Thursday, August 24, 2006
Off the Rails
I accidentally bought a first class ticket for my trip home from Bristol yesterday. I did this by buying it on line at First Great Western's web site. If you look for a return ticket, it'll list the prices and provide you with a link to a list of the various single ticket options which are often much cheaper because they restrict you to travelling on reserved seats on specific trains. I didn't realise but the tickets are listen in more or less price order with the first class options are mixed up with the standard class options. I just selected the top one on the list (or perhaps went for the top one and accidentally got the second one), I didn't realise until I checked my reservation and found it to be in First Class.
The main point of the story is that I sat opposite to a couple that appeared to have no idea about trains, in fact they probably had to take turns to use the brain cell. The man asked me if Paddington was the last stop and how close was Hammersmith and would they need to get another train to get there.
My suspicions were confirmed when the ticket inspector came round. They didn't actually have first class tickets, nor did they realise they were in first class in spite of the fact that every seat has the words "First Class" written on the head rest. That didn't matter though because they also didn't have standard class tickets. It wouldn't have been a problem because you can buy tickets on the train, but when the ticket inspector said standard class tickets are £41 each, it became obvious from the jaw dropping that these people also didn't have £41 each. They managed to blag the ticket inspector into giving them a few minutes to think, so he went down the train checking everybody else's tickets. By the time he came back, they had gone off in the other direction to find some toilets to hide in. I know this because they discussed the strategy while the inspector was away, ignoring the fact that the passenger opposite (i.e. me) would probably sing like a canary if interrogated about their whereabouts.
The ticket inspector followed the couple, but obviously didn't catch up because soon afterwards we pulled in to Swindon and the buffet car attendant and I watched them get off the train and wander out of the exit and then wander back onto the platform again having found out that Swindon has electronic ticket barriers. They are probably still there now.
The main point of the story is that I sat opposite to a couple that appeared to have no idea about trains, in fact they probably had to take turns to use the brain cell. The man asked me if Paddington was the last stop and how close was Hammersmith and would they need to get another train to get there.
My suspicions were confirmed when the ticket inspector came round. They didn't actually have first class tickets, nor did they realise they were in first class in spite of the fact that every seat has the words "First Class" written on the head rest. That didn't matter though because they also didn't have standard class tickets. It wouldn't have been a problem because you can buy tickets on the train, but when the ticket inspector said standard class tickets are £41 each, it became obvious from the jaw dropping that these people also didn't have £41 each. They managed to blag the ticket inspector into giving them a few minutes to think, so he went down the train checking everybody else's tickets. By the time he came back, they had gone off in the other direction to find some toilets to hide in. I know this because they discussed the strategy while the inspector was away, ignoring the fact that the passenger opposite (i.e. me) would probably sing like a canary if interrogated about their whereabouts.
The ticket inspector followed the couple, but obviously didn't catch up because soon afterwards we pulled in to Swindon and the buffet car attendant and I watched them get off the train and wander out of the exit and then wander back onto the platform again having found out that Swindon has electronic ticket barriers. They are probably still there now.
# posted by JeremyP : 4:33 pm
