'DafT' and Geography Knowledge

[starrymarkb]

Department of Transport manage to not know where places are in England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28260819

DfT makes English regions geography blunders
Plymouth to Lancaster
Plymouth was described as being more than 200 miles away in the North West
The Department for Transport has defended the geographical knowledge of its staff after several blunders appeared in an official announcement.

The mistakes included saying Manchester was in the North East of England, Leicestershire in the South East and Plymouth was in the North West.

The government department blamed a "data source issue".

However, the document was emailed to journalists across England before anyone spotted the mistakes.

Manchester to North East
Manchester was described as being in the North East
The blunders were in a press release announcing millions of pounds of investment in green transport projects across the English regions.

Telford and Wrekin Council, located in the West Midlands region, was described as being in the East of England.
Greater Manchester, located in the North West, was described as being in the North East.
Warrington, in the North West, was described as being in the North East.
Northumberland, in the North East, was described as being in the North West.
Plymouth, in the South West, was described as being in the North West.
Leicestershire, in the East Midlands, was described as being in the South East.
Hampshire, in the South East, was described as being in the South West.
The Isle of Wight, in the South East, was described as being in the South West.
A member of staff at the department suggested the errors were down to a mix-up in "sorting and formulating options".

The department insisted to the BBC that its staff were aware of the locations of places in England.

Leicester to South East
Leicestershire was described as being in the South East

 

[David Barrett]

Another one,

"Immingham, aren't there some docks or something there"?

 

[Polarbear]

They're not the only organisation that could do with a geography lesson!

Where I work, I am signed up to receive e-mail updates on job opportunities within the Civil Service. Although I've set the relevant filters to those opportunities arising in the North West of England, I've had e-mails regarding jobs as far away as Newport in South Wales & Motherwell in Scotland (both of which were listed as being in NW England). :roll:

 

[Tetchytyke]

Turns out that DafT really couldn't find their own backside with both hands and a map

 

[meridian2]

I don't know where most places are in England but it's about separating knowledge that is pertinent or impertinent to the task in hand. Amusing though the story is, it's yet another barrel-scraping day for news from Auntie Beeb.

 

[bb21]

I'm not sure classifying Plymouth as the North West is defend-able by any stretch of imagination, whatever your job. This is not just an indication of poor geographic knowledge, it is also a sign of poor knowledge in terms of English history and other subjects.

If Plymouth is substituted by something like Gunnislake, then they might have more sympathy.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has the Isle of Wight suddenly decided that it would be better off opposite to somewhere different from the famous naval settlement of Portsmouth and decided that it would rather be opposite to the famous naval settlement of Plymouth and has arranged the Royal Navy to tow the island overnight to its new location in the North-West..

Killed two birds with one stone by this geographical jocularity...

 

[David Barrett]

It'll be continental drift that's doing it.

 

[Nick W]

Based on the explanation given, I assume it's an Excel sorting fail, i.e. they didn't select the whole table, so one column sorted without the other.

 

[Emyr]

So they're using Excel as a database now?

Doesn't sound that much less idiotic.

 

[ExRes]

I don't know where most places are in England but it's about separating knowledge that is pertinent or impertinent to the task in hand. Amusing though the story is, it's yet another barrel-scraping day for news from Auntie Beeb.

Yes, but if you were actually trying to learn where places in England were on the map then you would expect, he says in a rather old fashioned way, that of all organisations DafT would be a reasonable place to look and expect answers that were something close to reality

 

[Greenback]

So they're using Excel as a database now?

Doesn't sound that much less idiotic.

Quite. It took me two years to persuade one of my employers that doing that wasn't a terribly good idea, and that they should use Access instead.

Sadly, it wasn't the DfT.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Can I use this DfT geographical information to visit Plymouth in its newly-found North-West status on one of the days of a "Freedom of the North West 4 in 8 Day Rover" ?

 

[bb21]

Can I use this DfT geographical information to visit Plymouth in its new-found North-West status on one of the days of a "Freedom of the North West 4 in 8 Day Rover" ?

You may, you are just not allowed to leave the North West on your way there.

Hence you may not pass Cheltenham, Bristol or Exeter.

 

[maniacmartin]

Quite. It took me two years to persuade one of my employers that doing that wasn't a terribly good idea, and that they should use Access instead..

