JoeP wrote:Wow! 177 posts on this thread to date - I might as well wade in
I brought the over-crowding up at the Meet the Managers session at London Bridge and judging by the reaction I got I wasn't the first person to bring it up. It's a completely absurd situation and well done all of you who have been challenging them. If I can be of any assistance please let me know.
oh, what did they say? I wanted to speak to them but they werre being crowded (probably by sydenham commuters )and I was in a bit of a rush...
Concerning tickets not working properly in the new barriers I've got a season ticket from Forest Hill to London Terminals and my ticket just won't open the gates at Sydenham. I won't go into the reasons why this should work but I made sure the ticket was valid when I originally bought it.
The last time I tried I had a prolonged discussion with one of the ticket inspectors who tried to tell me that my ticket wasn't valid. He wasn't going to let me through and generally talked a load of rubbish. I made it through in the end after he attempted to use the ticket machine to prove that it was more expensive to go from London Bridge to Sydenham than from London Bridge to Forest Hill (LOL). He failed because he couldn't even use the machine!
Anyway, that's a digression. The main point is that I've queried the problem with Southern Rail customer services and they have confirmed that my ticket is valid and that barriers have not been configured correctly and that they are looking into putting this right.
According to the rules I'm aware of that would work. It would even be cheaper! Very strange. Maybe there's some additional rule about not travelling outside of your zone?
So how are things a couple of weeks in? I confess that I got fed up with the crowds at the gate rather quickly and have since changed my morning commute to go via Penge West. It's almost the same distance from my home and doesn't require me to wrestle with tickets, barriers, and other commuters to get to my train. I never minded standing on the train in the morning, but finding a seat every day really is quite nice. Seems ridiculous though that a small local station has been made inaccessible enough that it actually drives people away.
Boon, isn't Penge West zone 4? In which case does that mean it costs you more to travel from there? Or are you taking a chance until they put the barriers in there?!
This morning at approx 08.40 ish - bit late - again - but tis too nicer - a - day to be rushing orf to the office - as I was coming over the footbridge and down the steps to platform 1, there were two, I assume rail persons (as they were wearing brightly coloured tabbards and that's what they looked like) by the gate asking to be let out - and the gate was opened for them. I could not see that either of them had a disability and definitely no heavy bags/pushchair in sight, just a piece of paper and they proceeded to walk quite normally over the road and round the corner. Why didn't they have to walk round like us (not me personally - but the ones that do) Not setting a very good example is it now??? -
Cathy wrote:This morning at approx 08.40 ish - bit late - again - but tis too nicer - a - day to be rushing orf to the office - as I was coming over the footbridge and down the steps to platform 1, there were two, I assume rail persons (as they were wearing brightly coloured tabbards and that's what they looked like) by the gate asking to be let out - and the gate was opened for them. I could not see that either of them had a disability and definitely no heavy bags/pushchair in sight, just a piece of paper and they proceeded to walk quite normally over the road and round the corner. Why didn't they have to walk round like us (not me personally - but the ones that do) Not setting a very good example is it now??? -
I witnessed that too....just before the 0840 train. I felt like going over and demanding to see their ticket and to know what their disability was.
I got a reply from southern saying they are "looking into" my complaints and legal points and will get back to me.
Well, the clock is ticking and in 2 weeks I'm going to be looking for a solicitor...
Yeah, I finally got a reply too but Southern have skirted my issues and haven't answered my questions:
Thank you for your e-mail addressed to my Managing Director, Chris Burchell, about the cessation of unsupervised access through the side gate to platform 1 at Sydenham railway station. I have been asked to reply and I must ask you to accept my apologies for the delay in doing so.
The decision arose from work we have been doing with Transport for London (TfL) on introducing ticket gates along the extended East London line. With full gating come additional staff to manage the gates, additional CCTV for added security, and upgraded ticket machines with the provision for Oyster ‘Pay as You Go’ capability in the future. A full gating scheme also provides a significant deterrent against fraudulent travel.
