Amusing things heard or done at stations

[truckman060473]

last Tues the Paignton to Cardiff arrived at Central at 16.24 and of course everyone got off. a group of kids at the platform wishing to go somewhere went to look at the rear of the class 67 and then said to each other "doesn't say where it's going"! If only today's youngsters realised there are no destination headboards on a locomotive!

 

[HSTfan!!!]

sums up a great majority of kids these days unfortunately

 

[the sniper]

sums up a great majority of kids these days unfortunately

What a bizarre comment. Yeah, many kids aren't rail enthusiasts these days...

Do you really find it hard to believe that many kids won't have experienced anything but DMU's or EMU's in their life time? It's no reason to look down on them.

 

[truckman060473]

the thread was not meant to make kids look stupid sorry. it is perfectly normal in 2010 to assume you'd have a DMU. of course they wouldn't know the difference between a DMU / loco hauled and that's quite normal. it is just an amusing thing to see!

 

[jopsuk]

Catching a train at Bishops Stortford this afternoon, as the train pulled in I was asked by a woman if it was a Stansted train. The announcements said Cambridge. The screens on the platform said Cambridge. I looked at the front of the train just to double check- it said Cambridge on the front. I managed to be polite...

 

[the sniper]

the thread was not meant to make kids look stupid sorry. it is perfectly normal in 2010 to assume you'd have a DMU. of course they wouldn't know the difference between a DMU / loco hauled and that's quite normal. it is just an amusing thing to see!

No, no Truckman, my post wasn't aimed at you. I would have been amused to see that too. I just thought HSTfan's response was rather odd.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

lol sorry, hard day at work with the scroats going to barry i'm not saying that all kids should know about trains, but if they're going to travel by them alone they need to actually know what the hell they're doing

 

[37401]

What platform is this? I look above womans head.. "4b"

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I see that every day, about 20 times at least 37401!

 

[the sniper]

lol sorry, hard day at work with the scroats going to barry

Haha, no probs. Tbh, I did wonder whether your post might have been the result of a day like that, as it's the kind of thing I would have posted after a bad day with some youths too.

 

[LE Greys]

This wasn't at a station, but I hope it counts.

Just after the quiet coach announcement on a GNER HST, a passenger asks
"Can I use an arc welder?"

Reply
"What!?"

Passenger
"Can I use an arc welder if it's in silent mode?"

[Stunned silence]

 

[A60K]

last Tues the Paignton to Cardiff arrived at Central at 16.24 and of course everyone got off. a group of kids at the platform wishing to go somewhere went to look at the rear of the class 67 and then said to each other "doesn't say where it's going"! If only today's youngsters realised there are no destination headboards on a locomotive!

German locomotives used on regional trains often do have a large destination dot-matrix, the same as the driving trailer at the other end. Maybe that's what they expected

 

[71B]

What a bizarre comment. Yeah, many kids aren't rail enthusiasts these days...

Do you really find it hard to believe that many kids won't have experienced anything but DMU's or EMU's in their life time? It's no reason to look down on them.

But it does sum them up. They are stupid.

Lack of common sense - can't/won't read a timetable, platform departure board etc.

Too many just assume someone will spoonfeed them the information, often without a "please" or "thank you".
Scum.

 

[LE Greys]

German locomotives used on regional trains often do have a large destination dot-matrix, the same as the driving trailer at the other end. Maybe that's what they expected

It's actually a bit of a retrograde step not to have destination boards. N2s and N7s used to run with big wooden boards accross the bufferbeam. Usually, they carried several, most of which were reversible. Of course they had roof-boards on expresses rather than window stickers, and proper headboards. That's another thing for the "If enthusiasts ran the railways" thread.

I found a list of weird announcements once that included delays due to "an exploding pigeon at King's Cross Thameslink" and "the general incompetence of Railtrack". I'm sure there have been plenty of others.

 

[asylumxl]

I found a list of weird announcements once that included delays due to "an exploding pigeon at King's Cross Thameslink" and "the general incompetence of Railtrack". I'm sure there have been plenty of others.

And i'm sure the latter announcement should have been made plenty more times thereafter .

 

[Edvid]

"an exploding pigeon at King's Cross Thameslink"

I can sum that up in four letters.

OHLE.

 

[ainsworth74]

But it does sum them up. They are stupid.

A lovely sweeping statement there, care to provide evidence (without using the Daily Mail) that every single young person in this country is stupid?

Lack of common sense - can't/won't read a timetable, platform departure board etc.

Or perhaps their trying to be sure about where the train is going, I've seen situations where the train advertised on the departure board isn't actually the same train which is currently at the platform.

Too many just assume someone will spoonfeed them the information, often without a "please" or "thank you".
Scum.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

 

[37401]

I see that every day, about 20 times at least 37401!

