I agree completely with you.
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SWT staff member in potential bother
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I agree completely with you.
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bramling
Veteran Member
Or let's complain and try to get someone in trouble over an announcement - something which *is* unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
Why is it unimportant not to cause offence to people who are paying to use your services? The guard needs a bit of guidance about what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. This may have been relatively innocuous, but who knows what he might say on another occasion?
Just because you report something doesn't necessarily mean you want that person disciplined or sacked. They may only need a bit of pointing in the right direction. A good employer and manager will realise that and act accordingly.
Just because you report something doesn't necessarily mean you want that person disciplined or sacked. They may only need a bit of pointing in the right direction. A good employer and manager will realise that and act accordingly.
Well I'm fat and thought it was quite funny, and what was said is perfectly valid you wouldn't want me in a three seater or a two seater for that matter on a 3 + 2 train
Some people need to get over themselves I hope nothing more comes of it other than being perhaps told not to say it again assuming it was said in the first place of course.
Some people need to get over themselves I hope nothing more comes of it other than being perhaps told not to say it again assuming it was said in the first place of course.
I personally don't like being wedged next to a fat person, particularly in a row of three.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Gosh. I did not realise Jeremy Clarkson had got a new job already 
. Looks like he will not be in it for long though 
.
Its a quote in a newspaper so there is nothing to say it is true or what context it was said in.
As others have said. We will live a bit better with a bit of give and take. Perhaps it would be better if there were no guards to prevent this sort of thing happening again
. Less likely solution would be a big enough train.
I am a bit below average in size and I find a row of three seats tight even if all three of us are slim. Often I stand - I often don't even look for a seat. But I would like a seat.
. Looks like he will not be in it for long though .Its a quote in a newspaper so there is nothing to say it is true or what context it was said in.
As others have said. We will live a bit better with a bit of give and take. Perhaps it would be better if there were no guards to prevent this sort of thing happening again
. Less likely solution would be a big enough train.I am a bit below average in size and I find a row of three seats tight even if all three of us are slim. Often I stand - I often don't even look for a seat. But I would like a seat.
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Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
I'm not the smallest bloke in the world. If a stand-up comes out with something like that then it's their job.
But having been sworn at before on a train for daring to sit down, it's something that would infuriate me coming from a guard.
It's obviously a bad attempt at humour, but shows a worrying lack of judgment tbh.
But having been sworn at before on a train for daring to sit down, it's something that would infuriate me coming from a guard.
It's obviously a bad attempt at humour, but shows a worrying lack of judgment tbh.
PermitToTravel
Established Member
Hmm, I'm in two minds about this. I'd rather live in a world where announcers can make mildly offensive jokes than one in which no one is ever offended, and I'd like to think that to most fatties (including me) this a mildly offensive but rather humorous joke (we're meant to be jolly, after all!)
Via Bank correctly reminds us though that fat jokes can be incredibly emotionally damaging for people with eating disorders, an often forgotten about group. This has been blown out of proportion by appearing in a national newspaper, but at the same time whoever made that announcement could do with a reminder.
Via Bank correctly reminds us though that fat jokes can be incredibly emotionally damaging for people with eating disorders, an often forgotten about group. This has been blown out of proportion by appearing in a national newspaper, but at the same time whoever made that announcement could do with a reminder.
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Bishopstone
Established Member
The problem with 'characters' who bring their full personality to work, is that they tend to be treasured or loathed. I can do without the jokes when the train is late or over-crowded, but I accept that for some, such humour brightens their day.
There is a station cafe en route to work which I actively avoided, because the former proprietor insisted on having a joke with everyone and, in my view, overestimated his comedic qualities. But plenty of others thought he was a total diamond. Since he retired, I've gone back there for my coffee from the polite but efficient ladies who now operate it.
There is a station cafe en route to work which I actively avoided, because the former proprietor insisted on having a joke with everyone and, in my view, overestimated his comedic qualities. But plenty of others thought he was a total diamond. Since he retired, I've gone back there for my coffee from the polite but efficient ladies who now operate it.
Quite. A fuss about (next to) nothing.
I recall hearing "we will shortly be arriving at Warrington, centre of the universe" a few years ago. Perhaps I should have taken offence.
After all, Crewe is the centre of the universe.
I don't think you can quite compare that to the joke here. If the guard had instead said, for example, "would gay passengers please avoid sitting in the middle seat as the proximity may make passengers next to them uncomfortable" there would quite rightly be uproar. Replace 'gay' with 'fat' and that's what you have here. No doubt the guard meant no offence, but you can't just make people feel uncomfortable with impunity in a professional, public role. It was ill-judged, and he may have to face the consequences of that poor judgement.
