| Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by grahame at 08:30, 18th February 2026 |     |
The "Coffee Shop" is a forum with many experienced members - however, there are still things that most of us have NOT done. Perhaps they are experiences for the future / on your bucket list?
Select those things which you have NOT done.
I have done 23 out of the 25 things listed above - so will be selecting just two items. Any guesses before you look?
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by JayMac at 14:52, 18th February 2026 | |
The ones I haven't done.
Pilning
Eurostar
Train Ferry
Tygwyn (Been on a train that's called there though)
Train accident
The subtext of the two food ones is of being antisocial. However, I've had curries on the GWR Pullman and crevettes on a TfW (was Arriva at the time) dining service.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:50, 18th February 2026 | |
Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by grahame at 19:34, 18th February 2026 | |
Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train. 
I am probably on a train tomorrow. And I am one of the 23 who has never shelled prawns on one. Sadly, the only prawns we have are readyshelled frozen ones, and the shops won't be open before I leave, so the experience will have to wait.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by JayMac at 21:21, 18th February 2026 | |
Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train.
I am probably on a train tomorrow. And I am one of the 23 who has never shelled prawns on one. Sadly, the only prawns we have are readyshelled frozen ones, and the shops won't be open before I leave, so the experience will have to wait.
And crevettes are no longer on the menu on the Welsh dining trains, so it'll have to be BYO!
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 16:56, 19th February 2026 | |
Also of interest (to me, anyway
) is that, of the 31 members who have cast their votes so far, only 22 have apparently never used Melksham station.I may even have bumped into some of you there, without knowing, over the years.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by grahame at 09:15, 20th February 2026 | |
Also of interest (to me, anyway 
) is that, of the 31 members who have cast their votes so far, only 22 have apparently never used Melksham station.
I may even have bumped into some of you there, without knowing, over the years.
) is that, of the 31 members who have cast their votes so far, only 22 have apparently never used Melksham station.I may even have bumped into some of you there, without knowing, over the years.
Yes - that means that 9 out of 31 (as it was when you wrote that) have used Melksham Station. And they will be a mix of regulars / residents, occasional visitors, and one-off travellers.
But only 31 have voted - remember that's out of, perhaps, 120 Coffee Shop members who have been logged in since the poll was opened.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by rogerw at 17:47, 20th February 2026 | |
My curry on a train was a chicken curry on the Yorkshire Pullman in 1966 (actually a chicken portion in curry sauce)
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by rogerpatenall at 08:31, 21st February 2026 | |
Just voted. An interesting selection of questions.
I have ticked two which are marginal. Shelling prawns was a picnic we took onto a train on the East Lancs Rly, and the accident was actually a tram (steel wheel on steel track? close enough) - in Duisburg, Germany.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by grahame at 19:17, 23rd February 2026 | |
Never have I ever ...
Shelled prawns on a train - 32 (9.2%)
Joined a train at Pilning station - 28 (8.1%)
Used Tygwyn Station - 27 (7.8%)
Called the Network Rail emergency number - 25 (7.2%)
Eaten a curry on a train - 25 (7.2%)
Used Melksham Station - 23 (6.6%)
Used a train ferry - 21 (6.1%)
Been in a train accident - 21 (6.1%)
Missed the last train - 16 (4.6%)
Fallen asleep on a train and missed my Station - 16 (4.6%)
Travelled to extreme westerly/easterly/southerly/northerly station - 11 (3.2%)
Had a train call at a request stop for me - 10 (2.9%)
Used a ranger, rover, Interrail, Eurail or freedom ticket - 10 (2.9%)
Left something on a train by mistake - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on Eurostar - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on a sleeper train - 8 (2.3%)
Been confused by ticket validity - 8 (2.3%)
Asked someone to move their luggage so you can sit down - 7 (2%)
Used split tickets - 7 (2%)
Used a rail replacement bus - 6 (1.7%)
Got money back through delay/repay - 5 (1.4%)
Walked between two stations - 5 (1.4%)
Had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - 5 (1.4%)
Caught the wrong train - 5 (1.4%)
Helped others at the station / on a train - 3 (0.9%)
36 voters - and 2 say they have done all of these things.
Joined a train at Pilning station - 28 (8.1%)
Used Tygwyn Station - 27 (7.8%)
Called the Network Rail emergency number - 25 (7.2%)
Eaten a curry on a train - 25 (7.2%)
Used Melksham Station - 23 (6.6%)
Used a train ferry - 21 (6.1%)
Been in a train accident - 21 (6.1%)
Missed the last train - 16 (4.6%)
Fallen asleep on a train and missed my Station - 16 (4.6%)
Travelled to extreme westerly/easterly/southerly/northerly station - 11 (3.2%)
Had a train call at a request stop for me - 10 (2.9%)
Used a ranger, rover, Interrail, Eurail or freedom ticket - 10 (2.9%)
Left something on a train by mistake - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on Eurostar - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on a sleeper train - 8 (2.3%)
Been confused by ticket validity - 8 (2.3%)
Asked someone to move their luggage so you can sit down - 7 (2%)
Used split tickets - 7 (2%)
Used a rail replacement bus - 6 (1.7%)
Got money back through delay/repay - 5 (1.4%)
Walked between two stations - 5 (1.4%)
Had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - 5 (1.4%)
Caught the wrong train - 5 (1.4%)
Helped others at the station / on a train - 3 (0.9%)
36 voters - and 2 say they have done all of these things.
