Great Western Coffee Shop

Tonight I dozed off and missed my stop at Shirehampton. No great palaver as I was able to stay on the same train out to Severn Beach and return to Shirehampton.

Got me to thinking, what's the worst over-distance forum members have experienced? Either through falling asleep or just having a brain fade and missing their stop.

My worst is being woken by an ISS cleaner on an XC Voyager at Birmingham New Street. I'd dozed off after departure from Taunton and I was supposed to alight at Bristol Temple Meads. Being woken up at 2300ish at New Street was a bit of a shock. No trains back to Bristol at that time of night, so I had to go off and find a cheap hotel! Next morning I was grateful that the staff at New Street endorsed my ticket to allow me to get home.

Does it count that my phone once made a journey to Falmouth when I left the train in Bath...? Return journey made by Her Majesty's Royal Mail in that instance.

Not just passengers today:

Carmarthen supposed to be getting of at Newport.  Had a stinking cold and went out for the count at Reading

Birmingham New Street... Had a panic attack and got myself into a bit of a flap just as we were pulling into Wolverhampton (Where I intended to get off) and ended up staying on the train to Birmingham New Street.

No drama really, as the train I intended to Catch at Wolverhampton started at BHM anyway ;)

Once had a guy join an early morning service at Redruth, he had slept the night there. He was heading for Swansea the previous night from London got on the wrong train and fell asleep..... ;D

Shows how robust the ticket checks were then

Might have expected someone to have a dig, to be fair, if he fell asleep (drunk as he had said) theres only so many times you can give them a friendly dig in the ribs!

A  niece of mine who was studying at Oxford Brookes wanted to visit her boyfriend who was studyimg at Harper Adams college near Newport, Shropshire. She went to Oxford rail station and asked for a ticket to Newport. She was very surprised to find that when she arrived at Newport Gwent, no one could direct her to Harper Adam College.

There was once a customer who we had to wake up on the 2145 Pad-Exd arrival at 0100.  He was totally confused and expected to be in London.  It turned out he had boarded the 1930 BRI-PAD train, fell asleep, wasn't woken by any cleaning staff at Paddington which then formed the 2145 and made it all the way to Exeter.   ;D*


*I wasn't working either train, so not responsible for no ticket check.

Not So long back on a Saturday Evening Young Mum with baby in Buggy & another Child arrived at Penzance, asking which Platform to chatch the Cardiff Train, had Travelled from Plymouth.

Had to Stay in Penzance as couldn't get bact that Night.

Passenger had been confused as Paperwork said Catch Penzance Train TO Plymouth, but was looking at OUTWARD journey planner.

But there again IF Ticket check had been made!

Missed stops could be reduced if a significant minority of passengers could somehow be surgically removed from their music headphones.  They might then actually hear the station stop announcements which on train staff go to so much trouble to make.

Headphones. Also the bane of TMs/conductors/guards when they want to do a full ticket check.

Last week on a morning trip to Swindon the TM came into my carriage announcing "Tickets please." Bloke opposite me was asleep with his iPod headphones on. (Dunno how he was managing to be asleep - I could quite clearly hear that he was listening to Green Day - ♫Don't wanna be an American idiot♫......)

TM gave him a nudge. Nothing. A more forceful nudge. Nothing. Finally she pulled a headphone from his ear and said loudly, "May I see your ticket please, Sir?"

Matey woke up and said, "Was that really necessary? I've just finished a night shift."

TM replied, "Sorry Sir, I was just checking you hadn't died. May I see your ticket?"

 ;D

I thought SOP was to wallop the table with a T-key until the offending party woke up!

In bygone days, I used to blow my whistle in the ear of 'sleepers.' 

Off topic, but I find a good long "paaarrrppp" with my Acme Thunderer (http://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/xcart/product.php?productid=61) (courtesy of a Harrod's Christmas cracker some years ago) down the phone is a good way to tell those making unsolicited sales telephone calls that you are not interested!

Better Still just register your Phone's with the Telephone Preference Service.

www.callpreventionregistry.co.uk

or call 08006527780

Give it 6 weeks, Unsolicited calls almost vanish, works for Mobile numbers to!

I used to get roughly every week a call from Kitchens Direct trying to sell me a new kitchen design. All I am saying is that I made Keith at Kitchens Direct feel very uncomfortable when I told him I was a DCI investigating the murder of myself and that he had called the murder scene!

Kitchens Direct have not phoned me since! ;D ;D ;D ;D

I have registered everywhere possible, but still get the odd cold caller asking for my late wife, deceased Aug 2000.

I often get the usual scripted cr#p that says they are aware of TPS, but my wife must have filled in a form.  When I mention that it is over 11 years since my wife could possibly have done so they start to go a bit quiet, as they find their script doesn't deal with this...   ::) 

Cold calling is almost impossible to fully solve IMHO.

Paul

Get a Truecall device and you can get rid of cold calling completely - but what has this to do with missing your stop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7OgWcwgB50

Fruity language alert.