Hello everybody and please listen up

[class90021]

Don’t know how long it’s been in use but I heard this announcement for the first time on the Victoria Line on Thursday:

“Hello everybody and please listen up. Take care on the escalators, hold on to the handrails and your luggage”.

Who on earth was responsible for this, apart from the “please listen up” street talk aspect, it’s in such a childish voice that it sounds as though it was recorded by a nine or ten year old….

That was the most pointless announcement i have ever heard.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I really do like the SBB chimes, and how each one indicates one letter of its 9 letter acronym, and how the relevant one is played depending on the language of the bit you're in. I wish TfW would do something like that (and swap to English first when in England).

That said, my favourite one by far is the German double decker hauled sets that play the first bar of the anthem of the Bundesland they are in as the chime. It's just a lovely quirk. A bit like the Class 175s which play something that is very similar to the first bar of Land of my Fathers but not *quite*.

I do think audio brands are quite important - I did a thread on it a while back - surprises me the railway hasn't come up with a little jingle, or each TOC even. If you listen to a commercial radio station near enough every advert contains one now. I think Nestle might have been first at it with the "do do do de do" thing.

But back properly to the thread, having a jingle does mean you don't need "tuning in" waffle like "Ladies and Gentlemen", so is a good way of avoiding this slightly thorny issue.

There used to be a jingle at Glasgow Central, a bit hi-de-hi but I liked it

 

[Bletchleyite]

There used to be a jingle at Glasgow Central, a bit hi-de-hi but I liked it

Here it is:

There was also the standard BR "Bri-tish Rail" 3 tone ascending one and the 4 tone version of the same thing (and the Connex trumpeted version of it for passing trains) - but never really a true "audio brand". Of all the TOCs I'm surprised haven't done one I'd say Virgin given the involvement of the parent company in the music industry.

 

[BJames]

The evacuation announcements and alarms are quite clear compared to the standard safety and repeative daily announcements. Plus there are visual ques etc in such situations after all there are passengers who can't hear who would need to know when an evacuation occurs


The evacuation announcements and alarms are quite vlear

Anecdotal however when the fire alarm went off in a uni library I was visiting (not my uni) most of us didn't move for a while until staff literally came round saying it was an actual emergency. However probably it is more effective in stations as I don't recall the last time I heard a faulty fire alarm.

Another place this infant style messaging is in place is in St Pancras mainline station. I saw a thread on twitter about it the other week and people agreed it was absolutely ludicrous that we were being subjected to this - it is very obviously a child and it is about holding the handrail etc and there's another one but I can't remember the message as every time I hear the child's voice I turn my music up or tune it out. We need more authoritative Phil Sayer style - absolutely clear. It doesn't necessarily need Ladies and Gentleman if TfL are trying to stay away from that, but Hello Everyone is far too informal. May I have your attention please or a strong jingle is the way forward imo.

 

[Recessio]

Go even shorter than that: "Attention please" or "customer announcement". It doesn't need a long winded introduction

 

[lachlan]

Sounds familiar - in GWR if an announcement starts with “may I have your attention please” then it can be ignored

 

[Turtle]

Go even shorter than that: "Attention please" or "customer announcement". It doesn't need a long winded introduction

I found "Achtung! Achtung!" quite effective when travelling on DB as it seemed to silence the chatter among the British tourist group I was with.

 

[Route115?]

Totally off topic, but I do remember that the four tone SBB chime used to work really well at Lausanne thanks to the accoustics.

 

[Bluejays]

If there is a specific problem with luggage on escalators causing injuries then personally I'd prefer more to the point posters/audio messages. Along the lines of 'there were x amount of Injuries at this station caused by falling luggage in the last 12 months'. It lays out the problem and the consequences, and if some moron still takes oversized luggage on the escalator and causes an accident hopefully opens said moron up to being sued.

These annoying 'take care' messages don't really even properly articulate the potential repercussions that they are trying to avoid

 

[Busman]

I'm not even remotely bothered about how these messages are announced or who announces them, people that moan about them really do need to get out more. My issue is the announcements themselves, reminding people how to use an escalator, minding gaps (although an iconic announcement) and be careful 'slippery when wet' get right up my ..... If people are too stupid to not know the basics in life then they should not be allowed out in public.

 

[Merle Haggard]

If there is a specific problem with luggage on escalators causing injuries then personally I'd prefer more to the point posters/audio messages.

At Birmingham New Street the reason that passengers with luggage are advised to use the lifts and not the escalators is not for that reason - it's because the escalators get overloaded and fail (frequently).

It's a source of irritation to me when they do, because often it's closed off completely and the other escalator is left running in the opposite direction, so you miss your connection waiting for a lift.

It seems that the escalator manufacturers assumed that the escalators would be used similarly to in a shopping centre - continuous flow of small number of people - rather than New St when there's no-one then a Cross Country train arrives - hundreds of people with luggage at once, crowding the escalator. Maybe they got confused because they thought Grand Central was a shopping centre with a few trains underneath

It would be really good if someone could address the problem. Perhaps by the 'Project Managers" taking responsibility for their decisions after completion, but that would be a first.

