Some customers can be so rude

[mumrar]

Don't worry, this isn't something so universally accepted as being oblivious due to mp3 players, or a customer feeling put out at having to end a call for some reason. Today whilst working a train through Leicester two people pushed through and boarded the nearest door to me whilst many people were waiting to alight. I shouted (perhaps too loudly but they had entered the gangway by now) at them, and they stepped off like chastised pets. The look I got from the male lead me to expect more upon checking tickets.

Sure enough, as I walkd through and checked their tickets, he had the audacity to ask "Why do you get off shouting at people like a little Hitler?"
Me :"Firstly, I assure you I am considerably taller than Adolf Hitler, to whom I assume you are referring. Secondly, if someone is going to behave like a child on a train I'm in charge of, then they shall be admonished as one. My three year old son knows to wait on a platform edge until everyone else has alighted, it's common courtesy."
Passenger :"Well I don't like being spoken to in such a way, I want your name and number."
Usually when asked that question, my response in jest would be 'I'm sorry but I'm already married and would not date customers', however....
Me :"If you wish to report me, then I shall also be reporting both of you for a breach of Railway Byelaw no. 10, the first section of which clearly states 'No person shall enter through any train door until any person leaving by that door has passed through'" I did have to consult my Byelaws booklet, but I keep it handy incase of such situations.
Me :"When a byelaw offence is brought before court it is usually raises an average fine in the region of £350, and that is per person. I would suggest you continue the short remainder of your journey in silent contemplation of the reasons of proper behaviour for which this byelaw was written to encourage or enforce."
Needless to say, I was free to move on to the next customers on my ticket check, but I find it not only ignorant that these persons behave in such a manner in the first place, but then quite astounding that they should then try to challenge me over my complaint in full view of the customers in an attempt to belittle me. Obviously this attempt failed, but is it too much to expect for customers to behave in an orderly and polite manner, rather than a roving pack of herding cattle?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The way you responded mate was absolutely brilliant. TMs up here hide away when such things happen, especially if its late at night, but will call out on stations 'Let people off first please'. You could have been able to call the police over the 'Hitler' comment, though there would be little evidence. Amazing what some people are like. I take it they had the correct tickets/travel documentation. Do you mind me asking which company you work for, XC, EMT MML or EMT Local?

 

[Lampshade]

Right on I say!

 

[142094]

Happens all the time, the train isn't going to go any faster if you try and get on quicker. Most times a shoulder barge and a quick mutter is called for.

 

[mumrar]

I work for XC, they did have all correct travel documents, which would have been dealt with to the full letter of the law otherwise I can assure you. Late at night people can be very unpredictable, but generally I'm good at sussing people out early on.

It seems more often these days that people are far more angry, and will do anything to deflect attention from mistakes they may have made or to try and tale control of a situation they don't feel in control of.

 

[Aictos]

The way you responded mate was absolutely brilliant. TMs up here hide away when such things happen, especially if its late at night, but will call out on stations 'Let people off first please'. You could have been able to call the police over the 'Hitler' comment, though there would be little evidence. Amazing what some people are like. I take it they had the correct tickets/travel documentation. Do you mind me asking which company you work for, XC, EMT MML or EMT Local?

I guess by his posts, he works for XC on the Birmingham to Stansted route I do stand corrected though if need be!

The same problem applies at Stevenage and Finsbury Park to name just two, it's akin to a rugby scrum trying to leave the train when you've got passengers all blocking your way off the train needless to say they do seem to be better behaved at my station.

Still, one colleague stood in the middle of the doorway one day and slowly explained that unless they're let him get off then they wouldn't be getting on and he's no slim jim either!!!

Still as to the actual event, well done you showed plenty of balls to get on with the job and came out on top.

 

[duffman82]

"Why do you get off shouting at people like a little Hitler?"
Me :"Firstly, I assure you I am considerably taller than Adolf Hitler, to whom I assume you are referring.

I love it!

But good on you for standing your ground, Usually when there are people pushing on the train, Guards keep quiet but well done good sir

 

[222007]

Mate i didnt realise you took such a firm stance on things but fair play. Must be something about some people who feel that there so much more important that anyone else that they must have priority i really dislike these people thankfully there not on every train

 

[jon0844]

Tonight, given the problems earlier on the Northern Line and the fact that everything was, well, erm, buggered... the trains were packed.

One person decided to keep her backpack on, which takes up the space of at least one person. Any fool knows that you take it off and hold it - as there's more room lower down (legs are smaller than upper bodies). I know it may have only enabled one or two more people on, but isn't that showing some courtesy? Mind you, people will never move down unless pushed. Ask them and they'll say they can't move down any more (even if there's stacks of room) but once people push, they - funnily enough - manage quite easily.

