More people since then, therefore more f***wits? Plus just more people means many of them are angry commuters and accidents more likely.

If the unions are genuinely striking over safety issues, perhaps they should canvas the travelling public and ask whether we are concerned that DOO trains are compromising our safety.

I'm certain that the answer will be that we are willing to risk it ( ! ) given that we are already riding on such trains on other lines.

They would then have our blessing to abandon the strike, go back to work, and maybe we might have something resembling a train service restored.

Saying that, I agree with Cucking - Southern should also be stripped of the franchise. Their service was totally unacceptable before these strikes began.

And further to my earlier post on this, that ' one bullet ' I would now use on Grayling as well.

Old, Ungifted and White

Well that was how the Southern mess started if I remember right - they didn't strike in the early days, they just all had coordinated sickness (unless there was a bubonic plague epidemic across the south east which only affected train guards). Ironically, that actually weakened their case with me and a lot of the rest of the travelling public, as train after train was cancelled for the want of a guard because so many of them were 'sick', when you knew full well the driver could operate the doors (your safety concerns aside)

If they really believed this was a safety issue, they'd go on strike and not return until they were satisfied it was safe.

If my car had a safety issue I wouldn't leave it for a couple of days and then go about my business as normal a few days later without rectifying it.

Optimistic as ever

No one really still believes it's about safety do they?

No one ever did.

Optimistic as ever