Rail tickets from the Racecourse station Options

[On the edge]

Again I agree, except there is NO excuse for taking out ones frustrations on the front end people who are trying to do the job for which they were employed and trained.
It has no effect on improving things whatsoever.
Direct your venom at those who can make a difference. There are many ways of doing so.

I suspect we are in violent agreement, if you'll forgive the words. Yes, venting one's frustrations in an unpleasant way to the people up front is quite wrong and unacceptable. I'm simply pointing out that it's sadly inevitable with elements of the population. It is an executive decision to chisel operating costs to the extent that staffing levels are so reduced and funding so limited to prevent the installation of more vending machines. Again, unacceptable as that is, we can understand why it's done; to maintain the dividend and protect director emoluments. So who can put things to rights? In my view, the government appointed Regulators, that's the official route. I'll certainly drop them a line, but having done so in the past, I have serious doubts as to their effectiveness. At the end of the day, the way we put the railways back into private ownership was driven by city greed and political ideology rather than common sense and logic.

[On the edge]

Again I agree, except there is NO excuse for taking out ones frustrations on the front end people who are trying to do the job for which they were employed and trained.
It has no effect on improving things whatsoever.
Direct your venom at those who can make a difference. There are many ways of doing so.

I suspect we are in violent agreement, if you'll forgive the words. Yes, venting one's frustrations in an unpleasant way to the people up front is quite wrong and unacceptable. I'm simply pointing out that it's sadly inevitable with elements of the population. It is an executive decision to chisel operating costs to the extent that staffing levels are so reduced and funding so limited to prevent the installation of more vending machines. Again, unacceptable as that is, we can understand why it's done; to maintain the dividend and protect director emoluments. So who can put things to rights? In my view, the government appointed Regulators, that's the official route. I'll certainly drop them a line, but having done so in the past, I have serious doubts as to their effectiveness. At the end of the day, the way we put the railways back into private ownership was driven by city greed and political ideology rather than common sense and logic.

[Andy Capp]

The vending machines can be a bit of a challenge when they do work, especially when it is close to departure time and you have a queue behind you.

[Biker1]

The vending machines can be a bit of a challenge when they do work, especially when it is close to departure time and you have a queue behind you.

Better get used to it AC!
The rail company's vision of the future appears to be to remove the human interface as much as possible and replace with TVM's.
Here is a list where Southern plans to or has already done so this year.
Battersea Park
Carshalton Beeches
Gipsy Hill
Peckham Rye
Queens Road Peckham
Selhurst
Streatham
Streatham Common
Streatham Hill
South Croydon
Tulse Hill
Wandsworth Common
West Norwood

[On the edge]

Better get used to it AC!
The rail company's vision of the future appears to be to remove the human interface as much as possible and replace with TVM's.
Here is a list where Southern plans to or has already done so this year.
Battersea Park
Carshalton Beeches
Gipsy Hill
Peckham Rye
Queens Road Peckham
Selhurst
Streatham
Streatham Common
Streatham Hill
South Croydon
Tulse Hill
Wandsworth Common
West Norwood

Which is all fine and Dandy, IF the machines and processes are perceived by the public to work properly and well. That this is Southern, brings into focus their present industrial dispute; leading one to suspect that the Trades Union has had to pick up the role abdicated by the Regulator.

[Berkshirelad]

When I arrived at my destination they were inspecting all tickets and I had to explain why I was without a ticket.

Fine

I was also asked for my proper home address and the station I first boarded, I was then sold a ticket at the normal price.

I fail to see a need to have an address; either they accept what you are saying and sell you a ticket or they issue a penalty - your address is irrelevant either way and I am not sure that they have the right to demand it

[Andy Capp]

I fail to see a need to have an address; either they accept what you are saying and sell you a ticket or they issue a penalty - your address is irrelevant either way and I am not sure that they have the right to demand it

They do; it is an offence to fail to give it when asked if you are travelling without a valid ticket.

If you don’t have a valid ticket

If you can’t show us a valid ticket for your journey, we may:
• charge you the full price ticket
• give you a UFN or a PFN
• report you to our Prosecutions Department

If we ask for your details

Our staff can ask you for your name and address if they
think you haven’t paid the right fare. Please give them
the right details – it’s against the law to refuse or give the
wrong details.

[On the edge]

Interesting that. Some customer service standard that; if you don't keep our rules even when we make it very difficult for you to do so, we'll treat you like a common criminal. Nice that!

[Biker1]

Which is all fine and Dandy, IF the machines and processes are perceived by the public to work properly and well.

I disagee.
People such as AC obviously say they have issues even when the machines are working properly.

[Biker1]

your address is irrelevant either way

They obviously need it if they are to issue a penalty.

and I am not sure that they have the right to demand it

They do.

[On the edge]

I disagee.
People such as AC obviously say they have issues even when the machines are working properly.