At King's Cross, I then saw a mother with a buggy ASKING people to get off to let her on. Erm, crush loaded trains with loads of people on the platform... time perhaps to fold said buggy up maybe? How many people would have needed to get off for a buggy? 10-15 standees in the vestibule? I really wish I'd stayed to see what happened, or whipped out a camera and filmed it!

What gets me is how people are either incredibly dumb or just so arrogant as to say 'well, I'm more important - get the next train'. That's what people are saying when they push in to get on a bus or tube.

 

[Ferret]

Love it Matt! Just the other day, I was off duty and heading into town for a few drinks. As myself and several other customers alighted, an Asian female pushed past all of us only to receive a b****cking from several astonished customers on the platform. Taken aback, she muttered something like 'I'm not bothered'. I just had to tell her that waiting for people to alight was part of the byelaws and if she wasn't bothered she could always try walking. She stopped and thought about responding, realised she was up against about 20 annoyed people and promptly shut the hell up before the Guard intervened and told her to consider herself lucky she was being allowed to travel! Love it!

 

[Lampshade]

Mothers with prams are the worst offenders, I remember more than one occasion a mother with pram barging onto the train using the pram as a battering ram. It also works the other way round, last week I used FCC to cross London; when the service to STP pulled into London Bridge a vestibule full of passengers alighted. A few of us waiting on the platform assumed everyone who wanted to alight had done as there was no more movement and so boarded the train. Suddenly a mother with pram suddenly decided she wanted to alight and barged her way through.

I thought prams weren't allowed on trains if not folded up anyway :?

 

[imagination]

One person decided to keep her backpack on, which takes up the space of at least one person. Any fool knows that you take it off and hold it - as there's more room lower down (legs are smaller than upper bodies).

I always keep my backpacks (yes 2 of them) on when on the tube when going to/from uni - because the suitcase takes up far more room anyway and I'm taking so much stuff that if I took them off I wouldnt be able to keep track of it all. But I don't suppose that was what you were talking about?

Especially as if a train is overcrowded I will often wait for the next one rather than barge on board.

 

[mumrar]

Mothers with prams are the worst offenders, I remember more than one occasion a mother with pram barging onto the train using the pram as a battering ram.

Well I'm married to a mother with pram, and the reason they have to be pushy is because inconsiderate passengers, commuters usually, think nothing of letting her stand in the vestibule with a pushchair and still recovering from a cesarian section. It's the general consensus of ignorance that seems to purvey our society. Commuters see seats as a 'kill or be killed' style commodity. Where possible if I'm not travelling I see my wife on to the train and tell the ignorant suits to shift their arses (in politer terms). The suited businessman used to have an image of gentlemanly conduct and the very cornerstone of Britishness, now it's just an unofficial uniform for self-importance and ignorance it seems.

 

[Dai.]

I think you had a brilliant retort to them.

!

Especially after the "little hitler" comment, I would have thrown them off for verbal abuse.


All the XC conductors I've met on the CDF - NOT routes have been really brilliant!

 

[SouthStand]

Well I'm married to a mother with pram, and the reason they have to be pushy is because inconsiderate passengers, commuters usually, think nothing of letting her stand in the vestibule with a pushchair and still recovering from a cesarian section. It's the general consensus of ignorance that seems to purvey our society. Commuters see seats as a 'kill or be killed' style commodity. Where possible if I'm not travelling I see my wife on to the train and tell the ignorant suits to shift their arses (in politer terms). The suited businessman used to have an image of gentlemanly conduct and the very cornerstone of Britishness, now it's just an unofficial uniform for self-importance and ignorance it seems.

Two points come to mind here. How the hell is anyone supposed to know she's recently had a caesarean section? (I assume she's not showing off the scar.)

Secondly, whilst it's generally good manners to offer your seat to an 'infirm' person, it's not obligatory to do so!

 

[Chester025]

Good story and well dealt with! But when did 'passengers' turn into 'customers'?

 

[mumrar]

Oh, that was some time ago, you see customers buy a product, and in this privatised age TOCs like to consider themselves as selling journeys as products. It's all much the same thing really, but I've clearly been brainwashed!!

 

[mrcheek]

Under BR, "passengers" was interchangable with "cattle", and was used by BR employees as a largely derogatory term. Hence the change.

