I caught the 12.30 home today so I thought, to say my goodbyes to the cat and console the unconsolable. Happily he's still with us but it's too long a story to explain why. Anyway, as I strolled beside the train I passed 1 then 2 first class carraiges when it hit me that I'd only used 1 of my upgrade vouchers this year and with under 2 weeks left before I have to renew I decided to use 1 up.

I got a lovely roomy seat to myself, free cup of tea and buscuits. When the ticket lady came round I showed her my season ticket and started to pull my upgrade voucher from the wallet. It wasn't until I was half way through this action that I noticed she had started to walk away and only stopped when she saw me producing something else I obviously thought should be checked. It struck me that she hadn't noticed my season ticket was for Std Class and she hadn't seen the plastic upgrade tickets before and didn't quite know what to do with it. Anyway she took it, asked me if she should stamp it, to which I relied to the positive and prompty put a second hole in the second red box. Next time I'll wait to see what they do before I brandish my chosen weapon of defense.

Once again I find another gremlin in GNER's customer service offering. As stated in previous entries I'm due to renew my annual season ticket within the next 2 weeks so I looked on GNER's web site today to try to find out how much it would be. I need to know because I get an interest free loan from my employer to pay for it and they won't just give me a cheque for any amount I ask for.

You can try this yourself if you don't beleive me.
From the www.GNER.co.uk home page I clicked tickets and fares (fare is not what I'd call them) and then scrolled down to and clicked season tickets. I entered the start station as Peterborough, end station as Kings Cross/no tube, class was standard and duration 12 months. Up popped my quote - £5088 but no reference to whether this included the 5% discount or not.

I couldn't find any indication on the web to say that it did or didn't include the discount so I opted to give them a call. I then clicked on customer care to get the number and scrolled down to contact us. About half way down this page you see a number for season tickets. I dialled the number and listened to the options - If you require info on train times please redial national rail enquiries. If you're a registered travel agent go to some web page, Press 1 if you have a comment or suggestion about GNER, press 2 if you would like to book a ticket, press 3 if you have a query about a ticket or hold if you don't have a touch tone phone and you will be re-directed to an operator. At this point the line went dead.

I tried again just to see if it was me or them. It was them. Not only did the season ticket number not give me any season ticket options, they cut me off on the promise I would be passed to an opperator. Not one to give in easily I dialed again but this time I took option 2 - book a ticket. I explained the situation to the young Geordie that answered (by they way, I like the fact that he was a Geordie in Newcastle and not an Indian in Mumbai), but he told me I'd dialed the wrong number and gave me the correct one. I quickly explained where I got the number and that it was GNER's fault that I'd dialled incorrectly. I also pointed out that the number he had given me was listed on the web site as being for coporate customers only and that really the info on the contacts page could not be trusted. He seemed genuinly surprised at this and promised he'd follow itt up with his manager. Maybe he will, maybe he won't.

Finally I called through to the alledged correct number and found that it was indeed the place where I could get the info I needed. Proble 1 solved. The nice Geordie lass told me the price quoted didn't include the discount and I would be paying £4833.60 or 3.8% more than last year. Whilst I had her attention I also asked when I could renew my ticket becuase last year I tried to renew it 8 days before it expired and they wouldn't let me until the day before it expired. When I learned that I can renew anytime between now and when it expires, I thought I'd take the oppotunity to put the info this young lady is giving out on GNER's behalf to the test. My cheque should arrive sometime this week or early next and I'll have a crack at renewing the day it arrives. I'll let you know what happens.

That's who I sat next to on the 07.20 from Tinsel Town this morning. It was very busy this morning so as I stood at the back of the que on the platform, I was praying the seat reservations were in place.

Thankfully they were and I watched from the back of the que as passenger after passenger saw my empty seat and contemplated ocupying it. I'm pleased to say nobody did but it wasn't until I reached the table that I saw why. Sat in he seat next to mine was a brick shit house merrily tapping away on his lap top. He was so large his left elbow was knocking on the carraige wall and his right elbow extended over what can only be describered as the personal space I intened to occupy. His legs, which were more like tree trunks, just fitted under the table although he had no choice but to sit with legs splayed over my side of the table.

I sat down fully expecting him to move over a little and pull his arms in to give me room to comfortably sit down. He didn't. He just ignored me and carried on typing. I was just about to pull the dividing arm rest down to force him to move over when his phone rang and he budged. I, in turn jumped at the chance to move and put the arm down so that he couldn't move back into my space. That done I settled back and read my paper all the way into KX.

Incidentally the train arrived into P'boro a few mins late and KX on time.

I may have to go home at lunchtime as one of our Cats is very poorly and will most probably be meeting his maker by the end of the day. Apart from the upset of saying goodbye to one of my best mates for the last time, I'll have to run the guantlet of getting a seat on non peak hour trains. Ah the stress of it.