Interesting announcement to remember water

[Charlie2555]

Sorry, not sure if this is the right place to post.
Today at my local station, Gillingham, I heard an announcement which I haven't heard before. It went along the lines of "due to the current warm weather, please remember to bring a bottle of water with you onto the train"

Has anyone else heard this before? It didn't sound like the normal recorded voice, but was another woman.

I do find it amusing how we in Britain panic and complain about this "heat" whereas the same temperature of mid 20s would be a mild or even cold day in many countries!

 

[transmanche]

Today at my local station, Gillingham, I heard an announcement which I haven't heard before. It went along the lines of "due to the current warm weather, please remember to bring a bottle of water with you onto the train"

Has anyone else heard this before?

Quite common on the tube at this time of year.

 

[Alan1310]

Herd this at Liverpool street on Friday and the GA staff were giving out free bottles of water

 

[trentside]

This was being played across the SWT network when I was there on Sunday - it was also advising people not to pull the emergency alarms if they felt ill, but to seek help at the next station so they could get assistance faster.

 

[WessexEclectic]

Save water. Drink beer.

Should make rush hour interesting...

 

[edwin_m]

I heard the water announcement at Nottingham yesterday morning with a special mention for people travelling to London and onto the Tube.

 

[BestWestern]

This was being played across the SWT network when I was there on Sunday - it was also advising people not to pull the emergency alarms if they felt ill, but to seek help at the next station so they could get assistance faster.

SWT have used that announcement for a while now, and I think it makes sense. While it might seem silly, TOCs are simply trying to prevent people being taken ill on hot trains and all the chaos that comes with it.

 

[Antman]

Save water. Drink beer.

Should make rush hour interesting...

Sadly beer doesn't have the same effect..............it's likely to cause dehydration, I normally carry water with me whatever the weather.

 

[A-driver]

A lot of TOCs have started making it to prevent the normal delays this time of year, especially in rush hour, due to people passing out on trains due to heat/dehydration.

Not sure if its worked but normally when it gets hot like this we have a string of delays nor ally caused by female passengers it seems who get straight out of bed, no breakfast, nothing to drink, grab a coffee at the station, run into the train and then wonder why they feel faint and pass out delaying the rest of the rush hour.

(I'm not stereotyping but all the instances of this I have know have been women!)

 

[eastwestdivide]

Similar advice on posters at Sheffield recently. XC I think

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Sorry, not sure if this is the right place to post.
Today at my local station, Gillingham, I heard an announcement which I haven't heard before. It went along the lines of "due to the current warm weather, please remember to bring a bottle of water with you onto the train"

Has anyone else heard this before? It didn't sound like the normal recorded voice, but was another woman.

I do find it amusing how we in Britain panic and complain about this "heat" whereas the same temperature of mid 20s would be a mild or even cold day in many countries!

Heard a similar announcement at Sheffield at the weekend, followed by a warning for London-bound passengers not to get on crowded Underground trains if they're feeling a bit faint.

I wonder how long it'll be before they make announcements that if you want to stay alive you need to keep breathing, or that if you want to walk somewhere you should put one foot in front of the other?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

It's hardly the same thing is it? Reminding people to do something they might not normally do (ie, carry a bottle of water) is public spirited.

On one of those BBC shows about The Tube recently they had a two minute section on a woman who fainted on a train during the morning peak. When LUL staff attended her before a paramedic arrived the first thing they asked is whether she had skipped breakfast or not, she said she had and they said they thought as much because they see this kind of thing almost every day and the overwhelming majority of times it involes somebody who hasn't had anything to eat or drink before they enter a hot and crowded environment like the tube.

 

[jon0844]

I'd say the announcements are very worthwhile, especially in London where crowded trains that are already hot can cause problems even for people who might have kept themselves reasonably hydrated (but few ever drink enough, as it's such a lot).

