An employee at Lichfield City station is making life difficult for me. I brushed off his first notice informing me that if my bike was parked outside one of the 12 cycle stands it would be removed. Now he is threatening me with British Transport Police! Here is a picture of someone else's bike the same employee chose to ignore for the best part of a week.
I am really angry but more than that I just want some commonsense to break out at London Midland Trains. Any constructive criticism on my draft letter would be appreciated and any suggestions on how to resolve this would be gratefully received.
'I am writing to complain about threatening notices left on my cycle by a member of your station staff at Lichfield City station. I enclose two notices and a photograph of the cycle rack taken on 21st August.
By way of background, I commute by train from Lichfield City Station and have done so for most of the period since 1994. For the past three years I have cycled to and left my cycle at the station. Until about two years ago I, in common with other commuters, left my cycle chained to the railings round the stairwell. Then 12 Sheffield stands were erected and since then I have used them whenever there has been a stand free. However, for the past three months the stands have frequently been full (two or three times a week) when I have arrived at the station at about 8 am so when this has happened I have reverted to chaining my cycle to the railings. I avoid the area next to the lift where there is a notice confirming that cycles are an obstruction and I always take care that my cycle is not in the way of other station users.
On Tuesday 15th July I returned to my cycle find the enclosed notice on it [notice in large font informing me that my cycle was parked illegally and if it was parked there again it could be removed.] An employee named Chris confirmed that he had placed the notice on my cycle after a visit from his line manager. ‘Chris’ declined to give his surname or to name his line manager so I could discuss the matter with him. After some persistence on my part, Chris copied clause 14 of the byelaws for me. I have since studied clause 14 and can confirm that I was not in breach of them. My cycle was not causing a hindrance nor an obstruction and I had not placed it where I had been instructed or directed not to. I returned to the ticket office to discuss the matter in a rational manner with Chris but he was aggressive and maintained that my interpretation of clause 14 was wrong. He said words to the effect: “I am the union safety rep. I have discussed what you have said with two levels of management above me and you are wrong.”
I continued to leave my cycle at the station and when necessary left it in a slightly different position chained to the railings. In the week commencing ?? I did notice a cycle parked on the cycle rack which had swung round by 90 degrees so that it was liable to be tripped over by anyone with a visual impairment. It remained in the same position for at least three days. I enclose copies of the photo I took of it on ?? and ??. I did observe that Chris was on duty on both days and I did not notice any notices on it. Nor did any of the station staff take the sensible and simple step of turning it round to its normal position.
On Friday 12th September I returned to my cycle to find the enclosed notice on it [notice in very large font again informing me that my cycle was illegally parked and that if it was parked anywhere on the station outside the cycle rack the matter could be reported to British Transport Police.] I understand from another station employee that Chris again placed the notice and that I was not the only person to receive a notice that day.
The position is as follows:
1. Your website states:‘Cycling is great for the environment and keeps you healthy too. Why not cycle to your local station and continue your onward journey on a London Midland train?’ However, the provision of 12 cycle stands at Lichfield City station is clearly inadequate to allow this. There is ample room on the platform to increase the number of cycle stands to cater for present and anticipated need.
2. If this is not possible, I remain willing to discuss where it is acceptable to leave my cycle at the station. I reiterate that I have remained compliant with clause 14 of the byelaws.
3. The lift at the station is so slow that if I do follow the recommendation in the second notice and leave the station to find a safe place to leave my cycle I will miss my train. The prospect of doing this two or three times a week is not appealing. To make matters worse, your newly reliveried trains now contain no spaces for cycles so it is no longer an option to take my cycle on the train instead.
4. Your employee Chris is making it difficult for me to continue to commute by train. I consider he is harassing me when he is leaving threatening notices on my cycle but not taking any action in respect of a cycle that is clearly causing a hindrance. He dealt with my reasonable questions about the first notice in an aggressive way. I question whether he is suited to a customer-facing role.
5. If the threat of removing my cycle is carried out, I confirm I will seek an immediate order under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 for delivery of the goods, and for payment of consequential damages. I put you on notice that my cycle has a Dutch lock with a cable attached. The lock has been discontinued so if the cable is cut I will seek the cost of both a new lock and a new cable.
I strongly object to receiving threatening notices when I am merely trying to do what you purport to encourage. I am a law-abiding farepaying passenger and have nothing to fear from being reported to British Transport Police although I do find it upsetting to be threatened in this way. I hope you will agree that issuing customers with notices in such terms is not a long-term solution to the problem of inadequate cycle provision at Lichfield City station.
