North East Buses

(23 Feb 2014, 3:32 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]3801, 6016 and 6099/100 all on Metro Replacements from GNE today.

3858, 3864, 3880, 3972, 6013 on 901 this evening.

(24 Feb 2014, 9:00 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...ic-6736904

Disgrace. It's coming to something when the first thought is a FPN rather than a 999 call. Yet another example of a couple of bad apples in the transport industry bringing their employer into disrepute.

(24 Feb 2014, 9:15 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Disgrace. It's coming to something when the first thought is a FPN rather than a 999 call. Yet another example of a couple of bad apples in the transport industry bringing their employer into disrepute.

It's common of the majority of Metro Inspectors though, that's the thing. They're so eager to fine people, it's as if they're on commission for it or something. For me it's no longer just 'a couple of bad apples', it's the majority of them. Indeed a couple of my friends in school have compared Metro Inspectors to packs of wild dogs... wolves... hunting down prey. They bark when they walk onto the Metro, "Tickets and passes!" and rip them out of your hands if they look suspicious for one reason or another. I don't think I've ever seen them smile.

The Tyne & Wear Metro system is a joke. An embarrassment to the region.

Photographs below are courtesy of the "Checky Watch" Facebook page. In no way am I encouraging "Metro hopping"...


One of the wild beasts that they call 'inspectors'...


Captioned, Must of been the "best catch" this week ya horrible fuckers, and its near Christmas as-well...
No rest for the wicked eh?"


Just a kid...


Didn't know they could rugby tackle folk?

(24 Feb 2014, 9:33 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]It's common of the majority of Metro Inspectors though, that's the thing. They're so eager to fine people, it's as if they're on commission for it or something. For me it's no longer just 'a couple of bad apples', it's the majority of them. Indeed a couple of my friends in school have compared Metro Inspectors to packs of wild dogs... wolves... hunting down prey. They bark when they walk onto the Metro, "Tickets and passes!" and rip them out of your hands if they look suspicious for one reason or another. I don't think I've ever seen them smile.

The Tyne & Wear Metro system is a joke. An embarrassment to the region.

Photographs below are courtesy of the "Checky Watch" Facebook page. In no way am I encouraging "Metro hopping"...

Photos are interesting. I don't condone the last one in the slightest as it's clearly beyond reasonable force. The other two though, I can't see anything wrong with? Assume they're being pulled for not having valid tickets? I think this whole thing with "Checky Watch" has done nothing but create a witch hunt.

I can't imagine some of the shite that these folks have to put up with for doing their job. I've seen them spat at and had abuse hurled at them, and I rarely use the system! Nobody deserves to have to put up with that in their workplace.

(24 Feb 2014, 9:45 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Photos are interesting. I don't condone the last one in the slightest as it's clearly beyond reasonable force. The other two though, I can't see anything wrong with? Assume they're being pulled for not having valid tickets? I think this whole thing with "Checky Watch" has done nothing but create a witch hunt.

I can't imagine some of the shite that these folks have to put up with for doing their job. I've seen them spat at and had abuse hurled at them, and I rarely use the system! Nobody deserves to have to put up with that in their workplace.

You'd assume the person in the wheelchair would have a Gold Card? If he had lost the Gold Card coming home from a hospital appointment or something, then they're going to pounce.
As for the second one - nothing wrong with it as such, but it's the fact that the girl is just a kid... Granted if you let her off once, she'd probably do it again... I just think they take pleasure in doing it though.

Nexus has complained about "Checky Watch" in the past (see here), but nothing has been done about it. The claims from the founder of the group are quite moral, actually: "But the site’s creator, Ben Heywood Potts, 21, from Jarrow, has taken to video-sharing site YouTube to stress that the purpose of the page is to slash the price of tickets, and not to travel for free."
From that perspective, I don't disagree with the group activity. It also provides me with a few cheap laughs when they get some mug shots of the inspectors (of whom are rather familiar with the group founder and have willingly taken one or two "selfies" with him in the past). Quite often I find posts being made by the group administrators defending inspectors, rightly saying that they are 'only doing their job'.

Don't get me wrong, I agree completely that they shouldn't have to put up with the things they do get put through - but I also think it could be avoided in many cases, if their stance wasn't quite so aggressive. My friends from school don't use public transport much but they have such a bad impression of the Metro primarily because of the inspectors that they regularly see. I can see exactly where they're coming from too, and it's so rare you hear stories like this concerning bus drivers - I don't think that the inspectors you see on buses are seen as so much of a threat either.