I wonder how you'd feel if other traders made it very difficult for you to pay, and then when you did, treated you as if you were a shoplifter? Is it really to much to ask for a conductor or even a vending machine to be on each train?

The under resourcing bit is decidedly odd, when the rail companies make such a fuss about people trying to avoid fares; where the standard way of drawing attention to this is to do a mob handed ticket inspection.

After selecting some clothes in M&S recently, the tills near the men's ware section were blocked by two elderly ladies having a long tedious debate about the merits of a dress. The only other one wasn't open. Annoyed at the delay, I took my stuff down stairs and went to a food hall check out.....not a murmer, stuff wrapped and bagged, money taken, and without me making any comment, 'thanks for that Sir, I'm really sorry about upstairs, we haven't got it quite right yet'. It's called customer service.....

[Turin Machine]

I used to catch the train from hungerford to Newbury sat eves, no machine, no inspectors and the Newbury ticket office lo does and bolted!

[On the edge]

I used to catch the train from hungerford to Newbury sat eves, no machine, no inspectors and the Newbury ticket office lo does and bolted!

.....ahem, could you provide your full name and address, together with the number of times you did this.

If you don't we know where you live.....

[TallDarkAndHands...]

1970s rolling stock...
1970s Unions....
1970s infrastructure...
Trains that catch fire...
Trains that don't run because of the wrong type of snow,rain,sun etc.
Suicides by the dozen delaying Trains..
I could go on... Getting to work is a lottery.

Buying an actual ticket is the least of my worries. Plan ahead. Simples.

[x2lls]

1970s rolling stock...
1970s Unions....
1970s infrastructure...
Trains that catch fire...
Trains that don't run because of the wrong type of snow,rain,sun etc.
Suicides by the dozen delaying Trains..
I could go on... Getting to work is a lottery.

Buying an actual ticket is the least of my worries. Plan ahead. Simples.

That says a lot. But does it?, or is it just a load of bullet points with no further influence on today,than the invention of the wheel , or the pencil.

[TallDarkAndHands...]

That says a lot. But does it?, or is it just a load of bullet points with no further influence on today,than the invention of the wheel , or the pencil.

Its just a grumble. I'm saying we have a lot more problems with the railways than buying tickets. U can't get anywhere these days without going through a barrier so just get one before you leave. I would say train companies could help themselves by having an app that would produce an on line ticket that could be scanned.

[Andy Capp]

I disagee.
People such as AC obviously say they have issues even when the machines are working properly.

The machines I have used are not exactly like this, but this gives you an idea:

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and...-machine-videos

The point is, even when you know how to use the machine it can take a while to complete the transactions, but just look at the options you have to digest. Meanwhile it is peacing with rain (if outside) and you have a small queue behind you AND you have the pressure of making sure your choices are correct. It is fine if it is a routine purchase, but not so easy for occasional users.

Compared to going to a kiosk and saying:

Me: can I have the cheapest ticket to Twickenham please?
Clerk: Same day return?
Me: yes.
Clerk: That will be seven thousand eight hundred pounds and six pence please.
Me: Thank you. Can you tell me when the next train is please?
Clerk: yes. In 8 minutes from platform 3, change at Reading.
Me: OK thanks.

Or like yesterday where the clerk advised me that it would be cheaper to catch a train after 9. You don't get that kind of service with a ticket machine.

[Andy Capp]

Its just a grumble. I'm saying we have a lot more problems with the railways than buying tickets. U can't get anywhere these days without going through a barrier so just get one before you leave. I would say train companies could help themselves by having an app that would produce an on line ticket that could be scanned.

We have bigger problems in life that trains. It doesn't negate the discussion though!

[On the edge]

1970s rolling stock...
1970s Unions....
1970s infrastructure...
Trains that catch fire...
Trains that don't run because of the wrong type of snow,rain,sun etc.
Suicides by the dozen delaying Trains..
I could go on... Getting to work is a lottery.

Buying an actual ticket is the least of my worries. Plan ahead. Simples.

I agree; one of the biggest problems we face in this Country was the botched privatisation of several public infrastructures - where money we could have invested in more effective and economic systems has simply been sucked out and spent overseas. Remember all those little Sids who got enough for a week on the Costa, buying then selling initially? Clever weren't they! So sure, plan ahead, when confronted with a ballot paper, put the X in the right box. Simples.

[Biker1]

1970s rolling stock... HST's yes but soon to be replaced
1970s Unions.... correct
1970s infrastructure...incorrect and you would soon feel the adverse effect if it still was
Trains that catch fire...very rarely and not as often as lorries on the A34!
Trains that don't run because of the wrong type of snow,rain,sun etc. as do other forms of transport
Suicides by the dozen delaying Trains.. No comment!!!
I could go on... Getting to work is a lottery. as it is other forms of transport

Buying an actual ticket is the least of my worries. Plan ahead. Simples. Think you put a plural in there by mistake!!