th 2011, 12:24 am
#23
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,139
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Islandwoman sorry to hear about all your trials and tribulations with the great BR system, keep smiling I know you are My approach is to say that even with all these issues we encounter day to day they are still not enough to want to make me rush back to the US where the same issues exist but the 'whole' is still something less than where I am. After all we do not move for the people we do it for ourselves!
My contribution is this. Has anyone had this experience. Good old Royal Mail. In the last 6 weeks. I have had two items lost never to be seen as yet. Mail from the USA posted at the beginning of December is now beginning to arrive at the beginning of January. All priced correctly for airmail. Don't know really if this was the USPS or RM but most likely one in the same for efficiency. But this occurrence takes the biscuit (so nice to write biscuit not cookie):
Before Xmas, sat in elderly parents home. We actually heard the postman (not person I know the gender) drop the mail through the box. Car was on drive. In with the letters was one of those pre filled out notes saying that he had tried to deliver a parcel but no one was at home We called the local Post Office and low and behold the postie at the depot said the parcel was there. After having a good laugh I put on my snow shoes and walked the 1/4 mile to the depot. I passed the original postman on the way. I collected the parcel. I passed the postman on the way back and was no doubt home enjoying my tea before he reached the depot. Oh the parcel was about the size of a normal paperback.
I did ask the post office manager as best I could without laughing to please remind his employee that if he was going to be lazy at least have the efficiency and gumption to do it properly.
Two lessons. Don't pay Amazon or anyone else extra for delivery with the RM, it matters not. And remember the average work ethic in the UK remains pre 1979!
But I still would not choose to live anywhere else
My approach is to say that even with all these issues we encounter day to day they are still not enough to want to make me rush back to the US where the same issues exist but the 'whole' is still something less than where I am. After all we do not move for the people we do it for ourselves!My contribution is this. Has anyone had this experience. Good old Royal Mail. In the last 6 weeks. I have had two items lost never to be seen as yet. Mail from the USA posted at the beginning of December is now beginning to arrive at the beginning of January. All priced correctly for airmail. Don't know really if this was the USPS or RM but most likely one in the same for efficiency. But this occurrence takes the biscuit (so nice to write biscuit not cookie
):Before Xmas, sat in elderly parents home. We actually heard the postman (not person I know the gender) drop the mail through the box. Car was on drive. In with the letters was one of those pre filled out notes saying that he had tried to deliver a parcel but no one was at home
We called the local Post Office and low and behold the postie at the depot said the parcel was there. After having a good laugh I put on my snow shoes and walked the 1/4 mile to the depot. I passed the original postman on the way. I collected the parcel. I passed the postman on the way back and was no doubt home enjoying my tea before he reached the depot. Oh the parcel was about the size of a normal paperback.I did ask the post office manager as best I could without laughing to please remind his employee that if he was going to be lazy at least have the efficiency and gumption to do it properly.
Two lessons. Don't pay Amazon or anyone else extra for delivery with the RM, it matters not. And remember the average work ethic in the UK remains pre 1979!
But I still would not choose to live anywhere else
Jan 5th 2011, 12:59 am
#24
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 148
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I am not posting these 'interesting' occurrences in order to tell anyone else not to come here! I regard this forum as my diary, and note these events for information and/or amusement. I am enjoying the journey as it is, and find some of the people quite folksy (OK, so I am in Somerset, could not resist that phrase - there are some very odd looking people here, especially today as it is Market Day in Frome) and I am not being critical, just making a note of the facts. I have discovered that, if I use my American eye and comment on something, others can take it as a negative, when it is not meant that way, My London friends thought I was being negative when I was not, so I am guessing it is the different way of looking at the same thing. Maybe I should start a blog and put all these thoughts into that. I love the trains, and the idiot a Paddington will not prevent me from using the service, but as I said before, I do not like London crowds and chaos, so I will head down to old haunts in Devon next time I get the urge to travel. By the way, the primroses are blooming in the plant boxes around Frome... they must be really hardy. Just thought I would change the tone of this thread to a more positive one.
Jan 5th 2011, 1:24 am
#25
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 948
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I dont understand this thread. You take a silly amont of luggage with you that you cannot carry and then you are suprised when you have difficulty?
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
Jan 5th 2011, 1:26 am
#26
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,139
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I dont understand this thread. You take a silly amont of luggage with you that you cannot carry and then you are suprised when you have difficulty?
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
Jan 5th 2011, 2:12 am
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 216
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I dont understand this thread. You take a silly amont of luggage with you that you cannot carry and then you are suprised when you have difficulty?
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
Jan 5th 2011, 2:34 am
#28
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,995
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
I dont understand this thread. You take a silly amont of luggage with you that you cannot carry and then you are suprised when you have difficulty?
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
If you cannot carry it then you should pay to have it sent by courier to your destination. It seems you wanted to avoid this expense so instead decided to create a situation.
I have travelled by train many times all over the world and would never take more than I could carry and just assume that other people would carry my things for me.
Jan 5th 2011, 2:59 am
#29
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Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
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Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Jan 5th 2011, 3:18 am
#30
Just hanging around
Joined: May 2008
Location: Back in England
Posts: 1,447
Re: How not to behave in a London Railway Station (long)
Ended up with a thriving business without planning it just by doing a decent job without ripping people off.
BTW, I think the trouble with railway stations and many airports is that with wheeled suitcases most people fend for themselves. If there are people there to help they mostly have no work.
I got off a train in Toronto with a big wheelie case and was okay, but a guy was there with a trolley offering help. I thought, why should I struggle with this hefty case when a few dollars will make this guy happy. It was great and he knew where my friend was likely to be parked, found her, loaded the case into the car. A good $5 in my mind!
Bev