Anyone seen the cost of the Metro Gold Card is set to be halved? Unlimited off peak & weekend travel for the equivalent of £1 a month?

Very laudable. And here's me thinking it was on the table to be withdrawn as unaffordable if Nexus didn't get their own way elsewhere...

(25 Feb 2014, 12:52 pm)Chris wrote [ -> ]Anyone seen the cost of the Metro Gold Card is set to be halved? Unlimited off peak & weekend travel for the equivalent of £1 a month?

Very laudable. And here's me thinking it was on the table to be withdrawn as unaffordable if Nexus didn't get their own way elsewhere...

Honestly?!

Seriously!

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/.../nexus-set-halve-cost-metro-6742028

Beggars belief!

(25 Feb 2014, 3:16 pm)Chris wrote [ -> ]Seriously!

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/.../nexus-set-halve-cost-metro-6742028

Beggars belief!

Link 404 errors for me. Disgrace if true. How can a 50% reduction in fare be justified for one group of people, when others have had rises well above inflation? Can see the feeling on NEB being strongly one sided here...

Delays on the green line due to a train failure at Brockley Whins.
My Metro carrying two lots of the usual passengers.

(25 Feb 2014, 4:07 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Link 404 errors for me. Disgrace if true. How can a 50% reduction in fare be justified for one group of people, when others have had rises well above inflation? Can see the feeling on NEB being strongly one sided here...

Link should work below, must want the bus users to make the short fall up with QCS!

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...ro-6742028

(25 Feb 2014, 5:42 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]Link should work below, must want the bus users to make the short fall up with QCS!

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...ro-6742028

Cheers. I quite like their logic: "Metro owner Nexus said the new price reflects the fact that the Metro Gold Cards are much easier to buy and use.". That being said, we can expect all fares to be reduced by over 50% with the introduction of POP?

(25 Feb 2014, 5:42 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]Link should work below, must want the bus users to make the short fall up with QCS!

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...ro-6742028

Thanks - knew I hadn't dreamt it!

Now for the figures. By their own admission, through the sales of Gold Cards, Nexus raised:

• 2010/11 - £1,109,656.00
  
• 2011/12 - £1,731,903.00
  
• 2012/13 - £1,518,312.00
  

This gives you a three year average of £1,453,290.33. The reduction from £25.00 to £12.00 is 52%. So the reduction comes at the cost of.... £755,710.97 per annum of lost income?

Can we really afford to to absorb this sort of money? Gateshead Council councillors have been asked to approve a further £15m of cuts? That tells me we can't afford it.

(26 Feb 2014, 9:25 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Now for the figures. By their own admission, through the sales of Gold Cards, Nexus raised:

• 2010/11 - £1,109,656.00
  
• 2011/12 - £1,731,903.00
  
• 2012/13 - £1,518,312.00
  

This gives you a three year average of £1,453,290.33. The reduction from £25.00 to £12.00 is 52%. So the reduction comes at the cost of.... £755,710.97 per annum of lost income?

Can we really afford to to absorb this sort of money? Gateshead Council councillors have been asked to approve a further £15m of cuts? That tells me we can't afford it.

Unless sales rise?

(26 Feb 2014, 10:09 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Unless sales rise?

It's a big ask and a massive gamble.

(26 Feb 2014, 10:10 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]It's a big ask and a massive gamble.

It is, just like a bus operator reducing their fares .

(26 Feb 2014, 10:21 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]It is, just like a bus operator reducing their fares .

Maybe, but they're not a public body taking a gamble during massive austerity cuts. A commercial bus operator reduces its fares and it just doesn't make as much profit. Customers win and shareholders lose out. If what Nexus are doing fails then it's ultimately the tax payers who lose out.

(26 Feb 2014, 10:26 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Maybe, but they're not a public body taking a gamble during massive austerity cuts. A commercial bus operator reduces its fares and it just doesn't make as much profit. Customers win and shareholders lose out. If what Nexus are doing fails then it's ultimately the tax payers who lose out.

And if the gamble pays off (like it did when Day Rovers were reduced in price)?

