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Blackpool North Pole?

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6Gman

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I think for a lot of people it's just a general weariness of this forced corporate banter, like the Virgin trains "Don't flush your hopes and dreams down this toilet" business.

It rubs a lot of people up the wrong way when companies rip them off with one hand and try to appear chummy and quirky with the other.

This.

Do the day job properly and then you might try a bit of levity.
 
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sheff1

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But can't we just have one small thing to make people smile?? No pleasing some people...

Being told their train to Blackpool North Pole is cancelled might make people who are easily pleased smile. Being told the next train to Blackpool North Pole is also cancelled will presumably make them smile even more. By the time the third train to Blackpool North Pole is shown as "delayed" they will no doubt be rolling about on the floor unable to contain their mirth.
 

GarethW

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I think they should make all those notoriously jolly staff at Blackpool N Pole dress in appropriately festive clothing - but they won’t all be allowed to be the Grinch.
 
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Being told their train to Blackpool North Pole is cancelled might make people who are easily pleased smile. Being told the next train to Blackpool North Pole is also cancelled will presumably make them smile even more. By the time the third train to Blackpool North Pole is shown as "delayed" they will no doubt be rolling about on the floor unable to contain their mirth.

No need to be sarcastic. People are so miserable these days, apparently we can't have fun anymore.

This is such a harmless thing! ONE additional word on a departure board! Northern are only trying to have a small bit of fun, but everyone is tutting and rolling their eyes.
 

jkkne

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10 years ago people see that on a screen and raise a wry smile or shake the head. They may mention it to the odd friend or colleague.

2019 - Faux social media outrage. A whole forum thread complete with faux outraged grumpy contributors and a newspaper runs with it.

welcome to the digital revolution...
 

Midnight Sun

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I think they should make all those notoriously jolly staff at Blackpool N Pole dress in appropriately festive clothing - but they won’t all be allowed to be the Grinch.
More likely to be dressed as the 'Krampus'
 

DarloRich

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wow there are some miserable so and so's on this board! a bit of harmless fun that will have taken all of 2 seconds time away from the key job of running a service.
 

CaptainHaddock

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No need to be sarcastic. People are so miserable these days, apparently we can't have fun anymore.

This is such a harmless thing! ONE additional word on a departure board! Northern are only trying to have a small bit of fun, but everyone is tutting and rolling their eyes.

"Barnsleigh" station this morning; 0706 fast train to Leeds cancelled. 0742 fast train to Leeds cancelled. 0733 stopper to Leeds reduced from the usual 3 to 2 carriages, pulls in full and standing. A hundred or so commuters pile on and wonder how they're going to explain to their boss why they're late for work yet again due to Northern's incompetence. But hey, who cares about them when Northern can employ some clown to spend their working days coming up with puerile puns that even a 12 year old would find childish?

The time for humour is when people are generally in a good mood and satisfied with the service provided. This enforced jollity just winds up hacked-off commuters still further.
 

The_Train

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Reading through this thread has genuinely depressed me. The absolute state of some people is just despairing, it really is.

I think I'll go and cheer myself up by heading to one of the many Avanti threads to read people's moaning about them - you know what I mean...'the green is too dark', 'the green is not green enough', 'they are the same trains as Virgin', 'there was no spa and masseuse in coach B' etc etc

Merry Christmas everyone......let's hope Santa brings some of you a smile :E
 

DarloRich

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"Barnsleigh" station this morning; 0706 fast train to Leeds cancelled. 0742 fast train to Leeds cancelled. 0733 stopper to Leeds reduced from the usual 3 to 2 carriages, pulls in full and standing. A hundred or so commuters pile on and wonder how they're going to explain to their boss why they're late for work yet again due to Northern's incompetence. But hey, who cares about them when Northern can employ some clown to spend their working days coming up with puerile puns that even a 12 year old would find childish?

The time for humour is when people are generally in a good mood and satisfied with the service provided. This enforced jollity just winds up hacked-off commuters still further.

could you explain how someone entering the word "Barnsleigh" into a computer impacts on service delivery? I assume you are aware that there are lots of jobs in a big company like Northern and that the office junior isnt, often, expected to be out on the tools.

I get the visual angle that it doesn't look good but the two issues are not related.

PS god forbid the guard makes a jaunty announcement or has an xmas themed ticket puncher!
 
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Reading through this thread has genuinely depressed me. The absolute state of some people is just despairing, it really is.

I think I'll go and cheer myself up by heading to one of the many Avanti threads to read people's moaning about them - you know what I mean...'the green is too dark', 'the green is not green enough', 'they are the same trains as Virgin', 'there was no spa and masseuse in coach B' etc etc

Merry Christmas everyone......let's hope Santa brings some of you a smile :E

It's depressed me too. No wonder this country is the way it is, if everyone is this miserable and pessimistic.
 
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could you explain how someone entering the word "Barnsleigh" into a computer impacts on service delivery? I assume you are aware that there are lots of jobs in a big company like Northern and that the office junior isnt, often, expected to be out on the tools.

I get the visual angle that it doesn't look good but the two issues are not related.

PS god forbid the guard makes a jaunty announcement or has an xmas themed ticket puncher!

That's the thing. How does Blackpool North Pole affect how the services run? I'm sure if a more popular TOC did this, we'd all be going on about how much we love it.
 
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It's depressed me too. No wonder this country is the way it is, if everyone is this miserable and pessimistic.
If you think people are bitter over this, you should read the HS2 page, where it has almost come to blows. Sad that most discussions degenerate to arguments, and ultimately towards verbal abuse of people who have dissimilar opinions. Doubt if it would be like this if everyone was in a room together, with perhaps a festive tipple.
 

mrcheek

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dammit some people are just so miserable. So much negativity about someone trying to have a little fun and brighten up everyone's day. and surely by now this thread should have turned into a "What other station names could be changed for Christmas?" thread

So I'll start you off:

Christ-mas-church
Barn-Stable
Mangerster Piccadilly
Rain-deer-ham
Sleigh Bells-size Park
Sleigh (instead of Slough)
Santerbury West (and East)

any more?
 

