“COMPLAINT - Nailsea Backwell to Temple Meads 7.13am Fri 24 Feb
I daily commute for work and catch the 7.13am train from Nailsea & Backwell to Bristol Temple Meads. The train usually arrives a couple of minutes earlier and sits at the station until 7.13am.
On the morning of 24 February, I arrived at the station as usual, the train was sitting at the station, I parked my car and made my way to the platform. No-one else was on the platform, so I tried the door immediately in front of me as I entered the platform and realised then that I had made it in time because the doors were not locked. I boarded the train. Once inside, I was a little shocked to find that I was not in a carriage, but what appeared to be a bike store, I looked for a connecting door to the carriages, but there wasn't one.
I was too frightened at that point to then get off the train, as I was aware that the door would lock and the train would be moving off at any moment, so I decided that I had no choice but to make my journey stood in this section of the train, feeling a bit silly and holding onto a bar.
A minute later, the door opened, and a very angry man SHOUTED very loudly and with a very aggressive manner, "GET OFF THIS TRAIN NOW!" I was extremely shocked by his manner, and got off the train immediately. He was shouting continually and verbally abusively me along the way, I would have loved to have defended myself, but I could not get a word in, plus I was obviously feeling very intimidated by this man, I managed to say, "please don't speak to me with that attitude, I have done nothing wrong, I just merely ....." he interrupted me by SHOUTING again in an extremely abusive manner, which then made me distressed. Everyone of the train was looking out of the window, I felt very embarrassed and humiliated. The chap in the ticket office, who I regularly speak to was looking at me and I felt so awful. This man then opened the carriage door, and shouted "GET ON THE TRAIN", I saw his name badge hanging, and I asked "what is your name" and turned his badge to get his name, he then swang his arm towards mine, swiftly knocking my arm away from his badge, which hurt my arm, he said "my name is Rob". I stepped onto the train, he continued to shout through the window and asked me my name "I replied Jane Morley, and he walked away on the platform, I then entered the quiet carriage and was by this time sobbing.

Just a minute later, the same man came into my carriage, and shouted "tickets please" I was the first person on the seat on the left as he entered, so he stood there whilst I retrieved my ticket from my bag, but started shouting again "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DANGER YOU HAVE PUT YOURSELF IN" I replied very gently through tears "no I didn't, but there was no need to shout at me with that attitude, I didn't even realise where...." again he interrupted me and shouted, still very abusively and loudly and repeated "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DANGER YOU PUT YOURSELF IN, THAT IS WHY I SHOUTED AT YOU – SO YOU WONT DO IT AGAIN". I looked at him, and was actually very frightened, his manner was very strange, it was like he was a mad man, bullying and forcing his control on me, which was very odd and definitely worrying, he presented himself as someone who had a mental illness. I could not speak, as I was in shock and very distressed, but I managed to ask him for his surname, he said "Rob, that is all you need to know" then he left the carriage, he didn't even continue up the train to check tickets.
May I at this point say that I am a 50 year old respectable professional lady, NOT a disrespectful teenager, but whoever I was, and whatever my behaviour, it would not have justified his manner and abusiveness. Did he think that I entered the bike store on purpose with the intention of stowing away for a free ride on the train!”

“That's a good idea, Jon, lets all complain to First Great Western. I'm sure their immedaiate response will be to add more carriages to the train.

HO HO HO HO HO ROTFLMAO”

“Dear readers a reply to A DISTRESSING JOURNEY,

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that the First Great Western 07:40hrs service from Yate to Bristol is also very much like a cattle train and has been for many years and not only that we have to put up with abusive kids swearing and spitting when the children are on school holiday, even the local MP has been involved and we still see nothing, I have and many others have complained to First Great Western but do not get any great response.

I have on the other hand been told that my season ticket has gone up by £200 and that¿s with discount!!! And yet we see no improvements. Many a time I would get on the platform for the return journey which is just as bad at 4:45pm, to be told that I cant fit on the train and have to wait for a later one if it turns up! Only the other week there were people left on the platform. I would like to know where and what all the money that First Great Western gets every year goes on as they do not seem to put any into this very busy train service.

I to would much prefer to use my car but as the Bristol city council has increased all parking charges I stay away from that and stick with the very dirty and uncomfortable train ride, you would think this day and age that public transport would be the best but not in this city
h”

“Elaine, I use this service on a daily basis, and after years of pressure, there is to be a third carriage as of December.
Regarding your comment about livestock transport, there are laws in place regulating the amount of animals that can be carried. However, the policy regarding train travel is that it's the individual's choice as to whether they take that particular train or not and that ultimately, it is the guard's decision as to how many passengers are allowed to board”

“Maybe complaining to the train operator rather than a local rag would be an idea?”