As you will know, the gates in the booking hall at Sydenham are now active. However, whilst we have also closed the side gate to platform 1, it is remotely operated by the staff in the booking hall for passengers who require step free access to this platform and will be open when the station is un-staffed. In due course, this gate will also have an Oyster 'Pay As You Go' beacon for touching in and out.
I hope this helps by way of explanation.
Regards
My key question was whether the gate would be opened to anyone who requested step-free access without being judged/questioned by staff. Looks like I may have to try this out at some point (which is a bit risky as I'm always rushing for the trains in the mornings and sod's law would have it that I'll miss it).
Was peeved this morning that my journey time to the platform has now effectively doubled and by the time I got on the train (by the skin of me teeth!) I was hot and bothered even before I got to work!
randomv wrote:Boon, isn't Penge West zone 4? In which case does that mean it costs you more to travel from there? Or are you taking a chance until they put the barriers in there?!
Penge West is indeed in zone 4, but as I go south for half the week and my job pays for me to travel north for the other half, the only downside is the marginally longer walk to the station.
My experience is that the gates are opened if you ask them - it doesn't seem you have to demonstrate a disability though starting the request with 'I've a tired and sore leg' is probably going to make the request easier to respond to in a positive way.
Heavy bags / other incumberances are also considered a valid reason for opening the gate for you - I don't think the staff are that concerned with the exact degree of heaviness. Nor do I believe they are out to 'get' us.
It seems demonstrating that you have a valid ticket is the most important thing from the staff's point of view.
I don't though agree with the need to tell 'white lies' to get the gate opened; however I'd like to hear here whether anyone has had their request to open the gate refused, together with their reason for requesting it be opened.
Apologies if you've posted such stories already - I must have missed them.
Sydenham wrote:
I don't though agree with the need to tell 'white lies' to get the gate opened; however I'd like to hear here whether anyone has had their request to open the gate refused, together with their reason for requesting it be opened.
I went to try out this theory this morning as I was rushing for the 0851; however, the gate must have been opened for someone else shortly before so I just nipped in without having chance to press the buzzer.
Comedy scenes. A friend popped down to SYD today to drop off some keys to me. He was going straight back up on the next train to London Bridge, so just stood on platform 1 talking to me through the now famous gate.
A young kid - maybe 19? - on a bike got off the train on platform 1 and came up to the gate, sighed, and pushed the buzzer. He said, in a barely comprehensible drawl "Can you open the gate please, I've got a sore hand". Love it. The reply was "No - you need to come to the other side." But our man stayed put - fair play.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, 2 staff sauntered over the bridge looking less than amused. They didn't even bother to check his ticket but buzzed the door open to let him out. What made me laugh is that they were almost terrified at the prospect that my friend might make a dart out, or me in.
I laughed and told them it was a pathetic joke. One of them stayed behind to discuss the situation, telling me (ahem) that it was nothing to do with tickets or anything like that, but just to stop vandalism and people drinking wine on the platform etc. Gosh - I must have missed this dreadful display of vulgarity in my years here in Sydenham, but it must have been going on.
She said the new gates will be in by January because Lewisham council have given the planning permission, and that anyone arriving with a buggy (or any genuine reason to use the gate) would be let in.
the_raff wrote:She said the new gates will be in by January because Lewisham council have given the planning permission, and that anyone arriving with a buggy (or any genuine reason to use the gate) would be let in.
Well it appears that having a sports injury is not deemed a sufficient reason to be allowed access...
I have a long-term achilles problem that is often most painful in the morning - and hills/bridges and steps definitely do not help! Despite trying to explain this over the intercom I was told I'd have to come to the main gate to make a complaint. They could see that I had my season ticket that I held up to the CCTV (are they actually using this?). Needless to say, their refusal to open the gate made me miss the train and I only got in because a lady and her husband (with a walking stick) were allowed access. Definitely seems discriminatory to me and I can feel an official complaint being made once I've cooled off a little...
)and I was in a bit of a rush...