We all know that the commercial operator won't want to see a dip.in year end profits, so will look to raise revenue in other areas if their promotion doesn't work - so passengers in other areas lose out, as the £3.15 fares are rolled out and standardised across even more areas where competition doesn't exist.

(26 Feb 2014, 10:39 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]And if the gamble pays off (like it did when Day Rovers were reduced in price)?

We all know that the commercial operator won't want to see a dip.in year end profits, so will look to raise revenue in other areas if their promotion doesn't work - so passengers in other areas lose out, as the £3.15 fares are rolled out and standardised across even more areas where competition doesn't exist.

If the gamble pays off then they've been very lucky in my opinion. This a case of needing to increase use sales 15%-20%. They need to, in a year, double sales. Anything less is a drop in profit. It's a massive ask for any company never mind Nexus.

This is by no means an attack on Gold Cards, but more so on the level of decrease that has been applied. Even though the percentages were high (about 18% I think?) when they reduced student and young person tickets for 2014, the biggest decrease was no more than £5.00 from the top of my head. The majority of other tickets rose again. Averages:

2011 - 6.5%
2012 - 5.8%
2013 - 4.1%
2014 - 2.5%

(26 Feb 2014, 10:39 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]And if the gamble pays off (like it did when Day Rovers were reduced in price)?

It'll be a bloody miracle!

Students also already get significant discounts, so people who pay full fare are having to cover ever bigger discounts offered elsewhere.

Does anyone know what passenger figures are like for those who do pay full fare?

(27 Feb 2014, 1:10 pm)Chris wrote [ -> ]It'll be a bloody miracle!

Students also already get significant discounts, so people who pay full fare are having to cover ever bigger discounts offered elsewhere.

Does anyone know what passenger figures are like for those who do pay full fare?

Nope, but FOI is your friend.

Good thinking.

Or I might register with Nexus' forum and pose the question on there - they seem quite open and they've recently answered a couple of FOI-esque questions on other things.

I need to stop myself saying 'And the News' when I say Huw Lewis' name to myself though!

(27 Feb 2014, 1:39 pm)Chris wrote [ -> ]Good thinking.

Or I might register with Nexus' forum and pose the question on there - they seem quite open and they've recently answered a couple of FOI-esque questions on other things.

I need to stop myself saying 'And the News' when I say Huw Lewis' name to myself though!

I'd say FOI is your best route still as they're then legislated to respond. I've generally got what I've asked for.

(24 Feb 2014, 9:56 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]You'd assume the person in the wheelchair would have a Gold Card? If he had lost the Gold Card coming home from a hospital appointment or something, then they're going to pounce.
As for the second one - nothing wrong with it as such, but it's the fact that the girl is just a kid... Granted if you let her off once, she'd probably do it again... I just think they take pleasure in doing it though.

And what proof you got of that statement? Also the girl that was fine because assumingly she did not have a valid ticket but should be let off because she is a "kid"... How do you know she is not 16 or over... she looks around 16 too me so hardly a 10 year old and a teenager should know better anyways. Person that is in the wheelchair, how can anyone judge from the photo that the person is actually being fined? And even so, should we really be lenient just because the person has got a disability or is in a wheelchair? If a person got a disability and they assaulted someone, should they get away with it because their disability affected their behaviour? You be setting a dangerous precedent if you did. The guy that is tackled to the ground, is there anything against a anyone using some sort of self defense? for all we know the guy could of been very aggressive and out of control and you don't really want anyone to be behaving like that when you got a drop to the train track nearby! Number 1 priority is your own safety so whilst I'm sure a lot of people would take that photo out of the context and label it as mean inspector and poor guy on the ground, perhaps we should actually see the full incident before we judge either way and that goes for all the photos really.

Checky watch is nothing but fraud and the owner is just one of those lazy folk who feels everything should be free. And if your wondering why Metro Inspectors look miserable etc, then its the same with bus drivers, you have to deal with members of the public which there are some who drives you nuts!

The other simple fact is, BUY A VALID TICKET and you won't have to deal with the inspectors apart from showing them your ticket. Travelling without a ticket is fraud and therefore an offense so anyone travelling without a ticket and gets caught is always pleasing too see.

