"Never buy a ticket on the internet..."

18th July 2008, 11:33 AM

That was the advice given me by the train manager on a train that fitted the
description on my ticket (issued by thetrainline.com), but turned out to be
going to Liverpool rather than Manchester airport as printed on the ticket!
He was sympathetic and helpful, issuing me with a ticket to get me back from
Lime St to Manchester airport at no charge (on a very comfortable 185 by the
way).
By the time I got back of course, I'd missed my flight and had to spend the
night in Bewleys.
Is this sort of error common ?

Jim Hawkins

18th July 2008, 11:37 AM

Jim Hawkins wrote:

> That was the advice given me by the train manager on a train that fitted the
> description on my ticket (issued by thetrainline.com), but turned out to be
> going to Liverpool rather than Manchester airport as printed on the ticket!
> He was sympathetic and helpful, issuing me with a ticket to get me back from
> Lime St to Manchester airport at no charge (on a very comfortable 185 by the
> way).

Are you saying that there was a reservation ticket to
Man Airport on the seat of a train which was actually
going to Liverpool? I don't quite understand.

Charlie

18th July 2008, 01:14 PM

"Charlie Hulme" <info@davenportstation.org.uk> wrote in message
news:vF3gk.1150$CE1.669@newsfe17.ams2...
> Jim Hawkins wrote:
>
>> That was the advice given me by the train manager on a train that fitted
>> the
>> description on my ticket (issued by thetrainline.com), but turned out to
>> be
>> going to Liverpool rather than Manchester airport as printed on the
>> ticket!
>> He was sympathetic and helpful, issuing me with a ticket to get me back
>> from
>> Lime St to Manchester airport at no charge (on a very comfortable 185 by
>> the
>> way).
>
> Are you saying that there was a reservation ticket to Man Airport on the
> seat of a train which was actually going to Liverpool? I don't quite
> understand.
>
> Charlie

The ticket was a standard day single (no seat reservation), for a train
supposedly leaving Salford Crescent at 17:48 and arriving at Mancherster
Airport at 18:19
The train arrived at Salford Crescent at 17:48 and I settled down to do a
crossword, until I realised it was taking a long time and contacted the
train manager, who told me the 17:48 from Salford Crescent goes to
Liverpool, not to Manchester Airport!

Jim Hawkins

18th July 2008, 02:04 PM

Jim Hawkins wrote:

> The ticket was a standard day single (no seat reservation), for a train
> supposedly leaving Salford Crescent at 17:48 and arriving at Mancherster
> Airport at 18:19
> The train arrived at Salford Crescent at 17:48 and I settled down to do a
> crossword, until I realised it was taking a long time and contacted the
> train manager, who told me the 17:48 from Salford Crescent goes to
> Liverpool, not to Manchester Airport!

That story makes no sense at all. There are no trains
from Salford Crescent to Liverpool.

Is this some kind of joke?

Charlie

18th July 2008, 02:20 PM

Jeremy Double wrote:
> Charlie Hulme wrote:
>> There are no trains from Salford
>> Crescent to Liverpool.
>
> <pedant> Actually, there is one, the 07:25, via Bolton, Wigan North
> Western, St Helens Central and Huyton </pedant>
>

Well, you learn something new every day!

> This has no bearing on the story, however, which seems a bit rum to me.

Rum? Jim Hawkins? 15 men on a Dead Man's Pacer?

Charlie

18th July 2008, 02:57 PM

"Charlie Hulme" <info@davenportstation.org.uk> wrote in message
news:K16gk.4728$7B3.2010@newsfe30.ams2...
> Jeremy Double wrote:
>> Charlie Hulme wrote:
>>> There are no trains from Salford Crescent to Liverpool.
>>
>> <pedant> Actually, there is one, the 07:25, via Bolton, Wigan North
>> Western, St Helens Central and Huyton </pedant>
>>
>
> Well, you learn something new every day!
>
>> This has no bearing on the story, however, which seems a bit rum to me.
>
> Rum? Jim Hawkins? 15 men on a Dead Man's Pacer?

It doesn't go to Liverpool via Manchester Airport I suppose?
Certainly an odd story, I wonder if we will hear from the OP again?

