30mog
Member
- Joined
- 25 Apr 2013
- Messages
- 191
I've always found Guards to be most accommodating if you want a few splits or something unusual - IF you know what you want. You can't expect them to stand there looking things up for you given the obscurity of some good 'deals'.
As for ticket offices... well. I've had such rotten luck recently that I'm starting to think I might have to just avoid ticket offices at certain stations. One clerk would NOT even tell me which of two stations along different lines was cheapest the other day, even though I could have legitimately gone either way to reach a route valid on another ticket I'd already bought - and showed him, which I shouldn't have to! I've been cajoled into more expensive routes, unnecessary open returns and refused tickets with the name 'off-peak' on the grounds that "It's before 09:30" even though the train is not departing until after such time / the ticket is valid on trains departing sooner!
I've always done OK out of thinking you get what you ask for. If you ask for a WMDR, you should get one, but if you ask for a return to Northampton... Expect to get a return to Northampton. Then anything better is a plus. Unless you run into the 'You can only have a ticket from this station' brigade
I believe the guards know best. I went to Blackpool from Sheffield for the day. Knew splitting at Manchester [MAN] saved money. Knowing I had a 30m wait at Piccadilly. Waited till I got there to buy 2nd ticket. WYBI got delayed by a signal problem at Stockport. Got to Picc. bought ticket and had to sprint to platform 13 for desired connection. Doors buzzer sounded as I still had one foot on platform. Sat down, seconds later a voice behind my breathless recovering body said, "tickets please". I rummaged through a small pile of tickets I now had with a Sheffield-Manchester portion on top. While finding the right one the same voice, "Blackpool is it". He knew the game, as this particular train was going to Glasgow and I had to change again at Preston in this case.
I arrived at Sheffield's ticket office a few weeks ago. Asked for a South Pennine Day Ranger. A surprised clerk looked a bit clueless but found it on the system. A few days ago at Glossop, I asked for a Cheshire Day Ranger. Even more confused railway worker. Found it on system but shook head in disbelief. On both occasions, I came across a number of ticket checkers, not one acted like either ticket was new to them. Including, in the case of Cheshire, a Merseyrail guard just after I boarded at New Brighton.
Sometimes I say I will walk up to Sheffield ticket office one day and ask:
"Can I have a return ticket please?"
"Where to? "
"Back here, of course"
I wouldn't put it past possibility to get a railway employee looking up Backere on the screen. Especially after hearing a polite passenger ask a trolley host for a cup of hot water for use with medication. Only to here 'sorry we don't sell any in reply'.
