Filthy Trains - Page 2

bigblue2 · #21 22.03.2011, 14:54

leafy, golden rule no1

DO NOT LET FACTS GET IN THE WAY OF A RANT!!

olygirl · #22 22.03.2011, 14:54

Easy. All litterers should be banned.

Anyone up for a national vote?

amogles · #23 22.03.2011, 14:55

	Quote:	Pather
	I had the displeasure for riding on the train this Saturday morning. When I sat down I could get the distinctive smell of curry, and since there was no one around,I could not fathom from where this smell was emanating. On closer inspection I realized that the side of the table was smeared with a curry sauce, and since the heating was on, and the spices were strong, I started to feel nauseous. I looked over to the seats on the other side of the aisle, and saw that the window was smeared with ice cream. How very, very disgusting. Train fares are consistently rising, there is an expected 40% rise over the next 5 years, but the trains get filthier and filthier. I wish my written German was good, or else I would be posting out a few letters.

Personally I blame the Ausländer. They eat too much curry.

Contact your local SVP branch and they will sympathise with your plight.

nickatbasel · #24 22.03.2011, 16:53

There is never a problem with curry sauce in first class. I stopped travelling in the poor people's section years ago. Can't do with those smelly proles.

Cheers,
Nick

TidakApa · #25 22.03.2011, 17:06

	Quote:	Pather
	I had the displeasure for riding on the train this Saturday morning. When I sat down I could get the distinctive smell of curry, and since there was no one around,I could not fathom from where this smell was emanating.

Mmmm Curry,

This morning on Tram 4 there was a beggar on the tram.

I have no argument with the homeless, but this man reeked of a "pissed on dead rat"*
(* that isn't an analogy....... he actually smelled like a pissed on dead rat)

He cleared the area around where he stood..... it was comical to watch everyone move away (including my own misfortune).

I would have prefered to place a wet cloth over my head and inhale your curry vapour if I had a choice.

...... pissed on dead rat....... think about it.

perlygates · #26 22.03.2011, 17:10

For their reputation as being very clean, the Swiss trains still manage to contain some very weird messes... I was on one where someone's hand lotion bottle had exploded (intentionally or not...), and some thoughtful artist had written messages with the lotion on the nearby seats and windows.

Based on my Thursday night bus rides packed full of little drunken/drinking college kids, I can assure you that some bus/tram lines get cleaned quite frequently!

TidakApa · #27 22.03.2011, 17:16

In addition to my experience I should also make very clear that in 2 years I have had no other unpleasant experiences on any of the public transport systems in Switzerland.

Personally I think they run a brilliant system with a standard difficult to top.

Even the stinky dead rat man kinda made my day watching everyone elses discomfort

(Hilarious in hindsight, and a great story to tell)

Panther · #28 22.03.2011, 17:31

	Quote:	Leafy
	I think SBB is pretty damn good value compared to most European systems - especially if you have a half tax card & especially compared the British network - I mean have you actually ever tried to navigate the Monty Python-esque ticketing & fares system there & experienced the general state of British trains? A single to Heathrow which is in zone 6, is £5.00 (£4.50 with Oyster). A daily travel card (only useable until midnight of that day) is £8 off peak & £15 anytime use. As a loosely comparable situation, a Zurich city Tageskarte from Zurich airport, and usable anytime for a full 24hrs is chf 12.40 full fare/6.40 half tax. A single fare to Zurich HB is 6.40/3.20 It also can also take over an hour to reach central London on an often overcrowded, hot & sweaty tube train. Care to do the maths again? Sounds like you need to get a Half Tax Card.

YES I DO HAVE A HALF - TAX CARD!!!

when comparing prices, which I did, £4, or £4.50 was with an Oyster card, I compared with a full price Swiss ticket. Full price tickets compared with a full priced ticket.

So lets do the maths dearest Leafy!

thanks to Globefeed.com,
The distance from Wood green, North London to Heathrow is 27km, which you pay, £5, converted to francs, Sfr7.40

The distance from Zurich main station to the Airport is 10km, which, as you so kindly pointed out is Sfr12.40..

i will leave the rest up to you, because i'm too tired, and need to cook my pumpkin risotto!

oh yes, once again, I'm not living in England, nor would i ever want to!

amogles · #29 22.03.2011, 17:35

	Quote:	Pather
	The distance from Zurich main station to the Airport is 10km, which, as you so kindly pointed out is Sfr12.40..

Um, you are not comparing the one hour plus ride on the all-stops Piccadilly line to the excellent train service to Zürich airport are you? More appropriate would be the non-stop Heathrow Express which costs 15 quid one way.

rainer_d · #30 22.03.2011, 17:36

The official explanation for pocketing the 5 CHF Nachtzuschlag includes having to clean (!) the trains twice.
And they show very little leniency towards people who haven't bought it.
As such, I surely would write them a letter and complain.
Don't forget, date, time, direction and train-description.

prof. taratonga · #31 22.03.2011, 17:43

The sheer quantity of empirical data is overwhelming.

Treverus · #32 22.03.2011, 18:20

	Quote:	rainer_d
	The official explanation for pocketing the 5 CHF Nachtzuschlag includes having to clean (!) the trains twice. And they show very little leniency towards people who haven't bought it. As such, I surely would write them a letter and complain. Don't forget, date, time, direction and train-description.

