Train journey ‘derailed’ by drunken passengers

I was travelling home from university by train, when two passengers treated me to a spectacle I wish I could forget.

They were a couple, parents, possibly spouses, and had just finished their second bottle of wine, and were drunk.

They asked for a third bottle, as we set off, and were served.

After drinking perhaps half the contents, the man stood up and poured the remainder of the bottle over his partner, spilling it over the seat and floor, while roaring obscenities.

The woman screamed.

An elderly man, seated across the aisle with his wife, politely asked them to be quiet. His request was met with obscenities from the drunk man and a rude, sarcastic apology from the woman, who spent the rest of the journey loudly taking phone calls, during several of which she screeched abuse about the elderly couple.

All of the passengers breathed a sigh of relief when we finally disembarked and the drunken passengers switched to a different train.

I understand that these individuals were just unpleasant people, but why did they have to be supplied with alcohol, which only exacerbated their nastiness?

If we had any competing private rail operators, I would be happy for them to serve alcohol on their trains, but, as long as we only have Iarnróid Éireann, shouldn’t its customers, who pay for its operation in taxes and tickets, be able to get from point A to point B without suffering the disgraceful behaviour I witnessed?

Alcohol use is already far too widespread in this country.

Let’s get the booze off our trains.

Dean Buckley

Shantalla

Galway