 

[Krokodil]

Manchester airport has barriers that restrict the width of anything going onto the escalator. This would seem effective for keeping large (and usually heavy) luggage out.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Manchester airport has barriers that restrict the width of anything going onto the escalator. This would seem effective for keeping large (and usually heavy) luggage out.

It isn't. You just turn trolleys sideways.

Paddington Liz appears to have aggressive Manc Picc style shouty people who close to manhandle* people with big bags towards the lift.

* They don't actually touch them but do e.g. stand in the way and speak very, very aggressively, it's a most un-British welcome to tourists.

 

[BrianW]

It isn't. You just turn trolleys sideways.

Paddington Liz appears to have aggressive Manc Picc style shouty people who close to manhandle* people with big bags towards the lift.

* They don't actually touch them but do e.g. stand in the way and speak very, very aggressively, it's a most un-British welcome to tourists.

Sadly rather typically British I would have thought! Notices and announcements in English with little attention to the unfamilar and unwelcome 'foreigner'.

Regarding the effectiveness of announcements:

Here it is:

There was also the standard BR "Bri-tish Rail" 3 tone ascending one and the 4 tone version of the same thing (and the Connex trumpeted version of it for passing trains) - but never really a true "audio brand". Of all the TOCs I'm surprised haven't done one I'd say Virgin given the involvement of the parent company in the music industry.

The actual announcement was typically hard to work out due to the adverse accoustics- what did he/she say?

I would imagine there is academic research that would assist those who advise, decide and deliver these. Is there 'announcement overload', fatigue? I confees to irritation regarding 'See it; say it; sorted' but in that I can recall and recite it suggests it has sort of 'worked'? The advertising Svengalis make (good?) use of techniques for transmitting the 'buy' message.

 

[jon81uk]

When in reality it is the complete opposite

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language. Passengers or customers would suffice.

I'm not even remotely bothered about how these messages are announced or who announces them, people that moan about them really do need to get out more. My issue is the announcements themselves, reminding people how to use an escalator, minding gaps (although an iconic announcement) and be careful 'slippery when wet' get right up my ..... If people are too stupid to not know the basics in life then they should not be allowed out in public.

The issue raised by the announcement being discussed is that people get the basics, but when they have something (luggage) they don't normally carry with them they don't put the extra thought in. I'd rather have an extra announcement worded in a way that gets it noticed instead of having a suitcase fall on me again. and the child-like language has worked, the announcement has been noticed as we are discussing it!

 

[BrianW]

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language. Passengers or customers would suffice.


The issue raised by the announcement being discussed is that people get the basics, but when they have something (luggage) they don't normally carry with them they don't put the extra thought in. I'd rather have an extra announcement worded in a way that gets it noticed instead of having a suitcase fall on me again. and the child-like language has worked, the announcement has been noticed as we are discussing it!

The 'Wimbledon Championships', i.e Tennis refers to the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles, Doubles, etc. Oh,I say ...

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/results/index.html

 

[jon81uk]

The 'Wimbledon Championships', i.e Tennis refers to the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles, Doubles, etc. Oh,I say ...

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/results/index.html

Yes but thats not a greeting, its the classification of a sports event. Pretty much all sports are currently separated by gender, so I'm not sure what that has got to do with greeting usage?

 

[Krokodil]

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language.

How "many"?

 

[BrianW]

Yes but thats not a greeting, its the classification of a sports event. Pretty much all sports are currently separated by gender, so I'm not sure what that has got to do with greeting usage?

I'm only observing that references to ladies and gentlemen are of longstanding,esp amongst the Establishment and those concerned about the loss of 'standards' of what may be considered as politeness. I recognise the scope for this to be caught up in issues relating to 'wokeism' and gender politics. For many, to refer to 'ladies' is a matter of male oppression and lack of respect, in sport and more widely.

 

[InkyScrolls]

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language. Passengers or customers would suffice.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but experience would suggest to me that you are of the minority!

 

[Merle Haggard]

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language. Passengers or customers would suffice.

I worked in a job that meant directly dealing with a small number of important customers. I knew, and could recognise, all of them. On my commute, London Transport's announcer quite often said 'let the customers off first'. I looked, but never saw anyone who fitted that description

But equally, in another job when I validated Railtrack toll charge invoices for a freight company, I noticed at Paddington that the departure screens said 'Railtrack wishes our customers a very Merry Christmas'. I felt very special - how did they know I would be there?

 

[Busman]

No Ladies and Gentlemen is a dated introduction and many people now prefer less gendered language. Passengers or customers would suffice.


