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JayMac
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« Reply #15 on: August 19, 2009, 23:37:11 » |
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Tis actually a moot point for me now though. Following 'financial restructuring' I only hold a Solo debit card. In the past I was, however, able to use Maestro in XC▸ shops. I did discover (accidentally, I hasten to add) that after my account linked to my Maestro was closed, I was still able to use the card in a FGW▸ buffet. That got me into a bit of trouble. Surely there is sufficient wireless technology out there to authorise debit card transactions in 'real time' on trains? Guess it all boils down to cost.
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"A clear conscience laughs at a false accusation."
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot."
"Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity."
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JayMac
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« Reply #17 on: August 20, 2009, 00:18:13 » |
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The answer no doubt will be to ban luggage !
I hear Ryanair are looking at bidding for rail franchises !!  |
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« Last Edit: August 20, 2009, 00:24:15 by bignosemac »
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"A clear conscience laughs at a false accusation."
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot."
"Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity."
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moonrakerz
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« Reply #18 on: August 20, 2009, 09:22:57 » |
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To be serious on this point, much so-called "security" is a complete waste of time. It is rather like 'elf & safety - being run by people who do not have a clue. Its main purpose appears to be to convince the public that "something" is being done, whereas what is being done just causes inconvenience to the public and achieves nothing.
Anyone can identify a risk - the clever bit is quantifying it. How many terrorist bombs have been left in unattended luggage ? Did the London bombers leave their bombs unattended then scarper ? To start telling people off for leaving luggage "unattended" in the luggage rack is a masterpiece of crass stupidity. What can you do ? Complain to the train manager, the station manager, write to the TOC▸ , write to the Telegraph (or Gruniad), write to your MP▸ (they do have a use !).
I covered over 400 miles on various trains yesterday, everywhere I looked there were items of "unattended" luggage. In the racks at the end of the coaches, in the overhead racks, on the platform while people struggled to get get other items into the train. Yes, there was a risk that one of these might contain a bomb, there was also a risk that the 1600 from Penzance might crash and kill me (probably a higher risk than that of a suitcase bomb) - but the likelihood of that risk actually occurring was low enough for me to take that chance - I made it to Westbury unscathed, albeit 10 minutes late.
When I was in Valencia after the Madrid bombings I saw massive "security" introduced for passengers on the inter-city trains - x-ray machines, metal detecting gates, physical frisking, etc, etc, - chaos ensued, queues across the concourse into the streets outside.
Did this inconvenience me ? Not in the slightest - I was using the suburban trains (the ones that were bombed) - no security checks whatsoever !!
Someone in RENFE▸ probably got a bonus for introducing these "security" measures.
We have now got to the ludicrous situation where far more disruption is caused by the gross over reaction to the threat of a suitcase bomb that has ever been caused by the actual item itself.
Several years ago my daughter worked at a M-Way service area - an "unattended" item was discovered in the main car park, the site was closed, the RAOC called, massive disruption/inconvenience was caused. A couple of weeks later another item was found - the site manger threw it over the back fence ! Sanity rules..............
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broadgage
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« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2009, 10:13:38 » |
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The answer no doubt will be to ban luggage !
I hear Ryanair are looking at bidding for rail franchises !! What an appalling idea ! Bus companies running main rail routes is bad enough, the thought of a budget airline running trains is awfull. " no luggage allowed, no food, ^5 surcharge for not buying online, ^5 surcharge for buying on line, ^5 to check in., arrive two hours before departure in order to check in" |
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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Mookiemoo
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« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2009, 19:11:17 » |
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Ridiculous. What do FGW▸ expect their passengers to do?
Btw, don't you sit in First - isn't the Steward meant to offer "at seat service"?
try tonight - having had to chase the ch down the train as she was pushing the trolley so fast I missed her - I asked for a saleable item. Could not get it for me as she had no card machine. Did not like it when u asked her did she expect me to go to the buffet. So I did. Only to find that the buffet ch expected me to go to the end of the queue - which was half way throug e. I asked her whether she thought that was reasonable since I was already not getting at seat service - at which point I got told in a snotty tone to take it up with the others in the queue. I admit I was rather agressive in my response to her - is that resally the sort of service first class expects? |
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Ditched former sig - now I need to think of something amusing - brain hurts -I'll steal from the master himself - Einstein:
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #21 on: August 20, 2009, 21:45:10 » |
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Once the woman refused me paying with a ^10 note (I had no ^5s as they are so rare these days) Good news for Btline, then - from the BBC» : More ^5 notes for cash machines
A High Street bank says it is stocking more ^5 notes in cash machines in a pilot scheme to boost their numbers. HSBC said that 100 of its cash machines in the Midlands and south west of England were being stocked with more fivers in a Bank of England trial.
While all UK▸ cash machines must have the capacity to hold all denominations of notes, demand and efficiency means most only give out ^10 and ^20 notes.
Latest figures show that ^1.3bn worth of fivers are in circulation in the UK. This number has been growing steadily in recent years, according to Bank of England figures. However, owing to the regularity of use, a ^5 note only lasts in circulation for a year before being too damaged to use. The lifespan of a ^50 note is usually five years or more.
