Something to be avoided at Victoria station (London)

Two weeks ago I had a train to catch from Victoria to
Gatwick Airport at 03:30.

Victoria is a largish station with something like 17
platforms. A nasty little service road leads up to a
load/drop off place on the roof. There are escalators down.
These used to be signed Gatwick Express but now just say
Trains and you can get to anywhere from them.

The Taxi dropped me of at 03:15 and left. Then I discovered
the doors in where locked. No help, no one to ask. A load of
luggage. Hassle like this I do not need. Rising blood
pressure and I go down the nasty little service road, there
is nobody about to ask so I arbitrarily choose to keep
turning right in see if that get me to an entrance. It turns
out to have been the right choice(!). They had closed all
the entrances except the main one which was opened about a
metre so a group of officials could check everybody going in.

Whether this was a one off security check or a regular thing
I do not know. It has left me damn angry at the sheer
stupidity and thoughtlessness involved. Why no sign? Why not
close the service road, anything but that. Seems typical the
a rail system in this country.

In future I will insist that Taxi drivers take me to the
main entrance.

Will I'm sounding off, does anybody know why London Taxi
drivers tell you they will take you to the airport for the
same as the rail fare? It happened again this time.

Driver: "Same as rail fare - £41"
Me: "But the rail fare £9 something.
Driver: silence

Noises Off

Sounds like London taxi drivers are not what they used to be. Pity.
They were the most professional and honest in Europe about 20 years
ago.
John Bermont
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/

Noises Off wrote:


Driver: "Same as rail fare - £41"
Me: "But the rail fare £9 something.
Driver: silence

Noises Off

On 7 Oct 2006 17:33:05 -0700, "John Bermont"
wrote:


Sounds like London taxi drivers are not what they used to be. Pity.
They were the most professional and honest in Europe about 20 years
ago.

I really liked using the illegal cabs a few years back. From Camden to
Hammersmith they always asked £15, and I'd always get them down to
£13.

Then when we arrived, I threw them £15 and said 'Keep the tip'.
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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Dave Frightens Me wrote:

On 7 Oct 2006 17:33:05 -0700, "John Bermont"
wrote:


Sounds like London taxi drivers are not what they used to be. Pity.
They were the most professional and honest in Europe about 20 years
ago.

I don't know how they compare to the rest of Europe, but London black
cabs are still professional and honest. The OP had an unusual
experience, and ought to complain.


I really liked using the illegal cabs a few years back.

Do you mean minicabs? Most of them are legal- some illegally pick up off
the street (you're meant to phone for them, or book at a minicab
office.)

I also never had a problem with them, and did sometimes pick them up on
the street. If the OP was using a black cab, it would be an unusually
bad experience. The cabs are expensive, but very reliable and honest
IME. The OP ought to complain, as I suggested, as those complaints are
taken seriously. Even if a minicab company, a complaint would be worth
it.

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 11:29:29 +0100,
(David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:

Dave Frightens Me wrote:

On 7 Oct 2006 17:33:05 -0700, "John Bermont"
wrote:


Sounds like London taxi drivers are not what they used to be. Pity.
They were the most professional and honest in Europe about 20 years
ago.

I don't know how they compare to the rest of Europe, but London black
cabs are still professional and honest. The OP had an unusual
experience, and ought to complain.


I really liked using the illegal cabs a few years back.

Do you mean minicabs? Most of them are legal- some illegally pick up off
the street (you're meant to phone for them, or book at a minicab
office.)

No, it was usually just some young Bangladeshy in his car operating
out of a dodgy office. Definitely not legal.

I know that have clamped down on this practice in recent years.
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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