How do TM's balance what one passenger wants

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

versus another

ill give more details later

[JayMac]

...... tease! 

[Mookiemoo]

no not and if the TM^‡(resolve) who worked the train in question is on here then they would identify the situation

I was just wondering how one persons rights becomes more important than anothers

[Phil]

The only scenario I can imagine is where the TM^‡(resolve) judges the safety or wellbeing of the majority is being jeopardised by the actions of a particular individual, and puts the demands of that individual before the wishes of others.

As an example, allowing a particularly obstreperous, loud deaf old person who is sounding off about their perceived "rights" to keep their outsized shopping-trolley-cum-zimmerframe beside their seat despite it causing a massive obstruction to everyone else.

I'm sure the professionals amongst us can think of many more valid reasons than that however.

[Henry]

 I suppose most TM^‡(resolve)'s are only human after all, like the rest of us.

 We all have individual priorities, perceptions - so what you might find annoying and start 'chucking toys out the pram'
 others may find trivial.
 No doubt TM's have rules and guidelines to follow, but I suppose it's up to each individual how they apply them.

 What I will say on some of the routes I use, I certainly miss some of the 'characters' who have recently retired.

[Tim]

This isn't an attempt to reopen the "who deserves tables the most" debate is it?

[matt473]

Simplw answer (although it is never simple) would be to ry to balance it so that as many people benefit and as few people lose out as possible

[Tim]

TM^‡(resolve) ought to put safety first (applied with common sense) and then enforce the law on tickets etc (applied with discretion).

But if passenger behaviour is safe and legal then is it too much to expect the conflicting passnegr needs to be resolved between the passengers without recourse to the TM.  He isn't a nanny after all.

[Mookiemoo]

Nothing to do with tables......

In fact was on a 143, trying to pick up about 8 voice messsages and finish some work in the 14 minute journey and some woman would not even attempt to quieten her screaming offspring.  I wouldnt mind if she was trying to get it to be quiet, but she wasnt.  When I asked her I got told it was just a baby being a baby.

Asked the TM^‡(resolve) if he could do anything about the noise pollution and he ignored me.

Ended up a bitch fight where I said things to her that were out of order, she said things to me then lamped me one with a viscious right hook that left me with concussion.

Sadly, I think the TM took her side since he was telling me to stop shouting (of course I had to shout to be heard over the sprog).

Anyway, I got off and then woke up this morning with concussion

[Mookiemoo]

Note:  You know how some people really hate noises other people don't mind - nails on a black board springs to mind

For me:

Metal spades against concrete make my skin crawl

And the pitch of a baby crying usually triggers a migraine

Thats why I react so badly to squealing babies (Especially when the available space is taken up by non folding 4x4s of the pram world)

[TerminalJunkie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma

[inspector_blakey]

Believe it or not I've had to deal with a similar situation as a conductor on a heritage railway before now. A party without children took exception to the behaviour of children belonging to a different group in the same car. Evidently words were exchanged which became increasingly heated, to the point that a worried passenger came and sought me out. By the time I got there the two self-appointed alpha males from the respective parties were squaring up to each other in the gangway.

I ended up physically standing in between these two clowns to stop them thumping each other whilst telling them both (in a more or less diplomatic way, I forget the exact words) that they and everyone else on that train were there trying to have a nice day out and perhaps it would be nice if they tried to behave in a civilized manner. I think I ended up asking both groups to move to different parts of the train so that it didn't appear like I'd favoured one side over the other, also hopefully making neither side think that they had lost face when the other side hadn't.

I have to say that I don't think any conductor is going to want to take sides in a situation like you describe - there was right (and wrong, it must be said) on both sides and asking them to arbitrate puts them in an absolutely impossible position.

On a more sympathetic note though, I think the 143 fleet is fitted with CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) so if events were as you describe and you were assaulted by the other passenger, you may want to report the incident to the Transport Police, giving details of the date and time of the train service. And if you haven't already done so and do wish to pursue that course, you might be well advised to get a doctor's report of the injury.

[Mookiemoo]

Not going to pursue it, I was out of order as well - never denied it...

Its just I was the one told to move to a different part of the train (mainly because the chelsea 4x4 pram could not get through)


I just can't understand what is wrong with asking someone to at least TRY to get their child to shut up

[inspector_blakey]

Because to their mind, rightly or wrongly, that means that you're criticizing their skills as a parent by telling them how to manage their own child.

[Mookiemoo]

I dont care how parents bring or drag their children up until their choices impact on me.

Seems to be a non PC view these days