Drunks

[Greenback]

I have been confused myself as to why people need to have a can of Fosters when on the train at 1000. I don;t feel the need to do that myself, but each to their own I suppose, no harm in it really.

I was in an Edinburgh hotel when a customer asked for a glass of wine with his breakfast. It provoked much merriment from his table mates, but he said he always did it when away from home!

I think a lot of people porbably take their own booze when on a long journey - it's cheaper than buying it on board!

 

[networkrail1]

Give me cherry coke and a pack of fags any day of the week i hate alcohol.

All the best.

Simon

 

[Greenback]

I can't remember the last time I actually had alcohol on the train. It may have been 2002 when I bought a can or two of lager on the train down from inverness. On the other hand, I may have forgotten an incident due to alcohol!

Of course, I've been udner the influence when going home on numerous occasions, following a vist to the pub and a game of darts!

I normally prefer drinking pepsi or tea on the train nowadays!

 

[trainophile]

Also it's so embarrassing walking the length of the coach only to find the toilet engaged! One doesn't know whether to stand around pretending you just wanted to look out the window for a while, or stand next to the toilet door to make sure you are next in the queue, or slink back to your seat hoping people think you just went to read the safety notices!

 

[Chapeltom]

I quite regularly drink on trains, 70% of the time and have no shame in admitting it. I travel to watch football/go to Manchester for a few drinks, its all leisure travel at the moment and If I'm travelling home from an hour upwards away I'll always have at least one bottle/can with me just simply to make the journey back a bit easier. Come 7pm onwards, Blackberry has little battery, nothing to read on the trains, I can have a beer as a responsible adult and enjoy it without disrupting other peoples journeys. I could never bring myself to abuse/annoy someone else and ruin their journey no matter how much I've had, its just wrong. One for the train, just part of me.

I've travelled with mates and if I'm travelling quite a way normally crack open a can (I hate lager, I'm a bitter or ale lad) but never earlier than 11am on a Saturday, we call it "steadily heavy!!"

People who are idiots need sorting out but the vast majority of us can handle 3-4 pints, possibly more and still act in a sensible and responsible manner

 

[Flamingo]

Also it's so embarrassing walking the length of the coach only to find the toilet engaged! One doesn't know whether to stand around pretending you just wanted to look out the window for a while, or stand next to the toilet door to make sure you are next in the queue, or slink back to your seat hoping people think you just went to read the safety notices!

That's when you miss droplight windows
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I quite regularly drink on trains, 70% of the time and have no shame in admitting it. I travel to watch football/go to Manchester for a few drinks, its all leisure travel at the moment and If I'm travelling home from an hour upwards away I'll always have at least one bottle/can with me just simply to make the journey back a bit easier. Come 7pm onwards, Blackberry has little battery, nothing to read on the trains, I can have a beer as a responsible adult and enjoy it without disrupting other peoples journeys. I could never bring myself to abuse/annoy someone else and ruin their journey no matter how much I've had, its just wrong. One for the train, just part of me.

I've travelled with mates and if I'm travelling quite a way normally crack open a can (I hate lager, I'm a bitter or ale lad) but never earlier than 11am on a Saturday, we call it "steadily heavy!!"

People who are idiots need sorting out but the vast majority of us can handle 3-4 pints, possibly more and still act in a sensible and responsible manner

Unfortunately, there are a minority who don't. And even well-behaved groups usually have one member who feels they have to act like a prat.

 

[MrPosh]

I quite regularly drink on trains, 70% of the time and have no shame in admitting it. I travel to watch football/go to Manchester for a few drinks, its all leisure travel at the moment and If I'm travelling home from an hour upwards away I'll always have at least one bottle/can with me just simply to make the journey back a bit easier. Come 7pm onwards, Blackberry has little battery, nothing to read on the trains, I can have a beer as a responsible adult and enjoy it without disrupting other peoples journeys. I could never bring myself to abuse/annoy someone else and ruin their journey no matter how much I've had, its just wrong. One for the train, just part of me.

