I got dressed and set out. The night was pretty boring really though. And then on my way home, it got crap. So much so, that it's left me feeling quite angry. So, I've decided to write a letter of complaint to Merseyrail. All will be explained in this letter I plan on sending to them:
To whom it may concern:I am writing this letter out of anger at the way I and others have been treated tonight by a particularly drunk individual on a Merseyrail train from Liverpool Central Station to Kirkby Station.
On my way home from a night out in Liverpool Town Centre, an extremely drunk man got on the same train as I was on. In addition to me, there were also many other people on the train, but of note, where four young men and one woman who were happily minding their own business. As the heavily built (17 stone plus) drunk male boarded the train, he began to try and interact with the group I have just mentioned. While they did not appreciate the attention they were receiving, they were understanding and tried to ignore the drunk as best as possible answering any of his invasive questions with abrupt answers.
As the train moved out of Liverpool Central Station, he then decided to sit next to me and began talking to the group of five people sitting next to me. What I was not expecting was him to then force himself upon me and attempt to sit on my lap. Now, while I realise this may sound amusing, as a quiet individual who is less than half this man�s size, it is not something that I can adequately deal with. Not only did this cause me minor pain, but I also felt quite threatened and my personal space very much violated. He did this a total of twice in the space of four minutes, at which point I felt fearful of him.
He then proceeded to ask if any of the group sitting next to me had a lighter so that he could smoke. They all said no, so he then began shouting throughout the carriage to see if anyone else had one. As the train approached Moorfields Station, he said �If no one has a light, I�m going to stay on the train and annoy you all�. Unfortunately, this is what happened.
As the train made its way to Sandhills Station, he became more abusive and physical towards the group next to me. He was also touching the young woman who was with the four men, touching her head and her hair from behind and while she tried to laugh it off, it was obvious she was uncomfortable with it, as were her friends. However, none of them were in a position to �stand up� to this man, as he was considerably bigger than any of them and myself.
He then decided to place his hand directly in front of one of the young men�s faces and as a result, the young man politely said �Can you get your hand out of my face please?�, to which the drunk replied �Who are you to tell me to move my hand?�. This futile argument continued for a duration of around five minutes, with the young man attempting to stay as calm as possible but visibly threatened and scared. The drunk then began insulting the young man, with obscenities and vulgar language before alighting at Kirkdale Station. However, as he did so, he was still threatening this young man and invited him to step off the train and �sort it out right here�. As the doors closed, the drunk now stood on Kirkdale Station platform. He then tried to get back on the train and the driver of it warned him to move back.
For the remainder of the journey the young man who had been insulted and threatened was quite visibly shook up to the point of his hands shaking. His friends attempting to console him, but understandably so, he felt quite upset. As the train moved onto Rice Line Station, other people offered their support for him.
Now, my question is this: How on earth can this behaviour be allowed to happen on Merseyrail�s trains? How can both I and others be subjected to such undesirable and threatening treatment and the offender be able to get away with it because of the lack of any kind of authority to deal with those types of situations? Where is the kind of police presence that is so visible at Liverpool Central Station? I might add that as I made my way through Liverpool Central Station to catch my train, there were a total of eight police officers standing around generally doing nothing.
I realise that station security is of the utmost importance and that a high police presence is a necessity, but what about the safety of those on Merseyrail�s trains? Are we to allow � and even worse, accept � abusive and threatening behaviour because of such a lack of security on trains of a Friday night? Or, do we have the right to a safe journey home, without having to be fearful?
I feel as if Merseyrail has consistently let the public down regarding safety on trains of a night and this incident only further proves that my point is true. In addition to this, I personally was physically assaulted and head butted for no other reason than I wanted to be left on my own on a train three years ago. There was absolutely no police presence on that train either. It left me extremely shook up and quite fearful of coming home from a night out in Liverpool. And yet, tonight, my fears are worsened by this lack of safety for Merseyrail�s passengers, of which I am one.
I would very much appreciate a reply to this complaint, as I currently feel extremely angry and let down by Merseyrail in regards to my personal safety on trains of a night.
Regards,
Neil Martin
Yeah.
