So... Is this conflict with staff becoming a recurring theme with me? I think so. 
Anyway my journey this morning was from Mauldeth Road to Sheffield, continuing this evening from there to Leeds. I have an AP on the 0858 TPE from Manchester to Sheffield. I went to catch the train at 0837, but it was, unfortunately, bustituted at 0841, due to arrive at 0852. Oh dear I thought - as the journey typically takes longer than 12 minutes, even if the absence of any real traffic as there is at that time on a Sunday morning. The bus arrived at 0856 and I got off as quickly as possible but ran through the doors of platform 3 and saw the dispatcher blowing his whistle. The guard promptly closed the only set of passenger doors still open, and I missed the train because there were 2x170 stabled in the platform, so it was a long walk down to the single 170 going to Sheffield. I continued running anyway and waved at my friends who were standing in the doorway
I spoke to the man who'd dispatched the train he was very nice I thought, I said I'd been on a late bus, he sent me up to a little TPE stand to get my tickets stamped, they were duly stamped and marked please allow travel. The member of TPE staff said "There aren't many trains to Sheffield today, your next is the Northern stopper at 0922, you're best off asking the guard on that before you get on but I think they will be fine with it."
So I went to the Merseytravel pacer to find the guard - she came in from having a cigarette I think about 5 minutes before departure, she started checking tickets on the train before departure: "Excuse me, would this TransPennine ticket to Sheffield be OK, I've"-
"No."
"But I've got it stamped!"
she ignored me and walked off to ask the next person for their ticket.
So the next train to Sheffield was at 1118, 2 hours I wasn't best pleased with waiting that long. I tried asking some more of the platform staff (from both companies) if they could ask her to let me on but when I said I had asked the guard and she'd said no they just said I'd need to wait until 1118. Fair enough if the guard wants to be like that what can they do. I was pretty upset at this point so I went to the ticket office as my last resort (I've had a lot of dealings with them before and most of the people who work there are pretty unfriendly towards me, I do wonder if they recognise me!). Nothing new there the clerk just kept interrupting me and said I'd need a new ticket and should not have tried to get on the Northern service. Anyway I had a panic attack resulting in chest pains (harmless when they're caused by stress but still) in the ticket office after asking for a refund - I can't remember all of the conversation but this was of course was a non-starter I was given the usual crap about no refunds can be issued at a station you have to write to them and told that "We are Virgin Trains, not TransPennine Express". Same old same old. I said then I just want to go home (I was having some trouble speaking!) so she sold me a Manchester STNS - Mauldeth Road return because there was a train in 5 minutes. Fair enough I thought that's quicker than a taxi anyway.
Anyway my life story is now over, think it's technically all my fault because I didn't account for the bus which put me beyond the 10 minute minimum connection time. I'm not saying I was entitled to a refund either or even to onward travel anywhere but I did my best and look what I got from the staff in return. I've got an AP on tonight's 2139 XC Sheffield - Leeds, plus the 2 tickets already mentioned (all YP railcard) and I'm at home where I travel from Mauldeth Road. I've somehow got to get to Leeds for tonight, I have cancelled my plans in Sheffield. Does anyone have any advice on what to do next or a neutral interpretation of what happened? I can't make head nor tale of it at present.
Anyway my journey this morning was from Mauldeth Road to Sheffield, continuing this evening from there to Leeds. I have an AP on the 0858 TPE from Manchester to Sheffield. I went to catch the train at 0837, but it was, unfortunately, bustituted at 0841, due to arrive at 0852. Oh dear I thought - as the journey typically takes longer than 12 minutes, even if the absence of any real traffic as there is at that time on a Sunday morning. The bus arrived at 0856 and I got off as quickly as possible but ran through the doors of platform 3 and saw the dispatcher blowing his whistle. The guard promptly closed the only set of passenger doors still open, and I missed the train because there were 2x170 stabled in the platform, so it was a long walk down to the single 170 going to Sheffield. I continued running anyway and waved at my friends who were standing in the doorway
I spoke to the man who'd dispatched the train he was very nice I thought, I said I'd been on a late bus, he sent me up to a little TPE stand to get my tickets stamped, they were duly stamped and marked please allow travel. The member of TPE staff said "There aren't many trains to Sheffield today, your next is the Northern stopper at 0922, you're best off asking the guard on that before you get on but I think they will be fine with it."
So I went to the Merseytravel pacer to find the guard - she came in from having a cigarette I think about 5 minutes before departure, she started checking tickets on the train before departure: "Excuse me, would this TransPennine ticket to Sheffield be OK, I've"-
"No."
"But I've got it stamped!"
she ignored me and walked off to ask the next person for their ticket.
So the next train to Sheffield was at 1118, 2 hours I wasn't best pleased with waiting that long. I tried asking some more of the platform staff (from both companies) if they could ask her to let me on but when I said I had asked the guard and she'd said no they just said I'd need to wait until 1118. Fair enough if the guard wants to be like that what can they do. I was pretty upset at this point so I went to the ticket office as my last resort (I've had a lot of dealings with them before and most of the people who work there are pretty unfriendly towards me, I do wonder if they recognise me!). Nothing new there the clerk just kept interrupting me and said I'd need a new ticket and should not have tried to get on the Northern service. Anyway I had a panic attack resulting in chest pains (harmless when they're caused by stress but still) in the ticket office after asking for a refund - I can't remember all of the conversation but this was of course was a non-starter I was given the usual crap about no refunds can be issued at a station you have to write to them and told that "We are Virgin Trains, not TransPennine Express". Same old same old. I said then I just want to go home (I was having some trouble speaking!) so she sold me a Manchester STNS - Mauldeth Road return because there was a train in 5 minutes. Fair enough I thought that's quicker than a taxi anyway.
Anyway my life story is now over, think it's technically all my fault because I didn't account for the bus which put me beyond the 10 minute minimum connection time. I'm not saying I was entitled to a refund either or even to onward travel anywhere but I did my best and look what I got from the staff in return. I've got an AP on tonight's 2139 XC Sheffield - Leeds, plus the 2 tickets already mentioned (all YP railcard) and I'm at home where I travel from Mauldeth Road. I've somehow got to get to Leeds for tonight, I have cancelled my plans in Sheffield. Does anyone have any advice on what to do next or a neutral interpretation of what happened? I can't make head nor tale of it at present.