Now we're getting air conditioned trains on the sub-surface lines and Thameslink will one day have all air conditioned trains, we might see less problems at places like Farringdon, where there were many days that saw bottles of water being given out for free.

 

[YorkshireBear]

EMT run sheffield had the announcements today. I commute every summer into sheffield and this was first time i heard it (well other day was first time). Human recording not computer recorded.

 

[northwichcat]

Herd this at Liverpool street on Friday and the GA staff were giving out free bottles of water

I've experienced this in the past with TPE but it was when they still had the 158s with dodgy air conditioning and outdoor temperatures were 28oC+. However, if you're on the train for a long time in very high temperatures a 330ml bottle of water doesn't really refresh you it's just enough to prevent you from dehydrating.

Sadly beer doesn't have the same effect..............it's likely to cause dehydration,

Apparently before tap water was drinking quality it was recommended that people (including children and police on duty) drunk very low alcohol beer because it was less likely to cause illness.

I normally carry water with me whatever the weather.

If you have good quality drinking water you just need to save a clean bottle and refill it from the tap to make sure you have some.

 

[MotorcycleAlan]

If you drink lots and you have a lovely train with no toilets the empty bottle can come in handy too...

 

[RichmondCommu]

I can understand rail staff wanting to be helpful but its common sense to drink more water on hot days!

 

[jon0844]

I can understand rail staff wanting to be helpful but its common sense to drink more water on hot days!

If it was, people wouldn't be falling ill as they do every year. I've been on a train where a lady collapsed. Fortunately being on the floor makes it easier to take in cooler air, and there were other passengers that had water to give her.

Common sense seems to be fairly uncommon! Not helped by the fact that a lot of people, perhaps often tourists, don't think we ever have good weather and might not even realise just how hot it is - or that not all of our trains and tubes are air conditioned as they might be elsewhere [of course, dry air conditioned air can dehydrate you more!].

Does it make you think of a nanny state? Perhaps, but there are certain things that do no harm. Hearing or reading an announcement is hardly going to mess up your day or cause you to suffer anything. In fact, you can be quite smug when you already have some water, or would know to get some if you felt in any way dehydrated (just try breathing in deep as a quick check to see if you suddenly cough or wheeze).

 

[A-driver]

I can understand rail staff wanting to be helpful but its common sense to drink more water on hot days!

It's more a reminder. People think 'ill only be on the train for 20mins so will be fine' underestimating how hot it can get.

And as the above poster said, if it really was common sense then people would actually take water with them and not keep collapsing on trains!

 

[30909]

Are we sure that the water is to drink perhaps it’s to be used as in this suggestion http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1500695&highlight=water+to+cool+rails#post1500695

 

[WestRiding]

more bloody announcements! don't skate board, don't cycle, don't board train without ticket, don't leave bags as they will be removed by the security services (what at Dewsbury, tutt), platforms may be slippery as it is raining... derr, no smoking on the platforms and now remember water! shut the ?>*# up. meanwhile at some of europes biggest stations they get by with next to no announcements.

 

[455driver]

Not sure if its worked but normally when it gets hot like this we have a string of delays normally caused by female passengers it seems who get straight out of bed, no breakfast, nothing to drink, grab a coffee at the station, run into the train and then wonder why they feel faint and pass out delaying the rest of the rush hour.

(I'm not stereotyping but all the instances of this I have know have been women!)

Had that last week, stupid bint!

When she came round I asked if she had anything to eat or drink and she assumed I was asking her if she was anorexic :roll:, people really are thick.

Oh she hadnt had anything to eat or drink that morning and she collapsed at 11-45 in the morning.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I can understand rail staff wanting to be helpful but its common sense to drink more water on hot days!

Whats that then?

I remember when people had it but that was a long time ago.

 

[Monty]

more bloody announcements! don't skate board, don't cycle, don't board train without ticket, don't leave bags as they will be removed by the security services (what at Dewsbury, tutt), platforms may be slippery as it is raining... derr, no smoking on the platforms and now remember water! shut the ?>*# up. meanwhile at some of europes biggest stations they get by with next to no announcements.