What he announced was fine. He said nothing about fat people - just asked slim people to occupy the middle seat.
bramling
Veteran Member
Offence doesn't really benefit anyone. Before getting offended, consider whether the announcement was meant in all innocence - a genuine attempt to helpfully manage the capacity on the train.
Someone's now chosen to be offended and made a complaint, now two people are upset, and a third-party's time now has to be spent dealing with something which, in the grand scheme of things, is *not* important compared to other world, or even local, events.
If people were so upset by the announcement, why not have a word with the guard themselves? Point out that the announcement could be misinterpreted by some, and the situation almost certainly politely resolved with all parties walking away happy. If the guard was unresponsive, then by all means take it further.
Going off in a strop and bringing others into an issue just makes things worse. If the announcement really was meant to be offensive, the only person to be happy at people being upset would be an individual deliberately intending to cause trouble, who now has the satisfaction of having gained the desired reaction. I prefer to believe that *most* people actually don't go round spending their lives finding opportunities to be deliberately malicious.
In most situations, just better to forget and move on.
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Searle
Established Member
No announcement needs to be made, commuters aren't stupid. They all know how to fit three people in the seats, but lots of them don't choose to. All an announcement is going to do is make people feel awkward and embarrassed.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
If you want to *optimise* use of 3+2 you probably want a male-female alternation, if you think about it in terms of relative body shapes.
Neil
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Quite. A fuss about (next to) nothing.
I recall hearing "we will shortly be arriving at Warrington, centre of the universe" a few years ago. Perhaps I should have taken offence.
After all, Crewe is the centre of the universe.
I recall on arrival at Preston something like "We are now arriving at Preston. Change here for X, Y and Z. You can also change here for Blackpool, though I can't see why anyone would want to."
Got a bit of a giggle.
Neil
Robertj21a
On Moderation
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Good heavens, what a lot of fuss about so very little !
This country must be getting back on it's feet even quicker than I realised if this is all people can get upset about.
Perhaps we should insist that staff make 'better quality' jokes about things like religion, gays, UKIP, EDL, blood donors, spam, racism etc etc
This country must be getting back on it's feet even quicker than I realised if this is all people can get upset about.
Perhaps we should insist that staff make 'better quality' jokes about things like religion, gays, UKIP, EDL, blood donors, spam, racism etc etc
trainophile
Established Member
I'd prefer it if the platform staff announced "would smelly people please not board the train" .
.extendedpaul
Member
While the guard's words were ill chosen there is an element of common sense in the announcement.
Five people, three slim to average, two average to overweight. 3+2 seats.
If the three slimmest occupy the three seater and the other two the two seater all five will have seats and should all be reasonably comfortable.
If the larger two take the three seater it is unlikely that anyone however slim will choose to ask to sit between them. Only four out of the five have seats and the extra standee will add to the general overcrowding.
All a fuss about nothing IMHO.
Five people, three slim to average, two average to overweight. 3+2 seats.
If the three slimmest occupy the three seater and the other two the two seater all five will have seats and should all be reasonably comfortable.
If the larger two take the three seater it is unlikely that anyone however slim will choose to ask to sit between them. Only four out of the five have seats and the extra standee will add to the general overcrowding.
All a fuss about nothing IMHO.
Bishopstone
Established Member
Yeeeessssss...... but I think most train passengers manage to choose their optimal seat each day without the guidance of on-train staff.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Yes, they choose *their* optimal seat, but that isn't necessarily the seat that will ensure optimal comfort for everyone.
For example, individuals will often take a table of 4, then when a family boards it isn't available.
Neil
Bishopstone
Established Member
So what is your proposed solution to that problem?
I travel alone quite a bit, and whilst I'm scrupulous about not 'occupying' adjacent seats with bags and coats etc, beyond that I've always taken the view that it's first come, first served.
It makes no odds if posters on here are not offended, all it takes is for one person on that service to be offended. As has been mentioned on this thread already, humour from the train staff can be great, it can also be a bit toe curling and in my case recently on a FGW HST from Paddington to Plymouth, the guard got on at Bristol, I then endured what felt like a lifetime of "comedy" as after every every stop he would announce the next stops with a prefix "Titillating Teignmouth" "Delightful Dawlish" etc etc, I was very glad to get off the train at "Never Never Land Newton Abbot" for my connection to "Triumphant Torquay"..... I think the SW guard in this case has dropped a real clanger, but I do hope he just gets away with a slap on the wrist and some "re education".
