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d8boy · 11-07-2006, 23:12

I had to travel from Dublin to Limerick & return last week and scheduled my day to suit the 09:00 MkIV. I booked the ticket online, was offered a seat for the Mk IV service to Limerick Jcn. but not for the 17:30 return from Limerick, which is MkIId operated. I found the coach and seat easily, thanks to the MkIV coaches' destination boards noted above. However I was bowled over to find my name on the LED panel above the seat! The problem was that the little old lady sitting in my seat seemed not to notice the reservation. Since I was taught to be nice to little old ladies, I said nothing and my carefully considered window seat facing forward became an aisle seat...

I heard similar reports from other people travelling on MkIII sets where the seat bays have a sticker warning that the seats should not be occupied without a reservation but the reserved seats themselves are not marked. Add the still widesprad attitude of the Great Irish Public that rules are for the other fella, and the on-board staff's apparent lack of interest in checking reservation details, the result is that they are occupied by whoever feels like it.

So it looks like the technology is working but the human factor lets it down.

11-07-2006, 23:12	#22
d8boy Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dublin Posts: 12	I had to travel from Dublin to Limerick & return last week and scheduled my day to suit the 09:00 MkIV. I booked the ticket online, was offered a seat for the Mk IV service to Limerick Jcn. but not for the 17:30 return from Limerick, which is MkIId operated. I found the coach and seat easily, thanks to the MkIV coaches' destination boards noted above. However I was bowled over to find my name on the LED panel above the seat! The problem was that the little old lady sitting in my seat seemed not to notice the reservation. Since I was taught to be nice to little old ladies, I said nothing and my carefully considered window seat facing forward became an aisle seat... I heard similar reports from other people travelling on MkIII sets where the seat bays have a sticker warning that the seats should not be occupied without a reservation but the reserved seats themselves are not marked. Add the still widesprad attitude of the Great Irish Public that rules are for the other fella, and the on-board staff's apparent lack of interest in checking reservation details, the result is that they are occupied by whoever feels like it. So it looks like the technology is working but the human factor lets it down.