Well... but you pay the money to have the train cleaned AFTER the night. Honestly: It is a night train, it will be full of half drunk teenagers coming home from a party... yes, it will be messed up. I'd fully agree if the OP took the train the following morning and the cleaners didn't do their job. But how could they possibly clean everything that happens within a night shift? You obviously can do this with a station, there is simply a cleaner running around all the time - but a train? It moves... and only at the end of the night arrives at the depot where it is cleaned.

I would have been annoyed as well - but I would be annoyed about the pigs that mess up the train, not the SBB...

rainer_d · #33 22.03.2011, 18:28

	Quote:	Treverus
	Well... but you pay the money to have the train cleaned AFTER the night. Honestly: It is a night train, it will be full of half drunk teenagers coming home from a party... yes, it will be messed up. I'd fully agree if the OP took the train the following morning and the cleaners didn't do their job.

It was 9am according to the OP.

#34 22.03.2011, 18:48

	Quote:	Pather
	YES I DO HAVE A HALF - TAX CARD!!!

Then what the buggery bugger are you whinging on about having to pay "exorbitant" full price fares in CH for!

	Quote:	Pather
	The distance from Zurich main station to the Airport is 10km, which, as you so kindly pointed out is Sfr12.40..

Ok - I'll play

Wrong. a 24 hr. Tageskarte is 12.40 [6.20 for your good self of course, with that cunning Half tax card], a single which you are comparing it to, is 6.40 [3.20 to you, sir].

An equivalent Tageskarte for London is Sfr. 22.05. (with far more common & uglier messes than the odd bit of curry sauce)

By the way, whist you've got me in Pedant mode, how is your 5km journey from one town to the next, Sfr 8

- Me thinks BigBlue2's axiom may be in play

Captain Greybeard · #35 22.03.2011, 20:03

	Quote:	billhardie
	This morning on Tram 4 there was a beggar on the tram. I have no argument with the homeless, but this man reeked of a "pissed on dead rat"* (* that isn't an analogy....... he actually smelled like a pissed on dead rat) [....]...... pissed on dead rat....... think about it.

Yeah, I did think about it, and I began wondering why you know so darned well what a pissed-on dead rat smells like. Where exactly and how did you spend your childhood and youth?

Deep Purple · #36 22.03.2011, 20:19

It isn't the SBB or other train companies who make the mess, so why are they usually the ones to get the complaints?

Wollishofener · #37 22.03.2011, 21:08

	Quote:	Pather
	I had the displeasure for riding on the train this Saturday morning. When I sat down I could get the distinctive smell of curry, and since there was no one around,I could not fathom from where this smell was emanating. On closer inspection I realized that the side of the table was smeared with a curry sauce, and since the heating was on, and the spices were strong, I started to feel nauseous. I looked over to the seats on the other side of the aisle, and saw that the window was smeared with ice cream. How very, very disgusting. Train fares are consistently rising, there is an expected 40% rise over the next 5 years, but the trains get filthier and filthier. I wish my written German was good, or else I would be posting out a few letters.

SBB personnel and their trades unions regularily complain about cleaning intervals being stretched by the management for costs reasons. Also technical maintenance intervals are stretched now. The problem is well known.

Wollishofener · #38 22.03.2011, 21:13

	Quote:	Pather
	I was on the S5. I would expect the train to be decently clean, its was 9am, the sauce was pretty1 dried up, so was the ice cream, I can only imagine it was from the night before. And for the prices charged, i think cleaning the train once a day is not asking for much

It of course WAS from the night before. The "S5" for reasons I do not really understand is the "problem-line" of the ZVV, with more crime, more violence, more dirt than any other line. Amazingly enough, other lines in the same area like the S-16 and the S-7 are no problem. The ZVV has increased controls on the S5 and the Cantonal Police also has increased its presence on the S5, in order to get things under control

Wollishofener · #39 22.03.2011, 21:21

	Quote:	Pather
	My point is the high Train fares, as compared to the services rendered. Out bus stops are now equipped with Digital LCD screens, which is completely unnecessary. the money is not channeled in the proper areas. Swiss trains, at swiss prices, I expect more!

A) sorry, but you cannot expect ZVV and VBZ to take your opinion about what is necessary or not as their guideline
B) these Digital LCD screens are a good thing, and the whole system IS purchased, the screens do not cost so much now, so to use the expensive system all over the network is a good thing
C) you of course are right in thinking that windows smeared by ice-cream and rests of curry-sauce still around are bad. But you should not exaggerate. You are in danger to become more Swiss than most Swiss, of whom quite many people suffer of the illness to regard cleanliness as the centre of living-standard
D) the prices of the fares reflect the costs. Would all personnel working on electronics (computers etc) allow a reduction of their salaries by 38%, also the fares could be kept down nicely

Would ALL bank employees allow a reduction of THEIR salaries by 41,3% it might be even better

lost_inbroad · #40 23.08.2011, 09:00

Why do so many trains stink so badly and aren't air conditioned?

It's beyond my understanding, how they can't keep trains clean or at least clean to an extend to not wanting to break in a window in order to grasp some oxygen. Considering, that SBB is writing another record year in terms of revenue, we could at least expect clean, well ventilated and pleasantly scented trains. *end of rant*