A few interesting incidents and other incidental happenings from a pure blue
polyester wearer!

a) Customer claimed they inserted their ticket into the gate but the gate
didn't open (normally a single and the gate has opened but they were too
busy waiting for it to come out the top). - In this case: opened the gate to
find it wedged between the metal plates.

b) "My ticket wont work!" (in disgruntled voice) - concertinaed ticket
handed over for inspection.

c) "Sorry" - As the cup of coffee placed on top of the barrier whilst
retrieving ticket is knocked over by the bag in their hand as they try to
retrieve said ticket from the top of the barrier to open the gate.

d) "How do I get to 42 Winchester Place?" (or some other residential
address in the middle of nowhere) - Please PLEASE check where you want to go
before you set out, we can try and find it for you but if its busy it may
not be possible.

e) The tickets shown either 5 metres away or, 1cm from your nose or
'swiped' in front of you. - Staff don't have implants to read long distance
or the micro dots or speed lenses.

f) Can your eyes tell you what's on an Oyster card? - nor can ours,
please place it on the reader.

g) Shock and amazement when a customer decided that thy took priority
over another customer I was already helping and decided to poke me in the
back with the finger to get my attention.

h) Not buying a ticket before you travel just because the gates are open
isn't a valid reason for not getting one before getting on the train.
Simsbury's doesn't have gates either.

Enough for now.......this is not a rant, OK OK it is a bit. I know the
rants from the other side too, I used to be a annual gold card carrier
myself 2 years ago and even now see some staff who make me wince. Its just
food for thought.

Steve


"paulglondon" wrote in message
om...
Stuart wrote in message

snip

1) Walk to barrier
2) Realise what that little piece of card they were given half an hour
later is for
3) Open handbag (because it usually is a woman)
4) Rake around in handbag for a bit
5) Get out purse
6) Find ticket in purse

Or then decide to use the next barrier, the one that I had decided to
use a few seconds earlier, and so walk straight in front of me.

In fact I find the most annoying thing about these barriers are women
(invariably) who will try to race you to the barrier and then, when
you've decided to use the neighbouring one (no need to fight over a
barrier when there are two), will stop you doing so by moving straight
in front of you.

We don't need the bloody barriers in any case. Penalty fares and
inspectors would speed things up a lot.

7) Try to insert ticket in top of machine
8) Realise mistake and insert ticket in the front of the machine
9) Stand there for a bit wondering why gates haven't opened
10) Take ticket from machine, gates open
11) Stand there for a bit wondering if it's safe to go through
12) Pass through the barrier

I can tolerate this one because it's more predictable

Paul