Re: [VIC] Revenue protection [WAS [Melbourne] W-class trams]

["whitehat" <whitehat@alphalink.com.au>]

"Vaughan Williams" <ender2000@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
3AB6124F@MailAndNews.com">news:3AB6124F@MailAndNews.com...
>
> Why not just empower the existing and new regular station staff and
> conductors? If the person refuses to leave, the driver should stop the
tram,
> come out of the cabin, and help the connie "ask" the person to leave. If
> they
> still don't go, police assistance can be summonned and there should be
very
> heavy penalties for not leaving a tram when ordered by the conductor, and
> wasting all that time, as well as being liable to pay compensation to the
> tram
> company for causing the delay.
>
> There never seemed to be such problems when the connies were there.
>

OK - I know I'm going to regret this, but here goes.

As someone who has used Melbourne trams for 30 years, I am continually
amazed by the romantic vision of tram conductors that now prevails. It must
be true, because I never see anybody contradict it. Well it certainly was
not my experience.

Certainly there were good conductors, there were mediocre conductors, and
then there were a large number who were surly, unprofessional, and did
little to protect public revenue and property. My colleagues and I often
watched and commented over a period of about 10 years how these people were
systematically writing themselves out of a job - and unfortunately for the
good ones, that is what happened.

I realise that my view appears to be a minority one and therefore I can
expect to be attacked by the PC majority. However, if people are afraid to
express a minority view, it never gets heard. I would prefer to travel on
trams with conductors, but preferably with ones who felt the system was for
the benefit of the travelling public rather than themselves. I will watch
with interest the attitudes and behaviour of the new staff.

whitehat