OMG that is DISGUSTING! They left you on a platform because you had a buggy?????
I'd be fuming too and the original story is just as bad,I'm afraid he'd have had a slap,with the advice I'd stop being rude to mothers if I were you.
Makes me mad a simple task,a nice family outing ruined by ridiculous rules and regs,surely there is room,they can't turn disabled passengers away? There would be a public outcry!
At our local train station you can only get to one side of the platform with a buggy. The other side has several steep steps and a bridge across the platform - no way with a pram!!
There is never anyone manning the station to help either.
Oh - and this also means that a disable user could only use one side of the platform too.
Not used a train in years,but I used to use the underground all the time,with a side by side Maclaren double and two toddlers.You're more likely to get help from a member of the public than station staff.
My Mum's local station is the same ,Tricia.You access the coastbound side via a footbridge,so if you're with a pram you have to carry it,and your baby and your bag.I assume if you're in a wheelchair they'd help.
There's no way I'd attempt a train these days.Unless with malicious intent.
I wonder if it's the same ignorant conductor who insulted me and swore at me a few yrs ago when I got on the train at Huddersfield to goto Leeds, he told me to put my buggy down cause it was a danger to other passengers, I told him I thought it would be a danger to my son to have him running round near the doors cause the train was full of people and we couldn't get a seat and he said to me "What do ya want me to do about it magic another train out of my pocket?" then he went into his little room at the front and shouted "F**k off!" I took his name and complained about him and got a letter to say the matter would be dealt with internally, in other words he probably didn't even get told off! What a moron!
I'd have liked him to magic a whole new personality out of his pocket! Too much to ask!!! Nah,I doubt anyone said anything to him either,sometimes people in jobs ''working closely'' with the public,well....they really should consider a change!
Have just read all these stories and I really cant believe how much abuse some of you have had from these people!! Why is that people who are meant to be serving the public think they can talk to us mums like that?? Do they think that we are a bit dim or something?!
It really irritates me! It never happens to my dp! He gets a hand from the bus driver to get the kids and buggy on-i get sighed at! Countless people have given him help, and yet i get sighed at, doors closed in my face etc etc.
mummabear I think you mis-read princesseliza's comment. The doors jammed and no one could board or alight. It happens quite often with Northern Rail, but at least the conductors don't let the train pull away.
princesseliza you were delayed by more than one hour due to a fault of the railways. The operator does have to compensate you in the form of travel vouchers for a delay of at least an hour that is their fault unless you didn't buy a ticket. This is a requirement of the operator, if they don't fulfill it then let Passenger Focus know: http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/
audrey1234 a conductor can refuse you entry to the train if there is insufficient room on board. If 60 mums are waiting with buggies then there is no-way you'll all be allowed on. The same appiles for cyclists, wheelchair users and passengers with no luggage if too many turn up. I've known of cyclists been refused entry because there are already 2 bikes on board. If you require assistance it's your responsibility to let the relevant operator know at least 24 hours in advance.
Tricia Clark prams aren't allowed on trains full stop, if you're lucky you might get away with it on an off-peak service though. Buggies only are as long as they are not left blocking the doors.
Jan Joyce the conductors in the north of England do get a hard time. The Department of Transport has decided that we can't have new carriages for the north of England despite a 40% increase in passenger numbers and where new trains have come e.g. with TransPennine Express the old ones have gone to South West Trains. Your case is probably one where the conductor should have refused you entry but he was in a mood and couldn't be bothered dealing with what you'd have said in return so he just decided to swear when you wouldn't comply with what he asked. However, you are right in saying children shouldn't be playing around near doors - they could lose their fingers if they put them in the wrong place at the wrong time.
No,the train did pull away! Princesseliza didn't mention jamming doors,she genuinely thought conductor could see her. I'm sure she felt she was unfairly treated,as would wheelchair users waiting to board and were refused if train was full.
I s that truely the case,a disabled person must infrom the railway of planned journey 24hrs in advance?
She said "We were left on a platform at Syon Lane trying to board a train whose doors wouldn't open" That suggests to me the train stopped and the doors weren't released or one set of doors jammed.
With trains it's either all doors are released (so that the open door button on the outside is illuminated) or no doors are released (no buttons are illuminated), if just one set won't open it's because they are faulty. The conductor would not have been able to prevent the doors from opening where she was trying to board and been able to release the others.
A disabled person should inform the operator if they require assistance 24 hours before they make their journey, but it doesn't mean that they'll be refused entry if they don't. The main reason is so the conductor or station staff can have the ramp ready and in some cases so the train can be made to call at an accessible platform opposed to a non-accessible one.