The issue raised by the announcement being discussed is that people get the basics, but when they have something (luggage) they don't normally carry with them they don't put the extra thought in. I'd rather have an extra announcement worded in a way that gets it noticed instead of having a suitcase fall on me again. and the child-like language has worked, the announcement has been noticed as we are discussing it!

It's been noticed because we are talking about it on here, I don't take any notice of these silly announcements letting me know the ground is wet once it has rained.

 

[BrianW]

I don't take any notice of these silly announcements letting me know the ground is wet once it has rained.

I took a train to Paddington a few weeks back. I It had been raining, and still was. A reminder of slippery conditions underfoot and to 'take care' was appropriate- better than the consequences, which for the more elderly can be 'a slippery slope', leading in the extreme even to a fatality.
EDIT- It had ben reaing! I'v been to the doctor; I'm having speech therapy following my stroke.

 

[jon81uk]

For many, to refer to 'ladies' is a matter of male oppression and lack of respect, in sport and more widely.

It is more normal to refer to women's tennis, women's football or the women's 200 metres. A quick look on the BBC website and there is only one current reference to Ladies I could spot and thats the Ladies golf tour, where i expect it is the title of the tour.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but experience would suggest to me that you are of the minority!

and my experience suggests you are of the minority, we all have different experiences and opinions, but my recent experiance is of people avoiding using outdated language such as ladies & gentlemen as an introduction,

I worked in a job that meant directly dealing with a small number of important customers. I knew, and could recognise, all of them. On my commute, London Transport's announcer quite often said 'let the customers off first'. I looked, but never saw anyone who fitted that description

I agree, passengers is better as the other people on the platform are not my customers, but I understand what London Underground are requesting when they tell me to allow other customers off first.

 

[Busman]

I took a train to Paddington a few weeks back. I had been raining, and still was. A reminder of slippery conditions underfoot and to 'take care' was appropriate- better than the consequences, which for the more elderly can be 'a slippery slope', leading in the extreme even to a fatality.

Well if you had been raining, I'd see a doctor about that if I was you.

As much as I appreciate what you're saying, being reminded it's slippery when wet is blatantly obvious, even for the most vulnerable.

 

[jon81uk]

Well if you had been raining, I'd see a doctor about that if I was you.

As much as I appreciate what you're saying, being reminded it's slippery when wet is blatantly obvious, even for the most vulnerable.

There are many floor surfaces on the Underground that are much slipperier when wet than they should be, I've almost slipped at Temple many times. Better might be to replace the worn out flooring with something less slick, but the announcements are more intdendied to convey that the floor surfaces may be slipperier than you expect them to be. But also now you've been warned, you can't sue when you do slip.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are many floor surfaces on the Underground that are much slipperier when wet than they should be, I've almost slipped at Temple many times. Better might be to replace the worn out flooring with something less slick, but the announcements are more intdendied to convey that the floor surfaces may be slipperier than you expect them to be. But also now you've been warned, you can't sue when you do slip.

To be fair they did do that at Preston - for years it had incredibly slippery decorative porcelain tiling, about 10 years ago it was all ripped up and replaced with the same patterns but in concrete slabs. Not quite as pretty but a heck of a lot less dangerous.

 

[Krokodil]

I took a train to Paddington a few weeks back. I had been raining, and still was. A reminder of slippery conditions underfoot and to 'take care' was appropriate- better than the consequences, which for the more elderly can be 'a slippery slope', leading in the extreme even to a fatality.

There are many floor surfaces on the Underground that are much slipperier when wet than they should be, I've almost slipped at Temple many times. Better might be to replace the worn out flooring with something less slick, but the announcements are more intdendied to convey that the floor surfaces may be slipperier than you expect them to be. But also now you've been warned, you can't sue when you do slip.

Do the warnings tell passengers that the floor in a specific location may be slippery, or is it a general warning repeated ad infinitum regardless of whether a given location actually has a slippery surface?

If the latter, it just becomes background noise and gets ignored.

Think about the triangular yellow 'wet floor' signs. Do you scatter them about liberally on the off-chance that some of them will be on a wet floor, or do you use them selectively, to mark specific hazards?

 

[BrianW]

Well if you had been raining, I'd see a doctor about that if I was you.

As much as I appreciate what you're saying, being reminded it's slippery when wet is blatantly obvious, even for the most vulnerable.

Thank you Busman, and ha ha - I've gone back and edited. I'm also pleased to have some responses that appreciate the point I was seeking to make and the need for 'the railway' to endeavour to understand and respond positively, and one hopes effectively too, to customer needs.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I agree, passengers is better as the other people on the platform are not my customers, but I understand what London Underground are requesting when they tell me to allow other customers off first.

I do understand what's meant but I think someone told L.T. to 'think of passengers as customers' and they thought that would be achieved by replacing the word 'passenger' with 'customer' in announcements rather than any change in perception.

My point, of course, was a rejoinder to the suggestion that 'gentleman' wasn't acceptable but 'customer' was. Not everyone agrees but may see the latter as marketing-speak.