The one I love is when someone jumps on waits then asks "excuse me is this the train to...." when it says it on the CIS on the platform next to the train and on the train usually right next to their heads.

I got an odd one on a 0849 to Nottingham before Tamworth someone stood up waited abit then sat next to me and asked what ticket I had and how much it was as he said his wasnt vaild, after that he went OK and just sat in the seat behind me with his mate...just seemed quite odd really if he did get the same ticket as me at Tamworth he could go very far on a 170 to Nottingham as it was a WMDR that I had

 

[71B]

A lovely sweeping statement there, care to provide evidence (without using the Daily Mail) that every single young person in this country is stupid?



Or perhaps their trying to be sure about where the train is going, I've seen situations where the train advertised on the departure board isn't actually the same train which is currently at the platform.



People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Not every single person, just the majority that I have seen in the situations described who cannot think for themselves, display no commonsense or manners and few redeeming features.

And I think you mean " ...perhaps they're trying to be sure..."

Now who's in the glass house?

 

[90019]

And I think you mean " ...perhaps they're trying to be sure..."

Now who's in the glass house?

Um, you.

Pointing out something like that as a retort to his comment is really quite revealing about your character.

 

[the sniper]

But it does sum them up. They are stupid.

Lack of common sense - can't/won't read a timetable, platform departure board etc.

Too many just assume someone will spoonfeed them the information, often without a "please" or "thank you".
Scum.

Well, they had the sense to check the front of the train for the destination. hardly being 'spoon fed' the information, is it? In reality you're calling them stupid because their traction knowledge wasn't up to scratch, and seeing as they most probably weren't rail enthusiasts, surely that can't be held against them?

 

[transportphoto]

Well, they had the sense to check the front of the train for the destination. hardly being 'spoon fed' the information, is it? In reality you're calling them stupid because their traction knowledge wasn't up to scratch, and seeing as they most probably weren't rail enthusiasts, surely that can't be held against them?

Very true 'the sniper' - whats wrong with it? Not all my m8's are enthusiasts!

 

[EM2]

Bill Bryson once remarked that there is a tradition that has to be observed when catching a train.

At the ticket office, you ask the clerk when the Bradford train is due. 'It's waiting on platform 3'

So you go to platform 3, which has a display showing that the train due to depart in two minutes is for Bradford. There is a train. And there is a station employee. And there is someone asking him 'Is this the Bradford train?'. 'Yes', he replies.

Even though you have just heard this, you ask him 'Is this the Bradford train?'. 'Yes' he replies, again.
You look at the train and point at it. 'This one?' you ask. 'Yes', he confirms.

So you get on the train. But before you sit down, you ask the carriage at large 'Is this the Bradford train?' and someone will say 'Yes'.

Then someone will get up and grab their bag because they want the Ilkley train not the Bradford train. Hopefully, this person has left behind their newspaper and a Kit Kat

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Want to get back on track and stop being so childish please?

Leaving Liverpool L St (all terminal platforms)
"I don't want to sit backwards, do you know which way the train is going to go?"

 

[transportphoto]

Bill Bryson once remarked that there is a tradition that has to be observed when catching a train.

At the ticket office, you ask the clerk when the Bradford train is due. 'It's waiting on platform 3'

So you go to platform 3, which has a display showing that the train due to depart in two minutes is for Bradford. There is a train. And there is a station employee. And there is someone asking him 'Is this the Bradford train?'. 'Yes', he replies.

Even though you have just heard this, you ask him 'Is this the Bradford train?'. 'Yes' he replies, again.
You look at the train and point at it. 'This one?' you ask. 'Yes', he confirms.

So you get on the train. But before you sit down, you ask the carriage at large 'Is this the Bradford train?' and someone will say 'Yes'.

Then someone will get up and grab their bag because they want the Ilkley train not the Bradford train. Hopefully, this person has left behind their newspaper and a Kit Kat

Want to get back on track and stop being so childish please?

Leaving Liverpool L St (all terminal platforms)
"I don't want to sit backwards, do you know which way the train is going to go?"

lol - nothing better than thinking that the train is going to hit the buffers!

 

[71B]

Um, you.

Pointing out something like that as a retort to his comment is really quite revealing about your character.

You too. Mate

 

[yorkie]

Very true 'the sniper' - whats wrong with it? Not all my m8's are enthusiasts!

You're lucky if any of your mates are enthusiasts!

 

[142094]

I usually see people on HSTs who don't know how to open the door from the inside, despite every door having a sticker on it telling you how. I can see the point that people are used to automatic doors but it still begars belief how many people still stand there looking a bit silly.

 

[truckman060473]

the other week, the refreshments guy was coming down the train aisle saying "would anyone like anything off my trolley?" to which a passenger replied, "yes, please i'll have an empty plastic cup" which he did give him, with a sour look, and used it to pour in his own bottle of pop!

 

[87015]

Ostrich on the line this morning