Despite the very thorough explanations provided above by Sarah Peters, there is one very important point which she has missed. Courtesy and politeness.
No matter the explanations - faulty doors, busy trains, bad day... all the staff had to do was explain if there was a valid reason, and apologise. Not ignore, comment badly or swear. I believe this would most likely have solved all problems and this wouldn't even have made an article.
If the doors were faulty, the train should not have pulled away. Surely the conductors job is to make sure passengers are on safely and the doors are clear? If there is a family or even person waiting pressing the open door button, buggy or not, should the conductor not let them know the door is faulty or help them on? Do short people or the elderly get left on platforms regularly because they couldn't find a working door? A conductor may not be able to hold one door shut to prevent a particular person getting on, but they can certainly stop the train from pulling off.
And in the case of bad comments and swearing, I would have been fuming! The conductor may be just as mad as the passengers that the trains are too busy, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on the fare paying passenger. Your explanation of them having a 'hard time' is in no way consoling. Trains are a public service.
If a passenger swears at the conductor they can get thrown off the train, how can there be any excuse for the rail staff to react in this way to a passenger?
Just to point out I wasn't defending the conductor in princesseliza's case, I was pointing out that what mummabear was suggesting that the conductor <!--[if gte mso 9]> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHid
Well.. that's happend to me before, if you're too late the doors won't open. If you weren't late why didn't you get with other customers?
You have no more right to have a pram on board then do I have bringing a mountain bike on with me, unless there is adequate space to store your pram safetly than you don't have a right to bring it on board.
THe amount of times I've been stuck on train services with prams blocking walkways/exits and toilets/seats and asked politely for them to move/ fold their pram i've been told to shut up.
The women in the article wouldn't have had a problem if she had just folded her pram in the first place, the god given some people seem to think they have it unbelievable.
Also if you can't fold up a pram then frankly you shouldn't be using public transport in the first place.
I made a complaint to South West Trains about the way we were treated and got a simple I'm sorry email in response.
We were left on a platform at Syon Lane trying to board a train whose doors wouldn't open. The conductor either saw us (my husband, myself and a bright pink pram) or couldn't see us at all - both I see as a problem, and the train pulled away with us still trying desperately to push the button on the train to open the doors.
We were on the platform in time and we were not running late for the train. People on board could see us trying to get on but couldn't do a thing about it.
We had to wait in the cold for an hour, missing most of our London event.
Complaining does nothing. We're made to feel it's really simple, no prams on trains!
Replies
OMG that is DISGUSTING! They left you on a platform because you had a buggy?????
I'd be fuming too
and the original story is just as bad,I'm afraid he'd have had a slap,with the advice I'd stop being rude to mothers if I were you.
Makes me mad a simple task,a nice family outing ruined by ridiculous rules and regs,surely there is room,they can't turn disabled passengers away? There would be a public outcry!
At our local train station you can only get to one side of the platform with a buggy. The other side has several steep steps and a bridge across the platform - no way with a pram!!
There is never anyone manning the station to help either.
Oh - and this also means that a disable user could only use one side of the platform too.
Totally rubbish and no hope of it being changed.
They wonder why we all drive cars eh???
I very rarely use trains for this reason.
Not used a train in years,but I used to use the underground all the time,with a side by side Maclaren double and two toddlers.You're more likely to get help from a member of the public than station staff.
My Mum's local station is the same ,Tricia.You access the coastbound side via a footbridge,so if you're with a pram you have to carry it,and your baby and your bag.I assume if you're in a wheelchair they'd help.
There's no way I'd attempt a train these days.Unless with malicious intent
.
Oh no,what a w****r!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd have liked him to magic a whole new personality out of his pocket! Too much to ask!!! Nah,I doubt anyone said anything to him either,sometimes people in jobs ''working closely'' with the public,well....they really should consider a change!
Have just read all these stories and I really cant believe how much abuse some of you have had from these people!! Why is that people who are meant to be serving the public think they can talk to us mums like that?? Do they think that we are a bit dim or something?!
It really irritates me! It never happens to my dp! He gets a hand from the bus driver to get the kids and buggy on-i get sighed at! Countless people have given him help, and yet i get sighed at, doors closed in my face etc etc.
