National Distress

I was on a National Express train yesterday at 10.30 am - delayed for more than half an hour because of weather - travelling First Class (tickets bought well in advance can be quite reasonable) for a change. Never again. When asked by the service manager if I wanted to order anything from the new generous-looking breakfast menu, I asked for tea and toast. He became defensive, and told me I could only have these if I ordered a set menu meal, such as an omelet, for around £8.

Pointing out that tea and toast were priced at £1 on the menu as extras, he refused to sell them to me separately. So much for "first class service" - indeed, service of any kind. It might have been nice to have something hot on such a cold day. He did say I could go to the buffet car, of course (for second class travellers) rendering the whole idea of first class at-seat service absurd. When I want to the buffet, the chef was truculent, and verging on menacing , leaning over me, sneering and insinuating I was too cheap to order a proper meal. Whatever happened to tea and toast for elevenses? Kafka on the tracks?

Comments

Coirí Filíochta said…

You poor first class traveller, forced in with the commoners in a buffet, on the coach. You should sign up with Brendan, ye know, ooh urm Brendan..

Thu Dec 09, 01:04:00 pm 2010

vazambam (Vassilis Zambaras) said…

More like Kafkopoulos on the tracks: The Greeks (their governments, I mean) spent millions of euros overhauling the Athens-Kalamata railway route, have yet to finish it, and are now stopping the trains because the route is losing money! Franz, where do we get off?

Fri Dec 10, 11:28:00 am 2010

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