Friday, November 16, 2007

Trains.....

Coming back from London today I had the misfortune to travel with Virgin Trains. It was standing room only, which was bad enough, but the on board train attendants or what ever their called, insisted on making inane announcements. The one that irritated me the most was;

"Will passengers wishing to go to the toilet please make sure that they read the instructions on how use the toilet before they use it."

What do they expect us to do to it? Maybe there were a lot of stupid people on board, but unless you have been living in an isolated part of the world or maybe the rural parts of France, you will be hard pushed not to recognise the toilet and secondly have a pretty good idea how to use it.

Then just as the train pulled away from Stafford (its first stop) and things had thinned out a little bit, and there was a chance that I could go and get a drink from the on board shop they announced that it was closed. The Beardy one has a lot to answer for, smug git.

5 comments:

Barry Lawrence said...

Don't get me started, BW. I have blogged until I'm blue in the face about Virgin.
They are crap!! I have to use that West Coast Mainline and so I know exactly what you mean. It's the standing all the way thing that really gets me. How come they sell tickets at the same price whether you stand or sit? That's like selling someone a toaster and saying "Mind, I can't guarantee it will work!" B******s.

The Birdwatcher said...

Reg - Not only that, I find the heady scent of leaking toilets and braking quite revolting. And why is half the fucking traing train made up of first class carriages? I presume Grantham has the Virgin organisation.

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Try Arriva Trains Wales. Not only are they incapable of running a straightforward two-hourly service between Shrewsbury and Aberyswyth, but the cattle trucks they provide for passengers have toilet doors that slide open in mid-performance. I'm due for an excursion on ScotRail any time now, can't imagine it's going to be any better.

Barry Lawrence said...

I believe Virgin and George Bush are in the lead with the number of times each has been Granthamed, taken out, sent back again, taken out and then sent back.

The Birdwatcher said...

Malc - Went to Fort William last Feb. To Glasgow by Beardy cattle truck then Scot Rail upto FW. The second bit was okay but maybe it was the stunning scenery for most of the way.

Reg - Just as it should be.