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Of course do i not expect from you that across the Northsea you know the dutch language, but this news has also reached the Netherlands. And it goes like this. Our newspaper makes the mistake however that it a kind of Underground system; where it is a trainoperator. The picture is from an Underground train.
Woede om zitverbod dikke passagiers
Een metrobedrijf in Engeland heeft veel kritiek te verduren gehad, nadat een medewerker dikke passagiers had verboden te gaan zitten. Dat meldt The Daily Telegraph.
De medewerker van South West Trains vertelde de passagiers vlak na vertrek vanuit Basingstoke Hants: ,,We zullen als sardientjes in blik staan in deze trein, dus vraag ik u of alleen slanke mensen willen gaan zitten? Als u dik bent, gaat dit namelijk simpelweg niet passen.''
Een passagier reageerde verontwaardigd: ,, Ik ben niet echt dik, maar ook normale mensen passen niet eens in die krappe driezitters. Dit is behoorlijk misselijkmakend, ik zou ontslagen worden als ik zo'n opmerking zou maken op mijn werk.''
South West Trains bood haar excuses aan en stelde dat elke passagier welkom is aan boord. Daarnaast vindt het bedrijf de gemaakte opmerking onacceptabel.
Het bedrijf beseft wel dat er inderdaad te weinig ruimte is voor de passagiers. ,,Om voor extra ruimte te zorgen, investeren we 250 miljoen pond in extra wagons en nieuwe metro's.''
Translation Google Translate (not corrected for mistakes)
A subway company in England has to endure a lot of criticism had, after an employee thick passengers had forbidden to sit down. This was reported The Daily Telegraph.
An employee of South West Trains told passengers shortly after departure from Basingstoke Hants: ,, We will like tinned sardines are on this train, so I ask you whether only slim people want to sit down? If you're fat, simply because it is not fit. ''
A passenger responded indignantly: ,, I'm not really fat, but also normal people do not even fit in that tight three-seaters. This is quite nauseating, I would be fired if I would make such a comment on my work. ''
South West Trains apologized and suggested that every passenger is welcome aboard. The company finds unacceptable the remark.
The company realizes that there is indeed too little room for passengers. ,, To provide extra space, we are investing £ 250 million in additional wagons and new metros. ''
Woede om zitverbod dikke passagiers
Een metrobedrijf in Engeland heeft veel kritiek te verduren gehad, nadat een medewerker dikke passagiers had verboden te gaan zitten. Dat meldt The Daily Telegraph.
De medewerker van South West Trains vertelde de passagiers vlak na vertrek vanuit Basingstoke Hants: ,,We zullen als sardientjes in blik staan in deze trein, dus vraag ik u of alleen slanke mensen willen gaan zitten? Als u dik bent, gaat dit namelijk simpelweg niet passen.''
Een passagier reageerde verontwaardigd: ,, Ik ben niet echt dik, maar ook normale mensen passen niet eens in die krappe driezitters. Dit is behoorlijk misselijkmakend, ik zou ontslagen worden als ik zo'n opmerking zou maken op mijn werk.''
South West Trains bood haar excuses aan en stelde dat elke passagier welkom is aan boord. Daarnaast vindt het bedrijf de gemaakte opmerking onacceptabel.
Het bedrijf beseft wel dat er inderdaad te weinig ruimte is voor de passagiers. ,,Om voor extra ruimte te zorgen, investeren we 250 miljoen pond in extra wagons en nieuwe metro's.''
Translation Google Translate (not corrected for mistakes)
A subway company in England has to endure a lot of criticism had, after an employee thick passengers had forbidden to sit down. This was reported The Daily Telegraph.
An employee of South West Trains told passengers shortly after departure from Basingstoke Hants: ,, We will like tinned sardines are on this train, so I ask you whether only slim people want to sit down? If you're fat, simply because it is not fit. ''
A passenger responded indignantly: ,, I'm not really fat, but also normal people do not even fit in that tight three-seaters. This is quite nauseating, I would be fired if I would make such a comment on my work. ''
South West Trains apologized and suggested that every passenger is welcome aboard. The company finds unacceptable the remark.
