UK Trains: Fines for Soiling Bench!
 

A man has been remanded to appear at Cambridge magistrates court for "soiling railway property" after he allegedly put his dirty work boots on a bench he was lying on and soiling the bench. The man was arrested by British Transport police whilst lying on the bench, accused of "lying on the bench putting dirty work boots up and spreading the dirt all over the seat".
Now while i am all for clean stations, benches, etc., this action seems hilarious to me in light of all the other conditions much worse i've seen on trains - last December i stepped onto one train where a newspaper was lying over the floor by the entrance - after trying to move it over with my shoes i found that it was covering vomit that got all over my shoes and my day pack which i had sat down there before. The vomit looked like it had been there for hours.
On local trains i always check the seat before i sit in it as several times i've slid down to the floor as seats were lose. I can go on and on - ripped seats, graffiti even covering the windows, etc. (these are mainly on local commuter type trains not long-distance ones which are much better) so it seems that arresting someone for soiling a bench is small potatoes in light of what else goes on. Hopefully the British Transport police also have better things to do, like watch out for terrorists, then police things like dirty benches - they should have just warned the guy and made him clean it up.

Sounds like a bunch of lager louts must have been in the carriage before you!

Pal: you really need to stay OUT of those 2nd Class compartments LOL!!

On a lot of the commuter trains, all there are is 2nd class compartments, and yes, some of them can be highly questionable (windows so graffitied you can't see out of them, seats stained with unidentifiable things, dirt everywhere, etc.).

I suppose this means I should stop crushing out my Cuban cigar butts on the benches?? Damn!! :-O

Meh, it's probably cleaner than a lot of the stuff; the burning tobacco should be hot enough to kill some germs.

P M: assume you're a Yank referring to Cuban cigar post - UK stations all have CCTV in operation and any American caught on film smoking Cubans abroad will be sent to Guantanamo upon arrival back home - beware!

Vomit on the subway. The joys of public transportation.

This is even more common in Japan. Sometimes it's even in the seats.

Adds character. And if you travel with kids, you've got a pretty good likelihood of getting vomit in a private car, too.

IntrepidOne: Must be time next month for your steam train driving. Good luck and don't soil anything with that coal dust.

Yes, I leave a month from yesterday and am excited about it.

I'll be sure to either post a trip report although I am a bit reluctant to do so since I will be in London mainly to see West End shows and then be doing the drivers course/touring the Norfolk area so it is pretty much "arcane" stuff..no "yummy foods" anticipated, etc. I couldn't even get much response when I recently posted about sights to SEE in the Norfolk region.

If you prefer I can easily send you a report privately to your e-mail address rather than bore the others here with the rail-related details. Let me know.

Very flat, Norfolk (© Noel Coward). If you haven't already seen it, try
http://tinyurl.com/mz4k4

Lots of churches that seem far too large for their villages - because they were built when Norfolk was rich and the powerhouse of the English economy, from agriculture. And the Norfolk Broads.

Intrepid1, April in Paris, yes, but April in Norfolk? Winds whistling off the North Sea, and no hills to slow them down. We have had a late Spring here (I live in neighbouring Suffolk), but hopefully by next month the weather will be warmer, the dafodils in bloom, and cherry trees blossoming.

Norfolk has lots more to see than just churches. Notably, there are several large country estates open to the public, including the Queen's Sandringham House, and the Earl of Leicester's Holkham Hall. Both open on Apr 15th this year, so your timing is perfect. Norwich is an interesting city, and has a castle and cathedral.

Apart from that, there are many pretty villages, some ruined castles, and seaside towns which are very busy in the summer but quiet in springtime. You will need a car to make the most of your visit.

BTW, do a Google search on Sandringham and Holkham Hall, and you will find their websites.

The transport police have to startt domewhere, and with criminals they can catch. Mobile phone users, even tourists, who see the crime can help by checking how far along the train they are and which side the mess is, and going to the next carriage, phoning 999, and trying to bring the police onto the train in time to nab the offender.

Ben Haines, London
bnhaibes@:google.co.uk

Sorry: I meant
[email protected]

Patrick and Heimdall, thanks for the support and the laughs!

Yes, I will definitely have a car once I arrive in Norwich where I will base myself for the driver's course on the Bure Valley RR. I hope to spend the afternoon of Norwich arrival tooling around. The course itself takes up 8 hours on both Saturday and Sunday and if it doesn't get too dark too early I hope to do a little more exploring after the course finishes both days.

I am coming prepared for every weather eventuality to include rain and cold along with my digital camera for lots of picture-taking.

Anyone have suggestions as to places to go for "unforgettable" evening meals? It does NOT have to be "upscale" or fine dining..just something that might be considered a bit unique (to the region).

Thanks again.