Angry Kent Commuter
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Snow!
Dec 7, 2010 14:03:23 GMT
Post by Angry Kent Commuter on Dec 7, 2010 14:03:23 GMT
Dear Mr Bulleid,
I hadn't thought about using Facebook or Twitter to spread the word, but then I'm not a member of them. If anyone on here is, please feel free to share the link with your friends and contacts. If we all work on it, I wonder if we can hit 100,000 before Christmas? That would be fuN! Even better if it makes it onto the news. Just think what a meal the BBC & ES would make of it!
Things seem to be slowly getting back to normal down here on the outskirts of Minster. I hope everyone else is having better luck at getting to work this week too.
Angry Kent Commuter
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Snow!
Dec 7, 2010 15:09:02 GMT
Post by Richard Trevithick on Dec 7, 2010 15:09:02 GMT
Sarah Boundy, the supposed spokesperson, has had a real hammering on LBC this morning. Asked "how many services that left London last night have not yet reached their destination" listeners were assailed with facts and figures about third rail icing problems etc.etc but NO answer. In the end Nick Ferrari "suggested" she go away and find the answer. The answer was "we just don't know"! Enough said. The majority of us quite understand that running services in such severe conditions is difficult. But please don't treat us as a group of iidiots. HOGW My medium has just discovered that LBC has put the interview on their website. For anyone who is interested, please follow this link to LBC: www.lbc.co.uk/why-cant-we-cope-with-snow-33345Kind regards, Richard T
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Snow!
Dec 7, 2010 15:12:36 GMT
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Dec 7, 2010 15:12:36 GMT
Dear AKC
Visits have been growing at one every three minutes - so your starting to gain volume in a short time.
It would be very good to get it to go viral...
Unfortunately, being a dead engineer I would find it difficult to make something move on Facebook - and how would I Tweet - but will try to talk to a medium who may be able to help.
(I have heard that it has been viewed by the political classes - so perhaps it may get to the media via them - does anyone know Max Clifford or indeed a friendly journalist?)
Yours sincerely O.V.S.Bulleid
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Snow!
Dec 7, 2010 20:34:08 GMT
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Dec 7, 2010 20:34:08 GMT
I understand that at least one member of the press has viewed it and viewings are at one each 1.25 minutes.
Yours sincerely O.V.S.bulleid
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Snow!
Dec 9, 2010 18:37:43 GMT
Post by heofgreatwisdom on Dec 9, 2010 18:37:43 GMT
I understand that a 'meet the managers' took place today for disgruntled passengers to ask what went wrong! But why have the meeting at St Pancras?
HOGW
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Snow!
Dec 9, 2010 18:57:32 GMT
Post by NoOnions on Dec 9, 2010 18:57:32 GMT
Very clever of them. The HS1 service was the only one that really ran, so the passengers getting off the train there today will be much less annoyed than passengers who arrive at Cannon St., London Bridge or Victoria, etc.
I very much doubt that many Mainline users would pay the extra to go to St. P to rant, as they (we) all have to go to work.
Cynical, moi?
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Snow!
Dec 9, 2010 22:07:01 GMT
Post by genehuntisking on Dec 9, 2010 22:07:01 GMT
In fairness the Meet The Managers sessions are fixed months in advance, and do rotate between London terminals.
Even so, I am led to believe today was not a good day on High Speed, with cancellations owing to units breaking down and lack of fit stock. I understand that yesterday afternoon there were four units short for service, and bear in mind only 22 out of 29 required for full service.
This on the same day there is a puff piece in The Kentish Express saying how well the 395s have coped keeping going in the snow...
The Gene Genie
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Snow!
Dec 9, 2010 23:16:30 GMT
Post by NoOnions on Dec 9, 2010 23:16:30 GMT
Last night the 17:30 from Cannon St. was an eight car, rather than a twelve car. This morning's 07:14 was an eight car rather than an eleven car (why is this train not a twelve car?) - I had checked the SE Trains website at 06:15 - no mention of this. I've tried entering my details into the SE Trains website to see how much my season ticket will rise by - it either gives me the 2010 price or tells me that my route does not exist. "In fairness the Meet The Managers sessions are fixed months in advance, and do rotate between London terminals." - honestly, it would not have taken much effort at all to move it. I'm very pro-rail (and, as I think I've mentioned before, my Dad was a BR man) but we are getting a poor service. I'm sick of finding toilets out of service, short formed trains and the assumption that we will pay inflation busting increases each year with no improvment in service. Rant over!
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paolo
New Member
Posts: 48
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Snow!
Dec 10, 2010 9:59:27 GMT
Post by paolo on Dec 10, 2010 9:59:27 GMT
Interesting article in the Metro this morning, apparently when the weather was really bad last week, NR had two de-icing trains being serviced!!
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Snow!
Dec 10, 2010 15:31:31 GMT
Post by heofgreatwisdom on Dec 10, 2010 15:31:31 GMT
The story of the de-icing units was aired on RK and the web this am. NR commented that" whether they were available or not would have made little difference as they were old units being re-furbished and their replacement units were much better."Ahem! Still seems a strange time to send them for re-furb! HOGW
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Snow!
Dec 11, 2010 22:54:00 GMT
Post by genehuntisking on Dec 11, 2010 22:54:00 GMT
Two points to pick up on.
1) If the Meet The Managers had been moved from St Pancras at short notice, wouldn't it have been perceived by High Speed users that they were "running away" on what was not a good day. I understand that they got a bit of a mauling, the High Speed passengers being particularly disgruntled that there were cancellations due to lack of fit stock. This on the same day The Kentish Express had a puff piece about how well the 395 had coped in the bad weather. If they have coped so well, how come they were only able to supply 18 units on the previous day (a not exactly demanding 22 out of 29 are required for service)? I am beginning to get a bit sick of hearing how wonderful this Japanese technology is. Having an availability of approx 70% for brand new trains shouldn't be that hard.
