Adecco rant and train rant. Rant ranty rant.

[flyboy_fox]

I called Adecco last week to formally hand in my notice, because it's just insane for me to be working in Bristol Temple Meads when I live in Bleadon. I was passed around a bit but eventually I spoke to a woman (Maggie?) who told me that was fine but she'd have to get someone else called Caroline(?) to call me back. Okay, all fine so far.

But THEN, today I get a letter through the post saying that I've been on unauthorised absence since Wednesday last week and that they have no record of me calling, and that this could result in dismissal. Well DAMN. I called them. I'm leaving anyway, but I'd rather not be FIRED, thanks. So I left a rather pissed message on Andy's answer-phone telling him to "sort it out" e.e; Rrr.

Also, some funny in a not so funny way news. First Great Western has been ranked as the WORST train service in the whole of the UK. It came absolute rock bottom in customer satisfaction surveys. Why am I not surprised? Only 75% of their trains are 'on time' (and by 'on time' they mean 'within ten minutes of the published time'), which means that at least one in FOUR trains are delayed by 10 minutes or more... or cancelled. Last Friday there were no trains running at ALL. It's abysmal.

On top of that, they raised fares at the start of the year from £7.70 to £8.10 from Weston to Bristol Temple Meads. That's like £40 per week just on travelling! A quarter of my darn wages.

And on December 22nd, a 7 year old girl fainted and was wedged upright for ten minutes on a sardine-packed two-carriage train that 400 people had crammed onto. An off-duty nurse on the other side of the carriage couldn't even get to her. I've seen how packed these trains can get. A lot of the time people at the station can't even get on because they're too full. It's absolutely crazy.

However, passengers are finally stepping up, and they're holding a 'fare strike' on Monday. Commuters are advised to show a 'fare strike' ticket in place of their regular ticket (it's up to the individual whether they purchase a proper ticket also - they'll be breaking the law if they don't, but eh!). The ticket says "Worst Late Western" and the journey is listed as to "Hell and back" in "Cattle truck class". Heh! XD

So yeah. I know I've only had this job for six or seven weeks, but that train journey is just too much. I could never guarantee being in work on time, and the 45-minute journey home routinely took 2 hours or more. It was exhausting me :\ So bye-bye Fujitsu Services. Kind of a shame, 'cause the job itself wasn't too bad... but... gotta cut my losses and move on. Again. x.x

Anyway, I'm not just sitting butt-idle now. I already applied for a job at FedEx as a customer service clerk. I have an interview with them on Wednesday. It's MUCH closer... only about 10 minutes away. Here's hopin'!

Apologies for the rant, but First Great Western needs to just die. Blah.

Edit: Now I have that Surfin' S.R.A remix of A New Venture stuck in my head ;_; "La la! La la! La la! A new venture, la la! La la! La la!"... ENOUGH already! x.x;;

Comments

[way-past-cool.livejournal.com]

Gaaah x.x screw that stupid job. The people there are just idiots. I'm glad you left a pissed message on their machine. >.> Don't take no crap from nobody. ...which essentially means take some crap from somebody XD; but don't do that either.

That story about the girl is HORRIBLE. x.x guh.... the people in charge of that train company should be forced to ride it at peak hours for all eternity.

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

XD I won't take no crap or any crap from anyone. Thus I shall remain in a perpetual loop of crap that I can't take or not take ^^; Damn.

Yeah, they should be made to suffer like we do >.> I'm still contemplating going to Yatton tomorrow to take part in the fare strike protest. Even though I'd have to buy a ticket to get to Yatton :\ Thus being slightly counterproductive. So, I dunno.

[teamrodent.livejournal.com]

Temp agencies suck!

Er, the girl's okay, right?

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she regained consciousness pretty quickly after they got her off the train at the next station, but she was unconscious for 10 minutes or so, poor kid. Apparently she's terrified of trains now, though.

[herrmilesprower.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, as long as the bottom line looks how they want it to look, a service doesn't care about what anyone thinks of them. As long as people continue to rely on it, their money is the same color. =( Sad, I know. Airlines are terrible, too. I can't stand the fact that they sell more tickets than there are seats. They know how many tickets they sell. They should be required to provide you with the service that you paid them for, not bump you to another flight. Sorry, now I'm ranting, too =P

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

I know... it's appalling. I don't suppose this fare strike will do even an iota of good, but I still feel it's necessary to try. FGW is the WORST rail-service in the whole UK, and by a frighteningly large margin too. I dread to think what would happen if one of their cattle-truck trains overturned or got stuck in a tunnel for an extended period of time... and the level of delays and cancellations coupled with the price-rises is just insane. Something has to be done.

[leonskennedy827.livejournal.com]

Yeah, First's buses are appualing as well. They don't clea the fucking things like, ever x_x and they look so run down and old, some of them!

They also think we enjoy sitting on bus stops for the fun of it from time to time, in fact, they think we love it so much us they give us extra time there! -_-

points down for the insane use of sarcasm there...seriously