So at one end of the scale, that leaves 4 people who HAVE shelled prawns on a train and at teh other end 33 out of 36 of you have helped others at the station or on a train - and I a so proud of our members for doing that.
Eight of you have joined a train at Pilning, nine of you have used Tygwyn Station, and thirteen of you out of 36 have used Melksham Station.
An astonishing 31 out of 36 have had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - which suggests to me that there are questions about whether the gates are fit for purpose
And 29 out of the 36 have asked someone to move their luggage - which perhaps says something about the lack of thought by some passengers for others, and also shows what a forward lot we are that we are prepared to challenge.
Anything out there which members find especially notable?
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by ChrisB at 19:52, 23rd February 2026 | |
An astonishing 31 out of 36 have had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - which suggests to me that there are questions about whether the gates are fit for purpose
Ahhhh - gates are deliberately set to often refuse tickets discounted by railcards - so as to be able to check both validity/expiry of railcard & that it is being carried. They are perfectly fit for purpose if allowed to be
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by bobm at 20:14, 23rd February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 03:01, 24th February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by John D at 08:35, 24th February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise.
I commuted for 29 years, 5 return journeys per week, so around 14,000 train journeys, never had any accidents on trains I was on.
However did have few occasions where there were complete cancellations or diversions due to various (suicides, derailments, IRA bombs, storm damage etc)
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by grahame at 08:48, 24th February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise.
I commuted for 29 years, 5 return journeys per week, so around 14,000 train journeys, never had any accidents on trains I was on.
However did have few occasions where there were complete cancellations or diversions due to various (suicides, derailments, IRA bombs, storm damage etc)
Rail is intrinsically safe ... I could probably report a similar or greater amount of travel over 65+ years, and can only report one occasion when the train I was on was involved in an accident - and that was a "low grade" one where the pantograph of the loco (as I understand it) welded itself to the overhead catenary, tore it down, and the broken wires lashed the train and broke the windows. I understand one person was injured somewhat by flying glass.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Witham Bobby at 09:17, 24th February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
This is a surprisingly large number
I've not been in a railway accident as a passenger, but I have been on a train that passed a signal at danger. Fortunately that was without consequence for the train.
As a railwayman, back in the day, I have witnessed a couple of derailments
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by PhilWakely at 16:43, 24th February 2026 | |
I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise.
What is the likelihood of two members of the same family being involved in separate accidents - although at opposite ends of the 'seriousness scale?
I have said before on this forum that my son was the blood-stained face on most of the front pages of the Sunday papers as well as TV News reports following Ufton Nervet. Separately, I was a passenger on a train involved in an 'incident' rather than accident at Retford Low Level back in 1970. I was a young, excitable trainspotter, staying with a friend at Lincoln at the time and we were returning from a day's spotting. As the train was leaving the station, I decided to visit the loo that was in the next carriage. Just as I was approaching the passageway between the carriages, there was a huge 'bang' and the coach appeared to jump. I can consider myself very lucky as the coupling between the two coaches snapped! To say I was 'all shook up' was an understatement.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Oxonhutch at 17:24, 24th February 2026 | |
Mine was a 'person hit by train'
at Twyford on the way home one evening some years ago now. I reported on that incident on this forum at the time and, the excellent actions of the train crew (and the GWR office staff travelling on the cushions) immediately after the event. Credit that I was able to pass on personally to Mark Hopwood who I met on the train the next day.https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15748.msg176572#msg176572
Edited to add link
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:38, 24th February 2026 | |
See also a previous post from me, relating to Mark Hopwood's clearly personal empathy with such sad incidents: https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=31498.msg371758#msg371758
CfN.
| Re: Things you have NOT done in your use of public transport Posted by JayMac at 20:37, 24th February 2026 | |
]
So at one end of the scale, that leaves 4 people who HAVE shelled prawns on a train and at teh other end 33 out of 36 of you have helped others at the station or on a train - and I a so proud of our members for doing that.
So at one end of the scale, that leaves 4 people who HAVE shelled prawns on a train and at teh other end 33 out of 36 of you have helped others at the station or on a train - and I a so proud of our members for doing that.
Proud of those of us at both ends of the scale?
