Bicycles on trains (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

Inspector, I've never seen a green light on the front of a bike. Doesn't the highway code specify white?
If fitted, the green LED wouldn't confuse traincrew, too low.

The Highway Code does indeed specify a 'white' light to the front:

60
At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.
[Law RVLR regs 13, 18 & 24)]

In much the same way as cyclists apparently don't read the rules regarding carrying bikes on trains, I don't think a lot of them read the Highway Code either

Inspector, a red light is a stop light. Simple!
The modern lamps used by staff are LED but you also have the old Bardics. Cyclists use either LEDs or pathetic little bulbs.
I'm not being picky, BUT what if I thought it was a cycle but I really needed to be stopped?
In an emergency, what's the difference?

Yes, all fair enough - I'm was agreeing with you, that's why I said that a green light (there are plenty of them out there, trust me) is also potentially dangerous in the wrong situation

[Toiletdriver]

Cyclists do selective reading!
We welcome your bike on the railway network is probably as far as they get 

[SDS]

[management] welcome your bike on the railway. [the platform staff hate your guts and your pathetic piece of metal rust called a brompton].

[Toiletdriver]

Please add the driver that doesn't your bike leant accross his cab door. Many a disagreement on whether the train will be departing.
Funnily enough I won every time, can't imagine why

[hornbeam]

Ok. I^m a cyclist and sometimes take my train on the bike on the train  class 165/66). Mostly I stand with it as I don^t wish it to get damaged and don^t wish to damage the train ether, and means I can move it if needed when people board. ( i=and i like living so don^t cycle on the platform) Sorry I^m rather annoyed at some of these sweeping comments. Also How about having bike racks on trains?! ( what not enough room? Again whose fault is that?!) My issue is the 3 car train I use from Reading to Newbury in the morning and evening is now always 2 car so is rammed. Whose fault is it? Mine or FGW^▸ (First Great Western) for deciding to shorten the train? Interesting to see how some of the staff handle things. While some people are idiots ever thought of treating them like human beings sometimes? So far this year I^ve been sworn at twice for no reason by staff and lost count of staff being rude to passengers for no reason. Alongside that I no longer give eye contact or even speak to barrier staff at Reading as after two years of being ignored when I say ^ good morning^ as I show my ticket- they don^t even say a word along with mostly not even looking at the ticket when I pass through- means I^ve dropped to their level. Sorry for the rant but frankly complaints to FGW ( as shown in another thread by me) makes no difference. I^ve also put up with travelling in the dark two evenings as the lights failed. Agree some of this is not related to the tread as well sorry.

[SDS]

You must be in the minority hornbeam, a cyclist that actually speaks to us station staff! Never!
Remember some station staff (i.e. platform/service delivery/dispatchers or whatever were called this week) are a completely different bread to gateline staff.

Treat us how you want to be treated back (or in the case of gateline at RDG^‡(resolve) treat them how they treat you).

Most bike pax are rude and obnoxious and then they wonder why we do the bare minimum?

Driver:
I like it when you drivers refuse to take a train out when you have problematic pax, i.e. abusive, bicycles. Amazing how when NR^» (Network Rail - home page) order us to tell you move it, you hold tight! Amazing who always wins, cos it anit the pax

[Toiletdriver]

Hornbeam, you seem to one of the minority.
Please tell where we can put a bike rack on an 165?
How many less passengers can get on if your rack is installed?
And if a rack was installed, holding maybe 4 bikes, will the fifth person still force his/her self on board with a bike, therefore blocking an emergency exit? Most definately!
The old trains had plenty of room for bikes, but they have long gone. Sorry, we have a limit.
And blaming the staff for only a 2 car turbo 
May I ask how far you travel?
We have cyclists that go between Stapleton road and Montpelier, barely a mile!!! So why have a bike?

[mjones]

What a depressing thread. Sweeping generalisations about cyclists from staff who sadly seem to be living up the sterotype of customer-unfriendly railway workers...

Sadly, just as it is the unreasonable cyclist who gets noticed and makes you think are there in greater numbers than they actually are, it is the rude staff who harm the reputation of the rest.

[SDS]

What a depressing thread. Sweeping generalisations about cyclists from staff who sadly seem to be living up the sterotype of customer-unfriendly railway workers...

Sadly, just as it is the unreasonable cyclist who gets noticed and makes you think are there in greater numbers than they actually are, it is the rude staff who harm the reputation of the rest.

Im not customer-unfriendly, I just hate bikes, and the attitude that normally comes with them. Behaviour breeds behaviour.
I have had several customer praise letters, so I must be doing something right, apparently.

[Toiletdriver]

What a depressing thread. Sweeping generalisations about cyclists from staff who sadly seem to be living up the sterotype of customer-unfriendly railway workers...

Sadly, just as it is the unreasonable cyclist who gets noticed and makes you think are there in greater numbers than they actually are, it is the rude staff who harm the reputation of the rest.

May I suggest you spend some time at Bristol TM^‡(resolve) for example, in the rush hour, and watch the loading of trains, the bike riding along platform 4 near the racks? Watch how many doors are blocked by bikes.
Oh, and rudeness? I use those magic words, "Excuse me", "Please" and "Thank you"! Not many passengers do, SDS Padd and other front line staff will confirm this. And rudeness is a problem EVERYWHERE now a days.

And I agree with you ref rude staff

[mjones]

"Im not customer-unfriendly, I just hate bikes, and the attitude that normally comes with them. "

Er, sorry, but it is your customers that come with the bikes! You are a customer-facing member of staff, making some quite hostile and sweeping generalisations about a particular group of passengers. And on a public forum, which creates a very bad impression. 'Hate' is not really an acceptable word for a situation like this.

And I'd add that I have every sympathy for the difficulties faced by anyone in a customer-facing position, I know a lot of people can be very selfish. And I fully understand the practical difficulties the industry faces in finding room for bikes on busy services, given all the constraints of capacity and funding. That's why I use a folding bike, which I usually carry folded in the station and keep folded in the train, and do my best to keep it away from other people's clothes and suitcases.

But you also need to recognise that cycling to stations makes it possible for people to use rail who would otherwise have to drive; and also that at off-peak times the railway still needs more passengers and having space for bikes on those trains will help attract more users.

[Toiletdriver]

But you also need to recognise that cycling to stations makes it possible for people to use rail who would otherwise have to drive; and also that at off-peak times the railway still needs more passengers and having space for bikes on those trains will help attract more users.

Would these be the cyclists who ride on pavements? Ignore no entry signs, ride along one way streets in the WRONG direction?
No problems OFF-PEAK but cyclists hopefully should see other passengers wish to travel with luggage, prams etc. We are carry MORE passengers with less rolling stock compared to the early 90s.

[Electric train]

I just can not see the need to take a bike to Padd anymore, lock the bike at your local station and use a Boris Bike in zone 1 simples

Bikes especially full frame ones do grate with me and really *iss's me off when I can not get on a train because someone wants to occupy more space than they are paying for simply passenger with bike = 2 fares

[dviner]

What's been bugging me lately has been where bikes are pushed through the narrow bit between the columns and the buffers at the end of platforms 11/12 at Paddington, rather than going round the wider bit. It's tight enough with people coming the other way without throwing a Brompton into the mix.

Mumble, mumble, grumble.

(Must remember to turn grumpy old man mode off when I get home on Friday )

[SDS]

We did have that gap sorted and dumped a nice massive information board in the way. But it seems that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) wanted the board to advertise some tube strike.
It hasnt been moved back, plus we dont like walking under that bit because the pigeons above like to use it as a toilet.