well… what can I say, except that pissing and whining DOES get results from time to time…
I arrived back at Kings Cross with just over an hour to go till my train. I know – I’ll go to the first class lounge and use the free WIFI and power to charge my laptop.
I entered checkpoint charlie (otherwise known as Mr. Jobsworth) and was told “oh you can’t go there with that ticket”…
Yes… apparently East Coast Trains have many intricate levels of First Class varying from totally shite, to gold plated shite… and had I had an “open” ticket I could go in the lounge, but with my meagre “advance” ticket I had to pay £5 for the “upgrade” to go in the lounge.
Oh East Coast Trains, you’re endearing yourselves to me even more all the time!
Well… I blew my top!
After the shitty journey I had yesterday with no trolley service, and absolutely no point in bloody well bothering with first class (except perhaps the half dozen “complimentary” biscuits I snaffled at Doncaster) I had taken enough of their crap!
I called for the supervisor, who came, and was equally jobsworth. He could see I was getting less and less impressed – after all I could have gone from Sheffield where no such rules apply – and I made it rather clear that I was unimpressed. “Sorry but I can’t do anything, rules is rules” was the rather unconvincing reply.
I therefore demanded that they refund me the difference between my “first class” ticket and a standard class ticket (which would have been almost £30 due to the way they use the random number calculator to generate these fares)…
The supervisor called for one of the head honchos… yes… really!
Anyhow, I can now tell you that I did not pay for the “upgrade”, and I went into the first class lounge and snaffled another half dozen dunky biscuit things… I still travelled first class… oh and we have a refund of £28 returning to our bank account as a gesture of goodwill.
If you complain enough, they’ll get fed up of you.
Anyway, this is camp Manning Bassist signing off somewhere just south of Grantham.