Letting off Steam

[whole diary]

[Graz]

- People coughing for the entire journey, especially those who are behind you and don't cover their mouths

- Platform staff who try to get everyone to hurry up getting on the train by blowing their whistle, while people are already trying as fast as they can to cram into carriages

- Pretentious berks who put their bags on the seat next to them, normally the window seat. I've felt the urge several times to lift the bag off the seat myself and sit down (For the record, I never have nor have 'blocked' the seat next to me!)

- Passengers complaining about 5 minute delays and / or slightly dirty windows. I'll never forget that time I was on a Loco-hauled Wessex to Weymouth a couple of summers back and the car was fairly empty except for an old couple. The carriage was clean and nice but the windows were slightly dirty..."Look at the windows!" "It's a disgrace..." Tch!

[devon_metro]

People who leave doors open on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) when it is clear that they are not automatic and hence delaying the train.

[grahame]

People who leave doors open on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) when it is clear that they are not automatic and hence delaying the train.

It may not be clear to them  .   Reminds me of the story (elsewhere) of the young lady unable to get out of slam-door stock, and indeed the "lower the window and reach out" principle isn't necessarily obvious to visitors from overseas.

[simonw]

The biggest annoyance on trains are holidaymakers with wheeled suitcases as big as the owner!

You don't know whether to laugh, cry or offer help as a young lady struggles to pull a large wheeled suitcases on to the train, and the suitcase is probably heavier than she is!

[devon_metro]

I once made a remark about somebody stepping off an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Manchester saying she had brought half of bloody Manchester with her.

Think she overheard me 

[vacman]

God, how did I forget to rant about large luggage items!

At St Erth the other day a little old biddy gets off a down train with a suitcase that I couldn't even lift! and I'm not small! had to leave her there as I phisicly, let alone safely couldn't lift it! These old biddys bring enough luggage to last a lifetime and expect everyone else to carry it for them, anyone with half a brain packs things into two smaller cases, why can't they use their brains!!!!!!!!

[Conner]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

[Timmer]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

I know what you mean about 150s and luggage especially during the summer months as they work the Bristol-Weymouth route.

[Mookiemoo]

Hmmm, let me see....

1. The fizzy water bottles on the trolley that no matter how slowly you open them insist on drenching you with water
2. Passengers who insist on sitting at your table, which you are utilising, because there is only one person at it when there are other tables which may have more people sitting at them but are not used as the occupants are asleep or reading the paper
3. The slam doors which, if you are short with short arms, are nigh on impossible to open as the handle is too fat away

[grahame]

Web sites which list 27 different single fares for a journey starting at 8 pounds and going up to 90 ... but then only have "available" buttons against the highest six prices for any of the trains that they're offering.

I see that the airlines are in trouble again for misleading web sites - touting prices which never seem to be available ...

[devon_metro]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

Get used to it, that 150 probably had the same number of tables than the whole of the standard class in the HST!

[Conner]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

Get used to it, that 150 probably had the same number of tables than the whole of the standard class in the HST!

I don't care about tables. I prefer Airline on new HST's, on 158's I go in ex-FirstClass where everybody's scared to go and on 150's I like the airline seats with tip ups opposite because they have loads of legroom.

[devon_metro]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

Get used to it, that 150 probably had the same number of tables than the whole of the standard class in the HST!

I don't care about tables. I prefer Airline on new HST's, on 158's I go in ex-FirstClass where everybody's scared to go and on 150's I like the airline seats with tip ups opposite because they have loads of legroom.

Sorry - was moaning at people who remarked on the tables - not you.

I also prefer airline, i simply don't need a table, unless FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spring a TPEx unit onto the Paignton line, in which case the table lamp is illuminated

[Mookiemoo]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

Get used to it, that 150 probably had the same number of tables than the whole of the standard class in the HST!

I don't care about tables. I prefer Airline on new HST's, on 158's I go in ex-FirstClass where everybody's scared to go and on 150's I like the airline seats with tip ups opposite because they have loads of legroom.

Sorry - was moaning at people who remarked on the tables - not you.

I also prefer airline, i simply don't need a table, unless FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spring a TPEx unit onto the Paignton line, in which case the table lamp is illuminated

The problem is for some of us, the train IS an extension of the office.  If I didnt have the 2.5 hours on the way home to get work done (and yes this means a table) then I'd either get home at midnight (only to leave 530 next morning) OR have to stay in london during the week OR have to move. None of which I want to do.

I am lucky, I can afford the first class ticket which guarantees me space - but some people cant.  Therefore I can imagine it is extremely annoying if people genuinely have productive things to do that need a table but they are occupied by people having coffee and idle chit chat.

[vacman]

Some people really got on my nerves last weekend. In Cornwall, on a 150 which was connecting with a London service due to engeeniring works sat down in an airline style seat complaining about there were no tables for the two of them and there luggage (they meant they wanted a seat each and two seats for there luggage.) They then put there luggage on another two airline seats. Grrr! This does show 150's are incapable for long journey's. Another time during engineering work a whole vestibule, both sides was full of luggage when there was a 150 on the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service.

Get used to it, that 150 probably had the same number of tables than the whole of the standard class in the HST!

I don't care about tables. I prefer Airline on new HST's, on 158's I go in ex-FirstClass where everybody's scared to go and on 150's I like the airline seats with tip ups opposite because they have loads of legroom.

Sorry - was moaning at people who remarked on the tables - not you.

I also prefer airline, i simply don't need a table, unless FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spring a TPEx unit onto the Paignton line, in which case the table lamp is illuminated

The problem is for some of us, the train IS an extension of the office.  If I didnt have the 2.5 hours on the way home to get work done (and yes this means a table) then I'd either get home at midnight (only to leave 530 next morning) OR have to stay in london during the week OR have to move. None of which I want to do.

I am lucky, I can afford the first class ticket which guarantees me space - but some people cant.  Therefore I can imagine it is extremely annoying if people genuinely have productive things to do that need a table but they are occupied by people having coffee and idle chit chat.

But what use is a laptop if you have to stand? hence it's better to have airline seats=lesspeople standing!