Security threat to the Peoples Republic (of Cork)

[Oisin88]

Had an oral exam in UCC first thing this morning and had gone there by train. Fiancee and myself decided it would be nice to go to CobH for the day so dragged bags across Cork to the train station.

Up to the ticket office:

Oisin 88: Hi. can you tell me where the left luggage is?
Ticket seller: Sorry, there is none, security.....

Anybody tell me what that is about? Had to drag the bags all around CobH. Luckily the people in th Queenstown experience let us leave the bags in the ticket office.

[Mark Gleeson]

Well to be fair

If you check on the IE website buried somewhere it says with respect to Cork Kent

Lockers: No
Luggage Minding: No

If either said yes well then we could have some fun

Times we live in etc, that said you might be doing everyone a favour by assisting in the reconstruction of Cork station....

[Oisin88]

The fact that it says on the website that there is no services doesn't make it alright. It could have affected the Cork economy by about €80 if we just came home to Dublin early

The times we live in? Hasn't heuston had a left luggage all through 20 years of Gerry Adams and pals bombing the top part of our island off? Wouldn't all the other cities on the continent be more likely to take a hit than Cork?

[Mark Gleeson]

Strangely only Connolly has lockers to my knowledge which makes a joke of the security line.

Heuston is listed has having neither lockers or left luggage

I got a insightful lecture from a senior officer of the British Transport Police last week and it really changed my view on the 'bomb scare' they have it worked out to a fine art

[hhf8]

heuston has left luggage though,i used it during the summer.

[James Shields]

Every major station in London has left luggage. Pricey enough, mind you, but better than dragging your bags all over the city.

"Now, sir, just place your items on the scanner belt, please..."

[StephenM]

What I dont get is how the Heuston Lockers have to be mannned yet go to Busáras and no problem there! I've had that issue where I arrived before 10am and Customer Service wouldn't entertain me.

[Thomas J Stamp]

You lucky swine Stephen.

Let me tell you a story, only happened last month.

I regularly use the lockers on heuston. a month ago myself an a mate were going to Howth, but we decided to leave our luggage at hueston didn't want to drag it all on the DART. Lockers closed in Heuston for "refurbishment" and will be opened in "mid-May" i was told. Well, didn't check on Saturday - are they open?

All lockers in Connolly working, but full. Tried Busaras.

Dis-as-ter. Apparently, because the coin boxes were full the vast amount of empty lockers couldn't be used. What you had to do was go to the CSD (more on her below) and get her to call for a porter who would go down and open the coin op and fool the thing into giving you a ticket.

Now, these yokes didn't say out of order, like they should, although others did.

So, tight for time we called to the CSD and the puss on yer one was a scene to be believed. Sometimes you wonder why there is armoured glass on these things others, like that day, you realise it is there for a reason. This little wagon was not only totally not interested in anything - we told her we had a train to catch - but she adopted an offensive and hostile attitude that eventually led me to ask for a manager and this led her to shout "what manager there isn't one for the lockers" a few times before i said "your manager". Luckily for her the porter then arrived and i had to legg it down to the lockers only for him to tell us that they were broke so we had to bring several massive bags to Howth.

So. Don't tell me about how great the lockers or the staff are are Bus Aras. Also, don't bother with the CSD is a moody young one with black hair is on - it may be a desk, but there ain't no customer service there.

[Oisin88]

I would hate to be a foreign tourist trying to use public transport here in Ireland of the welcomes.

That would be even before I got fleeced in Temple bar and Killarney.

[bigjim]

Reminds me of a Dara O' Briain sketch:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hP7Di7te5yM

[dermo88]

Don't worry Oisin, there are many places far worse than Ireland. The problem is we're playing catch up, because noone realised that handling prosperity required as much competence as repairing poverty.

[StephenM]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

it may be a desk, but there ain't no customer service there.

Great conclusion! Heuston is generally pretty poor at best, once when I asked about the Mayo line alternate arrangements (For the CTC) they were friendly, just the once!

[Colm Moore]

It would cost, but you could go to the swimming pool at Tara Street, pay for a swim, use the free lockers, come back, pay for another swim and get your bags.

[craigybagel]

Funny how a security threat that exists in Kent station doesnt exist across the river in Parnell Place Bus station i leave my bags there all the time instead.

As for bus aras i used theirs once because of Connolly being full. Left my bags there 9 at night no problem (apart from having to pay more than at Connolly.why?!). Came back at 630 am the following morning (Busaras having been open for at least half an hour) went down to the lockers tried to put in my ticket to reclaim my bags only to see written on the screen "Out of service".

So i go to find a member of staff. But there arent any at that time of day not even in the ticket office. All there is is the Polish security guards. So i look for a number to call. Nothing. So i sit in Busaras watching the clock counting down the time to the departure of my bus to cork at 7 (Aircoach). Eventually the ticket office opens I tell them of my problem and in fairness to them they call the porter (who also arrives for work at 7) who goes down to open the locker and get my bag.

I asked him what to do if this happens and the answer is i wait till 7.

So were left with lockers that:
*Cost more than IEs
*More Unreliable than IEs
*When they break, you can only get your stuff out at certain times

And for all this hassle, the extra delay in getting to cork, waiting for the next bus, and all the hassle that i went through did i get a refund? or even a hint of an apology? Did i F**K.

I know people moan about IE a lot on here, and there are some things that BE do a lot better, but when it comes to running there stations, IE win hands down....

[Oisin88]

Just realised that Heuston has no luggage minding or lockers either. What the hell is the story? According to the website Limerick has luggage minding, so why not the busiest station in the country?

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Heuston used to, are they gone? I remember leaving all my bags there (€3 maybe) and heading back into town after missing a Galway train, I think they were over near the toilets?

[Thomas J Stamp]

they were ment to reopen in May. This means December. More than likely it'll be included in T21 as a major milestone to be reached.