Vandalism and...

[whole diary]

[tramway]

Would anyone know if 158749 has been declared OOA.

It was running the 19.22 off BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) to Pompey with both toilets effectively broken, the one with the manual door looked to have been forced open, with the lock cover plate in the toilet basin, and the other whose controls appeared to have failed.

Not refurbished 5 mins and some idiots have now wrecked it. 

[Graz]

In my view, anyone who gets caught vandalising a train should be banned for life from the entire rail network and slapped with an ASBO to enforce it. Not sure how easy that would be, but I feel it would be the only way to stop this...

On a similar note I was at Westbury at 19:15- the Portsmouth train there was halted because a fairly large group of youths were (I assume) causing trouble. The conductor looked angry and two other staff with the dispatch guard were talking pretty hurriedly. Most of them were off the train but two were refusing to leave - despite the ones on the platform shouting at them to leave 'they're gonna call the police!', they wouldn't. I caught the delayed 18:38 Cheltenham Spa train soon after so I didn't see what happened next.

[Jim]

In my view, anyone who gets caught vandalising a train should be banned for life from the entire rail network and slapped with an ASBO to enforce it. Not sure how easy that would be, but I feel it would be the only way to stop this...

On a similar note I was at Westbury at 19:15- the Portsmouth train there was halted because a fairly large group of youths were (I assume) causing trouble. The conductor looked angry and two other staff with the dispatch guard were talking pretty hurriedly. Most of them were off the train but two were refusing to leave - despite the ones on the platform shouting at them to leave 'they're gonna call the police!', they wouldn't. I caught the delayed 18:38 Cheltenham Spa train soon after so I didn't see what happened next.

Train was there till 19.30. Only 1 was left on, but she was making a right backside of herself! The 'mob' were running across the tracks at Trowbridge, and shouting abuse at nearly anyone they could, so I was told. There was quite a few staff dealing with the situation, however the delay was down in the end to 1 person.

I wouldn't of said he looked angry, he was just fed up of the mob causing problems. He asked them to get off at Westbury, if they just followed those simple instructions (well, instruction) then there would of been no problem.......

[Tim]

there does seem to be a hot spot for trouble in the Westbury / Trowbridge area.  i don't think either of those towns are especially bad places for crime and yobbery in general (no worse tha Swindon, Bristol or parts of Bath).  Perhaps the problems in Westbury/Trowbridge mainly happen becasue the crims have got used to getting away with it for so long.  Doesn't this suggest that the problem could be tackled if soem time maoney and effort were put into it by FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)?

[Jim]

there does seem to be a hot spot for trouble in the Westbury / Trowbridge area.  i don't think either of those towns are especially bad places for crime and yobbery in general (no worse tha Swindon, Bristol or parts of Bath).  Perhaps the problems in Westbury/Trowbridge mainly happen becasue the crims have got used to getting away with it for so long.  Doesn't this suggest that the problem could be tackled if soem time maoney and effort were put into it by FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)?

Problem is, calling the BTP is as usefull as ringing up a 90 year old! They turn up about 45mins after - not after the call, after the yobs av gone!

[swlines]

... off topic but here goes:

If you just threw yourself under a train, push 1. If you are wanting to report a crime on the railway, please push 927591267 in that order.

Please hold. Your call is important to us.