Could we see a return to "essential travel only" messaging?

[The Ham]

What sort of documents? I suppose you could carry your work ID card, but that's no proof you're actually going there.

Also, providing essential care to a vulnerable person doesn't have any sort of documentation.

You want to see my work ID, here it is:

(No I didn't forget to upload the image, I just don't have one, nor are the significant number of people who work for SME's likely to have one either, as such even if you do have one you could just say that you don't and there's not a lot that they could do about it).

 

[Bletchleyite]

You want to see my work ID, here it is:

(No I didn't forget to upload the image, I just don't have one, nor are the significant number of people who work for SME's likely to have one either, as such even if you do have one you could just say that you don't and there's not a lot that they could do about it).

I have a work ID in case I want to get onto any of our company sites, which pre-COVID I did maybe once a week to get out of the house. What it won't tell you is that I'm home based (and was before COVID), and therefore any journey would pretty much by definition be non-essential.

 

[The Ham]

I have a work ID in case I want to get onto any of our company sites, which pre-COVID I did maybe once a week to get out of the house. What it won't tell you is that I'm home based (and was before COVID), and therefore any journey would pretty much by definition be non-essential.

Indeed, and therefore between us shown that demanding work ID isn't going to help identify if travel is essential.

 

[Bikeman78]

I would be amazed if their "rentathugs" were not charging round the place asking people for the reason for their journey. Any cases of that yet?

I saw two last week but they only asked to see tickets; nothing more.

 

[jamesst]

I saw two last week but they only asked to see tickets; nothing more.

Ticket checking is now part of there role, where that leaves the rpi's with the current state of merseyrails/ merseytravels finances remains to be seen.
I doubt very much anyone is charging across the network asking people where they are travelling, calling them 'rentathugs' in my opinion just comes across as incredibly childish.

 

[DB]

calling them 'rentathugs' in my opinion just comes across as incredibly childish.

That rather depends how they behave - and the unfortunate reality is that what is probably only a minority of station security staff behave in such a way that all of them end up with labels like this.

 

[Bikeman78]

Ticket checking is now part of there role, where that leaves the rpi's with the current state of merseyrails/ merseytravels finances remains to be seen.
I doubt very much anyone is charging across the network asking people where they are travelling, calling them 'rentathugs' in my opinion just comes across as incredibly childish.

Clearly you didn't travel on the class 37 hauled trains to Rhymney. Some were fine, some were idiots.

 

[Bletchleyite]

calling them 'rentathugs' in my opinion just comes across as incredibly childish

They are contract security guards, which more often than not do seem to conduct themselves as hired thugs in all areas of business. When they are proper railway staff employed directly by the railway in proper railway uniforms (not pseudopolice ones) and have proper railway training, I'll be happy with them.

Oddly, the private security industry in Germany and the Netherlands seems much more professional and less aggressive.

 

[nedchester]

They are contract security guards, which more often than not do seem to conduct themselves as hired thugs in all areas of business. When they are proper railway staff employed directly by the railway in proper railway uniforms (not pseudopolice ones) and have proper railway training, I'll be happy with them.

Oddly, the private security industry in Germany and the Netherlands seems much more professional and less aggressive.

Their behaviour is often aggressive and if they acted more professionally then they'd garner more respect. As for ticket checks are they ticket trained?

The TTIs directly employed by Merseyrail tend to be firm but polite and fair when they've checked my ticket in the past.

 

[trainophile]

Ticket checking is now part of there role, where that leaves the rpi's with the current state of merseyrails/ merseytravels finances remains to be seen.
I doubt very much anyone is charging across the network asking people where they are travelling, calling them 'rentathugs' in my opinion just comes across as incredibly childish.

They were in June.

 

[MDB1images]

Not sure if this thread is right place to put this....

Looks like some research to se how safe Public Transport is in London has been taken place.
London Standard article below which quotes that despite samples from Tube and Bus no Coronavirus was found,

'The system is safe': Experts find no evidence of Covid on Tube

“We are ready when you are ready"

www.standard.co.uk

...The most recent swab sampling involved testing escalators and Oyster readers at Waterloo and Euston stations, the grab handles on a Northern line train and the push buttons and handrails on a 205 bus.

Air samples – taken at a rate of 300 litres a minute for up to an hour, more than a human would breathe – were also taken at each location.

The testing was designed to replicate a typical rush-hour journey on a busy part of the network. “All results were negative, with no coronavirus being detected at any of the sampling sites,” a TfL spokesman told the Standard.

Earlier findings that were part of a separate wider study, did not find any coronavirus on surface samples from the Victoria line, TfL said...

 

[yorkie]

I don't think in Wales it ever changed from essential only

TfW's messaging was "essential travel only" but people could travel for any lawful reason; see: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ys-allowed-or-not.206316/page-19#post-4736862

 

[317 forever]

I doubt the government will ban non-essential travel in England. When we travel, we help other aspects of the economy as well as transport operators themselves.

 

[trainophile]

I doubt the government will ban non-essential travel in England. When we travel, we help other aspects of the economy as well as transport operators themselves.

I guess it's a trade off between the benefits to the general economy and the potential costs to the NHS. However if we can't or daren't travel abroad that only leaves UK destinations for the breaks that almost everyone needs occasionally to stay sane, so it would be another nail in the tourism industry's coffin to strictly outlaw non-essential i.e. leisure travel.