Speaking to the BBC in February, the Bank of England's chief cashier Andrew Bailey said the questions he was asked more than any others were why there were not enough ^5 notes in circulation and why they were not good enough quality to last very long.
"We are very keen to get ^5 notes into circulation," said Mr Bailey, whose signature is printed on every Bank of England note. Now HSBC has said that it is taking part in a pilot project to increase stocking of ^5 notes in cash machines. HSBC started the scheme in 100 of its 3,000 UK cash machines at the start of July, returning to the stacking of fivers commonly seen 10 years ago. A spokesman said there was a dearth of ^5 notes and adding to the circulation of fivers could allow ^10 and ^20 notes to last longer in circulation.
The move was welcomed by some in service industries, including Chris Haines, a London taxi driver, who said the shortage of fivers had become a real problem. "A lot of London cabbies have to buy a cup of tea or buy a sandwich to get enough fivers in their hands to give out as change," he said. "Either that, or they have to queue up in a bank to get the fivers to hand out to people instead of ^1 coins."
In his 2007 Mansion House speech, Bank of England governor Mervyn King said there was an ample supply of ^5 notes, but it was often more economical for banks to stock machines with higher denominations.
Notes used in cash machines need to be in good condition. Stacking them with ^5 notes could add to the number of times they ran out of cash at busy times, according to a spokeswoman for Barclays. Stocking machines with ^5 notes meant they would hold less value and so need to be stocked more regularly, which also raised issues such as security. She said that Barclays' machines housed inside branches still dispensed ^5 notes, but there was greater demand for higher denominations. Only a handful of "hole-in-the-wall" machines outside would dispense ^5 notes, based on the demographic of an area.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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Super Guard
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« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2009, 22:18:12 » |
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Solo & Visa Electron require immediate on-line authorisation to be accepted, hence why you can use them at most FGW▸ booking offices, but not on trains. They are generally issued to bank accounts where customers are not allowed to go overdrawn.
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Any opinions made on this forum are purely personal and my own. I am in no way speaking for, or offering the views of First Great Western or First Group.
If my employer feels I have broken any aspect of the Social Media Policy, please PM me immediately, so I can rectify without delay.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2009, 23:51:01 » |
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Moral of the story is perhaps... 'carry some cash...'?
Useful stuff, cash. There's barely a shop or service in the land you can't pay by cash for a face-to-face transaction. Oh, and potentially useful in an emergency, too. Even if it's only a couple of rolled up fiver's, you'd have saved yourself all that hassle.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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willc
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« Reply #24 on: August 20, 2009, 23:54:11 » |
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It'll never catch on...
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Btline
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« Reply #25 on: August 21, 2009, 00:01:26 » |
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But the woman wouldn't let me pay with ^10ers or ^20ers! Or my Visa electron card because they "don't take solo" !!!
The moral of the story is boycott XC▸ catering until they sort it out, and lower the astronomical price of a cup of hot water and a tea bag!
If it costs more than ^1 I expect to get a pot, where I get at least 2 cups! (e.g. a cafe near WOF where a pot is ^1.35)
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devon_metro
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« Reply #27 on: August 21, 2009, 15:08:54 » |
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Discontinued  The thought was amusing however  |
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Super Guard
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« Reply #28 on: August 21, 2009, 16:37:54 » |
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But the woman wouldn't let me pay with ^10ers or ^20ers! Or my Visa electron card because they "don't take solo" !!!
The moral of the story is boycott XC▸ catering until they sort it out, and lower the astronomical price of a cup of hot water and a tea bag!
If it costs more than ^1 I expect to get a pot, where I get at least 2 cups! (e.g. a cafe near WOF where a pot is ^1.35)
She may have got the name of your card wrong, but Solo & Electron fall into the same category of card acceptance, as per my previous post. Perhaps upgrade to a standard current account that will offer you a Visa Debit or Maestro which will be accepted. Also on the topic of ^10/^20 notes, i've worked today and ended up with ^250 in ticket sales, and ^180 of that was ^20 notes, ^60 in ^10 notes, and I was running very low indeed on change by the end to the point that another ^10 or ^20 would mean offering change in 50p, 20p or 10p's... so I do have some sympathy with the XC host if this was the case, and no FGW▸ /XC/ SWT▸ do not issue guards/hosts with endless amounts of change, probably for security rather than "they don't trust the staff"  . |
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Any opinions made on this forum are purely personal and my own. I am in no way speaking for, or offering the views of First Great Western or First Group.
If my employer feels I have broken any aspect of the Social Media Policy, please PM me immediately, so I can rectify without delay.
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Tim
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« Reply #29 on: August 21, 2009, 16:52:07 » |
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Apparently there is a national shortage of fivers which the Bank of England is trying to do something about (but only in a pilot scheme) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8211720.stmI can remember when I was a poor student walking a 30 minute round trip to visit the only cash machine in town that dispensed fivers. |
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