Out of the frying pan and into the fire

 

[Emyr]

Quite. It took me two years to persuade one of my employers that doing that wasn't a terribly good idea, and that they should use Access instead.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire

Access is a pretty good tool to allow non-developers to prototype applications, especially when you use Access as a front-end for SQL Server

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I'm not sure classifying Plymouth as the North West is defend-able by any stretch of imagination, whatever your job. This is not just an indication of poor geographic knowledge, it is also a sign of poor knowledge in terms of English history and other subjects. If Plymouth is substituted by something like Gunnislake, then they might have more sympathy.

Is that the same Gunnislake that is being well known at the DfT for being in the Shetland Isles...

Incidentally, I think that those charged with bidding for the next Northern Rail franchise will be delighted that as a result of this inspired DfT geographical relocation of Plymouth to the North-West, as this will enable them to make a case for the retention of the Class 142 ex-Merseyrail Pacers to run its new Carlisle-Cumbrian Coast Line-Plymouth service...

 

[Tracked]

Is that the same Gunnislake that is being well known at the DfT for being in the Shetland Isles...

Incidentally, I think that those charged with bidding for the next Northern Rail franchise will be delighted that as a result of this inspired DfT geographical relocation of Plymouth to the North-West, as this will enable them to make a case for the retention of the Class 142 ex-Merseyrail Pacers to run its new Carlisle-Cumbrian Coast Line-Plymouth service...

They're probably listening to all this moaning about Northern Rail and wondering what the problem is, seeing as Chelmsford's never had it so good

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Another cheap trip looks like hoving into view, seeing that Manchester is now officially part of the North East in the DfT atlas, will there be much reduced price deals on a Manchester to Durham off-peak return...

Of course, Manchester Airport will now be renamed "The DfT Tees-side Airport".

TfGM are already said to be totally enthralled by this DfT sponsored geographical idea and will be now looking upon the conversion of the Tyne and Wear Metro to be yet another addition to the Manchester Metrolink system, with a new through route from Bury to South Shields.

My creative sarcasm has not had so much free rein for years.

 

[tsr]

I have already complained to the large DfT offices in Mallaig (near the flagship HS1 project).

DfT Complaints Department
c/o Government Staff Morale & Wellbeing Centre
Whitehall
Mallaig
Somerset
B12 9BU

 

[fowler9]

Ha ha ha. I am quite impressed that no one seemed to get on to it. Or was it done deliberately to prove they had a sense of humour?

 

[Tracked]

TfGM are already said to be totally enthralled by this DfT sponsored geographical idea and will be now looking upon the conversion of the Tyne and Wear Metro to be yet another addition to the Manchester Metrolink system, with a new through route from Bury to South Shields.

surely it would be easier for them to link up with the Croydon tramway, rather than Bury, seeing as it's in Northern Ireland - within sight of Eilean Donan Castle on the Island of Cornwall

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Ha ha ha. I am quite impressed that no one seemed to get on to it. Or was it done deliberately to prove they had a sense of humour?

Any organisation would be hard pressed to find as many members with quirky senses of humour as those who inhabit the RailU website...

 

[edwin_m]

Any organisation would be hard pressed to find as many members with quirky senses of humour as those who inhabit the RailU website...

Presume that's now Rail Uganda.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Presume that's now Rail Uganda.

Not a faux pas on my part, but a reflection on the fact that the "UK" in RailUK will most probably not reflect the current thinking at the DfT.....hence the single "U" being used.

I have it on good authority that Uganda is now classified by the DfT as the country where the Channel Tunnel comes out, once it passes under the The Minch...:roll:

All we can hope for is the Shipping Forecast is kept well away from the DfT.

 

[fowler9]

Not a faux pas on my part, but a reflection on the fact that the "UK" in RailUK will most probably not reflect the current thinking at the DfT.....hence the single "U" being used.

I have it on good authority that Uganda is now classified by the DfT as the country where the Channel Tunnel comes out, once it passes under the The Minch...:roll:

All we can hope for is the Shipping Forecast is kept well away from the DfT.

Indeed. The Shipping Forecast is a good pub and if the DfT got their hands on it it would probably become a Wetherspoons.

 

[David Barrett]

Indeed. The Shipping Forecast is a good pub and if the DfT got their hands on it it would probably become a Wetherspoons.

Or a Weatherspoons.

 

[fowler9]

Or a Weatherspoons.

Pedant.

 

[edwin_m]

Indeed. The Shipping Forecast is a good pub and if the DfT got their hands on it it would probably become a Wetherspoons.

Is that a weather forecast?

 

[fowler9]

Is that a weather forecast?

Ha ha. Check it out next time you are in the pool.