AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
RAIL chiefs are investigating "serious allegations" into the conduct of a train guard, made by a Bournemouth family with a disabled daughter.
Dad Alex Gibbs says the guard refused to accept they'd been given permission to travel on an earlier service than their tickets stipulated.
Then he says the South Western Railway guard demanded all three of them, Mr Gibbs, his wife Shelley and their teenage daughter Lauren - who has Asperger's syndrome and was celebrating her birthday - signed to accept an unpaid fare notice.
This was after Mr Gibbs - who had already paid £243 for three first class tickets - refused to pay an additional £274 which the guard demanded in full. It was also after Mr Gibbs argued his daughter couldn't sign as she didn't understand what was happening.
Later that day the guard allegedly took to social media, on a Facebook group called 'Railway Staff Moan Group', and commented about the encounter.
"They didn't want to pay because they spoke to the guy on the gateline and he said it would be fine," he reportedly wrote. "How many times have we all heard that?"
The family was returning home from Lauren's 15th birthday day trip when the incident unfolded on Monday (Jan 22) afternoon.
Earlier, while waiting at Waterloo Station they'd asked guards there if they could board a train 30 minutes earlier then their scheduled tickets allowed as their daughter was getting tired.
Mr Gibbs, aged 46, of Lascelles Road, Bournemouth, explained: "The staff at the gate were really understanding, they checked out tickets and said no problem, then we have this 15-minute episode with the guard on the train
"He was like a robot, just saying over and over again, 'they're not valid'.
"I kept saying, 'we were allowed on, how do you think we got onto the train?'
Even when Mr Gibbs reluctantly offered to pay the difference between his tickets and the £274 being demanded, he said the guard said no.
"He said we all had to sign our names to acknowledge the unpaid fare notice," said Mr Gibbs. "When I said my daughter has Asperger's, she doesn't understand what is going on so I will sign for her, he still insisted she signed. There were probably only half a dozen people in the whole carriage as well."
"Then later on, when I discovered his online comments (the guard), the implication was that I lied about being allowed access at Waterloo. CCTV footage will clearly show myself in conversation at the gate. To clarify, we were let on the train and told this would be OK, even though staff there were perfectly aware we were originally meant to be on the next one in 30 minutes time."
A SOUTH Western Railway spokesman told the Daily Echo: "We are aware of these extremely serious allegations and have launched a full investigation into the matter.
"It would be wrong to prejudge the outcome of this, however we expect all our staff to treat passengers with courtesy and respect and exercise suitable discretion, particularly when interacting with those passengers with an identified condition.
"We have a social media policy which prohibits the inappropriate use of these channels in relation to our company or our passengers.
"Breaches of this policy will not be tolerated."
Source: Rail chiefs investigate "serious allegations" over train guard's conduct with Bournemouth family
RAIL chiefs are investigating "serious allegations" into the conduct of a train guard, made by a Bournemouth family with a disabled daughter.
Dad Alex Gibbs says the guard refused to accept they'd been given permission to travel on an earlier service than their tickets stipulated.
Then he says the South Western Railway guard demanded all three of them, Mr Gibbs, his wife Shelley and their teenage daughter Lauren - who has Asperger's syndrome and was celebrating her birthday - signed to accept an unpaid fare notice.
This was after Mr Gibbs - who had already paid £243 for three first class tickets - refused to pay an additional £274 which the guard demanded in full. It was also after Mr Gibbs argued his daughter couldn't sign as she didn't understand what was happening.
Later that day the guard allegedly took to social media, on a Facebook group called 'Railway Staff Moan Group', and commented about the encounter.
"They didn't want to pay because they spoke to the guy on the gateline and he said it would be fine," he reportedly wrote. "How many times have we all heard that?"
The family was returning home from Lauren's 15th birthday day trip when the incident unfolded on Monday (Jan 22) afternoon.
Earlier, while waiting at Waterloo Station they'd asked guards there if they could board a train 30 minutes earlier then their scheduled tickets allowed as their daughter was getting tired.
Mr Gibbs, aged 46, of Lascelles Road, Bournemouth, explained: "The staff at the gate were really understanding, they checked out tickets and said no problem, then we have this 15-minute episode with the guard on the train
"He was like a robot, just saying over and over again, 'they're not valid'.
"I kept saying, 'we were allowed on, how do you think we got onto the train?'
Even when Mr Gibbs reluctantly offered to pay the difference between his tickets and the £274 being demanded, he said the guard said no.
"He said we all had to sign our names to acknowledge the unpaid fare notice," said Mr Gibbs. "When I said my daughter has Asperger's, she doesn't understand what is going on so I will sign for her, he still insisted she signed. There were probably only half a dozen people in the whole carriage as well."
"Then later on, when I discovered his online comments (the guard), the implication was that I lied about being allowed access at Waterloo. CCTV footage will clearly show myself in conversation at the gate. To clarify, we were let on the train and told this would be OK, even though staff there were perfectly aware we were originally meant to be on the next one in 30 minutes time."
A SOUTH Western Railway spokesman told the Daily Echo: "We are aware of these extremely serious allegations and have launched a full investigation into the matter.
"It would be wrong to prejudge the outcome of this, however we expect all our staff to treat passengers with courtesy and respect and exercise suitable discretion, particularly when interacting with those passengers with an identified condition.
"We have a social media policy which prohibits the inappropriate use of these channels in relation to our company or our passengers.
"Breaches of this policy will not be tolerated."
Source: Rail chiefs investigate "serious allegations" over train guard's conduct with Bournemouth family
