FOUR pensioners from the UK and France were left stranded in 35C heat after a tourist train driver with a ‘disgusting attitude’ refused to let them board a journey they had already paid for.
The life-long friends, aged between 65 and 67, had purchased €7 return tickets for a tourist train across the town of Blanes, visiting the botanical gardens.
According to retired magistrate Paul Mann, the outward journey passed without incident.
After a morning of exploring the gardens, they headed back to the stop with 25 minutes before the train was due.
However, the group were met with an unpleasant refusal from the driver when he arrived, despite the carriage having empty seats and the group being the first ones there.
“The train arrived and the driver immediately jumped out and said, no, you cannot get on,” said Paul, one of the pensioners who spoke to the Olive Press.
The driver then allegedly went on to usher on a group of around 40 youngsters that appeared to be on a school trip, who arrived after them, allowing them to board until the train reached capacity.
“We said ‘hang on a minute, we’re first in the queue,’” Paul said.. “‘Don’t care’, he replied.”
Asking how they were going to get home, the driver continued ‘shrugging his shoulders and making little motions with his fingers for walking’.
When Paul told the driver he would take a photo to support the complaint, he said the response was one of complete indifference.
“He was laughing and joking, thinking it was quite funny,” said Paul. “I said to him, ‘I’ll take the photo and we’ll make a complaint’.”
Instead of backing away, Paul alleges the driver stepped up towards him.
“He stood right up in my face…he almost tempted me to do something, if you know what I mean.”
This left the group with no choice but to trudge back in the hot sun on foot, losing half their fare.
“We were all upset about it…because of his behaviour, and just his attitude – the way he was fronting up and laughing.”
The service is operated by Carrilets Turistics, a tourist train company that forms part of the Moventis transport group.
The company runs sightseeing trains in several Spanish tourist destinations, including Blanes on the Costa Brava.
This is not the first time tourists have had a poor experience with the trains, with several TripAdvisor reviews mentioning ‘terribly rude’ and ‘unpleasant’ drivers.
One review even accused them of ‘joking around’ by ‘honking at only the young foreign girls’.
Carrilets Turistics was contacted for comment but has not responded at the time of publication.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
