Last night there were two inspectors at the Parry Vale gate. One of them didn't have an Oyster reader. The one who did didn't get out of his box until about ten people had arrived at the gate.
ambient No longer registered
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Joined: Nov 2007
Impact on me is a minor annoyance at present because I travel southbound in the morning. I now have to cross the rail line twice from Perry Vale side to get to Platform 2. And of course, leave a little earlier than I'm used to
See the attached letter sent yesterday from the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, to Ian Brown, Managing Director of London Rail, inviting him to a meeting at the station with the Mayor and local residents on Fri 18th July at 5.30pm.
At 6:25 yesterday evening during the torrential downpour it took me 8 minutes to actually get off the platform and down the stairs. Hundreds of soaking wet angry commuters being squeezed one by one through the gate to get our non oyster paper tickets checked, mine is now a soggy mess. This whole station is a joke! I can see a disaster about to happen! Far too many people get off at Forest Hill, its too crowded and its only a matter of time before some one goes under. Its just not safe.
If people are unhappy with this situation as I am then you need to be vocal and make sure that Southern management know clearly what they are making us put up with here.
At 8 this morning when I was giving the station manager a peace of my mind everyone just stood round seemingly indifferent to the whole issue. Some must have been caught up in the crowd last night.
Meanwhile the station manager stands round with a very dismissive attitude about the whole thing like everything is wonderful at FH station.
This morning, three ticket inspectors standing under the shelter of the station on the up platform doing nothing but laughing at the people who had walked up the stairs to the (closed) down gate. I asked why it was closed - odious 'inspector' Dean said because 'it was locked'! How very clever! Is there a sign on the PV side telling people it is closed?
We at Sydenham station feel your pain! Not only do I now have to leave earlier as the gate to the London-bound platform is locked (intercom for wheelchair access) but we also have to contend with 100s of people squeezing through just 2 Oyster gates in the evening.
It's certainly not nice rushing over a slippery footbridge in the pouring rain trying to make the London-bound train.
Beware of any buzzer gate 'solution' at Perry Vale too. Our experiences is that a buzz is often left unanswered; and then entry can be refused if you cannot prove mobility problems (i.e swing the crutch at the CCTV camera or hitch up your trousers to show the brace etc...).
And finally, it is now actually quicker for me to walk to FH platform 1 then to use my own local station. Well done, Southern...
Make sure to catch the 1715 or 1725 from London Bridge on Friday so that there is maximum impact while the Mayor is at Forest Hill.
Also, don't forget that the consultation for the Pools is taking place on Friday as well (3pm-7pm in Forest Hill Town Centre).
Lewisham.gov.uk wrote:
On Friday 18 July 3pm ? 7pm and Saturday 19 July 9am ? 2pm there will be displays of the proposed options and designs for the new pool facility staffed by Architects and Council Officers who will be able to answer questions by local residents about the new development proposals. Feedback forms will also be available for residents to make comments and suggestions. The displays will be sited outside WH Smiths/Forest Hill Station on Devonshire Road/end of Dartmouth Road, SE23.
Went to get the 8.35 this morning. Showed my paper gold card (which doesn't work and has a number written on it to tell inspectors to let this ?700+ fare paying passenger/customer through) to the man in a yellow jacket. Got told to go to another man in a yellow jacket over the other side of the gate.Train came in. Walked through a sea of rushing people to other chap. Waited while the person in front explained her ticket didn't work. Then showed him my ticket which doesn't work. Whistle went. chap asks me to put ticket into the machine. beeps start. I push through gate like a fare dodger. This, as they say is progress!
I don't understand why there are 2-3 people attending the barriers and another 3 in Southern uniforms standing on platform 1, one of whom was giving out copies of Metro today! Surely common sense would be to say if you're going to have that many staff at the station send the 3 over to platform 2, open the gate and check tickets manually.
These large volumes of staff must only be for 1 week or so. Will be interesting when one person on each gate.
As michael Palin said Travel should be an experience , it was boring before now we have all this excitement. Who are the winners now.???
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