The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-27 00:00:00

UNNECESSARY EVILS AND AN-
NOYANCES IN RAILROAD TRAVELLING.

(From the Pol.yteclinic Journal.)

For the advantage of the public, through the medium
of the undoubted interest of the Directors and Share-
holders, we shall proceed to lay before those gentlemen
a few memoranda collected during various railroad trips
end journeys, not doubting but they will see the imme-
diate necessity of correcting the manifest and unneces-
sary evils.
ANNOYANCE IN GETLING TICKETS.—Many blanks
have to be filled up in the tickets while the public
are crowding round to obtain them. Surely all this
formality of scribbling is not necessary ? Why not
have all the tickets for the day ready for delivery, or
in some condition of readiness so as to require as little
writing and delay as possible ? The method of herd-
ing and driving passengers is also unbecoming, offen-
sive, and not necessary. There is generally a passage be-
tween the counter on one side and the rails on the
other, and passengers have to huddle through like going
into the pit of a theatre on a crowded night. It is im-
possible to carry much luggage through this narrow pass,
and if you set it down behind you in the waiting-t oon:
for the porters it may be lost ; or if you personally give
it to a porter, you do not know whereabouts he may de-
posit it, which will be most particularly awkward if von
have to leave at any other station than the farthest end
of the line. In the Croydon railway this nuisance is
remedied. The tickets are all ready beforehand, and
are obtained at a counter remote from the passage to
the carriages; so that at this railroad terminus there is
no squeezing of a helpless and humiliated public.
MISLEADING TRAYELLERS.--The trains from Croydon,
at the opening of the railway, started at twenty minutes
past eight, and twenty minutes past nine. This was
soon altered to ten minutes past sight, and ten minutes
past nine ; yet in the sixpenny guide-books sold by the
railway servants, within the enclosure, to which there is
access to those only who have paid for tickets. there
was, for weeks after, a table showing the hours of
starting, in which the previous statement was not cor-
rected ; and this, too, although on a leaf at the end of
this guide there Was a promise that a new edition
would be issued whenever there was an alteration of
the time or of the fares. Tnis was the more con-
spicuous as all the rest of the leaf was blank. Further-
more, placards with the erroneous statement continued,
for several weeks after, in the windows of tradesmen at
Croydon. Of course, a person trusting to this informa-
tion from the fountain-head, would come too late for
these two trains. But it was of no consequence ; the
Company lost no money, as the traveller must still go
by the next train, and it was too much trouble tor the
clerks to lift a pen to correct the bcoks or placards.
They feel no inducement to take this trouble, unless
they can keep somebody waiting meantime. The ex-
pense of new placards is a small and ridiculous matter,
and it is strange that they should not always be re-
printed and exhibited. Servants should also go round
to the different shops with fresh placards,-or corrective
patches and means of blotting out the errors promul-
gated " on the best authority."
DENIAL OF INFORMATION.—A. traveller, having in
view a journey to the west of England, sent his servant
to the station at Vauxhall to inquire what coaches ran
from the railway at Basingstoke. The reply was
simply and drily, " That they knew nothing about the
coaches !" He decided to go by Southampton, and
went down to Basingstoke. There was only one
stage-coach, and in that the places had all been taken
at London. He had adopted the obvious method
of getting information, but had not obtained it. He
joined with a friend, and at a considerable increased ex-
pense went by a post-chaise to Winchester, where he had
to wait two hours for the train to Southampton. How
easy would it he for the clerk at each station to make a
list of an coaches which run from such station, the
hours at which they run, and the trains which arrive at
that time. There are plenty of idle hours for him.
And should it not be expressly a part of his business ?
Have not the public a right to obtain all such reasonable
information ? The clerk's hours are long, but there is
little to do in the interval between the trains. Such a
list for each station might be hung up on the station
house at Vantbell, and then the public could get somi-
better information than that " they know nothing about
the coaches !" This will equally apply to other lines.
TIE INSOLENCE OF OFFICE.—As everybody has by
this time experienced the rudeness, causticity, and at
tempt at distant hauteur of the clerks ; the dictatorial
and " apprehending' style of the policemen (pardonable
only, and then AOLDwenclable, in the presence or pros-
pect of danger), with the off-hand seizures and vulgarity
of the porters ; it is not necessary to do more than
allude to the fact thus publicly. We are quite sure that
the Directors and Shareholders, once aware of its real
extent, will never permit its continuance. The least
excusable of all are the clerks, because in the perform-
ance of their dety there can be no attendant dangers
whatoiser, and no sudden claims upon the energies of
action to quti!Yv their abrupt and unprovoked rudeness.
Their behaviour is a
.perfect specimen of the effect of au-
thority upon !wig*, ;Muds. Many young men thus circum-
stanced conduct thenntelves towards those who apply for
tickets with a cold antnepttln air } while to those
who come in the innoaeneo of their beg r 4 tp ask infor-
mation of the great mania with the pen, hp scareeiv ever
gives a civil reply of any kind, and ovonin his dry retort
—which is generally to the effect that he does nrit know,
and that they should use their eyes—he seldom deign
to look at the person addressing him. We once took
occasion to mention this continual and unprovoked in-
solence, in conversing with one of the Directors. In-
solent !" exclaimed he ; " the clerks insolent I God
bless my soul, you don't say so ! Surely you mat iteve
been irritable, or m some way or other have trans-
gressed our laws ? I are up find clown continually, and
I never experienced anything but the very greatest re-
spef4 4pd attention from all the otheers and ierV44* of
not eonip,v- 4y)" (But the clerks knotty the iiir"444.
and hencd the civility.)
WANT OP ACtIOS4ODAriON FOR PERSONS WAIT-
ING THE AUBIVAL OF THEM Fumips.—At most of
the stations of the railways there is no accommodation
whatever. Those who Rre waiting for their friends, or
for valuable packages, must stand outside, exposed to all
states of the weather. There is no permission to get
within the gates, and no shelter provided outside. A
wife or sister coming by a train can get no assistance
from husband or brother to look after her luggage,
or get for her a conveyance, Soon after the South-

