Absurdly placed signs at stations

[orpine]

At Birmingham Moor Street, as soon as you enter the station, about 2 metres in on the left hand side of the main entrance, there is one of those scary "you are about to enter a ticketing area, you must have a ticket to pass this point or face prosecution" signs.

As you may have guessed, having a sign that says that 2 metres into a station, before the ticket machines, ticket office, or anything (except the metro stand!) seems absurd.

Why is there a sign there? It can't hold any legal weight? Why isn't it at the ticket barriers that are 20 metres away deep inside the station.
Does this mean anyone who goes to the public-side restaurant is trespassing?

Given the sign is threatening prosectution and probably mentions "trespassing" and railway byelaws (I didn't take a photo and can't find one online), it seems like placing it in the proper place would be a good idea.
Is this common?

 

[Hardcastle]

I saw this last year at Moor Street & it did make me think give me chance to get my ticket.

 

[orpine]

It doesn't even give you a chance to get a platform ticket!
Maybe we need to walk to SnowHill (though I suspect they're badly placed there too - not checked), or New Street to buy our tickets!

 

[Mojo]

Maybe we need to walk to SnowHill (though I suspect they're badly placed there too - not checked), or New Street to buy our tickets!

When I was last at Birmingham Snow Hill station there was a sign warning you of entering a compulsory ticket area right by the old ticket window as soon as you walk into the station. You can't even get to the Tram platforms without going past it!

You can just make it out in this picture, to the left of the 'Welcome to Birmingham Snow Hill' sign.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_BSW/images/photos/800/o1351-0000034.jpg

 

[steevp]

The Railway Eye blog site has a whole load of examples like this - some of them are real crackers, like the screen showing "Welcome to Gatwick Airport" on the platform at Balcombe! Enjoy...

http://railwayeye.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Pointless signs

 

[Welshman]

One of the silliest application of standard signs I can recall is that on the wall of the signal box end of Heckington station on the Sleaford-bound platform.
A figure in a white circle with a red line diagonally through him/her. "Do not cross the line" it warns.
Fortunately, the common-sense and good preservation instincts of the folk of that parish lead them to offend regularly, for as the station is unmanned and the only exit is on the other platform and there is neither footbridge nor underpass, they'd still be there now, otherwise!

 

[Parallel]

It doesn't even give you a chance to get a platform ticket!
Maybe we need to walk to SnowHill (though I suspect they're badly placed there too - not checked), or New Street to buy our tickets!

Haha! I actually did this last time I was in Birmingham - not because of the sign though, I was near New Street but thought I might as well go to Moor Street to get to Stourbridge Junction anyway.

At Trowbridge, there is a lovely "Welcome to Trowbridge, county town of Wiltshire" etc. sign, except some bright spark decided to install it behind the stairs for the footbridge, meaning it is very difficult to see if you are on the train!

 

[transmanche]

The Railway Eye blog site has a whole load of examples like this - some of them are real crackers, like the screen showing "Welcome to Gatwick Airport" on the platform at Balcombe! Enjoy...

In that vein, I'll offer this one that I spotted at Manchester Piccadilly in 2007.

 

[fowler9]

In that vein, I'll offer this one that I spotted at Manchester Piccadilly in 2007.

Ha ha, I hope the good people of Manchester didn't mind too much.

 

[tsr]

When the left-hand departure summaries board above the main bank of TVMs at Gatwick Airport decides it wants to reset itself, it will display "Welcome to Waterloo East" for a few minutes.