A third one now, about one per call - still emphasising that the front is in the direction of travel.
The earlier calls mercifully did not mention bags and doors, but sadly they are back.
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Avanti take needless announcements to a new level
- Thread starter TUC
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The earlier calls mercifully did not mention bags and doors, but sadly they are back.
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Avanti? Do they then reverse anywhere (for people to get confused about the front)??
Avanti indeed.
No - and if they did the announcement would then presumably be towards the rear (or is it back?) in the direction of travel
DaveyJones
Member
Yes - they can generally be reversed on diversionary routes, the most frequent is a block somewhere around Birmingham New Street
Even so, it should be pretty obvious that ‘the front’ means the front at the given time.
Bristol LHS
Member
Tonight’s 1700 Grand Central KX - Sunderland reached new levels of passive aggressive pre departure announcements. Becky went on a five minute long rant about advance tickets, telling us we are on a ”business service” (by which I presume she meant ‘peak’), telling us what the walk up peak single fares she’d be charging people who had an LNER ticket, or an advance for another GC service. She then invited passengers in any doubt to come and meet her in coach B to discuss(!) Minutes later, another announcement telling us that ‘seeing as no-one has come to speak to me, I assume you all have valid tickets, and if not I look forward to emptying your pockets (repeated her peak walk-up fares to York and Sunderland).
What a welcome onboard! In what other industry would treating paying customers with such contempt be tolerated?
What a welcome onboard! In what other industry would treating paying customers with such contempt be tolerated?
Very few.
But the railway in general seems to have more than it's fair share of staff who think they are untouchable and can treat paying customers however they like.
The majority of the customer facing staff are excellent, but the bad ones really do go out of their way to make sure they stand out...
Bristol LHS
Member
Agreed. Grand Central‘s on-board team are, in the main, genial mackems, so this really stands out in contrast to the usual experience.
Sprinter107
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It makes for a hostile travelling environment. I had the same on a Cross Country train a few weeks ago, one that was quite empty. A five minute lecture followed by what punishments she'd metre out. Her tone was threatening too.
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Vile
Zero tolerance policy towards staff though remember!
wokspotter
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Sounds like everyone would have been cowering in their seats for the whole journey.
Sprinter107
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Cross Country certainly need to speak to her.Sounds like everyone would have been cowering in their seats for the whole journey.
Let's not forget this is the same Crosscountry who's staff also make announcements threatening to make anyone who places a bag on a sea pay for an additional ticket for said bag...
If only it worked the other way and we could claim a refund for not being able to find a seat!
Sprinter107
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That was part of her lecture. That bags were not human. And that we were travelling on public transport, so we had better get used to people sitting next to us. Then the was the ticket lecture. On a quarter full train. Utterly pointless. And she had the nerve to announce approaching Totnes that we were having thd best train ride of lives!
Falcon1200
Established Member
The tone and wording could certainly be better, but as this was, crucially, a pre-departure announcement, was she not doing passengers without the correct ticket a service?!!
In fairness whilst it's probably not the politest way of going about saying it, there does need to be more announcements on some trains about allowing people to sit down. I've had a number of times where the person has refused to move a bag so I could sit down.
Is an announcement going to fix the issue though? Or maybe more signage? Rather than providing sufficient luggage racks within sight of the seats which are easy to use?
It does work in my experience. I never had to follow through with the threat.
Sprinter107
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There is nothing wrong with an announcement about bags on seats. Its very often necessary and I agree with it. But not a lecture about bags not being human and therefore can't go on seats. And then all the other stuff during this 5 minute lesson.
There is a way of doing it, and maybe there are a few conductors out there who need reminding.
There is a way of doing it, and maybe there are a few conductors out there who need reminding.
I get the idea behind the announcement and if it encourages most people to remove bags from seats then that's a result, but I'm not sure how I feel about lying.
I'd be very interested to see how it would pan out if someone refused to move a bag when challenged and threatened with being made to buy an ticket for it...
Could just have been the guards in question are fed up with it. I have heard similar announcements about bags on seats with Avanti and XC services as well, and support it.
But for going on about other things, er so so about.
Sadly working with the general public in a customer facing roles at times, some people just do not listen at all and will ignore anything until it is put bluntly. But that is a growing trend and a different subject.
DelW
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Surprisingly, travelling on Weymouth services last weekend, SWR's usual stream of hostile and outright threatening messages was mercifully absent. Perhaps SWR management consider the good folk of Dorset to be law-abiding, while apparently believing their metro services to be full of thugs, criminals and fare-dodgers who need to be berated continually?
I have absolutely no problem at all with this approach. The railway is plagued by freeloaders and grifters. Nobody who has purchased an appropriate ticket and has acted in a fair and honest way should be even slightly bothered by the above.
Why bother announcing it? Just charge people up instead of subjecting everyone with a list of various punishments.
If it was pre-departure, it encourages such people to get off the train which gives everyone a better travelling experience. If it was post departure then it at least allows honest folk know that something is being done against the grifters.
You aren't concerned about their inventing the term "business service"? Or the semi-threatening invitation to "come meet her in coach B" (STRONG hints of "let's take this outside")? Or the pointless sarcasm "I assume you all have valid tickets"? And aggressive "I look forward to emptying your pockets"?
What low standards you must have
The guard sounds like they need 2 weeks holiday or a different career...
It also makes anyone not entirely sure about their ticket nervous about consequences. What should be done is quite simply to charge people up. That happens in public too. I don't want to hear a five minute diatribe about ticket restrictions and how the guard will take pleasure in meting out punishment, I've got the right ticket, just deal with those people properly as and when and let me zone out please. That's how it happens in other civilised countries.
Shops are also plagued by theft, but they don't go out of their way to create a hostile atmosphere towards the majority of their customers, who are honest and law abiding...
I've never heard the security guard in my local Tesco making endless PA announcements reminding everyone that they must pay for every item they put in their basket before leaving the store.
No, not worried about any of that. Delighted in fact that someone is taking on the grifters. Such people are taking us all for a ride. It is not difficult to buy a valid ticket for a train.
Two wrongs don't make a right though.