Transit Officers spoil Santa Express

Transit Officers?

For the last few years, Queensland Rail (QR) have run the family friendly "Santa Express" train around the QR CityTrain network before Christmas as an additional train service. MrsCommuter and BabyCommuter went to a ride on the Santa Express when it visited the Ferny Grove Line on Monday, and much enjoyed the experience, until...

...TransLink managed to spoil the show. Now with 4 trains an hour per direction on the Ferny Grove Line, there are plenty of trains which TransLink Transit Officers could have stung for ticket checks. These trains are often full of ticketless drunk natives, drug addicts, and the worst of all - middle aged aisle seat hoggers. But instead of targeting a normal train service, like a pack of Dementors circling around the Hogwarts Express, the Transit Officers decided to spoil the family fun atmosphere of the Santa Express by performing a ticket check on family groups. The attitude of the officers was described by some passengers as very rude. TransLink, do your Transit Officers not have higher priorities?

Whilst on the subject of Santa, this is BrizCommuter's letter to Queensland Rail's Santa.

Dear Santa,

BrizCommuter has been a good boy this year, and would like some nice presents. Thanks for the 15 minute off-peak services on the Ferny Grove Line, but can you please extend this to other lines, weekends, and early evenings. Please can you also get rid of those annoying late evening and Sunday morning hour service gaps. I would also really like a new frequent peak timetable which TransLink promised would occur in 2011. Oh, and finally, please tell TransLink to stop increasing the fares, or I will asking for a car next Christmas!

Thanks

BrizCommuter

PS: Thanks a lot QR for closing the Ferny Grove Line on one of the busiest Christmas shopping weekends!