I've travelled with mates and if I'm travelling quite a way normally crack open a can (I hate lager, I'm a bitter or ale lad) but never earlier than 11am on a Saturday, we call it "steadily heavy!!"

People who are idiots need sorting out but the vast majority of us can handle 3-4 pints, possibly more and still act in a sensible and responsible manner

Are you a driver?

 

[spoony]

Last weekend I was on the 8.40am out of Newcastle to Leeds en route to Bolton v Sunderland. By 8.41 I had a can open. Both myself and my fellow football fan drank all the way there and all the way back without out shouting, swearing or being abusive. (left that bit for the match) We even moved out of our booked table seats to allow a German family to sit together. Point is being able to have a quiet drink on the train is one of lifes little joys if you can behave yourself!

 

[IanXC]

A colleague and I used to indulge in pre mixed vodka cans on a friday night journey home from work.. wasnt that so much as when the boss would occasionally travel with us, we humoured her with plastic glasses, napkins, snacks, paper plates.. thats how to be noticed on a 17.30 commuter train!!

 

[Chapeltom]

Are you a driver?

I don't drive anything

 

[cuccir]

Anything stopping at Newcastle on a Friday night (including up expresses from Aberdeen as I well know) can get very lively

I've found on southbound East Coast trains on a Friday afternoon/evening that, just from looking around the carriage, well over the groups tend to be drinking, across all demographics (I was one of them). Made me chuckle a little bit when I noticed how prevalent it was!

As has been noted before, TPE Newcastle - Manchester tends to be bad for it as relatively small trains mix with a large number of: football grounds, cities with active nightlives, stag/hen do destinations and university towns.

 

[dcmbarton]

It's a very difficult situation to be placed in both as staff and passenger. The other week, I got on a Cross-City service at Lichfield TV and at Lichfield City, 3 football supporters boarded the train - they'd been drinking and had plenty of alcohol with them - it was only 9am! As soon as they got on they were shouting and swearing, trying to sit next to people and annoy them etc. etc. (some call it 'friendly banter', but I obviously have a much lower tolerance threshold!). In the end, I moved into the next carriage, and when the ticket collector came round, I informed him what was going on. He went through to the next coach, and then when he came back he said he'd had a word with them. Fair enough, but when they got off at New St, they were still shouting and swearing as they went along the platform. In my view, there should be a zero-tolerance approach to that sort of behaviour, and neither staff nor passengers should be subjected to it (particularly not at 9am!). Personally, when I encounter people like that I feel very uneasy and they can be quite threatening. That said, enforcing such a measure would probably be a nightmare!

David

 

[Capybara]

I was on a Northern 142 from Darlington to Middlesbrough a few weeks ago when just before we left about 20 rowdy drunks got on and it all kicked off. By the time we got to Middlesbrough they had caused almost £150 worth of improvements.

 

[Jack in England]

I want to hear from some of you whether you are working as a train manager or the trolley dolly

Basically, coming back from Oxford on the 18:36 to Piccadilly and decided to go and sit in the Quiet Zone which was anything but because there was a group of Bournemouth fans and they were.....quite drunk!

The guy working the mobile trolley kept supplying them with more lager (if that is what Carlsberg is) and the train manager looked like he had lost control and they were really drunk, I onl wish I had my cameras running so that you could all see how bad they got

I was just wondering what the usual procedure was for dealing with them because it looked like, to me and some of the other passengers at least, the train manager just didn't want to do anything

Maybe you should have helped your fellow railway workers instead of criticising......just a thought

 

[scotsman]

Maybe you should have helped your fellow railway workers instead of criticising......just a thought

Indeed, I had two coaches of drunks by 11am on one tour I Stewarded. They pretty much started drinking after they'd finished their tea/coffee after breakfast and were out of it by Preston (11am) - at Liverpool (1333) most of 1st Class went to the Tate. Most of Standard went to the pub. In fact, me and my mate had an interesting conversation with two passengers in the city centre.

