Luggage and Staff

Carrying luggage is up to the individual staff member. I [most of the time] only carry luggage for the elderly and/or disabled. I used to [in rare cases I used to when on the barrier] carried pushchairs. I have found most staff will help, within reason of course, we dont want to damage our backs.

We are NOT obliged to carry luggage. Again its down to personal choice. I remember mothers refusing to take their baby out of the pushchair and INSISTING I carry one end of the pushchair [they the other] down an escalator. A small amount of common sense will see why this is a bad idea, but many fail to see this. An incident on the Northern years ago just like this resulted in a baby, tragically, being killed.

There are of course many incidents where people have luggage which is not very heavy, and DEMAND help!!!!!
People carry excessive amounts of luggage on the tube, and EXPECT staff to carry it. We are NOT porters!

LOL - Wahing Machine ;D

I think I seem to be unlucky then, as whenever I'm at a station, and a elderly person wants help with their bags, the staff always seem to say no, and of course, apart from ignoring them, which is rude IMO, I don't have any other way to get out of it!

See, even someone not eligable for the job yet, is proving his customer service skills! ;D

Joking aside, I see the guy's point (not about expecting staff to help, mind you). Now, I'm not saying that I would carry a washing machine on the tube (or anywhere else for that matter, as I'm a lazy g*t). But the "offficial" line is to try to get people to give up their cars.

I can only presume that this customer did not have a car, or he would have used it. He probably didn't have a drivers license either, or he would have rented a suitable vehicle as I have done when I was giving "life without a car" a try (the concept didn't work very well by the way).

It probably did not occur to him that it would be so difficult getting it through the gates (and down and up escalators no doubt) and taxis in this city are horribly expensive. He may have been new to the city and not realised that phoning a minicab is cheaper than getting a black cab.

In any event, I hope he managed to get a taxi to take him, or he will be working hard on getting his car by now... Or paying for delivery next time.

well any one been to hatton cross they have porters to carry bags like every day and they have about 6 porter in which 4 of them usually stand thier doing nothing. i think they should employ these at stations like waterloo, or victoria, kings cross or liverpool street. i believe in helping with pushchairs or the oaps, but not people who think thier too good

nah the ones at hatton do it for free, and they take so long getting up the stairs its like i want to get home before christmas, and surprise surprise thier polish adn cant spk or understand english. slightly worring as they are greeting people into ourcountry as most of the customers come from heathrow

nah i respect them, they work good damn hard, which is what i mean 4 of them arejus standing thier looking really bored, but the bit about language i still think they should speak our language. wouldnt give them a tip though id rather just carry it myself

The influx of East Europeans is caused by the wage differential... a typical job in Poland, say a Cleaner at a hospital would only pay 600 zl [local currency is the Zloty [say it as Shallotee] [about £100] a month, where as working here, they can earn £800 [5,000 zl] a month... someone from Poland I know, abandoned his home, car, etc to come and live here... He's teachine me Polish [I'm learning as best as I can] and I'm teaching him the intricacy of the English lauguage]. The first words he learnt, not from me I might add, were rather, err... to the point... Still, it's all good fun learning another language....

If you ever go to Poland, you just have to try the national dish, called Bigos [say as Bee-goss]
Bacon or beef, wrapped in Cabbage, and boiled in a nice rich vegetable stew... And not forgetting a shot of Vodka [neat]

If you see the bag I carry around with me, you'd probably ask why do I need that?

Usual contents of work bag
flask, sandwiches in plastic container, notebook, defect guidelines book, duty sheets, Traffic Circulars [some dating back months that have managed to avoid the weekly emptying regime] handlamp, spare bulbs for handlamp, boot cleaning kit, deodorant, change for the sweetie machine at West Rui or Broadway [!], err, jacket, casual fleece/pullover/shirt, sunglasses, [plus case], camera, phone, chargers for these, letters, vouchers for shopping trips, Travel Guides/maps for tourists... The whole lot must weigh like 15-20kg... and I heave that about on my shoulder most of the day... A non-work bag is much the same, leaving out the lamp and handbooks....

And apologies for straying off the thread path....

Oh yes, the weekend breakers with everything but the kitchen sink....

Marked sole??? Gawd, soon as this person puts them on, they'd be marked anyway....

Once waited for ages at theydon west for a family going on holiday to load on around 11 suitcases. Besides the load one, have a kiss, load another, say goodbye, load another, hug and kiss [again], theres me at the front, looking out the door waiting. Soon as I got out and stood on the platform with hands on hips, they soon hurried along then.... At Liverpool Street, I waited for then to offload... I honestly felt like asking them which one the kitchen sink was in.... don't think that would have gone down well tho....

lol i know but it wouldntsurprise me if half these people did have the kitchen sink, like smuggling it in from another country because its cheaper

well what gets on my nerves is on a mainline train when its open seats and u get one person sitting at a table seat with the rest of thier luggage on the other seats your like what about other people and its even worse because non of the staff have the ball hooks to say anything especially when its packed

that gets on my nerves to on the underground trains i know they say move down the train but it gets pretty stupid when people stand in the middle of an isle with a suitcase and when someone wants to get off they give them such dirty looks as if thier stupid

if that was me, I would have just sauntered over, slowly, and then as she marched off to where ever, I'd have followed along at my own pace... when she wasn't looking, 'accidentally' drop/bash/knock/kick the case....