I look forward to your immediate confirmation that no action will be taken against me or my cycle when this matter is under discussion and to the resolution of my complaint within the 10 working days set out in your Passenger’s (sic) Charter.
Yours sincerely'
I am really angry but more than that I just want some commonsense to break out at London Midland Trains. Any constructive criticism on my draft letter would be appreciated and any suggestions on how to resolve this would be gratefully received.
'I am writing to complain about threatening notices left on my cycle by a member of your station staff at Lichfield City station. I enclose two notices and a photograph of the cycle rack taken on 21st August.
By way of background, I commute by train from Lichfield City Station and have done so for most of the period since 1994. For the past three years I have cycled to and left my cycle at the station. Until about two years ago I, in common with other commuters, left my cycle chained to the railings round the stairwell. Then 12 Sheffield stands were erected and since then I have used them whenever there has been a stand free. However, for the past three months the stands have frequently been full (two or three times a week) when I have arrived at the station at about 8 am so when this has happened I have reverted to chaining my cycle to the railings. I avoid the area next to the lift where there is a notice confirming that cycles are an obstruction and I always take care that my cycle is not in the way of other station users.
On Tuesday 15th July I returned to my cycle find the enclosed notice on it [notice in large font informing me that my cycle was parked illegally and if it was parked there again it could be removed.] An employee named Chris confirmed that he had placed the notice on my cycle after a visit from his line manager. ‘Chris’ declined to give his surname or to name his line manager so I could discuss the matter with him. After some persistence on my part, Chris copied clause 14 of the byelaws for me. I have since studied clause 14 and can confirm that I was not in breach of them. My cycle was not causing a hindrance nor an obstruction and I had not placed it where I had been instructed or directed not to. I returned to the ticket office to discuss the matter in a rational manner with Chris but he was aggressive and maintained that my interpretation of clause 14 was wrong. He said words to the effect: “I am the union safety rep. I have discussed what you have said with two levels of management above me and you are wrong.”
I continued to leave my cycle at the station and when necessary left it in a slightly different position chained to the railings. In the week commencing ?? I did notice a cycle parked on the cycle rack which had swung round by 90 degrees so that it was liable to be tripped over by anyone with a visual impairment. It remained in the same position for at least three days. I enclose copies of the photo I took of it on ?? and ??. I did observe that Chris was on duty on both days and I did not notice any notices on it. Nor did any of the station staff take the sensible and simple step of turning it round to its normal position.
On Friday 12th September I returned to my cycle to find the enclosed notice on it [notice in very large font again informing me that my cycle was illegally parked and that if it was parked anywhere on the station outside the cycle rack the matter could be reported to British Transport Police.] I understand from another station employee that Chris again placed the notice and that I was not the only person to receive a notice that day.
The position is as follows:
1. Your website states:‘Cycling is great for the environment and keeps you healthy too. Why not cycle to your local station and continue your onward journey on a London Midland train?’ However, the provision of 12 cycle stands at Lichfield City station is clearly inadequate to allow this. There is ample room on the platform to increase the number of cycle stands to cater for present and anticipated need.
2. If this is not possible, I remain willing to discuss where it is acceptable to leave my cycle at the station. I reiterate that I have remained compliant with clause 14 of the byelaws.
3. The lift at the station is so slow that if I do follow the recommendation in the second notice and leave the station to find a safe place to leave my cycle I will miss my train. The prospect of doing this two or three times a week is not appealing. To make matters worse, your newly reliveried trains now contain no spaces for cycles so it is no longer an option to take my cycle on the train instead.
4. Your employee Chris is making it difficult for me to continue to commute by train. I consider he is harassing me when he is leaving threatening notices on my cycle but not taking any action in respect of a cycle that is clearly causing a hindrance. He dealt with my reasonable questions about the first notice in an aggressive way. I question whether he is suited to a customer-facing role.
5. If the threat of removing my cycle is carried out, I confirm I will seek an immediate order under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 for delivery of the goods, and for payment of consequential damages. I put you on notice that my cycle has a Dutch lock with a cable attached. The lock has been discontinued so if the cable is cut I will seek the cost of both a new lock and a new cable.
I strongly object to receiving threatening notices when I am merely trying to do what you purport to encourage. I am a law-abiding farepaying passenger and have nothing to fear from being reported to British Transport Police although I do find it upsetting to be threatened in this way. I hope you will agree that issuing customers with notices in such terms is not a long-term solution to the problem of inadequate cycle provision at Lichfield City station.
I look forward to your immediate confirmation that no action will be taken against me or my cycle when this matter is under discussion and to the resolution of my complaint within the 10 working days set out in your Passenger’s (sic) Charter.
Yours sincerely'
