Looking at my last few posts, anyone would think I was a bit of a grumbler when it comes to the trains. Please accept my apologies for this. Generally, I am fairly satisfied (please note, that is ‘fairly’, not ‘very’ satisfied, oops, there I go again!) and am normally able to get to work well before it is officially necessary to get to work.
I received my 6 free train tickets on Friday with a personalised letter from South West Trains. When I say ‘personalised’, I don’t mean it was handwritten or anything. Good heavens no. But it did appear that someone had taken the time to bash the letter off on a computer rather than resorting to the standard templates found in the ‘Response to Complaints from Those Pesky Customers’ folder in the South West Trains computer drive.
Put simply, the letter said, ‘here are your 6 free tickets. Thanks.’
Upon examination of the 6 free tickets, the deal is not as good as I originally had hoped. I had anticipated being the generous giver of train tickets, and being able to hand out free tickets to my friends and family for when they come to visit me in my new abode.
This is not so. Travellers have to be with the Gold Card Holder (so it has to be me, or someone with me, at least). I suppose this is fair enough and it prevents me selling them. However, I very rarely take the train at the weekend. Why would I? I have a car?! So how am I going to use them up?
Well, it’s a canny trick of South West Trains. Firstly, don’t give the tickets out in the first place until prompted. Secondly, make them sound blimmin’ amazing when really they are not.
However, fear not I shall stop moaning now. I am sure I will find some opportunity to use them at some point.
Took the late train home after work on Friday. It’s only the second time since I started this job in September that I have taken a late train home. I am always surprised by how deadly quiet it is on the train. Not a soul to be seen. It’s such a contrast to the morning and evening rush hour. It doesn’t seem real to be sitting on the familiar red seat all alone with no fellow passengers nearby. A bit creepy really.
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3 comments:
Where did you get your Gold Card from? If you (or your company) bought it from anywhere other than South West Trains, then YES you do have to ask for your free tickets.
Take a look inside the back page of any E-Motion magazine (often found in the magazine racks on trains), as I believe it also says that in there.
BTW -Do you know just how many SWT staff read your blog! Keep it up, I for one like to see how I can improve, being a Commercial Guard (you might call us a conductor)
Hi suckysuckmeloveyoulongtim$5 (interesting name)
I did indeed buy it from South West Trains which is why I thought it strange to have to request them.
I hope nobody knows who I am though, I wouldn't want people closing the doors on me before I can get on the train as an act of subtle revenge!!!
Girl On a Train -
I only found your blog whilst looking for someone else's.
As explained before, im on a 2 weeks work experience placement at London. St Pancras international, part of my school education.
I head some conductors in the mess room yesterday. One of them had found out someone had made a blog listing all the times they'd gotten away with fare dodging on Midland Mainline by just looking out of the window wearing headphones.
The idiot put a photo of himself on his website, so now every conductor has a copy.
Watch out if your wearing headphones!
Thank you, that man, for helping us improve :).
Girl on a train - Any staff who "knew" you wouldn't lock you out - we'd just either look at you in a really mean way if you'd said something bad about us or come and have a chat otherwise!
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