RANT: The Cutting of Fingernails on Public Transport

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 35 total)

  • MarcusUK
    Participant

    Did they fish the two clippings out of the pool also?

    Never breast stroke & gulp in the pool eh?


    SimpleDXB
    Participant

    Am sharing the pain guys, I really am. That said, try flying into some of the Sub-Saharan Francophone countries, and/or to places on the Indian Sub-Continent and you’ll really see some eye-watering sights (not in a good way)… And this is regardless of travel class – riding up front just means that the individuals displaying disgraceful and disgusting personal hygiene are slightly more wealthy than those down the back of the bus… Bleurgh.

    But then again – has anyone had the pleasure of a flight in the Middle East around the time of the Hajj…. OMG!!!!!


    Cedric_Statherby
    Participant

    All fascinating, guys – good end of week stuff! My worst experience was in BA First flying down to Johannesburg, when the old man (75 plus) next to me decided to get into his sleep suit in the cabin. Full undress and all.

    The worst thing is that he was my dad. And no amount of “you can’t do that” and “do go to the loo to change” would stop him …


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Oh dear Cedric, how embarrassing.

    When I was 9, I found a Snickers bar at the bottom of the shallow end of the pool when on hols…….I think you can fill in the blanks on that particular horror show….!


    MarcusUK
    Participant

    Apparently, most UK local Authority swimming pools have a policy on Snickers discovery. The procedures require that long fishing net on a hoop, which no one knew what it was for, is used.

    EK staff told me that they often get Arab men in 1st class, calling them to clean them after their toilet use! Not very sweet in a Suite!


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Well, I have never been in a UK Local Authority swimming pool.

    But the procedure at my Club was the same; they just hooked it out with the net, into a bush, added some more chlorine and everyone carried on as normal.

    Needless to say from then on I only swam at home, and never swam at the Club again..


    NTarrant
    Participant

    The rules on snickers bars in local authority swimming pools and also those that can’t be bothered to exit the pool before doing something else is quite strict.

    It is not a case of just fishing it out, it is a close down, remove said item, putting in chemicals and the water has to be tested before anyone is allowed in. In some cases the pool is drained H&S and all that jazz


    travelgirl
    Participant

    Just to add to all of the horror stories above I have some additional H&S stories from hotel staff that could make you weep. Never ever use the glass or cups provided in the hotel room without thoroughly washing it. Never lay on or under the bedspread which are only changed very occasionally by the hotel. Never take the pillow case off and look at the pillow as it will ruin a good nights sleep. There has also been some dreadful bodily fluids found on the t.v remote control. You have been warned!


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    I wish you were right about the Snickers removal (ie: “close down, remove said item, putting in chemicals…”)

    but my wife was with our children in the cloacal pool only three weeks ago, and when my daughter identified a Snickers the staff simply netted it out and carried on as normal.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Tut, tut if that is a local authority owned and managed pool.


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    In a previous life I was Director of Operations for a Local Authority, which gave me responsibility for a number of leisure facilities, including two swimming pools.

    The SOP if a Snickers was found (which, if I’m correct, I don’t think actually did happen during my tenure), was as Neil suggests. Indeed, we also had a disclosing agent included in the mix, so if anyone peed in the pool, it would turn the affected water yellow (the procedure would then also be as Neil suggests, the same as for a Snickers discovery). The procedure was also the same when people died in the pool….

    Site Administrator – I would contact your pool’s manager as a matter of urgency (or better still, Chief Executive), as there is both an Environmental Health and a public health issue in this case, as it appears that SOP has not been followed at all.

    Back to the substantive topic. I was amazed a few weeks ago on a train to see the chavette in the seat diagonally opposite me put her feet (encased in slushy snow) on the seat next to me. Dirty looks from me had no effect at all. When I pointed this out to the guard, she put her feet down and denied every having done what I suggested in the first place. This was despite the evidence of a pool of melting snow sitting on the seat.

    I’m currently working with a major UK conurbation on its Local Transport Plan. One of its objectives is to increase bus patronage. However, one of the factors limiting success in this area is a perception that bus travel is unsafe. When this is analysed, it is not statistically valid – incidents on buses are negligible. However, it is the perception that stops people using them (this is not in London, by the way).

    When one drills down, one finds that it is actually the ubiquitous low-level anti-social behaviour occurring continuously on public transport in this particular conurbation that creates a perception of insecurity, not actual danger in reality.

    The incidents mentioned above are pretty much all examples of this. I wonder whether Rudolf Giulliani’s policy of ‘zero tolerance’ in New York (and espoused by ‘Robocop’ Ray Mallon over here in Middlesborough) does have some legs in tackling this issue?

    A further issue is that when you challenge such behaviour, you put yourselves in a position to be assaulted (or perhaps even sued these days). However, ignoring such behaviour is tantamount to acceptance, thus lowering further the threshold of what is generally acceptable in society. A difficult nut to crack.

    Simon


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Hi Simon

    You’re right the perception of public transport can be the lad with his music loud, feet on seats and a group of teenagers where every other word is f***. Like you say its not danger per se. It is not isolated to public transport and you can encounter any of that in your local McDonalds, Burger King, Shopping Centre during school holidays or a Saturday, local swimming pool (with or without Snickers) a pub et al. But that seems to be okay.

    How you change that low level anti-social behaviour is indeed another question!

    Nigel


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    Nigel,

    My brain’s obviously functioning even less than usual today – apologies for calling you Neil, when I know damned well it’s Nigel!

    I blame the stress that I’m being put under by the pingers!!

    Simon


    amiller
    Participant

    Hello,
    Well I’ve read your stories and found them very intersting. The cons of public transportation are known to all of us. But these incidents are exceptions and compared to the whole lot of other times when the ride is fine just minor. I mean look at the brightside of public transport. You don’t have to drive yourself, it’ll be good for the enviroment and it’s one of the last places for people to come together. Once you expierence stuff like this you can still dive in the oblivion of your smartphone, netbook or iPad. At least that’s how I deal with uncomcortable situations like this.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Simon Rowberry wrote: “In a previous life I was Director of Operations for a Local Authority, which gave me responsibility for a number of leisure facilities, including two swimming pools.”

    The question on everyone’s lips: is SimonRowberry really a re-incarnation Gordon Brittas?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss4s1ubQglU

    —-

    Some plonker blatantly littering on a train I was on last week. Totally unacceptable.

    In the past six months, I have experienced the clipping of toenails in both the First lounge at Heathrow and in F on Qantas.

    Standards is slippin’

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 35 total)
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