A group of furious passengers held up a train for 15 minutes until 'jobsworth staff' allowed them to board, despite their late arrival. Lou Monrow and her wheelchair-bound mother Susan Hackett claim they arrived at their platform at Manchester Piccadilly station only to find the train doors had been 'turned off'.
The 34-year-old said that she, her mother, and 'four others' were informed they were too late, leading to one man staging a protest while Lou and the group argued with station staff. Footage from September 7 shows the man straddling the step of the Transport for Wales carriage and the platform, saying 'we are here at 9.30pm and we are early'.
A station staff member approaches them to say "you've missed the train", adding "they did the second whistle as you were running down" once they argue back. The man maintains his foot on the step as he continues the argument with another employee, while Susan, 64, and Lou demand "just let us on the train" and ask "why can't we get on the train?"
READ MORE:Man who died after being found outside Palace Theatre named as police make appeal
Staff tell the pair there are other trains later that night, but Lou, who had tickets for that specific 9.30pm train, asks the woman "are you going to pay for our fine?"
Lou says that the group was allowed onto the service '15 minutes' after the protest began, despite the lengthy dispute with staff. The model, who was travelling to Crewe, alleges the Network Rail staff at the station were 'jobsworths' and she backed the angry man's 'protest'.
The model took to TikTok to share her chaotic experience, with the video quickly racking up over 1.2 million views, leaving users divided on whether the group had 'missed the train' or not. Lou said: "They were jobsworths and should have let us on the train.
"When we got to the train they turned the doors off. I'm not normally someone who films that stuff because I'm not into drama but the man standing at the train told me to start recording.
"He had his foot on the train and I think it was like a protest to say 'we will get on the train'. I back what he did 100 per cent because he just wanted to get home as well.
"They kept saying we'd missed the train but we hadn't because it was right there. I think they thought we were being aggressive but I don't think that comes across in the video.
"I was quite hungry, it was getting cold and I just wanted to get my mum home safe. [They] were telling us to go to the pub for another drink and get the next one but we couldn't because we'd have had to buy another ticket.
"They delayed the other passengers by 15 minutes because we were basically arguing. I don't think it was disrespectful but it was passionate.
"When I re-watched the video I noticed my mum was completely ignored in all of that conversation. I wonder if it was because she's in a wheelchair.
"At one point they just opened the doors and we all got on so we were saying 'what was all that about?' As long as you're on the platform I think you should be allowed on.
"When they let us on it felt like there'd been all that commotion for nothing. I understand protocol and safety but it wasn't just me and my mum. There were five or six people there."
Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and, Breaking News group by clicking this link
Lou, who lives in Alsager, Cheshire, said she arrived at the station with only five minutes to spare before her train's departure, spending those crucial moments hurrying her mother to the platform. She claims that in the past, platform staff have held trains for her last-minute arrivals.
Addressing the backlash on social media, Lou said: "Trolls don't generally have empathy or life experience where they can put themselves in our shoes. I think people should mind their own business."
She described the incident in her widely shared video as 'this is the most ridiculous thing in the entire world'.
One person commented: "You missed the train [face palm emoji]."
To which Lou replied: "I don't think people no what logic is. Also why did the ticket people let us through?"
Yet, someone else supported Lou's view, saying: "The amount of time arguing they could have all been on it and halfway to the next station."
A spokesperson for Network Rail expressed regret over the incident, stating: "We are sorry to the passengers for their experience. We have a policy in place where doors close 45 seconds before departure to make sure services run on time.
"The passengers arrived just before the departure time and our station team were following protocol, advising they can't board the train as it's about to leave.
"The whistle had already been given to signal departure. Safety is our top priority, and we take every precaution to uphold it rigorously."
Transport for Wales has chosen not to comment on the matter, and the British Transport Police have been approached for comment.