43096

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could you explain how someone entering the word "Barnsleigh" into a computer impacts on service delivery? I assume you are aware that there are lots of jobs in a big company like Northern and that the office junior isnt, often, expected to be out on the tools.

I get the visual angle that it doesn't look good but the two issues are not related.

PS god forbid the guard makes a jaunty announcement or has an xmas themed ticket puncher!
I’m all for a bit of humour, but it’s an information system. What if there are occasional travellers going to Barnsley, look at the screen, don’t get it and don’t see anything stopping there?
 

DarloRich

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I’m all for a bit of humour, but it’s an information system. What if there are occasional travellers going to Barnsley, look at the screen, don’t get it and don’t see anything stopping there?

really? Do we honestly think the opportunity for confusion is that great? Would you not ask? Would you not do what many people seem to do:
  • Look at board
  • Look at board again
  • look at destination screen on train
  • Listen to announcement
  • ask someone "is this the train to Barnsley"
  • get on train
  • Look sheepish. Ask again "is this the train to Barnsley" ( answer i hope so!)
  • ask the guard is this the train to Barnsley?
  • Sit down but look worried for a good 15 minutes?
This happens to me at least 3 times a week on the Southern train to East Croydon!
 

SteveM70

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dammit some people are just so miserable. So much negativity about someone trying to have a little fun and brighten up everyone's day. and surely by now this thread should have turned into a "What other station names could be changed for Christmas?" thread

So I'll start you off:

Christ-mas-church
Barn-Stable
Mangerster Piccadilly
Rain-deer-ham
Sleigh Bells-size Park
Sleigh (instead of Slough)
Santerbury West (and East)

any more?

Yule (East and West)

Christmas Junction

St Mary and Joseph Cray
 

pdeaves

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Yule (East and West)

Christmas Junction

St Mary and Joseph Cray
In Christmas 2016 South West Trains did these on their CIS:
Alton - Alton Angelic
Basingstoke - Basingstocking
Bracknell - Bracknoel
Bournemouth - Baublemouth
Berrylands - Cran-berrylands
Bitterne - Blitzerne
Christchurch - Christmaschurch
Chertsey - Chertsleigh
Chessington North - Chessington North Pole
Clapham Junction - Clapham Jingle Bells
Datchet - Bob Datchet
Dorchester South - Dorchestnut
Effingham Junction - Elfingham junction
Egham - Eg-nog-ham
Eastleigh - Eastsleigh
Ewell West - Yule West
Hedge End - Holly Hedge End
Hounslow - Houns-Snow
Haslemere - Haslemyrrh
Horsley - Ho Ho Horsley
Kingston - Three Kingston
Liss - Lisstletoe
Malden Manor - Malden Manger
Martins Heron - Martins Herod
Mortlake - Merry Mortlake
New Malden - New Mald-Wine
Pinhoe - Pin Ho Ho Ho
Poole - North Poole
Queenstown Road - Quicetown Road
Raynes Park - Raynes Deer Park
Salisbury - Salisberries
Shepperton - Shepherds-Ton
Sholing - Sho Ho Ho-Ling
Southampton Central - Snowhampton Central
Surbiton - Snowbiton
Sunnymeads - Snowymeads
Sway - Sway Bells Ring
Tisbury - Tinselbury
Tolworth - Misle-Tolworth
Twickenham - Twinkleham
Upper Halliford - Upper Hollyford
Upwey - Unwrapwey
Vauxhall - Deck The Vauxhall
Waterloo - London Winterloo
Weymouth - Sleighmouth
Winchester - Winterchester
Winchfield - Grinchfield
Windsor & Eton Riverside - Windsor Wonderland
Woking - Wo Three Kings
 

Bevan Price

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It's depressed me too. No wonder this country is the way it is, if everyone is this miserable and pessimistic.

I can understand people being miserable & pessimistic on election day when the end result is the equally unattractive alternatives of Batty Boris or Corbyn.

Plus some Scottish woman unable to accept the last referendum result and wanting repeat referenda to try and get the result she wants.
 
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I can understand people being miserable & pessimistic on election day when the end result is the equally unattractive alternatives of Batty Boris or Corbyn.

Plus some Scottish woman unable to accept the last referendum result and wanting repeat referenda to try and get the result she wants.

While I don't personally support Scottish independence, I can appreciate why others might. It's a very different political climate to the first Scottish referendum, what with the B word and all. Anyway, that's a debate for another thread.
 

njamescouk

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8 Apr 2017
Messages
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rib tickling stuff, but I thought the one where they cancelled the last two trains from Sheffield to Huddersfield on a Friday night was pretty edgy.

IMG_20191212_090021.jpg
 

CaptainHaddock

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could you explain how someone entering the word "Barnsleigh" into a computer impacts on service delivery? I assume you are aware that there are lots of jobs in a big company like Northern and that the office junior isnt, often, expected to be out on the tools.

I get the visual angle that it doesn't look good but the two issues are not related.

PS god forbid the guard makes a jaunty announcement or has an xmas themed ticket puncher!

Because it's inappropriate and implies that Northern are more interested in making silly jokes than running a reliable train service. What they're effectively saying is "okay, you're going to be late for work again because we couldn't be bothered to roster anyone to drive your train but right now we're all sat around the office in our Christmas jumpers making puerile festive jokes, so we don't give a ****".
 
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