Station to Station

..

They probably all have to do their stint on the platform. You see some more there than others. It's always the grumpy old men when I get there though; times; the extremeties of the day.

Always a bit scared when the ticket person flips and zips down the aisle. I've had it a million times before:

"This ticket is not valid...mate!"

Sometimes I get a "Sir" but they're not normally that professional. They can behave how they want when a fare lister is involved. Once, I was frog-marched down to the excess fares office at Leicester. He told me what I told everyone, "it's an anomaly ticket, i'm from an un-manned station, it's not my fault....the dog ate it!!! ARGH!"

"Un-manned station?" What's that? It's not even a station, just a bus shelter on a strip of concrete in the middle of nowhere. Never seen a ticket man theres. Turns out a few train staff are from where I live, they hate the "station" too!

So, after a regorous negotiation i'm free, only to suffer the same fate at Leciester, and, unless the large Indian guy with the manic laugh is at the gate (he is my friend) then i'll get the same POW treatment.