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Coming back from football tonight to Norwood Junction I'm greeted by police ushering the fans towards the side gate. This used to be fine in Southern days because there were a couple of Oyster validators either side of the gate. Since LO took over they have decomissioned them and stuck black covers over them. The ticket office and gateline is always manned now, except when police decide to herd all the hooligans through the side gate. So now on a matchday you have to enter the station, walk along to the booking hall, exit through the open gateline and then touch in. It's only the street entrance that's locked so you can get in there from the platform.
Tonight though it's a different matter. Some idiot has pulled the shutter down on the platform entrance to the gateline. The BTP officer says he's only there for crowd control and the station staff have shut the shutter. The LO staff say they were told to shut it by the police. Neither are prepared to call anyone so that other staff are aware that PAYG users cannot touch in. After a few minutes of heated discussion between the Police, LO and a dozen or so passengers a train pulls in. Finally the BTP officer says anyone who is stopped should give his number and tell the RPI to call their control.
Fortunately (and unusually) there was no-one manning the gateline at New Cross Gate so I could leave without touching out.
Why does the left hand not know what the right is doing?
Coming back from football tonight to Norwood Junction I'm greeted by police ushering the fans towards the side gate. This used to be fine in Southern days because there were a couple of Oyster validators either side of the gate. Since LO took over they have decomissioned them and stuck black covers over them. The ticket office and gateline is always manned now, except when police decide to herd all the hooligans through the side gate. So now on a matchday you have to enter the station, walk along to the booking hall, exit through the open gateline and then touch in. It's only the street entrance that's locked so you can get in there from the platform.
Tonight though it's a different matter. Some idiot has pulled the shutter down on the platform entrance to the gateline. The BTP officer says he's only there for crowd control and the station staff have shut the shutter. The LO staff say they were told to shut it by the police. Neither are prepared to call anyone so that other staff are aware that PAYG users cannot touch in. After a few minutes of heated discussion between the Police, LO and a dozen or so passengers a train pulls in. Finally the BTP officer says anyone who is stopped should give his number and tell the RPI to call their control.
Fortunately (and unusually) there was no-one manning the gateline at New Cross Gate so I could leave without touching out.
Why does the left hand not know what the right is doing?
