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Monday, 6th September 2010

Musician's gig list deemed suspicious by South West Trains staff

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Published Date:
17 March 2010
Musician Tom Shaw was stunned when he was kicked off a train - for writing a list of songs.
The 25-year-old was targeted by South West Trains staff when they saw him writing the list which included the name of the band The Killers.

They said this was suspicious and ordered him to get off the train.

Tom, of Buckland, said: 'I got on at Fratton and there were two people who looked like they were in luminous Transport Police jackets.

'I sat down and they were looking over my shoulder.

'After a couple of minutes they told me I'd have to get off the train. When I asked why, they said they'd speak to me more on the platform.'

Mr Shaw, who works with young people with learning disabilities in Sholing, is also bassist for group The Magic Mushrooms.

He said: 'They made me get out at Fareham and when I asked what was wrong they told me to show them the piece of paper I'd been writing on.

'They said I'd been behaving suspiciously. I couldn't understand it. It seemed very strange, as it was just a list of songs.

'We had a gig coming up, so I was writing out what we could play. They made me explain song by song.'

Even more strangely, Mr Shaw's list at that point contained just three songs.

Tom Shaw's set list
Tom Shaw's set list


He said: 'I was writing some covers we could play. I had written Cigarettes and Alcohol and Shut Up And Let Me Go. I explained they were by Oasis and Ting Tings. But we also play a track called All These Things I Have Done by The Killers, and to save time I just wrote Killers. They did ask me about that, so maybe it's the reason, but it seems very strange.'

Mr Shaw added he was told by the officers, who were employed as security staff by South West Trains, that the reason he'd been removed from the train was because there had been a 'number of arrests' nearby including one man who had killed his wife.

A spokesperson for South West Trains said she was unable to comment on wider 'arrests' but said: 'We employ highly-professional rail community officers who work closely with the British Transport Police in protecting the security of passengers on the rail network.

'During a routine high-visibility patrol, they spoke with a passenger on the platform at Fareham station.

'The team clarified the nature of the individual's business, were satisfied with his explanation and the man went on his way.

'We would like to thank him for his co-operation and understanding of the need to be vigilant in the current environment.'

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  • Last Updated: 17 March 2010 12:09 PM
  • Source: The News
  • Location: Portsmouth
 
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1

Graham Wheatley,

17/03/2010 13:35:04
I believe their position may be listed as "Officious Jobsworth" in the SWT Employees Handbook.
2

martytarty,

17/03/2010 13:45:18
Just sums up the idiotic uk of today, common sense and discretion are out the window and we have to follow and obey whats written in a book, feel sorry for the poor lad, i have written songs down on a train before, i was writing a playlist for my wedding, i would of been very upset to be kicked off the train, well done to the lad for co-operating and not getting upset.
3

RichBell,

gosport 17/03/2010 13:46:23
"We employ highly-professional rail community officers who work closely with the British Transport Police"

Long winded way of saying 'muppets'..
4

,

17/03/2010 13:49:48
Comment Reported Unsuitable By User
5

Pricesboy,

17/03/2010 13:53:53
Idiotic jobsworths should mind their own business.
6

Mike131,

In despair 17/03/2010 13:54:07
These 'Railway Enforcement Officers' are NOT, I repeat NOT the Police, they don't even have the limited authority of a Community Support Officer. They had as much right to interfere with this man's business as the passenger travelling in the seat next to him.
7

Overner100,

Gosport 17/03/2010 14:02:11
Bullying tactics by the Railway Enforcement Officers plus a few weasel words from the spokesperson, but no hint of an apology anywhere.

Sorry, if it had been me I would have been seriously annoyed
8

martytarty,

17/03/2010 14:06:27
i agree pompey_BD,

they could have simply asked what he was doing while on the train and that should be the end of the matter, but no they kick him off the train then ask questions, so its a case of he was guilty before he could proove he was innocent, im all for police etc to keep vigilante and prevent bad things from happening (9/11 for example) but sometimes common sense and discretion is whats needed and then you wouldn't have these embarrassing storys.
9

sean bean fan,

17/03/2010 14:11:22
And what if he had been a deranged psychopath or a member in an al-Qaeda sleeper cell? Would he have admitted it while being interviewed on the platform? Quite incredible.
10

martytarty,

17/03/2010 14:18:51
well if you use your common sense etc.....

it's clear that his bit of paper is a list of songs, and he doesn't look like a member of al-qaeda,

it was wrong of them to remove him from the train, end of
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