I had a lesson on video editing with Mike Rouse today at 18 Doughty Street. It is a very fiddly job and 
we didn’t have time to finish off what I had hoped we would . But I did learn a tremendous amount and am very grateful to Mike and hope to post my first citizen’s journalist post about Julian Sturdy’s campaign in York Outer very soon.
I had a fairly uneventful rail journey, and was very discreet when I defiantly kicked off my Spanish stilettos to rest my aching feet on the way home. I only hope the miserly train inspector who arrested a student for putting up her feet on a seat is equally as vigilant with the drunks and yobs in his carriages.
Why do some twerps feel so powerful the minute they wear a uniform? Add a clipboard, and they feel ten feet tall.
In fact, as so many commuters have tired feet at the end of the day, why doesn’t someone with an entrepreneurial spirit start a foot massage franchise for rail passengers? Wouldn’t that be a blissful way of spending the journey home …
I agree, Ellee. Though the girl was technically in the wrong, it’s the thugs on the trains who really need to be dealt with.
Why do some twerps feel so powerful the minute they wear a uniform? Add a clipboard, and they feel ten feet tall.
Like the dreaded officials at the gates of sports matches.
kicking off your stilettos
conjures up such images
will you be using that in the video
Q9, that would be very incriminating evidence!
Jobsworths, they are! I reckon anyone setting up a foot massage service on the commuter trains would make a fortune!
I suppose if train and bus manufacturers made seats that were further apart (like new tube trains), then there wouldn’t be any need for such petty laws against feet on seats.
Nevertheless, I do hate seeing people lazily plonk their filthy shoes on seats that I might have to sit on. It’s a very selfish, and Me,Me,Me type of act that I deplore – however, our society should not be wasting precious time and money prosecuting people over such petty things.
I think the worst outcome of all of this would be if the student arrested was unable to get a job working with children all because some overzealous (I like your word Ellee) twerp decided to stamp their authority – it would be our society that would lose out, not the railway company.
Courtney, Filthy shoes on seats is one thing, the student in this case, and indeed myself, both at least removed our shoes before resting our aching feet.
It seems she has ended up with a court record too, but I doubt any decent employer would seriously hold it against her.
I agree entirely that this was a ridiculous case to bring to court, but you are doing the ticket inspector a huge injustice here. MerseyTravel have a stupid but clear policy on prosecuting people who put their feet on the seats, set by senior management at the top of the company. The ticket inspectors are just following the policy and would probably be disciplined if they didn’t. This isn’t a case of a rogue jobsworth.
While I’m here, due to hosting difficulties I’ve had to move my blog – it can now be found at http://www.iainlindley.co.uk rather than blog.iainlindley.com. If you could update your blogroll I would be very grateful. 🙂