Bingo Bango wrote:KonstantinL wrote:Motherwell is one of the main stations in the Glasgow area. It's manned and has a ticket booth but try getting a ticket there. They have two windows and one of them is usually closed. The other is usually taken up by a wee old woman that's booking a ticket to Blackpool four months in advance but doesn't know what time she's going, when she's coming back or what the hell she's doing.
Oh and if you think Scotrail employees are rude, try going on a First Bus.
you make a very good point regarding the politeness, or lack of, of firstbus drivers.
twice now i have tried to buy a special 3 quid all day ticket that gets me out to xscape at braehead (xtreme sport needs an xtremely good bus service is the tag line!) The first time, the guy didnt believe it existed but grudgingly printed me a 3 pound ticket and took my money. i looked back on his bus and the adverts were all over it!
second time, i get on in a different location, bishopbriggs, and try to buy very same ticket. guy says in a world weary tone '2.55 is the most i give out' i say yeah but this is a different thing, its a special use ticket. he says he doesnt know anything about it. i say again that there are posters on his bus about it and he very bluntly tells me that if i want this 'special ticket' that i should get myself off this bus and get another one!
so i took the number of his bus (the one on the back outside) and told the inspector at partick because that guys ignorance (this wasnt a new thing either) cost me and extra 2 quid that day!
I stopped using the Braehead Bullet because of its daft fares. Exactly what makes that service so different from the other First Buses running from Partick and Braehead? Bloody Daft. Same with the buses to Linwood- get a 9 your fine, an X6 and you are ripped. Lucky there is some competition.
I used the Bullet about 5 or 6 times, with my zonecard, and was fine. Tried to use it one Saturday, and the guy had an argument with about 5 people over prices at Partick. I was last to get on and he insisted I should pay a pound. I refused saying never been charged before and he gave up, bored after arguing with half the bus. Checked the poster and it said First Cards and ordinary day tickets pay £1. Concession passes aren't affected, and no mention of Zonecards. I still think he is wrong, as Zonecards don't get charged more on X6 or nightbuses with special fares.
As if that wasn't enough the bus crawled along and then turned off the motorway and sat at the bus stop behind the Whisky plant thats handy for nipping to IKEA- one stop from Braehead Bus Station. And it sat for about 5 minutes. A woman asked him what he was doing, and he said he was early and can be tracked. All very well, but surely an extra 100m down the road and sitting in a proper bus station as well as letting most of your passengers off is better than being a deliberate asshole and waiting at a stop no-one will get on at since the bus has to double back to Xscape. Did it on purpose and I refuse to use it now. I take the Subway from Partick and then get a bus to Braehead. Handier for IKEA anyway. I hope somebody competes with First and gets sensible fares on that route. Arriva used to do it for only £2, but wasn't too frequent and stopped running it a year or two back!
