Stupid questions from passengers

[GRALISTAIR]

This is a true story admitted by my colleague at the time which highly amused our boss. He was visiting a supplier in Warrington(the huge chemical plant by Bank Quay station) and had a 1st class return ticket bought at Preston per company policy. He got on the platform and asked which is the London train. Platform 4 sir. He got on and was horrified when the train went through WBQ at 70mph without stopping. 1st stop London Euston! In those days the stopper and the non stop from Preston were fairly close to each other. He had to sheepishly explain to the guard. Lost a whole day of work and had to rebook a couple of weeks later.

 

[Spartacus]

I very quickly learned to hide an old purple uniform I used to wear, as whenever I was on a cross country service people would always ask me questions.

When I used to reply ‘I’m sorry, I don’t work on the train’ the main reply was ‘well why are you wearing that uniform then?’

As if XC had a monopoly on purple or something!

Yellow in Morrisons....

 

[LYradial]

I have to gently point out that it is possible to be born in rural wales and have never seen a train, is my grandson asking a stupid question when he says. “What is a railway”

 

[norbitonflyer]

My rail enthusiast uncle used to keep a copy of the Eastern Region timetable by his phone at home because his phone number was only one digit different from that of Liverpool Street enquiries.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Stupid answers from railway staff...
A cancelled train yesterday at a station with a ticket office open only in morning (staffed by same one member of staff daily).

People asking when the next train would be, his reply "I don't know they dont tell me anything. The only time people (meaning customers) speak to me is if there's issues. They always buy their tickets from the machine, it p**ses me off"

 

[ajs]

Many years ago at Havant Station, over the tannoy came the announcement “ the next train does not stop at Portsmouth Harbour.”

 

[ExRes]

"Is this my train?" Psychic powers at the ready....

Almost the same, "Is this the train that I want?"

 

[Stampy]

Many years ago at Havant Station, over the tannoy came the announcement “ the next train does not stop at Portsmouth Harbour.”

Passengers will find Scuba Gear under their seats......

 

[zwk500]

Many years ago at Havant Station, over the tannoy came the announcement “ the next train does not stop at Portsmouth Harbour.”

Tbf, at Havant that's a valid piece of information several ways - primarily in the case of a train terminating at Portsmouth and Southsea (or Fratton), but also if a train was diverted away from Portsmouth generally to Southampton. Hopefully there was enough confidence not to need to clarify that the Chichester or Guildford trains weren't stopping at Portsmouth Habour either!

 

[LittleRedTrain]

In fairness to passengers who might ask a question about something while stood right underneath a sign or screen providing that exact information, there is no guarantee that the passenger does not have a visual or reading impairment that makes it difficult to read that sign, and staff should be prepared to consider that.

A visually impaired acquaintance of mine asked a member of railway staff for information about a train and was rather rudely told 'just look at the screen'.
It was only when she then waved her white cane at him and asked the question again that he rather sheepishly gave her the answer.

 

[liamf656]

I've learned while working in the railway that no question is "stupid", and sometimes you do have to assume its their first time travelling and its best to bring it back to the absolute basics to ensure people understand. So I'd never take the mick or make anyone feel stupid for asking questions. Not everyone is as knowledgeable on the railway and to be honest a lot of aspects are confusing for most.

That said, one of my favourite questions I've had multiple times is "which direction is the train going?". We're sat in a bay platform with buffer stops, so if it went that way I'd be concerned

 

[mrcheek]

My rail enthusiast uncle used to keep a copy of the Eastern Region timetable by his phone at home because his phone number was only one digit different from that of Liverpool Street enquiries.

When I moved into a new flat once, and requested a new number, I was given the former number of Weston-super-Mare railway station (this was just after all the numbers had been abolished and replaced by a national helpline).

Some people were kind enough to ask if I was the station. Others would simply demand train times without even saying hello.
The polite ones would be given an explanation, and the number for National Rail Enquiries. The less polite ones would simply be hung up on.

 

[LYradial]

I've learned while working in the railway that no question is "stupid", and sometimes you do have to assume its their first time travelling and its best to bring it back to the absolute basics to ensure people understand. So I'd never take the mick or make anyone feel stupid for asking questions. Not everyone is as knowledgeable on the railway and to be honest a lot of aspects are confusing for most.

That said, one of my favourite questions I've had multiple times is "which direction is the train going?". We're sat in a bay platform with buffer stops, so if it went that way I'd be concerned

Might be a valid question on the underground where trains are eastbound or westbound or northbound or southbound

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I once overheard a lady on her phone tell her friend I am in the back coach. Really, I was in the front coach at the time.
That said when the train had arrived in a terminal platform this had indeed been the back coach but did the lady really expect the train to continue through the buffer stops?

 

[al78]

I’d have been like “you’re in England, there is no sun”

Given we have come through one of the wettest consecutive 18 month periods on record, and five out of the first seven months of 2024 have been duller than average across almost the entire UK (and one of the two that was sunnier than average was January, which is a waste), that is not a million miles from the truth.

 

[The exile]

I guess their ticket to X may have had a route restriction for via Y only?

Or they’re being joined by someone else at Y.

I once overheard a lady on her phone tell her friend I am in the back coach. Really, I was in the front coach at the time.
That said when the train had arrived in a terminal platform this had indeed been the back coach but did the lady really expect the train to continue through the buffer stops?

I always place a little bet with myself when I board a Pompey-Cardiff at Temple Meads (or any of the others that reverse there mid-route). How many faces are going to show a flash of panic when we apparently set off back to where they’ve come from…

 

[philthetube]

Before a long rural journey with many stops a man came and asked for a small station. The destination blind was correctly set for the large destination city.

“Does this train go to ‘ruralville’?”
“Yes”
“But it says “Bigtown” on the back”
“Yeah, that’s where it finishes”
“But it doesn’t say ‘ruralville”.
“If we listed all the stops it’d be 100ft tall and we’d never get it under the bridges”
“It does go to ‘ruralville’?”
“Yes, get on”

not a train one but I was once travelling with National express from Cambridge , the coach was going to Bristol and the driver was asked if it was going to Oxford, the driver said yes and toe passenger said
2but it says Bristol on the front". The driver replied, "that's ok, it says welcome aboard on the side and we don't mean that either".

 

[Bedwyn32]

A few months ago I had worked a train in to Alton Hampshire and had a customer who had been on since Waterloo ask where did they find the bus to Alton Towers.

 

[blackfive460]

I must have one of those faces too as I often get asked for information at stations and on trains. I don't mind as it's almost always women!

I might have been given the explanation of 'why me' while travelling from Taunton to Paddington some years ago when a lady approached me and asked if I knew which end 1st class would be.
Once on the train she sat opposite me and we got into conversation. She was quite chatty and it turned out she worked for LT as platform staff and commented that while working and travelling off duty she always felt that it was safer not to approach strangers. When I asked why she had approached me she replied that I looked 'wholesome'!

I've been called far worse...

 

[duffield]

I don't work for the railways, and don't behave (I think) or dress in any way that suggests "staff". However, I am surprised how often, when waiting for a train, I am approached by a passenger asking "is this the platform for...?" or "is this the train to...?"

Perhaps it's just the grey hair....

When I was in my 20's (many years ago) I was frequently mistaken for a shop assistant in random shops, and asked where some particular item could be found. Some people were really quite rude when I told them politely that I didn't work there.

 

[BingMan]

That said when the train had arrived in a terminal platform this had indeed been the back coach but did the lady really expect the train to continue through the buffer stops?

Sometimes they do

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Many years ago when working in the booking office in Mallaig a young foreign gent came to the window and asked for a ticket to Power. I explained there was no station of that name and he then produced a map and pointed to 'Power Station' and thus we worked out he wanted a ticket to Morar.

 

[sn5775]

Recently at Leicester, having just arrived on an XC service from Birmingham New Street, a fellow passenger who had just left the same train asked a somewhat bemused member of staff "which platform do I need for Leicester", with the reply "this is Leicester, you are in Leicester".

 

[12LDA28C]

I was on a train some years ago when two women boarded at a station and sat down in the bay of 4 seats adjacent to where I was sitting. As the train started to move, one said to the other 'which way are we going? I can't sit going backwards'. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing.

 

[Lemmy282]

I am a volunteer tram driver at a museum. Family (mum, dad and two kids) approach me at the end of the journey. Dad says he has worked out how I make the tram go and stop but not how I steer it. I point at the rails and say "these do the steering for me". Baffled look on his face. But how do they know where you want to go? I'm wondering how to continue this when one of the kids pipes up, "Dad, it's like a train running down the road. Light bulb moment, dad goes red, mum bursts out laughing and the family walk off with him muttering under his breath!

 

[Urban-Savage]

On a charter trip with the much lamented Compass Tours

an elderly couple….

wondering aloud as to “Why are all the staff called Steward”

then at Blaenau Ffestinogg… “Why is the train going back the same way it came”

 

[InkyScrolls]

Passenger at Leeds: Is this the right platform for the London train?
Me, a driver for Northern in no particular hurry: I'll go and check for you.
...
Me: Yes, that's definitely the right platform.
Passenger: [No gratitude, immediately turns to look at phone.]
About an hour later I return from my break and see the same passenger waiting in the same place
Me: You didn't get the London train then?
Passenger, irate: No, because we're going to Peterborough!
Me, slightly nonplussed: But the London train I told you about calls at Peterborough!
Passenger, very irate: Why didn't you tell me‽
Me, amused: You didn't ask.

 

[Tim_UK]

So “Is this train for X?” then “does it stop at Y” when they could simply ask “does this train stop at Y?”

It’s not that stupid. A lot of hearing requires tuning in to the tone and accent of the person you are listening to.

So a bit of pre conversation before important question is useful.

Especially if you are a long way from home and the accent isn’t what you are used to.

(as an aside, you can really help people understand by making sure you say all the words and avoid spoken abbreviations. My experience comes from running a team who were always on the phone to people of all kinds of backgrounds. Accents are cool but if you skip half the words, nobody understands)

 

[MadMac]

Where to begin…..

1) “Is this the London train?” was actually asked by a chap, accompanied by his wife, two young children and three suitcases as the Class 116 DMU they were on struggled its way up Bellshill Bank en route to West Calder.

2) In the early 90s, I worked in an office in the former Partick Hill station. We would get at least one member of the public wandering in every week wanting to buy a ticket and/or catch a train, despite the station having closed some ten years previously.

3) On front/rear trains: one of the Glasgow Central announcers broadcast that a train departing at 17:14 was the rear train and the 17:18 was the front train. Thing is, he was, for once, correct!

4) Two of us were on the platform at Pollokshaws West one Sunday in the execution of our duties and came across a chap: on enquiring as to whether we could help him, he asked when the next train was. We told him “About 6 AM tomorrow“ (there was no Sunday service there back then).

 

[TreacleMiller]

No question asked by a customer should ever be thought of as ‘stupid’, to them it is a question which they feel is genuine and needs asking.

Exactly.


Ive explained to customers that we arent going to X destination. They've argued. I've told them I'm driving and I'm definitely correct. They still don't believe it.

3rd party apps like Trainline etc. Cause so much havoc.