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About LinkBacksit's fine. Our transport is rubbish, we all know it. They're now trying to slash funding to the NHS just like they did with trains in the 80s. Write to your MPs folks before they ruin that too.
it's fine. Our transport is rubbish, we all know it. They're now trying to slash funding to the NHS just like they did with trains in the 80s. Write to your MPs folks before they ruin that too.
Southern Rail announced £100m profit today. £100 million. Their services are overcrowded, they're always cancelling trains due to lack of staff. And they're getting £20m off the government to help them out. Why? Seems like their sole mission is to reduce costs to the bone so they can continue to pile up the profits. Meanwhile, the passengers suffer. Couldn't they plough some of that profit back into services, actually pay people what they're worth and get trains running when they're supposed to? Maybe even put a few more on, so that people aren't treated worse than cattle?
/Rant
With you buddy. I endure their misery on a daily basis.Originally Posted by Smudger
I'm not on Southern, thankfully, but I am on Thameslink, which is gradually becoming just as bad. Which isn't surprising as they're both run by Govia...
yeah, it seems that to travel with GoVia is to go via delays, inconvenience, reduced service, cancellations, overcrowded services and finally reach your destination late, harassed and miserable (if you can get there at all).
Last edited by ik9000; 02-09-2016 at 12:20 PM.
Smudger (02-09-2016)
Will I be incorrect if I say that the primary aim of the Rail franchises is to make money and when things go belly-up, they hand the keys back to the Govt. and walk away without any penalization.
Yes, you would.
The primary aim(s), at least of that franchise, is to operate the service for a fixed period (7 years), meet performance criteria, and critically, keep costs under control.
They are paid a flat fee for doing so (something like £9 billion) over that seven years and ALL revenue goes to the government. So, if they "make money", the extra revenue ALL goes back to the government. If they make less revenue, the government loses out.
Naturally, it's a lot more complex than that when you start to look at investments required, etc, but essentially, a 7-seven schedule of costs has been agreed and the TOC takes the risk over not meeting it, whereas the benefit, or loss of revenue goes to or is borne by the government, I.e. taxpayers.
Note: I am NOT an advocate for them, don't use the service and am certainly not going to argue their case to angry commuters. I'm just pointing out the nature of the franchise deal as it relates to "making money".
Disappointed in how long it took people to pull up Oilsheikh on his obnoxiousness and selfishness.
This thread is a case study in why people talk about londoners as being so unfriendly.
I've lived 27 of my 32 years in London, having commuted for a decent amount of that, and I'm a highly impatient person, but this is all ridiculous. Yes, there are social rules to observe (stand on the right, don't eat smelly food, let people off the tube first etc) that some people aren't aware of and don't care about, and that's selfish, alongside a host of other ways in which to be annoying, but that doesn't mean you respond by losing your own niceties. Continuing to say 'excuse me' requires very, very little effort. Not pushing people out of the way requires very, very little effort.
I don't really have much experience of other commutes - got on the magic bus up oxford road in manchester every morning while I was studying there - but there is no excusing such bad behaviour on the basis of 'london commuting is awful'. Deal with it. Everyone else is.
Forgive me for not being a sheep and just 'dealing with it'.
Hexites, remember the King of the Train type of commuters I mentioned a few days ago ? .. well... had one next to me this morning and I was literally sitting askew. Told him to move his leg and he obliged without uttering a word. As he was getting off, he deliberately rammed me with his thigh before running off.
don't worry mate, if that is what gives him kicks imagine how crap his life must be.
Observing basic civility and realising that life is not a competition does not make you a sheep.
Well, you know that Hexus has that thing about being civil towards one another (all for the best)And as far as I remember (not going to read the entire thread again), people did not approve of his behaviour on this thread, but opted to stay on topic and share their own experience. And I doubt he can be swayed anyway regardless of what we say. I am basing this not just on this thread, but if you've read some of his other posts over the years, you'll notice a trend. To be honest, it really rubs me the wrong way but feel it's not worth wasting my time over, so I just ignore it.
That said, I think that people in big cities are generally seen as unfriendly by people outside the city. Can you think of an example where it isn't? I know it's the case in Japan too, where people from Tokyo are seen as cold. And while I have definitely seen some of the manners Japanese are well known for being left on the platform a few of time (tip: get out of the way if you see an old lady trying to get off the train - or she may just shove you out of the way without warning - and you'd be surprised how much force they have), as a whole, they still considerably well behaved. In fact, I think that everyone just follow an universally accepted rule. For instance, while I have virtually never heard anyone utter the words "excuse me" when trying to navigate their way out of the train (e.g. case of the old lady), I actually think it might be because they do not want to speak loudly and annoy other passengers, or they have other signs/methods (not referring to the shoving mentioned earlier) to more subtlety inform other people to make way (and not making note of it will result in being pushed out of the way - I am not sure). The reason I am thinking that is because is because people do really control their volume inside the carriage. If people aren't sleeping, then there is a fair chance that they are on their phones playing games, but it will always be in silent mode. Or if they are chatting, and notice other people get nearer, they will usually lower their volume. There are no signs saying that food is not allowed in the carriage, yet they all seem to abide by it. There is mutual respect, which helps with things running smoothly, but it's not quite the same thing as "friendliness".
Last edited by TooNice; 06-09-2016 at 11:31 PM.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/s...20160413107973
As a fellow commuter in London, oilsheikh is not being civil to me in the first place both by virtue of his actions and his words, so I'm not sure why I should be civil back just because Hexus has some quaint ideas.
My opening post was meant to be light-hearted. Why are you taking it so seriously???
Indeed, and some the subsequent posts took the Micky of your OP.
Since when has civility become 'quaint'? If that is the attitude of London commuters, I'm not surprised it is an unpleasant experience. Personally, I find a 'Please' and 'Thank you' go a long way in making the journey less unpleasant.
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