[10-9-2006] 12:30 Cork Dublin

[Mark Gleeson]

A week on from the last fun incident we try again

So seat booked on the 12:30 Cork Dublin, well from Thurles to Dublin. Show up Thurles, PA is made train is 6 minutes late, 9 minutes late infact

Train rolls in and its packed, I'm standing at the door for coach C as the train halts and the train manager appears on the platform and tires to herd us to the rear of the train

Now at this point I'm rooted to the spot at coach C and I argue I have a reserved seat, no I'm told there are people sitting in them.

Now I'm lucky and grab a seat in coach G at the back. Luggage was thrown everywhere blocking all the doors on the toliet side of the coach, safety violation central, the luggage racks strangely empty

The PIS seems to be working but all the maps bar one in either coach D or C was showing the train still in Cork. The seat reservation system was working, well there were names in coach C, none match me. The fact someone offered 72 seats in coach B didn't help, coach B is the buffet with 30 odd seats

So I bump into the train manager, who does have the list of all passengers and there seats and I'm on it, so why am I in the bumpy seats in coach G? Seat reservations don't work on the MK4 train, hmm worked for me last time I booked on a MK4, train manager thankfully doesn't match my name with P11, it more fun that way

Ride was utterly dire, a constant vibration so bad at times that the trim would vibrate. There was a werid forwards and backwards rocking motion. Its a bit like being in a small boat in a swell, nothing sudden but uncomfortable.

Upside was on time arrival Heuston apart from that nothing good to say about it