What drives you round the bend when using the train?

[backontrack]

Well at least electronic reservations are putting an end to that.

Yeah, at least that's something - but I still prefer the paper ones.

And electronic ones don't stop people from stealing the seats and refusing to budge when challenged - especially if they have to vacate their seats to see the reservations in question.

 

[Mordac]

I know about that being the TOC i work for :-P As i say even with that in mind i still don't agree with reservations. I personally believe it should be first come first served with seats just my humble opinion

Fair enough, didn't know you worked for them.

Guess we'll just have to disagree. I definitely see the point in not having reservations in trains going short distances, but for intercity travel they make the whole experience much more pleasant IMO.

 

[trainophile]

What about the people boarding a few stops from where the train starts? Without reservations they may have no chance of a seat if it is a particularly busy service.

Reservations do give everyone a fair chance. I'm all for the enhanced system like VTEC where you not only get a reservation but can choose where it is . Very civilised .

 

[387star]

Squeaky seat back trays on 377s

 

[westv]

Not really annoying but more surprising
When people with anytime tickets assume their seat reservation is for any train.

 

[trainophile]

People standing right in the middle of the travelator rather than walking, glued to their phone, and look annoyed when you try to pass them.

 

[najaB]

People standing right in the middle of the travelator rather than walking, glued to their phone, and look annoyed when you try to pass them.

Are there many trains with travelators?

 

[trainophile]

Are there many trains with travelators?

Oops, slight digression from topic there . It just happened to me at Man Picc though, so relates to train travel!

 

[fowler9]

Has anyone mentioned toilets being locked out of use on Desiros or people trying to get on before you get off? Probably at least me already. Ha ha. Just another journey on one this evening (The people trying to get on before you get off isn't the fault of the Desiros at least).

 

[AM9]

People standing right in the middle of the travelator rather than walking, glued to their phone, and look annoyed when you try to pass them.

Why should people walk on travelators? They aren't obliged to walk on escalators, - in fact there is a trend to encourage everybody to stand on them.

 

[trainophile]

Why should people walk on travelators? They aren't obliged to walk on escalators, - in fact there is a trend to encourage everybody to stand on them.

No problem at all, but unlike escalators I rather assumed they were designed for walking along, as that's what most people seem to do. So if someone chooses to stand then that's their prerogative, but blocking the whole width so that no-one who wants to walk can get past them is what I was moaning about.

 

[al78]

The initially trivial delay where the expected arrival time gets pushed back, and back, and back, and back, and back until it becomes very significant.

E.g.

I look at the platform monitor. My train is expected to arrive at 19:00.
18:55, train now expected to arrive at 19:05.
19:02, train now expected to arrive at 19:07.
19:05, train now expected to arrive at 19:10.

FFS would it be better if I left the station now and just cycled the journey?

19:08, train now expected at 19:15.
19:14, train now expected at 19:20.

Repeat until the overall delay is 25+ minutes, at which point it would have been quicker to cycle the full journey. I can see why this happens but it is a shame the full delay doesn't become apparrent within a few minutes, at least then I could decide if it would be better to use another mode of transport.

 

[AM9]

No problem at all, but unlike escalators I rather assumed they were designed for walking along, as that's what most people seem to do. So if someone chooses to stand then that's their prerogative, but blocking the whole width so that no-one who wants to walk can get past them is what I was moaning about.

OK, if it is genuinely wide enough for a person to stand and one to pass safely it could be a bit inconsiderate to unnecessarily block the travelator. If an 'excuse me' didn't get a favourable rewsponse then it could be seen as obstructive. Many of those that I have been on aren't wide enough, and they are best left for those who need a chance to rest on long walks e.g. at large airports. There was a thread on here same time ago with posts from some who thought that walking whilst on them should be mandatory when they were in a hurry. I feel that if they had so much energy and so little time, they could sprint alongside the travelator, thereby overtaking those who didn't have their athleticity.

 

[matthewluck]

People who sit with their knees or feet pushing against the seat back of my seat, especially on a Pacer

 

[trainophile]

People who sit with their knees or feet pushing against the seat back of my seat, especially on a Pacer

Hard to avoid on a Pacer, unless you're a dwarf!