You're 'avin a laugh!

ChrisTheRef · 23rd May 2009, 21:37

Come on, there's moments on the railway where you just have to laugh!

Post your favourite moments here.

My favourite has always been whilst sitting on a Euston bound Pendolino in Liverpool L St, a woman asking me if I knew which way the train was going to go

SuperVoyager · 23rd May 2009, 21:40

Quite anoyes me when people can clearly see the Info Display boards and yet they still ask where is the train is going

**Mojo** · 23rd May 2009, 21:53

Well there are plenty of silly passengers out there!

Questions such as "where do you buy the tickets from" tend to have the resulting answer "from the ticket office or machines."

me123 · 23rd May 2009, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperVoyager

Quite anoyes me when people can clearly see the Info Display boards and yet they still ask where is the train is going

To be fair, this happens a lot when there's platform alterations and the like. I've been known to do it a couple of times for clarity in that situation.

My best is once on the Glasgow-Whifflet train. Unusually, an American couple board with quite a bit of luggage. The train announcers must have announced "This train is for Whifflet" about five times. Yet, when the ticket inspector came around, they asked for two singles to Stranraer. They seem to have made the classic American mistake; "there's two tracks on Platform 8". However, this one really does baffle me.

The other classic one was the small passenger uproar from Whifflet bound passengers. Despite the reasonable claim that "there are no overhead wires on the route", passengers still failed to believe that the 318 on Platform 9 couldn't do the job.

SuperVoyager · 23rd May 2009, 22:04

I once got on a train at Euston heading for Glasgow CN and two foreign women got on. A man comes up to me and asks if i could watch them and tell them when to get off.. (they were going to glasgow too... the end off the line) all they did was sit and give me funny looks everytime i came back from the shop from getting a drink. kinda annoyed me

O L Leigh · 23rd May 2009, 22:15

Was making a station stop at a location with a level crossing. As I was doing my station duties I could hear car horns from either side of the crossing as the motorists amused themselves while the barriers were down. They were making up little tunes and playing games. It was all very good natured.

Anyway, once I'd completed my station duties and got the train underway I joined in with them by giving them a little tune of my own on the train horn. The response was a huge blaring of car horns from both sides of the crossing as I passed over, which kept me smiling all the way to the next station.

O L Leigh

37372 · 23rd May 2009, 22:18

Some passengers just seem to completely ignore all the information being given on the platform.
Yesterday, the train had just stopped at Meadowhall going to Sheffield when a woman got on and said "does this train go to Sheffield?"
The unit blinds said Sheffield, the departure screens said Sheffield, the announcer said Sheffield, every train going in that direction has to go to Sheffield...

There was also a time at Doncaster when a 91 came roaring into platform 3a, when one of the local plebs said " 'ey mate, is this the Stainy (Hatfield & Stainforth) train?"
The announcer was announcing it as the London KX train as he asked! Common sense seemed to go out the window too... a 9 coach electric train to Stainforth indeed...

devon_metro · 23rd May 2009, 22:18

When people push the "Door Unlocked" sign on Mk3 doors it always makes me chuckle, until I open the door for them

**Mojo** · 23rd May 2009, 22:22

An American once asked me if he needed a Passport to board the train to Cardiff

SuperVoyager · 23rd May 2009, 22:24

does anoy me when voyagers stop i put my finger on the button getting ready for the ring to light up around the open button, often hear in the background.. "Press the damn thing then"

ChrisTheRef · 23rd May 2009, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo

An American once asked me if he needed a Passport to board the train to Cardiff

Haha love it!

I once saw a couple saying goodbye at a station by interlocking tounges. Only problem, he was standing on the train, she was on the platform. Dispatchers whistle and door closing alarms still couldn't stop them, and the doors smacked him in the face

SuperVoyager · 23rd May 2009, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisTheRef

Haha love it!

I once saw a couple saying goodbye at a station by interlocking tounges. Only problem, he was standing on the train, she was on the platform. Dispatchers whistle and door closing alarms still couldn't stop them, and the doors smacked him in the face

HaHa

Daimler · 23rd May 2009, 22:49

I once saw an American guy at Oxford looking for a train to Paddington. A 165 stopping everywhere on the way to Paddington (2 coaches, I think) then came in and he got on, ignoring not only the fact that the vast majority of people were not getting on and the huge display in the concourse showing 'next fast train'...I hate to think what impression he formed of railways on that journey!

dan_atki · 23rd May 2009, 22:53

South West Trains' 158s and 159s are the best - the front set of external doors are always locked out of use (except when the train has just divided or attached) and the adjacent saloon door as such doesn't operate from the saloon button as there's nowhere to go.

There is a reasonably big, lit display above it 'Emergency exit only - please use door at other end' but people still try to get into the vestibule to use the front external doors... they then deduce it isn't working and run the length of the carriage (even funnier if they have luggage) to get to the rear doors before they are shut!

On the outside, despite another warning 'Door out of order' people still try to open it...! Presumably they never take note the sign is there but just give up and move to the next door!