"Son, which station ur we leavin' frum?'
"That one right there!" *points at Lime Street*
"Aye, aye...but, whit's it's name"
"Lime Street Station"
*Stumbles away with her pal*

Left me wondering what would happen if they went to the misleadingly named Liverpool Central

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Maybe you should have helped your fellow railway workers instead of criticising......just a thought

I actually don't work on the railways, I was travelling back home from a nice day out at Banbury.......and Oxford

 

[trentside]

I've not had too many problems with drunks when travelling by train. The last occasion was at Lincoln Central, where a drunk chap spent 5 minutes trying to put his ticket in the barrier. When he made it through he staggered over the bridge and tried to force his way onto a 142 that was standing, closed up on platform 5 (it was during the snow, and several were standing at Lincoln due to the service to Sheffield being suspended). I went and told one of the platform staff who went to the office to summon the BTP. They arrived a couple of minutes later, gave him a ticket (not sure what for!) and kicked him off the station. I was very surprised - and also pleased that I wouldn't have to travel with him!

 

[The175]

I travelled on a train last year where the Guard flatly refused to take the train due to the number of drunks throwing bottles and cans, fighting etc (not me I hasten to add!) There were several other people on the train, amongst them a group of birdwatchers and several families with very small kids who'd been to the seaside. Poor little things were terrified. An attempt to put sober passengers in one coach and drunks in another failed, and due to the punch up the police were called.

When the police arrived (15 I counted!) the Guard agreed to take it on the condition at least 2 of the police officers went with him, which they refused. They said they'd get BTP... who were three hours away. Eventually they backed down and the train left an hour late with two police on board.

Police made four arrests on that train as the idiots continued fighting- I dread to think what would have happened if they hadn't been on there. As the Guard said, it was his train, his responsibility and if anyone had been seriously injured, he'd have been asked why he agreed to take the train!
I missed a connection and finished my journey in a taxi that night, but still wrote to the company praising the Guard for sticking to his guns and keeping the rest of us safe.

 

[jon0844]

When he made it through he staggered over the bridge and tried to force his way onto a 142

Anyone found trying to force their way onto a 142 would be lucky not to be sectioned.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Managers, and the industry as a whole, must be allowed to stand firm. In the case of passenger caused disruption, there should be some allowances made for any fines on the TOC.

Once you are allowed to show zero tolerance, even if some passengers may initially get angry for being held up, you'll hopefully see a huge fall in incidents as people get the message. Then, the same passengers who would moan today will be far happier tomorrow.

It amazes me how some people don't see the 'bigger picture'. It's crazy that the police ignore these problems, merely trying to move the trouble elsewhere - and putting everyone else on the train in potential danger.

 

[sonorguy]

I've heard the TPEs up from York to Middlesbrough are bad for drunks and alcohol is banned on select services.

They are indeed and there's more restriction than that. In fact in Pumpkin's coffee shop there is a notice that states that on the (something like) 18.47 and 19.27 trains there will be what is basically a simple Field Sobriety Test applied. You must not be in possession of alcohol or clearly intoxicated and you must also be able to walk in a straight line!

 

[Flamingo]

Swansea station has a sign they wheel out on a Friday and Saturday morning for the 03:58 which says something like "If you're drunk, enjoy your walk home"

 

[WestCoast]

Swansea station has a sign they wheel out on a Friday and Saturday morning for the 03:58 which says something like "If you're drunk, enjoy your walk home"

East Coast have put a board up along those lines at York station.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Swansea station has a sign they wheel out on a Friday and Saturday morning for the 03:58 which says something like "If you're drunk, enjoy your walk home"

What is that train like these days? Used to be notoriously bad with drunks. I remember hearing many stories of fights and pass comms being pulled near rural stations because the passengers didn't want to get a taxi back there.

