Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
1. I did not demand anything. I merely pointed out that I had seen the news coverage of their treatment of the gentleman in questiion, and was less than impressed with their handling of the situation. I also pointed out that whilst technically this particular railway station is operated by Virgin, it shares a characteristic with all other railway stations in that it is, in one sense, also a public place. It strikes me now that if I, as a public sector employee, had treated the same person in the same way, I would no doubt have been held up as a classic example of 'council bullying' or somesuch.
2. The incident was made public by BBC North West Tonight. I am as entitled as anyone else to form a judgement as to what I witnessed and react accordingly. In this case, the man doing the filming was approached in what I can only describe as a 'jobsworth' manner. All that was really required was for the Virgin employee to ask if he had sought permission and on finding that he hadn't, to ask him (politely) to do so. Even North West Tonight were refused permission to film.
When I was a lad, and train spotting was a normal, rather than a fringe activity, all that was required was a Platform Ticket, cost approx 2 old pence.
Mull
