My Train Journey This Morning

[gricerboy]

A bit of celebrity spotting on this morning's service. Sat just across the aisle from me was the longest ever serving ITN news reader; was on our screens from the early 60s through to the late 90s. Yes, the one and only Bruce Hockin. I asked him for his autograph wehn I headed for the exite at Swindon & he obliged with a smile. What a gent.

[gricerboy]

The 5 coach one was back this morning.

I still say that is a highly irregular configuration

[gricerboy]

Very probably.

The single coach one is even more irregular, considering it has to split at Carmarthen.

LOL! I guess there will be a pretty big gap to mind in that case

[gricerboy]

Well, I didn't actually have a train journey this morning; I drove. Got to the station, flashed my ticket at the inspector to be informed that it had expired on Friday, duh! I wass fully aware of the fact that it needed renewing but had procrastinated to the point that I completely forget about it.

Anyway, as I drove away from the station - I saw the train pull in and felt a slight twinge of sadness that I wouldn't be climbing into those blue and red liveried carriages with all the other passengers this morning. There's always tomorrow

[gricerboy]

It's so irregular that now it's the regular thing.

This morning we had the additional announcement at Skewen And Llansamlet "stations": "The doors on carriage five will not open at this station" (mostly cos you'd fall on your arse if they did, since the train is longer than the platform.

Platform 1 at Bath has a bigger inter platform - train gap at one end than it does the other. This means that people who are used to getting off at one end of the other are in danger of doing themselves an injury when the train is running in reverse configuration. I've written to FGW several times about his and have suggested they broadcast a London Transport style "Mind The Gap" announcement. It would appear that my appeals have fallen on deaf ears. Still, what do I care - I never get off at Bath.

[gricerboy]

Indeed.

I was greatly annoyed on Friday to find that the 16:28 was running with 1st class at the rear.

It makes I walk further.

It's even more annoying when they don't announce that the train is in reverse formation and you find yourself on the wrong end of the platform. That's how I keep finding myself in the quiet carriage by mistake.

[gricerboy]

As I descended the stairwell from platform 3 at Swindon I was violently knocked down by somebody running for the train that I had just got off with the result that I banged my head on the bannisters running down the median of the staircase and broke the arm off my spectacles. By the time I regained my senses he had gone but I'm pretty sure the whole incident must have been caught on CCTV. I went to the station supervisor and told him what happened but he said there was nothing he could do as the CCTV images are in the control of an external contractor. I don't really want to get the police involved but I feel that somebody should pay for the repairs to my spectacles and that somebody should not be me. Furthermore, there could be complications arising from the knock to my head so I feel the incident should be reported so that I can back up any course of legal action against Railtrack and / or the said offender. Does this sound reasonable?

[Drewster]

...... Normal bollix........

Dear owner of GimpyBoy
Please retire him.

Yours
Drewster

[shaunbhoy]

As I descended the stairwell from platform 3 at Swindon I was violently knocked down by somebody running for the train that I had just got off with the result that I banged my head on the bannisters running down the median of the staircase and broke the arm off my spectacles. By the time I regained my senses he had gone but I'm pretty sure the whole incident must have been caught on CCTV. I went to the station supervisor and told him what happened but he said there was nothing he could do as the CCTV images are in the control of an external contractor. I don't really want to get the police involved but I feel that somebody should pay for the repairs to my spectacles and that somebody should not be me. Furthermore, there could be complications arising from the knock to my head so I feel the incident should be reported so that I can back up any course of legal action against Railtrack and / or the said offender. Does this sound reasonable?

Just stick the arm back on with sellotape a la Jack Duckworth. It will do wonders for your sex appeal.

[OwlHoot]

Anyway, as I drove away from the station - I saw the train pull in and felt a slight twinge of sadness that I wouldn't be climbing into those blue and red liveried carriages with all the other passengers this morning. There's always tomorrow

Now that is unutterably sad - Pining to be in an overcrowded train, when you're already in a car.

edit: I've sussed it now - From another post:

That's how I keep finding myself in the quiet carriage by mistake.

You prefer overcrowded carriages because you're a frotteur.

I guess we'll have to start calling you groperboy