(28 Feb 2014, 10:24 pm)Bus_User wrote [ -> ]And what proof you got of that statement? Also the girl that was fine because assumingly she did not have a valid ticket but should be let off because she is a "kid"... How do you know she is not 16 or over... she looks around 16 too me so hardly a 10 year old and a teenager should know better anyways. Person that is in the wheelchair, how can anyone judge from the photo that the person is actually being fined? And even so, should we really be lenient just because the person has got a disability or is in a wheelchair? If a person got a disability and they assaulted someone, should they get away with it because their disability affected their behaviour? You be setting a dangerous precedent if you did. The guy that is tackled to the ground, is there anything against a anyone using some sort of self defense? for all we know the guy could of been very aggressive and out of control and you don't really want anyone to be behaving like that when you got a drop to the train track nearby! Number 1 priority is your own safety so whilst I'm sure a lot of people would take that photo out of the context and label it as mean inspector and poor guy on the ground, perhaps we should actually see the full incident before we judge either way and that goes for all the photos really.

Checky watch is nothing but fraud and the owner is just one of those lazy folk who feels everything should be free. And if your wondering why Metro Inspectors look miserable etc, then its the same with bus drivers, you have to deal with members of the public which there are some who drives you nuts!

The other simple fact is, BUY A VALID TICKET and you won't have to deal with the inspectors apart from showing them your ticket. Travelling without a ticket is fraud and therefore an offense so anyone travelling without a ticket and gets caught is always pleasing too see.

Of course I cannot back up my opinions with evidence, but I have given stories and photographs of my experiences whereby Metro Inspectors have seemingly taken pleasure in fining people. I'll not get onto the anecdote of the racist Inspector who had 'no time for pakis' who I came across a year or two ago.

The girl looks like she is in her mid-teens to me, and looks the sort to be Under 16. She may have paid for a ticket every day in her life apart from that day, and it could have been linked to a Metro ticket machine fault (see my stories a few weeks ago where I was not able to purchase a ticket and Customer Services were completely useless), could have been linked to her running onto the Metro for safety as she was being chased, could have simply been down to having no money (whether that's down to being mugged or generally just having no money, you can decide). Given my previous sightings of the bad Metro Inspectors, my judgement of every Metro Inspector has changed. I really don't think the Inspectors would have been understanding, nor do I think they would have let her off if it was her first time offence.

The photograph's caption suggests that the disabled man is being fined, so we have assumed that it is correct. The price for a Gold Card is fairly cheap (£25) and I really don't know many Metro users who do not have one. It's cheaper for them to have one even if they only use the Metro twice a month. This is being reduced even more, as per recent discussions. There is no reason why the disabled man would not have owned one of these cards, and I have assumed that he mustn't have been in possession of one that day. That really could be simply down to the fact he had misplaced it.

Your statements are rather worrying in regards to the man being rugby tackled to the floor. Surely it is equally as important that customers are safe, and not just themselves? You're right though, that is the sort of impression I get from them. There's self-defence and there is clear assault - I'm going with the latter option, with no knowledge of the reasoning behind it, because of how aggressive it appears. That sort of behaviour cannot be condoned and brings the company into disrepute.

Your statement regarding the owner of the "Checky Watch" page is wrong. The owner of the page has quoted to newspapers (which I'm sure I actually mentioned at the time) that he does not want free travel on Metros, he wants cheaper travel on Metros. Is it any wonder that he is requesting just that, when he is your average "buy a single" kind of customer? The price of his ticket has rocketed in recent years to pick up the cost of ticket reductions elsewhere. We can only assume that this will happen again when the cost of the Gold Card is slashed.

Bus drivers may look miserable, but at least they don't practice their rugby skills on customers.

Misplacing a gold card is surely the same as me turning up for a bus without my keycard? Would I be let off or charged the single fare?

I've only had the one problem recently. Was asked by an undercover inspector for my ticket and I refused asking if I could see his ID properly. To which he muttered about "not having time for this" or something. It resulted in me taking a bit longer than necessary to view his ID card in my own hands, and then taking my time to find my ticket. I have to say though the rest have tended to be fine.

On the other hand I could write a book of tales involving bus driver attitude. Everything from racism, to sexism, to attempting to leave a 12 year old lass at Chester, to assaulting a kid who threw snowballs off the bus.

(01 Mar 2014, 11:01 am)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Misplacing a gold card is surely the same as me turning up for a bus without my keycard? Would I be let off or charged the single fare?

