Below is my saga from yesterday posted on the Brentford forum. Evidently trains were haulted at Acton Town because of signal failure!I made my way to Northfields station this morning before 7.00a.m. as usual to be greeted by two tube workers explaining that the Piccadilly line was stopping at Acton Town where you could try and get on a severely delayed district line train. I was loathe to go through the barrier at that point and risk being stranded at Acton Town. However I hung around and at 7.45a.m. risked going through the barrier and onto an extremely crowded platform. I then stood there freezing to death for a whole hour during which time 3 trains arrived where there was no chance of getting on any of them. There was also an empty tube out of the sidings which taunted the crowds by stopping at the platform but not opening the doors because it was "Not in Service". Where the heck was it going then and why did it stop at the platform? Surely it could have ferried the passengers at least as far as Acton Town which is evidently as far as any of them were going anyway!At this point I gave up and left the platform. On exiting through the barrier my Oystercard was stripped of its credit. I then went to the ticket desk and explained to the vile man behind the counter that the machine had taken all my credit whereupon I was subjected to a torrent of abuse from this creature he insisting that I had not had the credit I believed I had and had not been overcharged and if I didn't listen to him he would refuse to serve me. My response to him was that I wished I was all powerful as him. Even though I would have liked to choke him to death I believe I was still polite and said more than my fair share of please and thank yous, not that it helped. He then got a print out of my Oyster and conceded that I was in fact correct. This did not however elicit an apology. He further stated that he could not credit the money taken and I would have to phone customer services.I left the station, got in my car and decided to go home. However, I then wondered how I would explain it to my firm when after all there was virtually no snow and I only work in Fulham. I therefore drove to Kew Bridge parked up and caught a bus. I arrived at work in Fulham Broadway 3hrs 15 mins after leaving home. A distance I could have driven in about 15 mins.I then set about calling customer services. Held on to the receiver with the recorded message telling me how important I was for 26 mins. Finally got through to someone who hopefully has re-credited my Oyster but I will not know until I again risk passing through Northfields to no doubt repeat today's experience.The joys of public transport for which we have just been whacked with the equivalent of a 20% fare increase and as for the creature in the ticket office, well I can totally understand why they have to be behind perspex - I would cheerfully have headbutted him if I could have got at him and to think we are ripped off to fund his annual pay increase when I, working in the private sector, have not had a pay increase for the last 4 years!
Bernie Paul ● 6109d