As I have already noted, we cannot just perform 'strike action' to get our message across to South Eastern. This will unfairly impact our companies, employers , employees and our income (already hit hard by fare rises).
What I think is needed is a mass refusal to pay for a ticket or to show any travel card you have. If thousands of commuters arrived at London Bridge Station and refused to pay, surely the overwhelming momentum of people and opinion would show the board of South Eastern just how angry people are. Alas, I am not sure it is in the British mentality to stand up for ourselves in this way - but there's the dream.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Final Straw
Today was the final straw for me. After only one year of commuting to central london on the South Eastern Railway network I have become exasperated with the abysmal level of "service" (note the quotes) provided. In twelve months the vast majority of my weekday travelling has seen me and my fellow commuters travelling on delayed, slow, hot (and cold), unreliable trains with less room to stand in than a battery hen. In fact, I am sure that farm animals could not be transported this way.
This morning, my train was stood outside London Bridge station for fifteen minutes, I could see the platform. The reason? Failed trains and congestion, but it could have just as likely been one of a myriad of reasons (or excuses) including "slippery conditions on the rails", snow, "poor rail conditions", ice, rain, wind, "a passesnger action" - what does that mean? It was in this time I decided that enough is enough and something must be done. Travelcard prices have increased, service has decreased. If you can see the logic behind that, then please do explain it to me.
Sadly, the power the railways yield over the commuter in general is severe. Personally, I have no other realistic way to get to work so this prevents me from exercising the consumers perogative of withdrawing my custom. I am sure this is the situation for most South Eastern commuters. Bertrand Russell in his work 'Power' identifies a form of power that an organisation holds over it's employees by granting or denying them a job. I put it to you that the railway companies currently hold this power over their commuters. You cannot complain or take your business elsewhere. How else would we all get to work? The railways, in my limited understanding of economics, are effectively privately run monopolies and as such, they cannot be allowed to treat their customers with such a lack of deference and dignity.
in the coming weeks and months I aim to record my experiences of using the South Eastern railway network on this website. Anyone who would like to contribute by commenting or even writing articles will be much appreciated.
The time has come to take action against this company. The question is how?
This morning, my train was stood outside London Bridge station for fifteen minutes, I could see the platform. The reason? Failed trains and congestion, but it could have just as likely been one of a myriad of reasons (or excuses) including "slippery conditions on the rails", snow, "poor rail conditions", ice, rain, wind, "a passesnger action" - what does that mean? It was in this time I decided that enough is enough and something must be done. Travelcard prices have increased, service has decreased. If you can see the logic behind that, then please do explain it to me.
Sadly, the power the railways yield over the commuter in general is severe. Personally, I have no other realistic way to get to work so this prevents me from exercising the consumers perogative of withdrawing my custom. I am sure this is the situation for most South Eastern commuters. Bertrand Russell in his work 'Power' identifies a form of power that an organisation holds over it's employees by granting or denying them a job. I put it to you that the railway companies currently hold this power over their commuters. You cannot complain or take your business elsewhere. How else would we all get to work? The railways, in my limited understanding of economics, are effectively privately run monopolies and as such, they cannot be allowed to treat their customers with such a lack of deference and dignity.
in the coming weeks and months I aim to record my experiences of using the South Eastern railway network on this website. Anyone who would like to contribute by commenting or even writing articles will be much appreciated.
The time has come to take action against this company. The question is how?
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