[publictransport] Castlemaine Cyclists Shafted?

[Bethany Keats]

As someone who has tried complaints about being treated like shit...I mean
"unfairly" by a conductor on V/Line - the complaint won't get anywhere.

I got told that *I* was in the wrong. So wrong it took up an entire A4 page.


Go for it, but just want to give you warning.



On Feb 15, 2008 11:24 PM, justruss <justruss at internode.on.net> wrote:

> Gee's - V/Line staff really don't seem to like cyclists at Castlemaine!
>
> At best whoever told you that the train was overloaded (guess it was the
> conductor) was ill-informed/ignorant, and at worst purposely told you a
> porky pie about the overloading!
>
> Each VLocity train unit (ie two carriages - a DM car & a DM(D) car) is
> designed to take a maximum of 240 passengers. This includes 140 seated
> plus
> another 80 standing. So we're talking approximately 70 seats per carriage
> plus another 40 people standing.
>
> So if there were only about 10 people standing in the DM car (that has the
> bike area), the train wasn't anyway near its full capacity.
>
> The website below is full of interesting information on everything VLine,
> including the VLocity Railcars.
>
> http://www.vlinecars.com/vloc.htm
>
> I was discussing with a conductor the other day why we needed two toilets
> next to each other on each VLocity unit and he actually quoted the same
> figures to me.
>
> Prams are a major pain in the butt as people never seem to fold up them
> up.
> There was one the other day plus one bike, so I ended up putting my bike
> in
> the area between the trains and the other guy who also got on put his bike
> in the other carriage just at the back of the last row of seats adjacent
> the
> disabled toilet - Conductor didn't have a problem with that.
>
> >From other emails I've seen about Castlemaine cyclists, it really does
> seem
> that you guys are getting shafted - maybe due to the previous organised
> protests?
>
> Perhaps it would be worth sending in a letter of complaint to V/Line (and
> copied to the PT Minister/BV) about being told a porky about the
> overloaded
> train. Doesn't sound like they could discriminate against you guys anymore
> than what they currently do!
>
> Maybe Jill might have something to add about the Castlemaine issues.
>
> Thanks
>
> Russell Cadman
> (Woodend)
>
>
> ---Original Message-----
> From: publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org
> [mailto:publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org] On Behalf Of
> eve.merton at dcu.ie
> Sent: Friday, 15 February 2008 10:38 AM
> To: publictransport at yarrabug.org
> Subject: [publictransport] Thanks everyone
>
> Thanks everyone for getting behind this campaign. It's really opened up my
> eyes and given me faith in having some ability to make change happen.
>
> Unfortunately two days ago, I was not allowed to board the express from
> Castlemaine
> in the morning. There were already about 10 people standing by the time
> the
> train got to Castlemaine (from Bendigo) and, because we are generally
> polite
> and considerate and get on last, we (4) cyclists were not allowed to board
> -- even though there were no bikes in the luggage area (only a pusher that
> could have been collapsed and stored elsewhere).
>
> When I pointed out that the pusher could be moved, I was told that the
> train
> was already overloaded and we would not be allowed to board anyway. This
> is obviously frustrating and unfair. I have been sitting on the floor or
> standing nearly every trip for about 3 months now -- all because I am
> polite
> and get on last with my bike so I don't inconvenience other travellers.
>
> I liked someone's point that the luggage area that is designated for
> 'oversized'
> luggage on V'Locity trains could really be kept for oversized luggage --
> meaning that the conductors could ask that other luggage be stored
> overhead
> or in the other luggage areas. I can't see this happening though if having
> a bike can be used as a convenient excuse to stop people boarding already
> overloaded trains.
>
> Don't get me wrong -- I also have two children, one of whom needs a
> pusher,
> which I take on the train when we travel. I store it by collapsing it and
> putting it overhead, behaind seats or in the non-oversized luggage areas.
> I would be very keen to be involved in drafting a code of practice for all
> train travellers.
>
>
>
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