"CJG" wrote in message
...
Rather amusing at Harrow this evening. Peak time. Everyone trying to get
home or somewhere. Both main ticket machines out of order. Only one
person selling tickets (as well as selling tickets to people on the
other side of gates without tickets). Of course there were the legally
required (according to L.U. safety handbook) three L.U. Idle staff by
the ticket gate. And a massive queue for the one open ticket office.
Then some bright spark had the idea to open the manual gate and let
everyone travel for nothing and buy a ticket at their destination. Saved
me £3.40 as there is never anyone to check tickets at the station I was
going to. So cheers London Underground for your incompetence, saved me a
few quid.

Hopefully this is something the new management will change. It is
ridiculous that some staff are not trained to work in the ticket office, or
refill the change in the ticket machines.

At my local station the guy manning the ticket barriers sits in his
'assistance' box with his back to the barriers, completely oblivious to
people with luggage or prams trying to get through the side gate. I once
asked him why the ticket office was shut in the middle of the day. He
replied that the ticket seller 'was busy'. I asked him how he could be busy
with the ticket office shut and the guy shouted at me 'look, i'm doing the
best I can here, we're short staffed' ... at which point he went back to
his box to read his Metro ...