dear santa

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

I had specifically obtained a similar hi-viz vest for bignosemac to wear on that day, but he politely declined it ... 

[EBrown]

Dear Santa,

I wish people would stop mistaking me for South Eastern HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) train managers. (I don't own a single pinstripe suit and I also don't own a thin blue/white strip shirt).
I also wish for the DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) to work every weekend I'm in London.
I too wish more ticket checks are done.

[thetrout]

Dear Santa,

Catering on the Weymouth Trains Please

And return of the Loco Hauled Sets, this time with an RFB

Ta

[BerkshireBugsy]

Dear Santa
Could also arrange for trains to be running between Thatcham and reading and reading and reigate between Christmas and the new year so I can go to work on the Wednesday and Friday?


I will try and be reasonably awake so I don't get confused by the platform number changes!

[Brucey]

A few years back I was given a dark green jacket/overcoat type thing by a member of the family.  I was always being stopped on platforms and being asked when the next train to so and so was.  I therefore gave up wearing it and eventually it went to Oxfam.   I am fairly confident no one will get me a purple coloured one.....

Last week, I was wearing a light green T-shirt underneath a black coat at Milton Keynes Central.  Same colour as London Midland staff, albeit without the tie.  I can understand why some platform staff get frustrated.  I was asked incredibly stupid things like "is this platform 2?" and "where is this train going?" (when the bloke was starting at a sign that said London Euston).

[Phil]

I can see how it might seem "incredibly stupid" but my son inadvertenly taught me a valuable lesson a few years back on a busy station platform.

A middle aged, fairly well dressed chap comes up to us, standing as we were in clear sight of a huge electronic timetable, and very politely asks for details of trains to xxxxx and which platform they leave from. As I explained the options, my young son blurted out (as children are wont to do!) "Why doesn't he read the timetable, Daddy?" - whereupon the guy smiled sadly and said "I don't read and write too well, son. Let that be a lesson to you to work hard in school"

[inspector_blakey]

Wearing a hi-vis bib/jerkin whilst on a train station is almost guaranteed to see you being asked for train information by random members of the public. Whether you work for the railways or not.

Several years ago I ended up having to go straight from work at one of my holiday jobs to Heathrow to wave off an elderly relative who was emigrating, with no time to change out of uniform (although ties/badges etc removed, obviously). I ended up hanging round terminal 4 departures wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, with predictable results