Carol McGiffin
THEWAY ISEE IT... Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist
‘T here are just too many reasons to dread travelling by train in this great nation of ours. First, there are the fares – excruciatingly expensive, and it’s way too complicated to buy tickets. No wonder so many people try to get away with not paying.
Then there are the delays, strikes, cancellations and overcrowding – not to mention the annoying timetable changes. Especially at peak commuter times, when fares are at their most expensive.
But the biggest, most off-putting reason? The passengers. Not all of them, obviously, but the ones who think it’s OK to eat really stinky food and leave the rubbish on the table. And the ones who put their filthy feet on the seat in front of them, or their bag and coat on the seat next to them to stop you sitting there.
Then there are the real animals, who should just be banned from public transport altogether. You see them being shamed by civilised customers on Twitter. Like the man clipping his nails and watching them ping all over his fellow passengers. Or the woman who picked her teeth with her ticket.
And one I witnessed with my own eyes – a woman who changed a baby’s overloaded nappy on her lap right in front of us and left the poo-filled item, unwrapped, on the floor of the carriage. People were so gobsmacked they were stunned into silence, while she calmly got off the train. Unbelievable!’