Paul

18th July 2008, 04:10 PM

I see there is a 1748 arrival at Salford Crescent from Manchester (To
Wigan). Perhaps the OP looked at the arrivals screen and not the
departures and got on the Wigan Train (Does this go on to Liverpool
after reaching Wigan) travelling north not south.

Peter

18th July 2008, 05:00 PM

"Jim Hawkins" <jimhawkins@manx.net> wrote in message
news:gu2dnW-6lYCeZh3VnZ2dnUVZ8uSdnZ2d@supernews.com...
>
> "Paul Stevenson" <paul.pdsteveo@phonecoop.coop> wrote in message
> news:g5qsjl$7rf$1@aioe.org...
>>
>> "Charlie Hulme" <info@davenportstation.org.uk> wrote in message
>> news:K16gk.4728$7B3.2010@newsfe30.ams2...
>>> Jeremy Double wrote:
>>>> Charlie Hulme wrote:
>>>>> There are no trains from Salford Crescent to Liverpool.
>>>>
>>>> <pedant> Actually, there is one, the 07:25, via Bolton, Wigan North
>>>> Western, St Helens Central and Huyton </pedant>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Well, you learn something new every day!
>>>
>>>> This has no bearing on the story, however, which seems a bit rum to me.
>>>
>>> Rum? Jim Hawkins? 15 men on a Dead Man's Pacer?
>>
>> It doesn't go to Liverpool via Manchester Airport I suppose?
>> Certainly an odd story, I wonder if we will hear from the OP again?
>>
>> Paul
>
> I have only recounted what I observed, and what the train manager told me.
> Do you imagine he didn't know what he was talking about ?

So lets get this clear!

You got on a train at Salford Crescent that went direct to Liverpool Lime
Street?
Can you remember what time you got to Lime Street?
You got off there and returned to Manchester Airport?
What time did you get to the airport?

Paul

18th July 2008, 05:19 PM

"Chris Tolley" <cjt.7@supanet.com> wrote in message
news:17p11w1ycg3ac$.1r7vbl3zb7x8v.dlg@40tude.net.. .
>
> It's hard to know what to imagine.

Whatever happened, it's unfair of the OP to blame the internet. He bought a
Day Single, valid on any train. But he caught the wrong train. I don't see
that that is anybody's fault but his own.

Regards

Jonathan

19th July 2008, 02:55 AM

"Paul Stevenson" <paul.pdsteveo@phonecoop.coop> wrote in message
news:g5r3qk$47r$1@aioe.org...
>
> "Jim Hawkins" <jimhawkins@manx.net> wrote in message
> news:gu2dnW-6lYCeZh3VnZ2dnUVZ8uSdnZ2d@supernews.com...
>>
>> "Paul Stevenson" <paul.pdsteveo@phonecoop.coop> wrote in message
>> news:g5qsjl$7rf$1@aioe.org...
>>>
>>> "Charlie Hulme" <info@davenportstation.org.uk> wrote in message
>>> news:K16gk.4728$7B3.2010@newsfe30.ams2...
>>>> Jeremy Double wrote:
>>>>> Charlie Hulme wrote:
>>>>>> There are no trains from Salford Crescent to Liverpool.
>>>>>
>>>>> <pedant> Actually, there is one, the 07:25, via Bolton, Wigan North
>>>>> Western, St Helens Central and Huyton </pedant>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Well, you learn something new every day!
>>>>
>>>>> This has no bearing on the story, however, which seems a bit rum to
>>>>> me.
>>>>
>>>> Rum? Jim Hawkins? 15 men on a Dead Man's Pacer?
>>>
>>> It doesn't go to Liverpool via Manchester Airport I suppose?
>>> Certainly an odd story, I wonder if we will hear from the OP again?
>>>
>>> Paul
>>
>> I have only recounted what I observed, and what the train manager told
>> me.
>> Do you imagine he didn't know what he was talking about ?
>
> So lets get this clear!
>
> You got on a train at Salford Crescent that went direct to Liverpool Lime
> Street?

Yes.

> Can you remember what time you got to Lime Street?

Not exactly, but it was around 19:00

> You got off there and returned to Manchester Airport?

Yes. Train dep Lime St. 19:22
arr Manchester Piccadilly 20:10
dep " " 20:38
arr " Airport 20:58

Jim Hawkins