 

[Kernowfem]

I recently had to have treatment at a bristol hospital. I caught the train from Sheffield as i hate driving on the M5 since my accident occured on that motorway. I was without my limb and using crutches. I was treated with 100% courtesy and given every help from staff. There are people who appreciate what you do. Dont let these ignorant, rude buffoons get you down. After all, without you guys they'd be buggered so to speak. Some people need to be reminded how to use their manners, and a short sharp shock sometimes works wonders. Well done you for not taking this customers crap!

 

[eos]

Try leaving ANY train that has arrived at Birmingham New Street during the afternoon rush hour, drinks and bags flying everywhere...local commuter trains are by far the worst, as I'm sure MumRar knows well..

 

[Old Timer]

I have noticed that some people in First are rude and or discourteous to the on board services staff, which I find to be the height of ignorace.

It always seems to be those who are savouring a little "power" for once, albeit there are one or two who genuinely are prigs and act the same way as they obviously do at work.

In my experience the very senior and successful managers do not act in such a manner, hence their success.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Well done love it when i see them get put down. people never leave doors free for people getting off. I'm not small and so a 6ft 2, 15 stone teenager tends to move them out of the way pretty quickly but if not i just stand in door and wait for them to move, they soon get point. Regularly travel on sheffield barnsley line as i live in chapeltown. Seen as we get pacers for most days (except one diagram which is 150 different one everyday) prams can be a nightmare with meadowhall. there was 7 the other day, none folded up, and two mroe wanted to get on and conductor told them they had to fold it up. they went ape. Very loudly and agrgresively shouting at him why should i have to do that? he just simply turned round and said cos theres no room and if you dont your not getting on. And people will not move down a train unless physically pushed, does my nut in.
Other night on last train, it was packed (during tramlines festival) and people were only standing at doors and refusing to move down carriage, this is the last train and people were waiting on platform the conductor tried but achieved nothing and just left people behind.

 

[Greenback]

I believe that part of the problem is that people are so accustomed to very busy trains, they are worried about being unable to get a seat. The 'surviival instinct' takes over and they crowd around the doors, not wanting to be the last on and forced to stand in a sweaty vestibule!

People refuse to move down buses as well. I'm sure drivers must get sick of asking people to 'move right down the bus please' twenty times an hour. Again, though, there is insufficient capacity on many routes which causes this to happen, even at what you would think are off peak times!

 

[43167]

Good reaction. Its annoying when people on the platform waiting to board block the way of those waiting to get off & refuse to move.

 

[NSEFAN]

There were plenty of problems with inconsiderate pax on the Exmouth services, I found. In some cases, people would be sitting in the door areas with huge cases, bikes or prams, preventing the doors from opening at all on pacers. The people in question were often in their own little world on mp3 players, as in the OP's case.

The same sort of problems were occuring on the busy HSTs as well. Is it any wonder services were often running late?

 

[37401]

<insert clapping sound here>

Good response mate

 

[jon0844]

I'd say that besides those who push on first to get in, most people hang around by the doors because they fear they won't be able to get off. Therefore they simply REFUSE to move down and look at you as if to say 'it's all yours' when you can't get there. Of course, you can just push your way though - then see how happy they are that you took them up on the offer.

I've always been able to get off even when pushing through and there's nothing to worry about, although I'd say that it's best if you're alighting where you know others will. People generally move or squeeze up for a few seconds to let you pass, but if you are stopping at a small station then you may have less time and the driver won't see anyone getting off before closing the doors.

Buses on the other hand... Drivers will often shut the doors before people have managed to get off, which is surprising given the driver can likely see the doors from the cab - either using mirrors, turning around or having CCTV.

 

[Greenback]

I'd say that besides those who push on first to get in, most people hang around by the doors because they fear they won't be able to get off.

I've always been able to get off even when pushing through loads of people and so there's nothing to worry about. People generally move or squeeze up for a few seconds to let you pass.

Buses on the other hand... Drivers will often shut the doors before people have managed to get off, which is surprising given the driver can likely see the doors from the cab - either using mirrors, turning around or having CCTV.

That's true. Even on trains without anyone standing, people seem to get up and go to the exits long before they need to. I used to think they were just in a hurry and wanted to be off the train first, now I think that they are scared of being stuck on the train once the doors are closed! I've seen people be late getting to the exits, and once the doors close that's it!

 

[Wyvern]

People in my way when getting off a train get an elbow in the ribs or my size nines on their instep then "Oh! Sorry" with an insincere smile.

 

[Greenback]

I have been known to employ a similar tactic once or twice, but not to elderly people or children who can be some of the worst offenders!