The people have spoken, and they want to speak to real live humans, not a rail ticket self-service app | Gaby Hinsliff
The people have spoken, and they want to speak to real live humans, not a rail ticket self-service app | Gaby Hinsliff
Automation is causing many casualties. Technology marches on, but there’s a yearning for moments of precious connection, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
Can't say I've used an in person ticket booth in years, decades maybe. They're always shut anyway.
When I went to Japan on holiday there were staff members hovering around the ticket machines helping people if they needed it - and I did. Not a ticket office on sight. Why can they do it but we can't? Dunno.
In japan every station I went to had a ticket office...
In the Tokyo area (with JR East) many major stations will have a みどりの窓口 (Green window booth) for assistance with buying tickets and special ticket packages, often in a room that's fully separate from the ticket vending machines, and usually only one when the ticket vending machines could be in multiple areas. Most stations have a person on duty (or stationmaster for smaller stations) by the ticket gates, which you can purchase tickets from when it's not crowded.
They need manned staff at the fare gates for now, because the 青春18 ticket still needs a station master to stamp the date and verify it for entry.
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yeah it's all these little things, but it was easy to know what to do, go to the ticket office and ask.
At Leeds, the people behind the counters are the best. They have all these off peak traveller tickets in West Yorkshire and the machines never prompt you for the right one to use, but the people behind the counter just know and give you the cheapest combination by default. The saved me a fiver this week
I use trains on a regular basis but can't remember the last time I saw any staff in the station.
I now just use the train app on my phone. from, to, time, press pay and use the finger print scanner to pay.
Buying a ticket should be simple.
Even the buses here I just tap my phone against I reader and sit down.
A century ago, in America, the largest retailer - Sears & Roebuck - tried shifting from handwritten letters to typed to their customers. There was a huge backlash because the typed letters came across as cold and impersonal. The company (temporarily) went back to handwritten letters, at greater expense, until the practice was more widespread.
Cool, would they pay $5 extra?
We already have some of the most expensive trains in Europe. I don't think this really a valid argument.