Virgin challenges Jeremy Corbyn train footage

[account_inactive]

What a prick.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37167700

Virgin Trains has questioned footage showing Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a "ram-packed" service.

In a film shown on The Guardian, the Labour leader said he was experiencing a problem "many passengers face every day" on the London to Newcastle train.

But Virgin said CCTV showed Mr Corbyn and his team walking past available seating before starting filming.

It says the crew helped him to a carriage where seats were available and he sat for the rest of his journey.

[ReptilianPeon]

Jeremy clarified what happened on the Virgin Train. He said he wanted two seats next to each other so that he could sit down and talk to his wife. Richard Branson is motivated by the fact he does not want the railways in public ownership, something that Jeremy wants. Virgin ate one of t better companies admittedly, and I personally am sick of our bus routes and railways being purchased by other European governments and the profits used to subsidise their public transport.

[paulpablo]

I have no opinion on whether or not the trains should be publicly or privately owned but this is CLEARLY some bullshit move on Corbyn's behalf.

He was sitting down withing 35 minutes of the journey, he could have sat down not next to his wife if he wanted to before that. It's just cry baby bullshit.

That being said I don't have any stake in the argument of the state trains are in now, it's been a few years since I've been a regular train traveler.

[ReptilianPeon]

All politicians do "bullshit moves" to an extent. Jeremy isn't the first and he won't be the last. I still think he's one of the more respectable MPs. His foreign policy ideas are far more sensible than his predecessors.

And David Cameron was a complete noob on foreign policy. I will never forgive his government for lowering the for dead Saudi royalty. I'm glad the media is outraged over Jeremy: it means he'll fight against t status quo as Prime Minister. It's very sad though, that we are focusing on whether or not there was ample seating on a train instead of focusing on the real issues.

[account_inactive]

All politicians do "bullshit moves" to an extent. Jeremy isn't the first and he won't be the last. I still think he's one of the more respectable MPs. His foreign policy ideas are far more sensible than his predecessors.

And David Cameron was a complete noob on foreign policy. I will never forgive his government for lowering the for dead Saudi royalty. I'm glad the media is outraged over Jeremy: it means he'll fight against t status quo as Prime Minister. It's very sad though, that we are focusing on whether or not there was ample seating on a train instead of focusing on the real issues.

So you're admitting it was complete bullshit now?

Don't try turn this on David Cameron, we all know he's a twat.

[ReptilianPeon]

No, I'm saying to the people that think this is a "bullshit move", yes (most?) politicians are liable to bullshit moves to one extent on another and it was unfair to single him out on this. I don't think it was a bullshit move personally. Maybe Jeremy simply didn't know he could sit in the reserved seating if it isn't being used by another passenger? He wasn't sat on the floor for the entire journey (only about forty-five minutes of the three hour journey, until a friendly member of staff informed him that a seat had become available).


Virgin Trains have little clear signage on their trains saying you can sit in the reserved seating if you haven't got the correct ticket for it. People who book online (which apparently Jeremy and his wife didn't) typically get reserved seating in trains at no extra cost. Usually, the majority of carriages on inter-city trains contain reserved seating. However, train companies aren't always clear on whether you can use the seats if they aren't being used. The lack of signage can be especially troubling if you're socially reserved.

I quote the below article:

"When you book online, you [typically] automatically get a seat reservation whether you ask for it or not," says Mark Smith, who runs The Man In Seat Sixty-One rail website.

...

"I think on Virgin trains it is often very ambiguous. One of the things shy people have a problem with is social ambiguity - if things aren't clear. There might be a bag on it, people might have gone to the toilet."

Who, What, Why: When can you sit in a reserved seat on a train?

Edit: And why did Virgin Trains wait until now to release the footage? Jeremy was on that train on the 11th of August. Two weeks ago basically.

[paulpablo]

For as long as I can remember trains have been an easy target for comedians and such in this country at least.

But I've always thought it was pretty strange because I've been a regular train user at various points in my life and always found them to be very very reliable, clean and fast.

There's been one or two exceptions when there's been certain weather conditions or damaged rails.

It's not surprising I suppose that Corbyn's reaction was like that.

He's constantly thinking about politics, his agenda so on and so forth.

A person like me would have just got on the train and thought.  "Oh it's the summer holidays, the kids aren't in school so the train might be more crowded with people taking their kids places. I guess I might not be able to sit right next to my wife."

[ReptilianPeon]

Claiming the train was "rammed packed" was an unfortunate choice of words on Jeremy's part, I will admit that. I've been on more crowded trains than the one the CCTV shows. I would love to see the British trains in government ownership again, so even though I may think this is an unfortunate turn of events, still like Jeremy on his policy substance.

That's not to say I will be voting for his party. I doubt I'll ever vote for the Party of Tony Blair. The Labour Party will do everything its power to treat Jeremy like the Democratic Party treated Bernie Sanders.