The company realizes that there is indeed too little room for passengers. ,, To provide extra space, we are investing £ 250 million in additional wagons and new metros. ''
A bit off topic, but if you put that translation through Google Translate a couple of times, English - Dutch - Azerbaijan - English you get
"Stay sit in the passenger banned in the UK after a subway employee of the company had to endure a lot of criticism . The Daily Telegraph reported. Basingstoke, Hants , said shortly after the employee left for South West Trains passengers : ,, We have this train will like canned sardines , so I asked if you just want to sit on thin people ? If you're fat , simply because it is compatible . Passenger angrily replied : ,, I really am not fat , but also an intense three- seaters are not compatible with normal people . I would be fired if you make a statement like this to work , you have a very sickening. South West Trains is welcome aboard each passenger apologized and suggested that . The company finds unacceptable comment . There really is very little room for passengers in the company realizes that . ,, We added 250 million investment in machinery and new metros to provide extra space . ' '
extendedpaul
Member
This was a pet peeve of mine when my children were younger and we (two adults, two under 10s) made a weekly off peak train journey on the Kent Mainline.
We could walk the whole length of the train and not find an empty table for four, with the majority occupied by only one person. We'd usually sit at two tables and maybe one time in five somebody would offer to move.
I suppose there could be a sign on tables asking passengers to consider moving for groups of 3 or 4 people travelling together but that's probably impractical. Or perhaps a family carriage on longer trains ?
Robertj21a
On Moderation
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- 22 Sep 2013
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I reckon we should all complain about.......well........everything. After all, its something we do very well in the UK. Half the time we don't know what we are really complaining about but someone else was upset at some trivia and we're going to support whatever it was.
Perhaps we should all contact the Daily Mail/Sun/Mirror and complain that thin people are too difficult to see behind lamp-posts or that they aren't buying enough food to keep Tesco in business.
Hopefully, that train announcer will now realise that a sense of humour is rarely appreciated once a 'misery guts' on board realises that he can make someone else's life as miserable as their own.
Perhaps we should all contact the Daily Mail/Sun/Mirror and complain that thin people are too difficult to see behind lamp-posts or that they aren't buying enough food to keep Tesco in business.
Hopefully, that train announcer will now realise that a sense of humour is rarely appreciated once a 'misery guts' on board realises that he can make someone else's life as miserable as their own.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
There isn't really one (other than that I might move if a family of 4 boards and obviously is going to benefit more from it than me, though as ever if they tell me to move rather than asking I won't
).The only way to do that really is to reserve the table. One way would be doing it the way Eurostar used to (may still do, it's been ages since I've booked on it other than first class once) in that (I think) you couldn't reserve a table for 4 unless you were booking for 3 or more people or there was nothing else available.
The way reservations used to work (forwards, backwards or airline) meant that reservations tended to be far more at tables even for individuals because a lot of people specified a direction of travel.
Neil
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theironroad
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2014
- Messages
- 3,717
Sure the '3' of the 3+2 on 450s are cra* and in reality no-one wants to sit in the middle of the three. 3+2 shouldn't even exist.
However, passengers do not need advice on which seats to choose, though bags etc on seats is fair game.
If this announcement really was made by a railway staff member, it was totally inappropriate.
There is a possibility that it was a passenger making a fraudulent announcement, as once in a while the door operating panel is left unlocked by the previous user, which would allow someone with a little bit of observant knowledge to hijack he pa system.
At the end of the day, this is all about how we respect each other as human beings. There'd soon be an outcry if the announcement was that slim, white, straight women were not supposed to sit in the middle seat.
To those of you defending this person, you need to look in the mirror.
However, passengers do not need advice on which seats to choose, though bags etc on seats is fair game.
If this announcement really was made by a railway staff member, it was totally inappropriate.
There is a possibility that it was a passenger making a fraudulent announcement, as once in a while the door operating panel is left unlocked by the previous user, which would allow someone with a little bit of observant knowledge to hijack he pa system.
At the end of the day, this is all about how we respect each other as human beings. There'd soon be an outcry if the announcement was that slim, white, straight women were not supposed to sit in the middle seat.
To those of you defending this person, you need to look in the mirror.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's a dying breed - I think the UK is learning that the approach used in many other European countries of having 2+2 seating with generous standing space is more sensible. LM for one have said there will be no more of it, and indeed backed that up by ordering the 172s with 2+2 rather than the 3+2 of the 150s they replaced.
While I don't think the announcement was really appropriate, I would agree that a big person (whether that happens to be because they are fat, or because they are a bodybuilder, or whatever) plonking themselves down in the middle of a 3 is not sensible. And that is very much from personal experience at 6' 4" and 18 stone. Because I'll just push the person at the end off into the aisle if I do.
Neil
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