I've only had the one problem recently. Was asked by an undercover inspector for my ticket and I refused asking if I could see his ID properly. To which he muttered about "not having time for this" or something. It resulted in me taking a bit longer than necessary to view his ID card in my own hands, and then taking my time to find my ticket. I have to say though the rest have tended to be fine.

On the other hand I could write a book of tales involving bus driver attitude. Everything from racism, to sexism, to attempting to leave a 12 year old lass at Chester, to assaulting a kid who threw snowballs off the bus.

Good point, but you require your Key Card to board the vehicle. You won't get fined if you don't have it - you have the option of paying the single fare or going back home to find it.

Ultimately, I think it depends on how often you use a form of public transport. I don't use the ferry often and all of my experiences on the ferry have been good. Bus and Metro, I can't say the same.

(01 Mar 2014, 7:00 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Of course I cannot back up my opinions with evidence, but I have given stories and photographs of my experiences whereby Metro Inspectors have seemingly taken pleasure in fining people. I'll not get onto the anecdote of the racist Inspector who had 'no time for pakis' who I came across a year or two ago.

The girl looks like she is in her mid-teens to me, and looks the sort to be Under 16. She may have paid for a ticket every day in her life apart from that day, and it could have been linked to a Metro ticket machine fault (see my stories a few weeks ago where I was not able to purchase a ticket and Customer Services were completely useless), could have been linked to her running onto the Metro for safety as she was being chased, could have simply been down to having no money (whether that's down to being mugged or generally just having no money, you can decide). Given my previous sightings of the bad Metro Inspectors, my judgement of every Metro Inspector has changed. I really don't think the Inspectors would have been understanding, nor do I think they would have let her off if it was her first time offence.

The photograph's caption suggests that the disabled man is being fined, so we have assumed that it is correct. The price for a Gold Card is fairly cheap (£25) and I really don't know many Metro users who do not have one. It's cheaper for them to have one even if they only use the Metro twice a month. This is being reduced even more, as per recent discussions. There is no reason why the disabled man would not have owned one of these cards, and I have assumed that he mustn't have been in possession of one that day. That really could be simply down to the fact he had misplaced it.

Your statements are rather worrying in regards to the man being rugby tackled to the floor. Surely it is equally as important that customers are safe, and not just themselves? You're right though, that is the sort of impression I get from them. There's self-defence and there is clear assault - I'm going with the latter option, with no knowledge of the reasoning behind it, because of how aggressive it appears. That sort of behaviour cannot be condoned and brings the company into disrepute.

our statement regarding the owner of the "Checky Watch" page is wrong. The owner of the page has quoted to newspapers (which I'm sure I actually mentioned at the time) that he does not want free travel on Metros, he wants cheaper travel on Metros. Is it any wonder that he is requesting just that, when he is your average "buy a single" kind of customer? The price of his ticket has rocketed in recent years to pick up the cost of ticket reductions elsewhere. We can only assume that this will happen again when the cost of the Gold Card is slashed.

I agree metro inspectors should allow some sort of leniancy if there is a case to be lenient but on the other hand, if you allow one to get away with it, then you got to let them all to get away with it. The excuse of fiddling around looking for your pass then realising to your shock horror it must still be in the house is one where some inspectors can be lenient but it such a common and easy excuse to use that most rightly don't.

The fact you got no idea regarding the photo with the man being "rugby tackled" tells me you can't say its assault and I don't believe for a second Metro Inspectors would assault any passengers for no good reason so self defence or some sort of restraint was being used to try and keep the situation under control. Whether its in their duty to be able to do that I don't know but I'm sure under special circumstances this is allowed aslong its in self defence and they don't go and start hitting the individual in question. Theres a big difference between self defence and assault and I find it astonishing people are accusing someone doing an assault with the only proof is a still photograph but I find those people quite prejudice really.

Metro Inspectors are certainly not Guardian angels but they are not the devils people are painting them to be. Infact tbh, the only people who hates them are more than likely be the people who dodges the system and gets caught. Quite frankly I don't like or hate them, I just show them my ticket and thats that and that would be the case for most people I'm sure if they do the same.

The Metro is expensive but if anyone remember the total chaos when the Metro went on a full day or two on strike will realise Tyne & Wear can't live without it and we should feel fortunate we have a light rail system in place if albeit, its showing signs of age and decline hence the money to modernise the system.