Most Bizarre Railway Neologism

[6Gman]

Local to me, there used to be a small railway company called The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway.
or WC&P
Who needs a back acronym for that one?

Elderly lady goes to Clevedon (GW) station and asks for "a ticket to Portishead please".
Booking clerk replies "you need to go to the W C and P".

I understand a complaint to the Directors followed.

 

[Domeyhead]

I don't agree. If it's that confusing call it a "bus and rail interchange", but using a name that states that it's designed to make interchange easy so as to promote that interchange sounds a really good idea to me. FWIW, this should be the default, though for some reason some people on here remain fixated with separate modes remaining separate.

On an OS map it will of course be shown with both symbols.

Yes but my point is if you are here as a non english speaker to learn English you are more reliant on signs that contain recognisable words and phrases. If you were on holiday in a European city and wanted to get to the station would you like a sign that said "Gare" (or "Gara in Romanian if you like) or something that said "Schimb de transport" I wouldn't have a clue what it meant! Call a spade a spade and a station a station.

 

[Inversnecky]

Call a spade a spade and a station a station.

You’re so behind the times....

A station is now a PTCMI: a pedestrian-train cross modal interface.

 

[Gloster]

You’re so behind the times....

A station is now a PTCMI: a pedestrian-train cross modal interface.

And a spade is a one person operated manual digging implement.

 

[Lockwood]

Non-mechanical solo operative digging device

 

[IanXC]

Yes but my point is if you are here as a non english speaker to learn English you are more reliant on signs that contain recognisable words and phrases. If you were on holiday in a European city and wanted to get to the station would you like a sign that said "Gare" (or "Gara in Romanian if you like) or something that said "Schimb de transport" I wouldn't have a clue what it meant! Call a spade a spade and a station a station.

Ahem. "Bus and Rail Station". The word interchange isn't really needed if its implied that the two are in the same place.

 

[40129]

Ahem. "Bus and Rail Station". The word interchange isn't really needed if its implied that the two are in the same place.

Try telling that to SYPTE. They've been calling bus stations 'Transport Interchanges' since the early-90s. Even when they're only served by buses!

 

[Giugiaro]

For me one of the things that strikes me as very weird is the tendency to treat passengers as "clients" or "costumers" instead of "passengers".

Like they are on a station to buy some groceries or something...

 

[40129]

For me one of the things that strikes me as very weird is the tendency to treat passengers as "clients" or "costumers" instead of "passengers".

Like they are on a station to buy some groceries or something...

Is there not a Sainsbury's Local at Piccadilly?

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[PG]

Try telling that to SYPTE. They've been calling bus stations 'Transport Interchanges' since the early-90s. Even when they're only served by buses!

Some local authorities even try that trick on at single bus stops, presumably on the basis that more than one route serves it!

 

[43096]

For me one of the things that strikes me as very weird is the tendency to treat passengers as "clients" or "costumers" instead of "passengers".

Like they are on a station to buy some groceries or something...

It recognises that they are buying a service and should be treated as such, rather than being an annoyance that stops the staff doing as they please with their big train set. There’s another thread running on it.

 

[Inversnecky]

For me one of the things that strikes me as very weird is the tendency to treat passengers as "clients" or "costumers" instead of "passengers".

Like they are on a station to buy some groceries or something...

There’s a whole thread on that!

Were railways better before passengers were referred to as "customers"?

The day I first heard passengers referred to as “customers” was a clear sign that the end times were upon us. :) “Customers must not cross the line”?!

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[ashkeba]

Some local authorities even try that trick on at single bus stops, presumably on the basis that more than one route serves it!

Or that the stop has one or more of taxi bays, car parking or cycle parking. One stop on the Norwich Peterborough express bus is like that with car park, cycle racks and rustic wood shelters but the stop is only a large village and not near its old long-closed rail station. I am not sure exactly which one it is. Maybe Narborough? It looks like people could cycle from the neaby air base for a faster connection to Norwich than any other bus route.