A side effect of the ones who don't bother to check tickets is... you have to go hammering on the door of the "back cab" to request a request stop.
You cannot go by what you see on TV programs following staff around, they only show the positive side from the industries perspective, you never see the RPI, Security Guards or Police getting anything wrong or being challenged or cases the passenger won being mentioned at the end when they do a run down of the outcomes. Some are like a PR exercise for the firms, even the BBC are at it with the ''Claimed and Shamed'' program showing how hard done by Insurance companies are we don't see any claims incorrectly declined or ones refused on a minor error on the form, they must have thousands of examples from travel insurance firms rejecting claims from covid, but having to cough up.It would be fascinating to see a selection of sample cases from start to finish including the initial interaction "at the station" (or on train).
You mention poor communication skills and poor understanding of the rules. These problems bedevil any industry which call upon labour at the lower cost end of the market. I am not sure I would call them cheap anymore. Given staff turnover in some of these occupations training them to a higher level seems an almost impossible / unviable task. Likewise you mention "rentathug". Personally I would not tolerate any overly aggressive or inappropriate behaviour towards customers (nor do I condone it) but increasingly watching how people behave (at the gp surgery, in supermarkets and on the roads of Great Britain) and from fly on the wall documentaries I can see how those engaged in this work adopt a robust / cynical approach given how they themselves are treated.
Not seen one since 2022 and end of restrictions, then again I've not seen a Transpennine train after 5:30pm on a Saturday. I'm sure the railway up North is still in partial lockdownThe fact that people here (and I mean this with the upmost respect) do not know that all Northern trains have a guard says a lot about how little revenue work is done by them and how often they show themselves in the carriage.
I’ve done fairly long trips on Northern quite recently, sat quite near the back and not seen the guard short of station stops. Indeed even journeys that were essentially guaranteed a check have gone without of late.
You cannot go by what you see on TV programs following staff around, they only show the positive side from the industries perspective, you never see the RPI, Security Guards or Police getting anything wrong or being challenged or cases the passenger won being mentioned at the end when they do a run down of the outcomes. Some are like a PR exercise for the firms, even the BBC are at it with the ''Claimed and Shamed'' program showing how hard done by Insurance companies are we don't see any claims incorrectly declined or ones refused on a minor error on the form, they must have thousands of examples from travel insurance firms rejecting claims from covid, but having to cough up.
My understanding is the reason these companies are used, is to do an end run around unions and/or employment law and hence employ staff under far worse pay/terms than they would get if employed directly.Frankly, the biggest problem in my eyes, is what they get paid.
They do but.Every Northern train has a guard.
They highlight the most interesting parts of hours, weeks or months of filming into a one to half hour program yet emit the footage that shows the railway in a negative light, which considering the performances over the last two years it must be difficult for producers to find enough to warrant a series.My original post stated that the article "could be seen as a party political broadcast on behalf of the "Carlisle Party" and thus ignores / air brushes any of their failings.". Likewise I view fly on wall programmes in the same way. However what the programmes do show, irrespective of the rights or wrongs of either party, that there is an increasing amount of aggression being demonstrated in these matters.
They highlight the most interesting parts of hours, weeks or months of filming into a one to half hour program yet emit the footage that shows the railway in a negative light, which considering the performances over the last two years it must be difficult for producers to find enough to warrant a series.
They don't show the thousands of hours where passengers all passed through with a valid ticket without any fuss, or when staff incorrectly rejected a valid ticket.
I know this is off topic, but I will never forget the Easyjet episode where a guy had turned up for a morning flight to Liverpool to attend a meeting, this flight was cancelled and the desk was happy to refund his fare but refused to refund the lunchtime flight back as that was running, even though it was impossible for him to make that flight, even with a fast turnround.
One or two scenes did not show them in a good light.
How about the Airline episode where the Easyjet captain told his newly qualified co-pilot to make his first passenger announcement; that they were currently over the Bay of Biscay.
"What is the Bay of Biscay?" asked the perplexed co-pilot.
<GULP>
Full on Northern revenue block on Platform 4 (from Sheffield) at Retford this morning. First one I’ve seen anywhere on this station in 20 years.