2) The deicer overhaul saga was totally foreseeable. GBRf who operate the class 73 locos that run with the deicer GLVs were waiting all summer for Network Rail to renew the contract. Being done at such late notice, meant there was not enough time to overhaul the GLVs. My impression is that the ex Gatwick Express GLVs are vastly superior to the MPVs, as (a) they spray heated deicer fluid and (b) they also have shoes that scrape teh third rail first. There are times when the MPVs just trundle around spraying deicer fluid on a thick layer of snow or ice, which is frankly pretty pointless.
The Gene Genie
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Snow!
Dec 11, 2010 22:58:13 GMT
Post by genehuntisking on Dec 11, 2010 22:58:13 GMT
Last night the 17:30 from Cannon St. was an eight car, rather than a twelve car. This morning's 07:14 was an eight car rather than an eleven car (why is this train not a twelve car?) - I had checked the SE Trains website at 06:15 - no mention of this. I've tried entering my details into the SE Trains website to see how much my season ticket will rise by - it either gives me the 2010 price or tells me that my route does not exist. "In fairness the Meet The Managers sessions are fixed months in advance, and do rotate between London terminals." - honestly, it would not have taken much effort at all to move it. I'm very pro-rail (and, as I think I've mentioned before, my Dad was a BR man) but we are getting a poor service. I'm sick of finding toilets out of service, short formed trains and the assumption that we will pay inflation busting increases each year with no improvment in service. Rant over! The mainline stock formation was not helped at the start of the week by a train being derailed in Grove Park depot on Monday morning, trapping in 11 coaches. Owing to requiring the down slow line to be shut, rerailing did not begin until 22.00 on Monday evening. Then once rerailed there was track damage which trapped the stock until repair work was completed at approx 16.00 on Tuesday. Then the stock had to be moved on Tuesday night at reduced speed to Ramsgate to be checked for any damage following the derailment. With 103 out of 112 375 units required for service, having an additional 3 units suddenly stopped puts a tremendous strain on the fleet. Not that it helps the passenger particularly, but just trying to give a bit of background as to why there were so many shortages particularly at the start of the week. The Gene Genie
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Snow!
Dec 11, 2010 23:55:35 GMT
Post by Vinnie on Dec 11, 2010 23:55:35 GMT
Dear Richard,
If i made,in your opion, a derogatory remark about Cel,s job.Why haven't you admonished your members or guest's derogatory comments about Southeastern staff? I disagree with your reply about obscene words.If you star out the letters everybody knows,except a small child,what that word means.It's still an offensive word.
I don,t want to labour the point,but,by your own admission you know practically no Guards/Conductors but have called the majority lazy so and so's.You have held out long enough I think the time has come to admit you were wrong. .
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Snow!
Dec 13, 2010 1:22:16 GMT
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Dec 13, 2010 1:22:16 GMT
Hi Vinnie
I am personally of the opinion that postings about a starred out word have past. Those of us who are dead for one reason or another (mainly old age) know enough train crew, station staff and indeed the management team to be in a position to give an honest opinion without worry about corporate communications getting in the way.
What we try to do is to let everyone comment from their personal experience about commuting at large. There are very few occasions when any moderators feel it necessary to intervene.
I believe that the past snow problems have passed and some of us have sent messages to politicians and others who have the position to influence how things are examined in the short and long term.
I also believe that both you and I do not wish to say anything about another member which goes against anyone's good character so would suggest that this is now beyond further discussion and opinion as it will get us nowhere.
There is more snow to come toward the end of the week so commuting may well suffer again - let's be keeping an eye on those who are not treating passengers as well as they should...
Yours sincerley O.V.S.Bulleid
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Snow!
Dec 15, 2010 16:51:42 GMT
Post by Richard Trevithick on Dec 15, 2010 16:51:42 GMT
Dear Richard, If i made,in your opion, a derogatory remark about Cel,s job.Why haven't you admonished your members or guest's derogatory comments about Southeastern staff? I disagree with your reply about obscene words.If you star out the letters everybody knows,except a small child,what that word means.It's still an offensive word. I don,t want to labour the point,but,by your own admission you know practically no Guards/Conductors but have called the majority lazy so and so's.You have held out long enough I think the time has come to admit you were wrong. . 1.) You upset Cel with your derogatory comment about her job. She responded, you responded - etc, etc, etc. I simply stepped in to point out that you had upset somebody and that I didn't want this to turn into a big personality clash/slanging match. Nothing more, nothing less. With regards to other members comments, please point me towards the ones you find offensive. As far as I am aware, no names have been mentioned. 2.) Perhaps you can tell the BBC and national newspapers that the *ing out of naughty words is wrong and should be stopped with immediate effect. My medium has searched the complains section of the BBC website and can't find any complains about this. 3.) There are enough complains on this forum alone about guards not performing ticket checks correctly (i.e. "any uncheckec tickets?" being shouted whilst rushing through the coach) or not at all. I recall that another common complaint is not going through 1st class after Bromley, despite the large number of free upgrades that are presumably never paid for. It is common to see a guard either asleep or reading a newspaper in the rear cab of a train rather than checking tickets, especially after 8-9pm when they all seem to apply extra effort in hiding away. Drivers often complain about the guard being lazy or not there when needed, leaving boot prints on the windscreen/window open/cigarette ash everywhere, etc. I'm not suggesting they are all bad. But a lot are. And then they wonder why the company is constantly attempting to erode their role! I don't understand what you are accusing me of and what I am supposed to apologise for, please elaborate more. Are you a guard? Have I hit a raw nerve? Have a nice day. RT
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