Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

OP should read:

This has been going on for quite a few weekends now. Yet Connect get
away with it. And even the HEX is NOT stopped at Hayes to pick up
passengers dumped there by Connect.

CJB

"CJB" <chrisjbrady@> wrote in message
news:1183409065.955051.163680@c77g2000hse. o...
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
---
Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
tourists.

In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.

Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?

Roger R

On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" <d-e-c-o-d-...@clara.co.uk> wrote:
> "CJB" <chrisjbr...@> wrote in message
>
> news:1183409065.955051.163680@c77g2000hse. o...
> Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1
>
> Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
> afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
> passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
> Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
> luggage.
>
> Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
> ---
> Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
> the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
> largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
> tourists.
>
> In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
> averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
> of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
> friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.
>
> Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?
>
> Roger R

Hadn't thought of raising this with the LTB. I have raised it with
John McDonnell the local MP though. He is pretty hot at chasing up T4L
and FGWL about performance issues - he travels the line most days!!
CJB.

On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" <d-e-c-o-d-...@clara.co.uk> wrote:
> "CJB" <chrisjbr...@> wrote in message
>
> news:1183409065.955051.163680@c77g2000hse. o...
> Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1
>
> Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
> afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
> passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
> Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
> luggage.
>
> Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
> ---
> Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
> the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
> largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
> tourists.
>
> In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
> averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
> of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
> friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.
>
> Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?
>
> Roger R

Actually the tourists that I helped at Hayes Station on Sunday - just
after they had been dumped off Connect at bay platform 5 - were
elderly Americans - totally lost as to what to do - had HUGE suitcases
- no lift available - no porter to help - single temp. FGWL staff
hiding in the 'tea' room. They had paid a premium fare to be so
dumped - and were then were told to catch a 140 bus to continue their
journey. They would have had to have paid £2 each extra for that -
making £8 for the four. They were NOT happy. In fact it was due to
their experience that I have raised this matter here and with John
McDonnell. CJB.

CJB wrote:
> On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" <d-e-c-o-d-...@clara.co.uk> wrote:
>> "CJB" <chrisjbr...@> wrote in message
>>
>> news:1183409065.955051.163680@c77g2000hse. o...
>> Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1
>>
>> Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
>> afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
>> passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
>> Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
>> luggage.
>>
>> Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
>> ---
>> Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
>> the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
>> largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
>> tourists.
>>
>> In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
>> averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
>> of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
>> friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.
>>
>> Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?
>>
>> Roger R
>
> Actually the tourists that I helped at Hayes Station on Sunday - just
> after they had been dumped off Connect at bay platform 5 - were
> elderly Americans - totally lost as to what to do - had HUGE suitcases
> - no lift available - no porter to help - single temp. FGWL staff
> hiding in the 'tea' room. They had paid a premium fare to be so
> dumped - and were then were told to catch a 140 bus to continue their
> journey. They would have had to have paid £2 each extra for that -
> making £8 for the four. They were NOT happy. In fact it was due to
> their experience that I have raised this matter here and with John
> McDonnell. CJB.
>
Yet more reasons to avoid rail ravel like the plague.