So Why should the railway be responsible for you getting ill, did they give you the bug? The responsibility rests with you so unfortunately nothing is due back!
I'd
partially agree with that insofar as it isn't automatically the railways fault if a passenger gets an illness and encounters the above circumstances. However in about 99% of cases, the passenger didn't do anything that posed a risk of catching an illness or other "bug" either.
In my view; Illness cannot be deemed to be the passengers fault
unless it is proven that the passenger did something in the days before travelling likely to pose a risk of illness - Such as handling hazardous substances - Prior to which they reasonably had the chance to make their own mature decision as to any risks involved and the possible consequences.
Following this point on; It's worth bearing in mind that the rail companies are financially a lot better off than the vast majority of their passengers, and those companies wouldn't lose anything out (Bar any extra "profit" from the sale of a second ticket, which I would consider unfairly charged) in allowing a passenger to travel on their original ticket where unavoidable circumstances reasonably justified it.
Although I'll agree that - As a normal railway customer - My viewpoint on operational measures is a very limited one, I can't see how it would cost a TOC any extra in operational fees in allowing myself and my 10Kg of luggage (75Kg/148lb in all) to travel "late" in this way...As I daresay that a train would use exactly the same amount of fuel and accrue the same access charges on an empty ECS run than it would carrying the driver, Guard, and myself in passenger service!
Incidentally, it also has to be asked where the situation lies when a passengers illness
can reasonably be attributed to using the railway? On the ALR that I took last year, the only time across four whole days that I
wasn't on mainline railway property was when changing between Glasgow Queen St/Central and using the Ffestiniog to make a mainline connection. However I fell quite ill on the Friday afternoon and had to rest/recover at a friends gaff in the Midlands for a few days...And I can't honestly see myself having caught that bug from anywhere
other than the railway!
I was a customer of the Post Office for two years and previously a customer of another company, and both their annual policies included only domestic trips where you are going to stay in paid-for accommodation, so check the small print.
Cheers for flagging that condition for my attention, Mojo! 8)
As ye may already know, I tend to take a rather "Backpacker" approach to many of my trips - Both at home and abroad - And often I stay with friends (Whenever possible), use backpacker's/youth hostels, or work to an irregular schedule to allow me to rest in transit rather than having to use hotels and keep my travel costs down. On my ALR last year for example, I was sleeping on long-distance and night workings to save on hotels - And it allowed me to clock up the most mileage possible into the bargain!
Are ye familiar with any companies and policies which cover all trips taken for pleasure - Including intense railtours, camping, and other excursions where one makes their own accommodation - Or are they a rarity?
Incidentally, would a booked seat on a Sleeper (In the seated carriage, taken as part of an ALR or other "Leisure pass") classify as "paid" accommodation for the purposes of travel insurance, given that a paid travel/season ticket and reservation is necessary to use it?
Agreed thats what insurance is for.
However it's nice when someone understands that its not your fault and uses their discretion which is good customer service IMO.
Agreed. If it was really genuine and he had documentation to prove that, and needed to get home, I reckon someone may show discretion.
That's what I would hope a TOC would do in such circumstances - Given it wasn't the passengers fault that the illness/injury occurred, and that the £50-odd ching for a "second" ticket would hurt an established TOC
far less than it would hurt the average passenger!
Mind ye though, I'll have to look into an insurance policy that'll cover both my trips outside the country and Europe (Including the US, which I plan to return to next year)
and the numerous trips that I take for pleasure within the UK as well.
Are there any policies suitable for this (Paying attention to my response to Mojo's post above) that anyone can recommend?
Ofcourse there is one possible problem in that the barrier staff may let through and the guard on the first train may let you travel, but whos to say that the staff on the 2nd train or at the destination station would be as generous ?
In those circumstances, I would ask for a permit or other written authorisation that could be presented en-route...Especially as my "normal" run nowadays involves travel on three different TOCs, and involves passing through the "territory" of at least another four!
hock:
