Stupid passengers

[SamS]

They could do with sorting TPE at platform 5 out.

There's platforms 5A and 5B, long enough to hold an HST each. XC and EC trains are announced at 5A or 5B. TPE trains are just announced as platform 5.

I'm an occasional user of York station and was waiting there recently with a 93-year old and wanted to know where on the huge platform the 3-car train would stop but staff didn't seem to know.

I thought 5A & 5B has been introduced precisely for the reason you mentioned?
As previously it would be announced as the "north end of platform 5".

I'm sure when I was there the TPE services were displayed and announced as 5B, although I will admit that when I was frequently travelling on the same services (with Cross Country) I would only glance to check that the platform hadn't changed and check which end the quiet coach or first class was (depending which class I was travelling).

 

[Tracked]

some of the comments above bring stuff back;

Arriving early at Bentley for the train into town, 91 roars through around 15 min's before 321, cue elderly couple starting "it didn't stop, disgusting" comments :roll:

People getting off train/to top of escalators, then stopping dead, regardless of how many behind them.

Couple going to York on Doncaster station outside the waiting room near platform 6&7, think there were delays that day but they ask me where platform 4 is. I tell them, they walk off down the stairs towards platform 3 ...

At Doncaster again, asked about delayed London trains, the person thought I was working there. Not sure if it was the scruffy trainers or the jeans that led them to believe that.

Coming home from Sheffield last year a couple of people managed to make it to Rotherham before realising the train wasn't going to Worksop. This despite it being on the boards and announcements at Sheffield and Meadowhall ...

 

[steamybrian]

You could award the "stupid passenger award" to passengers who queue up endlessly at the ticket office when there are ticket machines available right in front of their very eyes. An example of this can be seen at Macclesfield.

The scene in the booking hall of my local station Tonbridge. A long queue at the ticket office and no-one at the ticket machines.
The gate line attendant then comes across to me standing the queue and says "Use the ticket machine" I said the ticket machine will not issue the ticket I require. He says "It can issue all tickets to all stations". So I said "OK- please get it to issue a BR staff privilege return to London". He goes to the machine and after one minute of trying the buttons then returns and then speaks to the next person.
Person next in the queue " I want an advance purchase return to Blackpool coming back in two weeks time.? Gate line attendant looked defeated and went to the third person in the queue.
Third person- I want a weekend return with seat reservation for two people with railcards with the cheapest fare going to Birmingham.
Gateline attendant withdraws (defeated) back to his post on the gateline...

 

[sdrennan]

Just over a week ago I was on the Thursday evening Euston to Glasgow. This only stops at Preston.
About Penrith I heard the train manager discussing the passenger who wanted Oxenholme and never realised it did not stop. By the time the Train got to Glasgow there are no Virgin Trains south and the only option is a Scotrail via Kilmarnock as far as Carlisle. Looked like an overnight somewhere for the poor unlucky passenger who made the error.

 

[steamybrian]

Whilst working as a Station Master/booking clerk at a Heritage Railway...
I wave off the 1330 train on time and watch it disappearing over the horizon in cloud of steam. Then go back into the ticket office for a well earned cup of tea..
Whilst sitting back in the armchair there was a knock at the booking office window.
A mature lady then said "Where is the 1330 train?". I said it is now 1.40 (1340) the train departed on time 10 minutes ago.
She said she wished to make a complaint that the train left on time...!!!!

 

[Strathclyder]

Do you find that the announcements are louder since the refit of the seating?

I haven't used the station for a few weeks, so I can't answer that one.
Off-topic, but it's simply moronic what they've done to the seating.

it's worse when it's broken and it's just static for thirty seconds, 5 seconds of silence then static again. gives low level an eerie vibe.

I'd prefer it if they stayed broken.

No exaggeration. It is literally every 5 seconds. There are sensors on each stairwell that play the recording if someone is standing close to the stairs. During rush hour, there's always someone on the stairs. I deliberately time my journey into Queen Street so I don't have to hear that crap for too long.

When I worked in Townhead, on my way home, I would deliberately avoid Queen St and go to High Street instead so I wouldn't be subjected to it.

Thankfully the speakers on the main westbound stairs are broken. They just play 4 seconds of white noise every 5 seconds.

White noise is infinitely more bearable.

Edit: just realised this is Citizens Network talking to Strathclyder. How long until both are de-named?

Won't be much longer, I reckon.

 

[LowLevel]

The scene in the booking hall of my local station Tonbridge. A long queue at the ticket office and no-one at the ticket machines.
The gate line attendant then comes across to me standing the queue and says "Use the ticket machine" I said the ticket machine will not issue the ticket I require. He says "It can issue all tickets to all stations". So I said "OK- please get it to issue a BR staff privilege return to London". He goes to the machine and after one minute of trying the buttons then returns and then speaks to the next person.
Person next in the queue " I want an advance purchase return to Blackpool coming back in two weeks time.? Gate line attendant looked defeated and went to the third person in the queue.
Third person- I want a weekend return with seat reservation for two people with railcards with the cheapest fare going to Birmingham.
Gateline attendant withdraws (defeated) back to his post on the gateline...

Having done floor walking at a busy booking office before, you'd be surprised how many you can get out of the queue just by offering to show them how to work the ticket bandits, particularly Bert and Ada who think they can't use their railcard on them! Sometimes you can't win though

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Having done floor walking at a busy booking office before, you'd be surprised how many you can get out of the queue just by offering to show them how to work the ticket bandits, particularly Bert and Ada who think they can't use their railcard on them! Sometimes you can't win though

Same folk who queue, moaning endlessly at the Post Office just to buy a stamp or check the balance on their card rather than using a machine.

 

[Antman]

Myself............................going from Tonbridge to Chatham, my Medway Valley line train pulled into Strood just as a Javelin was coming in over the other side. I assumed it was a late running Faversham service and rushed through the subway and jumped on board. I was busy looking at my phone and so I didn't notice that we had gone straight ahead instead of turning to the left. Only when I looked up and saw we were passing through Cuxton did I realise my mistake, it was a peak hour Maidstone West train taking me back to where I'd just come from.....doh!!

 

[theshillito]

Lots of hate for those wearing earphones/headphones missing announcements. I must be honest, I always wear them when on trains on my own. Main reason is to block out screaming children, loud phone calls and non-muted video games, and that's just the quiet carriage of a Virgin train! Joking aside, I usually pause my music for the start of any Virgin announcements, but then press play a few seconds later when it's the usual stuff about the shop being "still open" despite just leaving Euston. I've been delayed on Virgin services a few times before, so I make sure not to miss announcements.

With LondonMidland though, I ignore all announcements as they're all automated except for occasional manual ones for arrival into final destination, which I usually don't care about since I know I'm arriving. I'm not the sort to blame anyone else though, it's my own fault. That being said, a chime or something prior to manual announcements being made would help, as Virgin's "pin pon" is audible through my music.

To make up for it though, I keep an eye on the "UK Trains" app on my phone to monitor delays and what what have you. After struggling to prove to Virgin last year that I arrived in Crewe half an hour late because it made up time on the way to Manchester, I take screenshots of my phone to send to whichever TOC I get delayed on as additional evidence for "delay repay". I also use it to work out any change in connections I need to make if there's a delay on a train I'm on and I also check the various Twitter accounts for the TOCs (very glad XC are now on Twitter). Not had any problems so far.

As for Northern, well if there's any announcements longer than a mutter of the station name, I be sure to pause my music, as either something's gone wrong, or I'm graced to be on the train of one of Northern's "Comedy Conductors" who certainly brighten up the journey

 

[Deerfold]

I thought 5A & 5B has been introduced precisely for the reason you mentioned?
As previously it would be announced as the "north end of platform 5".

I'm sure when I was there the TPE services were displayed and announced as 5B, although I will admit that when I was frequently travelling on the same services (with Cross Country) I would only glance to check that the platform hadn't changed and check which end the quiet coach or first class was (depending which class I was travelling).

Someone needs to get TPE to use them then (or make it clear where TPE stop), checking now there's a TPE to Liverpool showing as Platform 5 on the NRE site.

 

[40129]

Group of passengers on a LM New Street - Shrewsbury train last week managed to get all the way to Shrewsbury before asking staff if it was the London train. And yes, there had been several manual announcements stating it was the Shrewsbury train as well as the CIS screen clearly stating "This train is for Shrewsbury"

 

[hairyhandedfool]

As I posted earlier in this thread, I agree with your point entirely. I've looked at your list and crossed out anything that the average passenger doesn't need to know.


"Ladies and gentlemen, please do not cycle or skateboard anywhere on the station."
"Please keep your Oyster and bank card separate to avoid card clash"
"Security guards patrol this station 24 hours a day"
"If you require assistance, please speak to a member of staff"
"The 10.30 to Edinburgh will now depart from Platform 5".
"There is no lift service at X station until April"
"Please remember to keep your luggage with you"
"Next weekend services may be disrupted"

So basically 7 out of 8 announcements are completely irrelevant and serve only to stop people listening to announcements altogether and thus miss the one annoucement in 8 they actually need to know!

I don't think the average passenger needs to know what platform the 10.30 to Edinburgh is on as most people won't need it......:roll:

My station doesn't have announcements of any kind, so when when weekend engineering works come up I spend most of the day before wallpapering the station with posters and notices stating what is going on, where buses can be boarded, etc (this is a slight exaggeration). The local "friends of" group will add their own posters on the morning of the works, spend the next week telling me (and my boss) that there were not enough signs up (not an exaggeration) and leave me to remove all the signs (not just the ones I put up). Such is the state of play, that recently I received an email from head office telling me that even though they knew there were enough posters on display, in order to appease the "friends of" group 'extra posters' were on the way.

On other stations I've seen people be told three times, in person, not to ride bikes or scooters on the platforms despite the announcements being made, I've seen people be told multiple times, in person, not to smoke cigarettes on the station despite the announcements being made.

If the announcements weren't needed, believe me, they wouldn't be made. If you think passengers get to hear too much of the announcements, think about the staff who have to work there!

Another pointless one - "Services are disrupted on 5 lines this weekend, for details, please speak to a member of staff or look online" etc etc.

I can see the point if you're referring to a specific line, because it would be useful to announce on the Thursday/Friday "This line will be part suspended this weekend, with the rest of the line having severe delays, due to engineering work. Please consult posters.". This reminds passengers and notifies those who didn't know, and it is specific to that area.

But I don't see the point in a general message that some lines are disrupted. There is some sort of suspension on the LU network every weekend, it's nothing special!

Presumably because people only ever travel on that line and never, ever, change at another station to use a different one?

Presumably the only people who use the tube, use it every day?

.....Arriving early at Bentley for the train into town, 91 roars through around 15 min's before 321, cue elderly couple starting "it didn't stop, disgusting" comments :roll:......

Not restricted to Bentley, or the elderly, I'm sad to say. I've had young (ish) people charge back up to the ticket office to ask why the train didn't stop when I've already told them their train isn't due for another half hour (or however long).

.....People getting off train/to top of escalators, then stopping dead, regardless of how many behind them....

I've seen a chap open the train door step out, pressing the close door button as he goes, and then stopping to check what is in his pocket, completely oblivious to the three or four people waiting to get off the train behind him!

I've seen people with those stupid trolley bags block entire platforms up waiting for a train, while other people (with the same stupid bags) try to get past them without an excuse me (or sorry when they send every other bag flying!) to be heard, though there is usually a lot of mumbling, sighing, tutting, and other such noises.

You could award the "stupid passenger award" to passengers who queue up endlessly at the ticket office when there are ticket machines available right in front of their very eyes. An example of this can be seen at Macclesfield.

In Greater Manchester the TVMs don't issue Cheap Evening Returns, MCT discounted fares and a few others besides, never mind Advance fares, monthly (or longer) seasons and reservations, and then you have to consider the folk who "don't know how to use them"...........

 

[theshillito]

I've seen a chap open the train door step out, pressing the close door button as he goes

I don't know about "stupid passengers", this more falls under the "utter arsehole" category. Surprised trains still have close door buttons since they all close from the conductor control panel (there's probably a technical term somewhere for this) or after a length of time has passed. Is there a reason for them to remain?

 

[LowLevel]

I don't know about "stupid passengers", this more falls under the "utter arsehole" category. Surprised trains still have close door buttons since they all close from the conductor control panel (there's probably a technical term somewhere for this) or after a length of time has passed. Is there a reason for them to remain?

So that you may close the doors near you in winter to prevent all the heat from escaping. More modern trains now do this automatically.

 

[Flamingo]

What would'nt I give to have passengers who shut the doors behind them! ( I work HST's).

 

[westv]

What would'nt I give to have passengers who shut the doors behind them! ( I work HST's).

Presumably HSTs have archaic manual doors as there isn't the power to have automatic doors?

 

[theshillito]

What would'nt I give to have passengers who shut the doors behind them! ( I work HST's).

Okay, I actually do this on these kinds of trains when I'm not getting crushed by those trying to get on of course.

 

[Mojo]

I've never understood why people press the 'door open' button on Underground trains where doors open automatically at each stop. I can understand if you've maybe never been to London before but I've seen people sit on a train for several stops, have the doors open with no one stood by them yet when they get off feel that they need to press the button.

 

[craigwilson]

In Greater Manchester the TVMs don't issue Cheap Evening Returns, MCT discounted fares and a few others besides, never mind Advance fares, monthly (or longer) seasons and reservations, and then you have to consider the folk who "don't know how to use them"...........

The Northern machines don't. The Virgin machines (e.g. at Piccadilly) do!

 

[ExRes]

So that you may close the doors near you in winter to prevent all the heat from escaping. More modern trains now do this automatically.

I remember when 313s were first used on the Clapham-Willesden service and door release meant all doors were released, on a lovely wet or cold and windy morning the unit could be on the platform for 30 minutes allowing everyone on board to get wet, frozen and thoroughly peed off, oh yes, the close button is definitely a brilliant invention

 

[hounddog]

I've never understood why people press the 'door open' button on Underground trains where doors open automatically at each stop. I can understand if you've maybe never been to London before but I've seen people sit on a train for several stops, have the doors open with no one stood by them yet when they get off feel that they need to press the button.

The trains have 'door open' buttons that don't do anything and it's the passengers that are stupid? Another of the many postings on this thread that might be better termed 'patronising experts'.

Someone who doesn't know that a particular class of train don't go on a particular route or doesn't know the difference between different stock isn't stupid, just not an enthusiast.

 

[Kite159]

I don't know about "stupid passengers", this more falls under the "utter arsehole" category. Surprised trains still have close door buttons since they all close from the conductor control panel (there's probably a technical term somewhere for this) or after a length of time has passed. Is there a reason for them to remain?

I had that coming off a 159 at Grateley, the passenger in front decided to press the door close button, and the doors on a 159 are not the fastest to close/reopen

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I had that coming off a 159 at Grateley, the passenger in front decided to press the door close button, and the doors on a 159 are not the fastest to close/reopen

The worst are the ones on 333s who press the 'Close and Lock' button on the inside of the toilets as they leave, meaning that the toilet can't be used until the guard comes and resets it! :roll:

 

[westv]

For me personally, the fellow that walks to the front coach on a very lightly loaded HT service past a totally unreserved coach at the rear and then choses to sit in the only unreserved seat in that coach which happens to be right next to me.

 

[edwin_m]

On other stations I've seen people be told three times, in person, not to ride bikes or scooters on the platforms despite the announcements being made, I've seen people be told multiple times, in person, not to smoke cigarettes on the station despite the announcements being made.

If the announcements weren't needed, believe me, they wouldn't be made. If you think passengers get to hear too much of the announcements, think about the staff who have to work there!

If the announcements have no effect on the people they are intended to target, is there any point in making the announcements?

 

[315804]

After the St Jude storm had swept thru Southern England last autumn, in the aftermath I was sent to Chafford Hundred near Lakiside on c2c to fix a Tribute ticket machine. The line had been closed due to overhead lines being downed by a tree further up the line. There was a big message on the information monitor above me, and on most of the departure ones saying there were no services....

didn't stop people asking me 'mate, when's the next train to London?' :roll: and as an external engineer and not a c2c employee, I was in no position to sell them a ticket, especially from a computer with a damaged motherboard in it :roll:

 

[Deerfold]

I've never understood why people press the 'door open' button on Underground trains where doors open automatically at each stop. I can understand if you've maybe never been to London before but I've seen people sit on a train for several stops, have the doors open with no one stood by them yet when they get off feel that they need to press the button.

Most people wouldn't be taking much notice of what other people were doing - they'd be looking at the map or out of the windows looking out for their stop.

Then when they see a "door open" button they're daft enough to press it because they want the doors to open...

Why does any of the modern stock have these?

I think it's secretly part of a plan to make Londoners feel superior every time they see someone pressing them.

 

[Mojo]

Then when they see a "door open" button they're daft enough to press it because they want the doors to open...

Why does any of the modern stock have these?

S Stock has them because the doors automatically close after a while. On the 1995 stock they are slowly being removed, but the light on the button meets the accessibility requirements to have a visual indication that the doors are about to close; on the refreshed trains the button has been removed and replaced by a light.

The trains have 'door open' buttons that don't do anything and it's the passengers that are stupid? Another of the many postings on this thread that might be better termed 'patronising experts'.

It's nothing to do with that; I just don't understand how people can fail to notice that the doors open by themselves at every single stop, so why do they think that they have to press the buttons?

Last time I went abroad I spent a couple of stops observing how the train works so I knew how to board/alight in the proper manner.

 

[EM2]

If the announcements have no effect on the people they are intended to target, is there any point in making the announcements?

By that argument, you might as well not make laws either.