SuperVoyager · 23rd May 2009, 23:00

Have seen people running up and down the doors making sure they don't miss the trains... when they havnt even been unlocked

23rd May 2009, 21:37	#1
ChrisTheRef Trainee Driver Established Member Join Date: 15 Apr 2009 Location: Ely, Cambs Posts: 1,373	You're 'avin a laugh! Come on, there's moments on the railway where you just have to laugh! Post your favourite moments here. My favourite has always been whilst sitting on a Euston bound Pendolino in Liverpool L St, a woman asking me if I knew which way the train was going to go

23rd May 2009, 22:15	#6
O L Leigh In the cab with the paper Established Member Join Date: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 3,207	Was making a station stop at a location with a level crossing. As I was doing my station duties I could hear car horns from either side of the crossing as the motorists amused themselves while the barriers were down. They were making up little tunes and playing games. It was all very good natured. Anyway, once I'd completed my station duties and got the train underway I joined in with them by giving them a little tune of my own on the train horn. The response was a huge blaring of car horns from both sides of the crossing as I passed over, which kept me smiling all the way to the next station. O L Leigh __________________

23rd May 2009, 22:18	#7
37372 Say no to Merseyrail 142s Member Join Date: 24 Jul 2006 Location: Mexborough Posts: 570	Some passengers just seem to completely ignore all the information being given on the platform. Yesterday, the train had just stopped at Meadowhall going to Sheffield when a woman got on and said "does this train go to Sheffield?" The unit blinds said Sheffield, the departure screens said Sheffield, the announcer said Sheffield, every train going in that direction has to go to Sheffield... There was also a time at Doncaster when a 91 came roaring into platform 3a, when one of the local plebs said " 'ey mate, is this the Stainy (Hatfield & Stainforth) train?" The announcer was announcing it as the London KX train as he asked! Common sense seemed to go out the window too... a 9 coach electric train to Stainforth indeed... __________________

23rd May 2009, 22:18	#8
devon_metro Established Member Join Date: 11 Oct 2005 Location: Bristol Posts: 7,519	When people push the "Door Unlocked" sign on Mk3 doors it always makes me chuckle, until I open the door for them __________________ South West Railways

23rd May 2009, 21:40	#2
SuperVoyager Banned Join Date: 8 Mar 2008 Location: Devon Posts: 185	Quite anoyes me when people can clearly see the Info Display boards and yet they still ask where is the train is going

23rd May 2009, 21:53	#3
Mojo Muffin head Administrator Join Date: 7 Aug 2005 Location: London W12 Posts: 11,510	Well there are plenty of silly passengers out there! Questions such as "where do you buy the tickets from" tend to have the resulting answer "from the ticket office or machines."

23rd May 2009, 22:04	#5
SuperVoyager Banned Join Date: 8 Mar 2008 Location: Devon Posts: 185	I once got on a train at Euston heading for Glasgow CN and two foreign women got on. A man comes up to me and asks if i could watch them and tell them when to get off.. (they were going to glasgow too... the end off the line) all they did was sit and give me funny looks everytime i came back from the shop from getting a drink. kinda annoyed me

23rd May 2009, 22:22	#9
Mojo Muffin head Administrator Join Date: 7 Aug 2005 Location: London W12 Posts: 11,510	An American once asked me if he needed a Passport to board the train to Cardiff

23rd May 2009, 22:24	#10
SuperVoyager Banned Join Date: 8 Mar 2008 Location: Devon Posts: 185	does anoy me when voyagers stop i put my finger on the button getting ready for the ring to light up around the open button, often hear in the background.. "Press the damn thing then"

23rd May 2009, 22:49	#13
Daimler Established Member Join Date: 5 Feb 2009 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 1,174	I once saw an American guy at Oxford looking for a train to Paddington. A 165 stopping everywhere on the way to Paddington (2 coaches, I think) then came in and he got on, ignoring not only the fact that the vast majority of people were not getting on and the huge display in the concourse showing 'next fast train'...I hate to think what impression he formed of railways on that journey!

23rd May 2009, 22:53	#14
dan_atki RailUK Pedant Established Member Join Date: 1 Nov 2006 Posts: 1,884	South West Trains' 158s and 159s are the best - the front set of external doors are always locked out of use (except when the train has just divided or attached) and the adjacent saloon door as such doesn't operate from the saloon button as there's nowhere to go. There is a reasonably big, lit display above it 'Emergency exit only - please use door at other end' but people still try to get into the vestibule to use the front external doors... they then deduce it isn't working and run the length of the carriage (even funnier if they have luggage) to get to the rear doors before they are shut! On the outside, despite another warning 'Door out of order' people still try to open it...! Presumably they never take note the sign is there but just give up and move to the next door!

23rd May 2009, 23:00	#15
SuperVoyager Banned Join Date: 8 Mar 2008 Location: Devon Posts: 185	Have seen people running up and down the doors making sure they don't miss the trains... when they havnt even been unlocked