atupton Railway was opened a husband was absolutely
taken into custody and brought before the Magistrates
for getting into the forbi4den enclosure to look for his

wife, who was cowing by the train. Husband,
brother, or lover, all tmust stand poking anxious noses

through the bars. This is the befit chance they can
obtain anywhere ; and at the Croydon station there is a
division of the yi-,tyl where friends are graciously par,
witted to stand and look. ;through the inclosure to see
when their friends arrive, to whom they may also call
out, and wtt tyhom they may even shaita hands through
the bars. If no oth,.er means of preventing litiFir4inent
ictrusion can be discove:4::l of course it never will
iF no wish for such discovery eicict), there should at least
be some sort s, oiled outside, however to protect
those who really haep business there from ;Delo-
mency of the weather, boo who ought not, being 0.'6
large majority, to be made to ,;,iffy for the possib!e
advent of impertinent intruders.
WANT OF COACiIEi?. AT TUE STATIONS.—The
ways have, on many lines, worked the coaches off the
roads. You must travel to the nearitzl. station, and go
thence to the town which you desire to resod), by oue
of the branch coaches, some of which come from a greift
distance. But you can have no security of getting one;
perhaps you must wait three, four, or more hours.
Again : if you arrive at the hour when the branch coach

starts, it may be full ; you may have to wait twenty-
four hours for another chance ; and, if it be Satnrday
night, there may be no chance tier you until Monday,
You seldom can take a place from t.ondou, or, if such

a thing can he mana4e(l by the " knowing ones," it is

scarcely possible for the stranger to tint[ wit bow he is

to do the same, because, as before crated, the piwpie
at the railway offices will give no information on the

subject.

A RAILWAY JOURNEY IS OFTEN THREE JOURNEYS
—We are not about to include this circumstance in the

list of unnecessary evils and annoyances to which the
traveller by railroads is at present subjrct. We merely
mention the fact that the directors and shareholders may
perceive that sufficient jam) veniences occur of themselves,
without being enhanced by imperfect arrangements, and
the misconduct of officers and servants. If you live in the

City end would go down by the railroad, there is a metro-
politan journey to Vauxhall or Euston-square, or to the
station of the Great Western, which is nearly a mile far-
ther off than the Yorkshire Stingo. This is a journey of
itself to begin withj
then there is the railwayourney ;
and possibly you are; set down a mile or upwards from the
town which you desire to reach. Tile Harrow and
Watford stations are instances of this ; one being up-
wards of a mile distant, the other nearly a mile. The
Tring station is a mile and a quarter from the town ;
the station nearest to Northampton is some miles dis-
tant. More or less, this is the case on all the roads.
Hence there is a third journey before getting to the inn,
and three times to look after their luzgage. The loss ,
of time is considerable, and the exhaustion proportioned
to the want of refreshment, unless you encumber your- I
self' with provisions.
WANT op REFRESHMENTS.—At Reading, in order'
to get to London on Monday morning by the first train,
you rise at
six o'clock, leave fifteen minutes before
seven, arrive at Twyford fifteen or twenty minutes
' before eight ; you wait for the train getting ready, get
to Paddington at half past nine, and reach home by ten
or after. It is scarcely possible to get breakfast at the
inn at Reading
upon the servants to force them to get up (even if
so early, and it would be very hard
you
cou:d) at five in the morning for so small a matter of
remuneration. Besides, you are not hungry so early,
But at Twyford, after a ride of sundry miles, you could
take a cup of coffee or tea, and eat a few slices, hut j
pdy is allowed to sell you any sort of refreshment.
in like matmeri, 41;
(lildford, you get up early, ride
five miles to wait fOr the tr4;n, and proceed
to Vauxhall : possibly, and indeed very often, the omni-
buses are full ; you must take a cab or get home how 1