A "Lighter Moment" on Trans Pennine Express

[Red Dragon]

Travelling via Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly last week, en route to The Heart of Wales line, I witnessed an enlightening conversation between the guard and a passenger.

A ticket inspection was being carried out between HUD and MAN and the passenger in front of me duly produced his ticket and his 16-25 Railcard for the guard.

The guard said he couldn’t read the expiry date on the Railcard.

The passenger looked worried but assured the guard the Railcard was valid, but the date had disappeared.

The guard then asked him if he smoked. The passenger looked very strangely at the guard but replied that he did smoke. The guard asked the passenger if he had a lighter with him, and the passenger reluctantly produced his lighter. By this time the passenger was looking even more worried, but there was more to come.

The guard lit the lighter and appeared to try to set fire to the undated Railcard – the passenger's jaw dropped, whilst the rest of us looked on in disbelief!

After attempting to incinerate the Railcard for a few seconds with the lighter, the guard held it up to show that the date had miraculously re-appeared and, as the passenger had said, it was valid!

I gave the guard a round of applause and asked him what he did as an encore - the guard winked and went about his duties!

Thought you might like to share my “lighter moment” on the Trans Pennine Express last week.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I wouldn't like to be the person who has to write a Risk Assessment for that activity!

 

[Flamingo]

I've never been brave enough to do this, as I might set the card alight.

 

[Stigy]

Breach of Byelaw there by the Guard....Don't think staff are exempt from that one, even in the course of their duties, lol....

 

[penaltyfines]

Breach of Byelaw there by the Guard....Don't think staff are exempt from that one, even in the course of their duties, lol....

And what byelaw is that? I hope you're not going to say smoking...

 

[Ferret]

I've never been brave enough to do this, as I might set the card alight.

Swipe it through Avantix! Works for me!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Swipe it through Avantix! Works for me!

What? To put out the flames?

That might just explain some of the mysterious printer problems!

 

[Stigy]

And what byelaw is that? I hope you're not going to say smoking...

I was intending it as a joke, but Byelaw 3 covers smoking, as well as carrying a lighted match or lighter where dictated by a sign. As I said, just some light humour nonetheless.

No person shall smoke or carry a lighted pipe, cigar, cigarette, match, lighter
or other lighted item on any part of the railway on or near which there is a
notice indicating that smoking is not allowed.

 

[STKKK46]

That is quite fascinating. One of my mates has this problem as well, and always gets stopped at New Street about it. Would you happen to know if this railcard was produced at a station or online, as his was bought on the spot?

 

[Blindtraveler]

nice to hear TPE staff are humans. Örth of Carlisle they vrn into heardsman cramming all the animals into the barns, oh sorry the 185!

That is quite fascinating. One of my mates has this problem as well, and always gets stopped at New Street about it. Would you happen to know if this railcard was produced at a station or online, as his was bought on the spot?

 

[BestWestern]

Yep, a very common problem. If you have a fading card, just go to a booking office with it, where they will happily stamp and endorse it for you

 

[lyesbkz]

That is quite fascinating. One of my mates has this problem as well, and always gets stopped at New Street about it. Would you happen to know if this railcard was produced at a station or online, as his was bought on the spot?

Presumably it will be a station one (as these are thermally printed).

 

[185]

Being TPE with the cheap crap flammable uniforms they provide, that guard was inches from being incinerated.

 

[Ferret]

What? To put out the flames?

That might just explain some of the mysterious printer problems!

Nah, that might set fire to the Avantix. Oh hang on....what a fantastic idea! On Saturday, I was trying to sell a ticket to a chap who works for Atos Origin (they who are responsible for Avantix in the first place!). When it wouldn't b####y work, it was most amusing to see the customer apologising to me as I jokingly threatened to launch the thing out of the window!!! Happily a reset did the trick in the end, but they sure can be temperamental pieces of kit!

(Dave - as a serious answer, if you swipe the railcard through the Avantix machine, it should be able to tell you the expiry date from the magnetic strip data)

 

[185]

When they were first introduced, one irate TM from Virgin West Coast did try microwaving one during an 'angry moment'.

 

[jopsuk]

When they were first introduced, one irate TM from Virgin West Coast did try microwaving one during an 'angry moment'.

ooh, sparky...

 

[Blindtraveler]

why is everything atos lay there mits on crap? machines that dont work, causing trubble for pacs and staff, and just wen your on your way back from the gp for a referral for anger management, anns voice rings out over the station pa resulting in your rushing streight back for some anti depressants!

 

[jon0844]

They do pretty well at the Olympics though! I visited their operation at the China Olympics and you can safely say that they make a fair few quid from it.

 

[Blindtraveler]

its to be hoped that this is the case next year!

They do pretty well at the Olympics though! I visited their operation at the China Olympics and you can safely say that they make a fair few quid from it.

 

[jon0844]

It will be. They've got it sorted, and when I was there in 2008, they said that within two weeks of leaving China they'd have their new offices set up at Canary Wharf (I believe they have two floors) to begin preparations.

Not bad to be preparing for the Olympics with a full complement of staff just under four years in advance!

By contrast, for the roll-out of the new FCC passenger information system, I believe they asked the part-time cleaner that works 3 days a week to do it all.

 

[Red Dragon]

That is quite fascinating. One of my mates has this problem as well, and always gets stopped at New Street about it. Would you happen to know if this railcard was produced at a station or online, as his was bought on the spot?

I believe the passenger said it was bought at a station.

 

[island]

Online ones won't have that problem, as they are (I believe) printed using a plastic card printer and then covered with a protective film, as opposed to station-issued ones which are just printed out of the station ticket printer.

 

[Chapeltom]

Online ones scratch really badly. Mine went in my pocket with my keys a few times and is scratched to bits.

 

[Red Dragon]

They do pretty well at the Olympics though! I visited their operation at the China Olympics and you can safely say that they make a fair few quid from it.

At the Millennium Stadium Cardiff, automatic ticket readers were installed on the barriers - 12 years on they still don't work and each one of the hundreds of barriers is manned for every event I've been to.

Hope the 2012 London Olympic stadium barrier system is better than Cardiff !

As I remember it was an Aussie system in Cardiff.

The Olympics systems should be first class - as it has been overseen by Chairman John Armitt.

 

[jon0844]

I meant the services they provide to the Olympics itself. It's amazing the info it gathers (from timings to all the info useful to the media covering the event).

You'll never think a sports journalist is clever ever again, as they have screens and screens of info and stats to sound intelligent - but it's all gathered and maintained by Atos Origin. In China they also delayed the broadcasts a little (in case someone run out with a flag saying Free Tibet) so we could see the results a little in advance - and, in theory, you could then have a little heads up on what to say if giving a commentary.

Sort of like hearing the result on analogue TV before those watching on digital TV hear it!

Of course, that bit only works if you're commentating on the filmed material - not watching it live!

 

[MikeWh]

Totally off-topic - sorry - but could jonmorris0844 please respond to the PM I sent yesterday. Thanks.

 

[Blindtraveler]

na mate, he's too busy buying shares in atos
have to agree with his post about the fcc pis though, Last trip to luton airport parkway I was reliably informed the next train would be formed of 16 coaches and it was 5 mins late. Imagion the dismay when an EMT 5 car 222 pulls in 16 mins late? Come back bmi baby, all is forgiven! This flying to luton instead of east mids aint healthy!