 

[Flamingo]

What is that train like these days? Used to be notoriously bad with drunks. I remember hearing many stories of fights and pass comms being pulled near rural stations because the passengers didn't want to get a taxi back there.

It's settled down a lot, possibly something to do with the BTP officers that always travel on it now!

 

[BestWestern]

I travelled on a train last year where the Guard flatly refused to take the train due to the number of drunks throwing bottles and cans, fighting etc (not me I hasten to add!) There were several other people on the train, amongst them a group of birdwatchers and several families with very small kids who'd been to the seaside. Poor little things were terrified. An attempt to put sober passengers in one coach and drunks in another failed, and due to the punch up the police were called.

When the police arrived (15 I counted!) the Guard agreed to take it on the condition at least 2 of the police officers went with him, which they refused. They said they'd get BTP... who were three hours away. Eventually they backed down and the train left an hour late with two police on board.

Police made four arrests on that train as the idiots continued fighting- I dread to think what would have happened if they hadn't been on there. As the Guard said, it was his train, his responsibility and if anyone had been seriously injured, he'd have been asked why he agreed to take the train!
I missed a connection and finished my journey in a taxi that night, but still wrote to the company praising the Guard for sticking to his guns and keeping the rest of us safe.

Wasn't Weymouth by any chance??!

 

[A0]

Many years ago, I was on Stevenage with a friend waiting for the last south-bound stopper.

Also on the platform (along with some other passengers) was a small crowd (3 or 4) late teens who were generally pratting around and annoying all the other passengers.

The result of their pratting about, was they weren't listening to the station announcements.

Now, in those days, there would be the fast (Finsbury Pk and KX only) then the stopper (Knebworth, Welwyn North etc.)

So, as the first train (the fast) pulls in, one of them turns to me and asks "Is this the train to Knebworth?"

"Oh yes" I reply "me and my mate are heading back to London".

All but one of them jumped aboard and were last seen heading towards Finsbury Park.

You could feel the sense of approval from the other passengers on the platform who knew we'd now have a far quieter onward journey

 

[Flamingo]

I have heard rumours that a group of noisy troublesome drunk football fans going from London to Didcot Parkway at the bar on the late service from London to Cardiff were told "We're fast to Swindon, change at Reading for Didcot"

There was another train to Didcot - about 40 minutes later, all stops, no bar. (No, it wasn't me - No, I'm not saying who it was)

 

[trainophile]

I've just travelled on the Holyhead to Maesteg service which was absolutely packed with rugger fans, and more cases of booze than I've seen this side of a pub cellar.

There was a permanent queue for the toilets, and the vestibule stank of "what goes on in toilets". The BTP walked through and warned them about behaving, but it was still pretty rowdy. In their defence there was no aggro, but it wasn't the pleasantest journey I've ever had.

 

[Flamingo]

I've just travelled on the Holyhead to Maesteg service which was absolutely packed with rugger fans, and more cases of booze than I've seen this side of a pub cellar.

There was a permanent queue for the toilets, and the vestibule stank of "what goes on in toilets". The BTP walked through and warned them about behaving, but it was still pretty rowdy. In their defence there was no aggro, but it wasn't the pleasantest journey I've ever had.

Well, that stretch from Wildmill to Tondu can get a bit rough, what do you expect?

 

[trainophile]

Well, that stretch from Wildmill to Tondu can get a bit rough, what do you expect?

I got off at Hereford - that was bad enough. Nice enough Irish lads but far too many of them and far too much alcohol. I wonder what their heads were like this morning and whether they even made it to the game (Heineken Cup Final). As it's sponsored by Heineken they probably felt obliged to imbibe all the way!

I've just realised they will be returning on the same train as me tomorrow morning - hopefully without the booze this time. If ATW have only put a two coach train on we're in BIG trouble as the three coaches were sardined on Friday.

Oh, I just heard they won - at least they'll be happy!