Letting off Steam

[whole diary]

[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.

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

My laptop is useless if I cant spread out my paperwork as well.

[vacman]

If people do want to use the train as an office then unfortunately they have to pay a premium to travel in first class! I think that for anyone to expect to have a whole table to themselves in standard class on a busy train is just greedy!

[Mookiemoo]

If people do want to use the train as an office then unfortunately they have to pay a premium to travel in first class! I think that for anyone to expect to have a whole table to themselves in standard class on a busy train is just greedy!

Whereas I think wanting a table just so a group can sit together or you can rest your coffee cup on it is equally greedy

[John R]

So who's more deserving of a group of four seats facing each other? One person with laptop, papers etc, encroaching on somewhat more than one quarter of the table,or a family of two adults, two children. I think most people would think the family have the more legitimate cause for needing the table.

Of course, one way round if as a family you find the only table occupied by one person is to fill up the rest of the table with one adult and two children (younger child next to the occupied seat), with the other parent sitting elsewhere. See how long it takes before the seat is graciously vacated!

   

[devon_metro]

If people do want to use the train as an office then unfortunately they have to pay a premium to travel in first class! I think that for anyone to expect to have a whole table to themselves in standard class on a busy train is just greedy!

Whereas I think wanting a table just so a group can sit together or you can rest your coffee cup on it is equally greedy

Everybody has the same right to a table, everybody pays the same for that seat - there isn't a 'Table Saver Return'

People who take up more than a quarter of a table are greedy, not somebody with a coffee!

[vacman]

If people do want to use the train as an office then unfortunately they have to pay a premium to travel in first class! I think that for anyone to expect to have a whole table to themselves in standard class on a busy train is just greedy!

Whereas I think wanting a table just so a group can sit together or you can rest your coffee cup on it is equally greedy

Everybody has the same right to a table, everybody pays the same for that seat - there isn't a 'Table Saver Return'

People who take up more than a quarter of a table are greedy, not somebody with a coffee!

Well, I bet everyone doesn't pay the same with the amount of fares there are but I totally agree with you!

[TerminalJunkie]

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who don't know the difference between effect and affect
  
• First Class ticket-holders who think they own the train
• People who don't know the difference between losing and loosing
  
• Season ticket-holders who think they own the train
• People who confuse their, there and they're
  
• First Class Season ticket-holders
• People who can't spell apologies, truthful or pleasantly
  
• People who don't spell check before they hit the 'Post' button
• Old dears who tell me how nice it must be to travel up and down the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line every day
• People who put spaces before and after commas
• First Great Western Managers who promise to send you an email about their timetable/rolling stock/crappy service, and then don't
• People who don't put apostrophes in they're, that's or who's
  
• Julian Crow    (thinks: I've done him already, haven't I?)   (thinks: don't care...)
  
• People who put apostrophes in the possessive form of its
  
• Music blaring out of mobile phone speakers on trains
• Train managers who don't tell people sitting in the Quiet Coach with music coming from their mobile phones to turn the bloody thing down until you moan at them about it. Especially when you have to shout to make yourself heard over the bloody thing.
• First Devon and Cornwall
• Rumours about Pacers
• Barrier staff who respond to the question 'Will my ticket go through the barrier OK' by shoving the thing in the slot, and then getting arsey when the 'Assistance Required' light goes on
• First Great Western's Timetable Department
• Posts asking us to let off steam, without considering the raised blood pressure that results

I'd keep going, but this keyboard is starting to make me angry...

[devon_metro]

• Barrier staff who respond to the question 'Will my ticket go through the barrier OK' by shoving the thing in the slot, and then getting arsey when the 'Assistance Required' light goes on

I've never once made it through the Exeter St Davids ticket barriers without having to be waved through by the station staff

[gaf71]

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who don't know the difference between effect and affect
  
• First Class ticket-holders who think they own the train
• People who don't know the difference between losing and loosing
  
• Season ticket-holders who think they own the train
• People who confuse their, there and they're
  
• First Class Season ticket-holders
• People who can't spell apologies, truthful or pleasantly
  
• People who don't spell check before they hit the 'Post' button
• Old dears who tell me how nice it must be to travel up and down the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line every day
• People who put spaces before and after commas
• First Great Western Managers who promise to send you an email about their timetable/rolling stock/crappy service, and then don't
• People who don't put apostrophes in they're, that's or who's
  
• Julian Crow    (thinks: I've done him already, haven't I?)   (thinks: don't care...)
  
• People who put apostrophes in the possessive form of its
  
• Music blaring out of mobile phone speakers on trains
• Train managers who don't tell people sitting in the Quiet Coach with music coming from their mobile phones to turn the bloody thing down until you moan at them about it. Especially when you have to shout to make yourself heard over the bloody thing.
• First Devon and Cornwall
• Rumours about Pacers
• Barrier staff who respond to the question 'Will my ticket go through the barrier OK' by shoving the thing in the slot, and then getting arsey when the 'Assistance Required' light goes on
• First Great Western's Timetable Department
• Posts asking us to let off steam, without considering the raised blood pressure that results

I'd keep going, but this keyboard is starting to make me angry...

Can't believe you've missed young mums with 8 bags of shopping on their(still assembled, not folded) double buggy in the vestibule of a single 153 on the 0950 from Exmouth(2nd off peak train of day into Exeter diagrammed as 1x153!Gets busy believe me!).....don't start me on buggies

[vacman]

God! how did I forget to rant about buggies! St Ives is the worst, once had some woman at Carbis bay with a big double buggy that she wouldn't fold, and when she tried getting on it physicly wouldn't fit through the door on the 153 (the BIG end!!!) all we could do was leave her behind! Not a happy bunny but what could we do?

[devon_metro]

0950 from Exeter is 1 car?

Every train on the Exmouth branch should be 2 car minimum!

[Conner]

Buggy's are so annoying. There was acouple with a big buggy and loads of luggage at Camborne who were booked on the 10.59 to Plymouth to change to go to Paddington. It was a Saturday so it was a 158 and they got left behind because either they refused or simply couldn't get on.
And what Terminal Junkie said about First Devon and Cornwall, they are the worst company in the world, worst than FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

[Lee]

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who put spaces before and after commas

Er , that will be me then 

Are you an English teacher , by any chance?

[TerminalJunkie]

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who put spaces before and after commas

Er , that will be me then 

Yup

Are you an English teacher , by any chance?

No, just an angry pedant.

But I notice that you don't put spaces before question marks, full stops, or colons - so why commas? What would you do in, say, Microsoft Word if the paragraph wraps and leaves a comma at the start of a line?

[Lee]

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who put spaces before and after commas

Er , that will be me then 

Yup

Are you an English teacher , by any chance?

No, just an angry pedant.

But I notice that you don't put spaces before question marks, full stops, or colons - so why commas? What would you do in, say, Microsoft Word if the paragraph wraps and leaves a comma at the start of a line?

Good question , and for once , one that I dont have an answer to......