Nailsea & Backwell Station

[whole diary]

[Graz]

I often think what a sad world we live in...so many desperate people around. I hope they get caught.

The card-only idea may work, but then it would be difficult to enforce penalty fares on stations that don't have ticket offices.

I hope the would-be thieves were wearing gloves - not for fingerprint purposes, but have you seen the state of the touch screens on most of these machines ?  Yuk !!

Lol, that's true! Speaking of fingerprints, there are plenty of them on most of the screens...

[Timmer]

I hope the would-be thieves were wearing gloves - not for fingerprint purposes, but have you seen the state of the touch screens on most of these machines ?  Yuk !!

yes its gross isn't it. Makes you want to bring a can of pledge with you and give the screen a good polish before using it.

[Mojo]

I hope the would-be thieves were wearing gloves - not for fingerprint purposes, but have you seen the state of the touch screens on most of these machines ?  Yuk !!

yes its gross isn't it. Makes you want to bring a can of pledge with you and give the screen a good polish before using it.

Good plan, but wouldn't that stop them from working like it does when it's raining?

[Timmer]

Good plan, but wouldn't that stop them from working like it does when it's raining?

Good point Mojo.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

the one at whimple has only been in about a month and you cant see the screen when its sunny and parts of the screen you really have to poke to get them to work

[Chris from Nailsea]

Alright, then: a business case to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), on the basis that each of these ticket machines apparently costs over ^20,000:

1. Do not place them anywhere out in the open, where they can be ram-raided;

2. Do not place them anywhere they are not covered by CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision);

3. Do not place them on an exposed platform, where they get soggy every time it rains;

4. Do not instal them on a south facing platform, where direct sunlight makes it nearly impossible to read the screen;

5. Do not allow them to accept cash.

Problem solved 

[gaf71]

Or do not install them, and allow passengers to buy tickets on train, as was previously the case!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

dont guards have other things to do? and im not a guard im just being honest they seem rushed off there feet alot of the time

[gaf71]

dont guards have other things to do? and im not a guard im just being honest they seem rushed off there feet alot of the time

I am a guard, and yes we have other things to do. But you watch managment jump on our backs if we dont 'do tickets'. Our first priority is always safe running of the trains, but I will say there were no ticket machines on a lot of these stations two and a half years ago, and I generally managed to sell tickets on 95% of the trains I worked.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

maybee some kind of charge card for regular travelers.... tell the guard where your going and he swipes the card and you get invoiced pay as you go.... it would only work on journeys without changes but this could also be done on stations at ticket machines

[smokey]

I hope the would-be thieves were wearing gloves - not for fingerprint purposes, but have you seen the state of the touch screens on most of these machines ?  Yuk !!

yes its gross isn't it. Makes you want to bring a can of pledge with you and give the screen a good polish before using it.

Good plan, but wouldn't that stop them from working like it does when it's raining?

Well FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did buy the cheap TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine), there is a Rain Proof touch screen option, but it cost a few bob more! 

[tramway]

Don't worry they will be obsolete quite soon as ^they^ have plans.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=452524&in_page_id=7

Commonly know as an ID card.

[smokey]

This is FGW^▸ (First Great Western) maths,

The TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) Waterproof touch screens cost about ^600 extra, are also more vandal resistant but off course that's ^600 that can be spent ELSEWHERE, so the BEAN COUNTERS get their way and the cheaper TVM touch screens are used.

Now to prevent rain getting onthe TVM touch screens some TVM's have had a small shelter built over them, at a cost of about ^1400 with install costs off about  ^800.

So there you have it:

spend ^2200 pounds to save ^600.

No wonder train fares aren't FAIR.

FGW just don't do their homework.

[Tim]

This is FGW^▸ (First Great Western) maths,

The TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) Waterproof touch screens cost about ^600 extra, are also more vandal resistant but off course that's ^600 that can be spent ELSEWHERE, so the BEAN COUNTERS get their way and the cheaper TVM touch screens are used.

Now to prevent rain getting onthe TVM touch screens some TVM's have had a small shelter built over them, at a cost of about ^1400 with install costs off about  ^800.

So there you have it:

spend ^2200 pounds to save ^600.

No wonder train fares aren't FAIR.

FGW just don't do their homework.

I suspect even a waterproof screen wouldn't be much cop against an axe (although it would be waterproof which would be nice)

[Chris from Nailsea]

A couple of points from me:

Yes, while the 'waterproof' version of the ticket machine may have been more suitable at Nailsea & Backwell, I'm not sure it would have been able to withstand a severe battering by an axe (or possibly pickaxe, judging by the punctures evident in the casing!) last weekend. 

And I have found that the various train crews on my journeys this week have been quite happy to sell me my return ticket on board - just as they always have been.  Thanks, FGW^▸ (First Great Western)!