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Unread 13-10-2006, 09:47   #1
choo choo
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Thumbs down Reserved Seating

Hi, Long time complainer first time poster. Just thought I'd mention this as I'll probably face the same situation this evening. I get the 17.05 service every friday to Limerick and as my arrival to the station varies and with standing room only available 5 mins before departure I usually book my ticket online and get a normal seat in the first class carriage. All was well during the summer. The nice attendents with their lovely bright yellow t-shirts were there to make sure people got their seats or to direct other passaengers to vacant seats.

But since the students (nothing against students) have started back and numbers on this train (always people standing between every carriage) increasing the system has fallen into chaos. The bright t-shirts are gone and have been replaced by an ageing conductor who hides at the top of first class. I've had to ask people to move (sometimes with not a pleasent response), seen a team of 13 rugby players accomadadted in the dinning car as their seats were taken and on only 2 occasions acctually getting the seat i booked (call me old fashioned but i'm not gonna ask an old person or a woman to move).

I know there are bigger issues out there but it just annoys me that if they provide a service they should at least try to implement it.

Regards
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Unread 13-10-2006, 14:17   #2
Mark Gleeson
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I've suffered here as well, out of 4 attempts only once did it work as it should and all 3 failures where IE's fault and yes I even met a nun on the way. Thankfully I always got a seat, while I must add not everyone did.

The seats are clearly marked with the sticker at eye level so the general ignorance of some members of the public is the biggest challenge. You won't find nice people to help you elsewhere in the world.

The problem actually has three fronts

1) If the wrong train type is put into the system by IE the bookings go missing (Dublin Cork its common)
2) It all depends on some lazy IE employee sticking the seat cards into the slots at the windows (extremely frequent they are missing)
3) It assumes the Irish public are not thick about it

All three issues can be sorted by IE if there bothered

There is no talking to some people and even with a big seat reserved sign in place they won't shift and its not your responsibility to make them shift. Its totally legal for the guard to throw someone off for sitting in a reserved seat which is not theres, they can even be fined.

Firstly if you ever had to stand as a result you are entitled to a 100% refund. If you encounter an IE employee (not catering staff) who is troublesome and refuses to assist you (even with the granny scenario) follow the following steps

Ask for the name of the member of staff and where they are based, thats a basic right you have, if they refuse its no matter since IE know from the roster,
Insist they initial the back of your ticket to indicate that seat reservations where not provided
Indicate you will make a complaint to Steve Murphy General Manager (or Myles McHugh Service Planning Manager if heading west) not that you will but should have the desired effect
Mention Platform 11

At this point I'd make a phone call but its never come to that

BTW the pesky students can book seats as well

Last edited by Mark Gleeson : 13-10-2006 at 14:25.
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Unread 13-10-2006, 14:26   #3
comcor
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This problem doesn't go away, not even in countries that have had it for years.

I've found people in my reserved seat in France and on Thalys services between France and Belgium/The Netherlands.

In fact the Thalys only has reserved seats. On this one the culprits seem to almost always be inter-railers who are supposed to got to the ticket desk to get a reservation, but instead seem to just get on and take any available seat.

It's quite annoying, especially when you can't just decide to go off and get another seat instead yourself.
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Unread 13-10-2006, 15:17   #4
Donal Quinn
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similar problem on 18:05 galway to dublin on sun 1 oct

i booked two ord class seats in the first class carraige. booking system said they were in the first carraige but when the train arrived there was a normal carraige first and then the 1st class carraige. i'm getting on at athenry so i know there's a v good chance the seats will be gone and as i find two in the normal carraige i grab them. after train pulled off i wandered down to see if my seats were there and they are taken of course and no sign of anything indicating that they were booked

i didn't follow it up as i had seats and i'm lazy but looks like they weren't there.

would it be worth ringing galway station in advance and tell them i expect the seats reserved - maybe i could post my booking here and barry kenny (hi barry!) could tell the lads in galway to get the finger out...!!!
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Unread 14-10-2006, 09:20   #5
TomB
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Welcome to the board choo choo, and as a regular sufferer of the 1705 to Limerick on a Friday I feel your pain!

This seat booking thing really annoys me because IE have claimed for the past two years that you can book a standard class seat on that service, and it's never worked properly (except, as you point out, when the yellow jackets briefly descended)

It's obviously the problem of the conductor who hides in 1st class. Problem is if you manage to get a seat -- any seat -- you're so thankful that you couldn't be bothered trying to find him to assert your right to the seat you had booked. I know this is what I do.

And if you did find him the response would be along the lines of "ah jaysis, that system doesn't work at all, nobody tells me anything"

Let us know how you got on on Friday. Any other problems with that service these days? I used to find that we'd often get stuck behind the late 1700 to Cork, causing the train to run late (of course they 'fixed' that problem by banging in another 5 minutes journey time in the timetable...)
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Unread 17-10-2006, 14:58   #6
choo choo
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Just to give a quick update (I know ye are all dying to hear.. lol) Well journey time came along and low and behold there was the queue for 17.05 to Limerick, but this week it was split in two with some people queing toward the door and the rest snaking around confectionary stands, seats etc.

Queing has now become the norm because for the last 3 weeks the train hasn't arrived for boarding until at the earliest 16.55 (Iarnroid Eireann would like to apologise for the late boarding blah blah blah). And then once the queue starts moving it descends into chaos and everyone just starts running at the ticket guys.. 5 abreast.. no real point in queing.

Anyhows, got to the top carriage eventually, packed as always, my seat gone, so i slip into another seat. A few more people board and predictably someone has a booking and no seat. I must add at this stage that they have never put reserved/people's names in the holders or those orange reserved signs on the seats. Maybe I'm crazy but if they got the train in on time they might be more organised!!! MIGHT.

Well the guy beside me is the unlucky fella with no booking and is in the reserved seat. He chooses first to ignore the conductor and then when told of the situation is a bit reluctant to move. I don't blame him as theres no signs/notification. Eventually he storms off barging into the person who's seat it was (Not her fault buddy).

The conductor dealt with it well explaining the situation but i think both the passenger and the conductor should not have to go through this...

Roll on the Bank Holiday weekend.. what fun...
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