ARGGHH!!!
mummabear I think you mis-read princesseliza's comment. The doors jammed and no one could board or alight. It happens quite often with Northern Rail, but at least the conductors don't let the train pull away.
princesseliza you were delayed by more than one hour due to a fault of the railways. The operator does have to compensate you in the form of travel vouchers for a delay of at least an hour that is their fault unless you didn't buy a ticket. This is a requirement of the operator, if they don't fulfill it then let Passenger Focus know: http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/
audrey1234 a conductor can refuse you entry to the train if there is insufficient room on board. If 60 mums are waiting with buggies then there is no-way you'll all be allowed on. The same appiles for cyclists, wheelchair users and passengers with no luggage if too many turn up. I've known of cyclists been refused entry because there are already 2 bikes on board. If you require assistance it's your responsibility to let the relevant operator know at least 24 hours in advance.
Tricia Clark prams aren't allowed on trains full stop, if you're lucky you might get away with it on an off-peak service though. Buggies only are as long as they are not left blocking the doors.
Jan Joyce the conductors in the north of England do get a hard time. The Department of Transport has decided that we can't have new carriages for the north of England despite a 40% increase in passenger numbers and where new trains have come e.g. with TransPennine Express the old ones have gone to South West Trains. Your case is probably one where the conductor should have refused you entry but he was in a mood and couldn't be bothered dealing with what you'd have said in return so he just decided to swear when you wouldn't comply with what he asked. However, you are right in saying children shouldn't be playing around near doors - they could lose their fingers if they put them in the wrong place at the wrong time.
No,the train did pull away! Princesseliza didn't mention jamming doors,she genuinely thought conductor could see her. I'm sure she felt she was unfairly treated,as would wheelchair users waiting to board and were refused if train was full.
I s that truely the case,a disabled person must infrom the railway of planned journey 24hrs in advance?
She said "We were left on a platform at Syon Lane trying to board a train whose doors wouldn't open" That suggests to me the train stopped and the doors weren't released or one set of doors jammed.
With trains it's either all doors are released (so that the open door button on the outside is illuminated) or no doors are released (no buttons are illuminated), if just one set won't open it's because they are faulty. The conductor would not have been able to prevent the doors from opening where she was trying to board and been able to release the others.
A disabled person should inform the operator if they require assistance 24 hours before they make their journey, but it doesn't mean that they'll be refused entry if they don't. The main reason is so the conductor or station staff can have the ramp ready and in some cases so the train can be made to call at an accessible platform opposed to a non-accessible one.
Despite the very thorough explanations provided above by Sarah Peters, there is one very important point which she has missed. Courtesy and politeness.
No matter the explanations - faulty doors, busy trains, bad day... all the staff had to do was explain if there was a valid reason, and apologise. Not ignore, comment badly or swear. I believe this would most likely have solved all problems and this wouldn't even have made an article.
If the doors were faulty, the train should not have pulled away. Surely the conductors job is to make sure passengers are on safely and the doors are clear? If there is a family or even person waiting pressing the open door button, buggy or not, should the conductor not let them know the door is faulty or help them on? Do short people or the elderly get left on platforms regularly because they couldn't find a working door? A conductor may not be able to hold one door shut to prevent a particular person getting on, but they can certainly stop the train from pulling off.
And in the case of bad comments and swearing, I would have been fuming! The conductor may be just as mad as the passengers that the trains are too busy, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on the fare paying passenger. Your explanation of them having a 'hard time' is in no way consoling. Trains are a public service.
If a passenger swears at the conductor they can get thrown off the train, how can there be any excuse for the rail staff to react in this way to a passenger?
You have no more right to have a pram on board then do I have bringing a mountain bike on with me, unless there is adequate space to store your pram safetly than you don't have a right to bring it on board.
THe amount of times I've been stuck on train services with prams blocking walkways/exits and toilets/seats and asked politely for them to move/ fold their pram i've been told to shut up.
The women in the article wouldn't have had a problem if she had just folded her pram in the first place, the god given some people seem to think they have it unbelievable.
Also if you can't fold up a pram then frankly you shouldn't be using public transport in the first place.
I made a complaint to South West Trains about the way we were treated and got a simple I'm sorry email in response.
We were left on a platform at Syon Lane trying to board a train whose doors wouldn't open. The conductor either saw us (my husband, myself and a bright pink pram) or couldn't see us at all - both I see as a problem, and the train pulled away with us still trying desperately to push the button on the train to open the doors.
We were on the platform in time and we were not running late for the train. People on board could see us trying to get on but couldn't do a thing about it.
We had to wait in the cold for an hour, missing most of our London event.
Complaining does nothing. We're made to feel it's really simple, no prams on trains!