George

Yesterday on the train home I had a victory with George. George is a train guard. He would be mid fifties possibly late fifties early sixties. He wears his hair shaved short. He wears oversized shorts. His manner is abrupt to say the least. When he asks for tickets he says "Tickets pleeeeeeeeeessssssssssse" in a Hitler type lisp. The key thing is the please ends with a defiinite hiss. I would be kinder on him if I thought it was genuine lisp but I do not think it is. It's just something he's developed. I have one positive thing to say about George and that is that he is consistent. However, this consistency applies to his rudeness to all Tranzmetro customers on all services. He is consistently rude to all customers whether they are regular or not, whether they are abled or not, and whether they are young or not.

George seems to think he rules Tranzmetro and the railways. He is in fact a train bully. I really should lay a complaint about him, but I'm trying not to buy in to the culture of complaint. Although this entry is a little contradictory to that. Ironical. However, I want to publicly savour my minor victory over George while alert potential customers to him should they be travelling on public transport.

On New Years Eve he was extremely rude to an elderly passenger who clearly doesn't travel that often insisting she had the wrong ticket. The moment was saved when Jenny (the lady guard - and who deserves her own entry) came along and said yes, she had sold the lady a ticket. He never apologised for his rudeness. Although Jenny did to the old lady. The point was that it should have been George that apologised.

The thing I've noticed about George apart from his consistent rudeness is that he also seems to get the Sunday and Public holiday shifts. I suspect this is so I can get the increased pay.

Anyway, George was on "guard" on New Years day on my return trip home. As I passed him before I boarded he advised me that I needed to put my bag in the bag section of the train up

the front of the train. I didn't see that this was really necessary as the train was not full but thought I would comply so handed it to the "other man on duty" (who also deserves a separate entry) and answered his question that I was getting off at Carterton.

When I arrive at Carterton I went to collect my blue bag. George insisted it wasn't there. I said it was. He asked me to show him which was my bag. So I did. It was the blue bag. He then said it couldn't be my bag because it was was in the Masterton luggage section of the carriage. So, quite pissed off and not to be intimidated by George on the first day of the year, I said

"Well, I told the other guy I was getting off at Carterton. As you know, I get off at Carterton every day, so why you think I wouldn't be getting off at Carterton today beats me. And besides, you saw me carrying this bag before I got on the train"

It was a small moment of victory over George. He smirked. But I knew it was smirk of defeat. I knew I had verbally beat him and this small verbal victory felt very sweet as I walked off into the Carterton sunset with my blue bag.

I realise that I am supposed to adhere to anonymity, least I be charged with slander or whatever, but George needs to be named and shamed. If you encounter him, please fight the cause and stand up to his rudeness!