A pox on
I arrived at the station this morning to find one of the automatic machines out of order. The second machine must have been giving out free chocolate as the queue was out the door but the customer service counter had only a handful of tired commuters. So I joined the line, retrieved my cash for the over priced ticket and waited patiently.
It took 4 minutes for the bloke at the counter to serve 5 people and in the mean time the main line train pulled up and departed. I understand why people were queuing for the self-service machine. It's better than no service. I now must take the DART which barley gets me to work on time.
We get as far as Sandymount and the sweaty germ box comes to a halt. What's going on? There is no announcement. We are not at the platform to allow passengers to get off. We are just left sitting there.
10 minutes later we begin to trudge forward. I am now late for work.
I just don't get it. How hard is it to make a train go from one point on a track to another? Have the tax payers and commuters not forked out million upon millions for rail and track improvements. Have we not spent a fortune on new trains? What is the issue here? They need only go one direction. Forward.
They don't have to contend with roundabouts, traffic lights, pedestrians or traffic jams. They just go forward.
In Japan, if the trains are delayed there is a system whereby the commuters ticket acknowledges this so that they can show their employer. Now my own employer is by no means a time nazi and would never comment on my late arrival however other passengers are not in my situation and are penalised when they arrive late. Our overly priced incompetent public transport system should have to acknowledge their faults and perhaps make some improvements.
On my exit of the station I am greeted by an advert telling me that 99% of their trains ran on time/accordingly to schedule. In fine print we are advised that this statistic is subject to a 10 minute delay. Bullsh1t!.
Sorry for the tone and language. But for frick sake!!!!!
MEH, Irish public transport.
ReplyDeletedon't get me started on irish rail, did you know in japan that if they arrive even a minute after they are suppose to they consider that late! and in the germany the buses ave a system where they time the next arrival of a bus, bit like the luas here but with buses and they are always on time always!!
ReplyDeletei was left waiting for the 6.35 train until 6.50 this morning and no one anounced that it was going to be late obviously to them it was on time!!
T dog - let's get together and start a revolution.
ReplyDeleteWe have a South African Girl working with us at the moment. She has traveled the world & says that Ireland has the worst transport system of any country she has visited.
There are so many aspects of the entire system that need to be addressed.
It's not right but it's understandable that buses sometimes get delayed due to traffic but trains should always be on time.
Living in Greystones we rely on the GS dart running on time. I was stranded at Pearse one night because my train was canceled.
They announced that it was due to "staff shortages". Seriously - don't they have stand by drivers for such an occasion.
And the staff are all so feckin ignorant as well. I have had so many altercations with them at this stage I won't begin to regale you as I will be here forever.
Oh my blood is boiling and now I have to go get my DART home. Here's hoping it shows.
What's Idiot ever done to piss you off Lottie? He seems like such a lovely lad.
ReplyDeleteAs for trains I don't use them often enough to comment but I can feel your frustration. As a bus user our lot sometimes just don't turn up at all :(
agreed SL and he is'nt even here to defend himself.
ReplyDeleteI changed the theme of my post pretty early on. I decided to leave Idiot alone. He's a nice chappy.
ReplyDeleteLuckily enough I don't get trains or buses, I drive myself so I don't have to contend with the transport being late, only if we meet traffic which isn't very often.
ReplyDeleteWhat I can't understand is that if a train is up to 10 minutes late then it's on time?
Surely the key word in this sentence is 'late'? therefore the train isn't on time and therefore 99% of them are most like not on time rather then on time?