 

[james60059]

Probably looking more likely now since BoJo's announcement.

 

[Ianno87]

Probably looking more likely now since BoJo's announcement.

I hope it's a little more measured this time, i.e. "Please don't travel unless essential, but we'd love to have you back very soon!".

I.e. not the (basically) "Bugger off unless you're a key worker" as per the Lockdown 1 messaging.

 

[yorkie]

There must be no attempt to make people feel bad about making lawful journeys. Any such attempts should be opposed.

 

[johntea]

I hope they don't have the war time style "You must travel ONLY if your journey is essntial" announcements droning on just to depress you further at mainline stations, and as for "Hi I'm Kate and I work in the corner shop" style announcements...

 

[Scotrail314209]

I hope they don't have the war time style "You must travel ONLY if your journey is essntial" announcements droning on just to depress you further at mainline stations, and as for "Hi I'm Kate and I work in the corner shop" style announcements...

God those bloody key worker announcements are probably the most irritating things on earth. Yes, we know you work in a shop. Yes, we know it’s for key workers...

It’s been pleasant now that those announcements are gone, but I’m barely coping with the many announcements about distancing and face covering within seconds of each other.

 

[kristiang85]

See it, mask it, sorted.

 

[Class 33]

God those bloody key worker announcements are probably the most irritating things on earth. Yes, we know you work in a shop. Yes, we know it’s for key workers...

It’s been pleasant now that those announcements are gone, but I’m barely coping with the many announcements about distancing and face covering within seconds of each other.

We'll probably see the return of those key worker and essential worker announcements again unfortunately. Announcements at stations and onboard trains such as "A warm welcome to all key and essential workers this morning.....". As though to make people feel if you're not a key worker or essential worker then you're not welcome at this station/on this train service, and you shouldn't be here! Although I never experienced hearing these announcements myself when using Great Western Railway services and at stations in this region.

Absolutely can't stand the announcements about "social distancing" either, or indeed hearing it on the TV and in other places such as supermarkets. In Bristol some of the bus services I use has a "The number of available seats on this service has been reduced to aid social distancing." announcement going off literally every couple of minutes! Every time it gets to the "social distancing" bit of that sentence I put my fingers in my ears to block those darn words out! I now also do the same in supermarkets too. Some people who witness me doing that may well think I'm odd. But I'm just well and truly sick and tired of hearing those darn words after all these months now, and we'll still be hearing it for months to come yet. Other people I know feel the same too.

 

[VauxhallandI]

What sort of documents? I suppose you could carry your work ID card, but that's no proof you're actually going there.

Also, providing essential care to a vulnerable person doesn't have any sort of documentation.

They can see my work ID, it doesn’t say where I work for security reasons.

 

[peters]

I hope it's a little more measured this time, i.e. "Please don't travel unless essential, but we'd love to have you back very soon!".

I.e. not the (basically) "Bugger off unless you're a key worker" as per the Lockdown 1 messaging.

This time the government guidance allows recreation e.g. going to a park or garden (not as a form of exercise), if done with your household or with one person not in your household. Boris also made it very clear that everyone who is not working from home is to carry on going to work as normal (unless their workplace is closed e.g. if it's a restaurant.) It's also been well documented that places of education will remain open as usual.

So if TOCs want to do a message it better be along the lines of "Good morning everyone who is going to work, going to their place of study, going to a place of recreation, going to a medical appointment, going to a funeral...etc." or put simply just "Good morning everyone"

 

[james60059]

There must be no attempt to make people feel bad about making lawful journeys. Any such attempts should be opposed.

I couldn't agree more, sadly though I get the feeling that history will repeat itself - hope I'm wrong though.

This time the government guidance allows recreation e.g. going to a park or garden (not as a form of exercise), if done with your household or with one person not in your household.

In that case, if I wanted to go lineside to photograph trains on my own (which I do mostly anyway ) I should have no issues as I would be using my own motor vehicle as well

 

[yorkie]

In that case, if I wanted to go lineside to photograph trains on my own (which I do mostly anyway ) I should have no issues as I would be using my own motor vehicle as well

The rules are the same across all modes.

 

[185143]

Just heard a pre recorded essential travel announcement at Birmingham New Street. Different wording to last time.

Something along the lines of "Hi, Chris Heaton-Harris the UK Government Rail Minister. Please only travel if absolutely essential to allow space for social distancing"

 

[route101]

Guard on Scotrail service last week said only travel if its essential within the central belt last week.

 

[Class 33]

Just heard a pre recorded essential travel announcement at Birmingham New Street. Different wording to last time.

Something along the lines of "Hi, Chris Heaton-Harris the UK Government Rail Minister. Please only travel if absolutely essential to allow space for social distancing"

What utter nonsense from Chris Heaton-Harris!!! The lockdown hasn't even started yet. Non-essential travel is still allowed!

 

[185143]

What utter nonsense from Chris Heaton-Harris!!! The lockdown hasn't even started yet. Non-essential travel is still allowed!

Funnily enough it made no impact whatsoever on my decision to travel to the pub as planned!

 

[CaptainHaddock]

What utter nonsense from Chris Heaton-Harris!!! The lockdown hasn't even started yet. Non-essential travel is still allowed!

Non-essential travel will still be allowed after the lockdown starts. Advised against maybe, but still perfectly legal.