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!!!!!
