Many have missed the point with this though.
The problem is, if you don't treat passengers like idiots, then they will act like idiots. Passengers will only moan they didn't understand the announcement if it was said like "every day language".
Don't get me wrong, I can't stand all the security announcements as much as the next punter, the majority of people aren't listening anyway. At one station for instance, one of the announcers
only tells you what the train is and where it is going to. There's no information about First Class, no information about where the Shop or Quiet Zone is either. That sort information is extra and boring, the majority of people are told by the platform staff and it's displayed on the platform screen anyway.
But this is it. Because people need mummying almost constantly, announcements must be made in a formal and clear manner. If they are said using normal "every day" language, people will simply not understand.
Complete Stop:
However the "complete stop" phrase is used all over the place, like at theme parks (don't try to get out until the car has come to a complete stop). I see it as a reinforcement of the word "stop" meaning "absolute" or "actual" as opposed to "nearly stopped".
No Smoking, Running...:
This is almost completely the passengers fault.
People know they are breaking the rules when smoking or whatever, but then they claim "well there isn't an announcement" or "there's no signs". This is where the whole mummying thing comes in. People will try and get round the rules as much as they can, because as stated in another thread people are all about them, them and them.
The Guardian said:
...will retreat into their iPods (still known as "personal stereos" in Railspeak...
This is exactly my point! While the term "personal stereo" isn't really used anymore, announcements would be made even longer if the term "mp3 player" or "iPod" is used. If they use "mp3 players" then ipod users could turn around and say "my device isn't an mp3 player, it's an iPod", but then it would work the other way round too (iPods don't play mp3's so technically they are not mp3 players). But what happens if my device isn't just an mp3 player but a "media" player. The rail industry cannot win.
One from last weeks travels was:
" . . . from the buffet car which is currently located in coach J"
Was it planning on changing location during the journey?
Perhaps the word "currently" is not needed, but if the coaches change letters frequently then it would re-affirm where the shop is at that present moment / on that service.
Another one is the seemingly recent announcement of "will passengers travelling on the x: xx to somewhere please join the train as it is ready to leave" or words to that effect. Now, I can understand it as a final announcement to some degree but when it is made over 5 minutes before departure time
See, this is where my local station "real person" announcer says this when a train has been standing for a while, but only states it 2 minutes before departure.
One final one is one which came about when I was in Australia where I saw a sign that made me think. In Australia replacement bus services are called train replacement services - this seems much more logical than rail replacement service; after all the bus is replacing a train, not a rail!
This I agree with you. It does make much more sense.
Standard: We're now on the final approach to London.
Non-Standard: The next station is London.
Standard: Please keep well back from the platform edge until the train has come to a complete stop.
Non-Standard: Please stay away from the train until it's stopped.
Standard: Passengers are reminded to keep their luggage and personal belongings with them at all times.
Non-Standard: Please make sure you're near your bags all the time.
Standard: Please ask myself or any other member of staff
Non-Standard: Please ask me or any other staff
We are now arriving at ...... - our final destination.
What sort of a destination isn't final?
Again, perhaps the word destination is wrongly used here, but it does confirm to everyone that it is the last stop of the journey.
Changing the language may just confuse people even more now though. I don't understand what company uses "final approach". Perhaps it was a shorter way to say "we're now approaching London, our final stop"?
It's not about confusing people or using bad grammer, it's simply about being clear,
professional and easy to understand.
We must remember too that we are in the middle of a transition between 70's 80's BR and modern business. Many of the "old hat" BR people are in the senior years of their career and within the next 15/20 years there will be just a handful left. Must will change when new CEO's and non-railway people enter into the industry. While people cry out for this now, it isn't coming... just yet.
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On a side note, I can't stand the word "staff".
Staff should never be referred to for people who work for a company as the word staff really means people who work for someone, not something. For instance the house butler, cook or maid are all the house owners staff. I much prefer the word "employees" or "team members" even "colleagues" sounds so much better than "staff".
