Great Western Coffee Shop

Hi there.  The clue is in the name.  I posted once or twice on other forums and blogs, mainly during the worst of the chaos in the Bath and Bristol area.  I'm front-line customer service staff with FGW so it's prudent to retain my anonymity, although travellers on the ex-Wessex routes would probably recognise me ;).  I don't represent FGW or their views and am well aware of their failings - perhaps the worst of which is poor communication - to you, but also to us!  What I can do, hopefully, is to give you a slightly different perspective on the day-to-day running of the railway and fill in any gaps in the poor communication from "The Management".  I can start with an intro to the Penalty fares which are coming to a station near you very soon.  I'll add it to the existing thread in the Fares section.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=45.0 (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=45.0)

BTW I tend to see life from a light-hearted, skewed viewpoint so if I ever sound flippant it's probably because I am ;D

Hello, and welcome to the forum.   We very much appreciate all perspectives / all views, and there's so much that (my view) can / could be gained from seeing things from "the other sides". Actually, I have huge admiration for the majority of front line railway staff struggling through the system as it is now constituted, and also (but very much more patchily) for certain of the senior staff - even those who's task it has been to give us the "no - we will NOT provide an adequate service because ... message".

Still ex-Wessex? Let me guess - Westbury crew

Jim, the reason I retain my anonymity is because I am under a contract to First Great Western.  They pay me to wear their uniform and to represent the Company.  I am not authorised to make statements on their behalf and if I make any derogatory statements - that could be considered a breach of the contract and I could face disciplinary procedures.  If I am anonymous, I can offer information and an insider viewpoint that may not otherwise be available to the public.  If my identity, job or place of work became apparent it would be prudent to stop posting.   :-X

Much appreciate those comments, 'whistleblower'.   As operator of this board,  I too need to be very careful as to what should and should not go up here.    I look after other boards too and I would, typically, be concerned at a poster who's anonymous without good cause. However, that's not the case here and I appreciate the reasoning and logic and information posted.    Jim - fun though it might be, I think it's a good idea that we don't play any more guessing games as to who he/she is, eh?  ;)

Dammit - they're on to me!  Not that many cross-dressing transexuals on the railway! ;D

Sorry if I caused any trouble, just curious to wether I might know him/her very well!