Perhaps if the TOCs and NR were not threatened with legal action every time someone decided not to use a bit of common sense*, then there would be no need for a lot of those announcements.


*I've decided we should rename common sense to basic life skills, because seriously some of things I see people make me fear for the human race.

 

[northern156]

It's a common saying that once most passengers enter a railway station, they lose all common sense - only to suddenly pick it back up once they leave their end station.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Does it make you think of a nanny state? Perhaps, but there are certain things that do no harm. Hearing or reading an announcement is hardly going to mess up your day or cause you to suffer anything. In fact, you can be quite smug when you already have some water, or would know to get some if you felt in any way dehydrated (just try breathing in deep as a quick check to see if you suddenly cough or wheeze).

I have no issues what so ever with the TOC's advising customers to take bottles of water on to the train with them. They know far more about running a railway then I ever will and are clearly reacting to recent events. I also have no issue with general announcements as in my view they are always for the good of the customer. I don't honestly think feeling smug comes into it; it’s just about looking after yourself and your family if they're using the trains too.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If it was, people wouldn't be falling ill as they do every year. I've been on a train where a lady collapsed. Fortunately being on the floor makes it easier to take in cooler air, and there were other passengers that had water to give her.

Common sense seems to be fairly uncommon! Not helped by the fact that a lot of people, perhaps often tourists, don't think we ever have good weather and might not even realise just how hot it is - or that not all of our trains and tubes are air conditioned as they might be elsewhere [of course, dry air conditioned air can dehydrate you more!]

I agree that tourists might not be prepared with some justification for our recent hot spell and of course might be using the Tube for the first time. However there are no excuses for people who use the Tube on a regular basis.

Given that we are a nation obsessed with the weather, for the last 10 days or so it's been obvious that coats are not required and people have dressed accordingly. I'm a people watcher by nature and even at 07.00 in the morning I've not seen anyone wearing anything more than a suit jacket or something similar. Why? Because its common sense! So if its common sense not to wear a coat in hot weather why not buy a bottle of water on the way to the station!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

more bloody announcements! don't skate board, don't cycle, don't board train without ticket, don't leave bags as they will be removed by the security services (what at Dewsbury, tutt), platforms may be slippery as it is raining... derr, no smoking on the platforms and now remember water! shut the ?>*# up. meanwhile at some of europes biggest stations they get by with next to no announcements.

So would you prefer that young people interpreted stations as a place to use their skate boards and ride their bicycles? Or have the station closed because of a security alert?

 

[455driver]

So if its common sense not to wear a coat in hot weather why not buy a bottle of water on the way to the station!

I actually take 2 bottles with me, 1 with cold water in and the other which was filled the night before and put in the freezer overnight, result is I have at least a 4 hour supply of cold water, a little cordial in both when made (lemon is flavour of the week) and I am sorted.

is it so difficult to plan ahead?

That is a rhetorical question by the way, otherwise there would be no need for this thread!

 

[Charlie2555]

It's a little surprising that they're encouraging passengers to bring water with them, rather than suggesting they buy water on the train? But then, thinking about it, does the money from the trolley actually go to the TOC or does it go to Rail Gourmet or whatever they're called?

 

[RichmondCommu]

I actually take 2 bottles with me, 1 with cold water in and the other which was filled the night before and put in the freezer overnight, result is I have at least a 4 hour supply of cold water, a little cordial in both when made (lemon is flavour of the week) and I am sorted.

is it so difficult to plan ahead?

That is a rhetorical question by the way, otherwise there would be no need for this thread!

Agreed! I have an advantage over you in that we have water coolers at work so I only need water for my commute. I can understand people perhaps being caught out on the first day of the hot spell but after that there are no excuses!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's a little surprising that they're encouraging passengers to bring water with them, rather than suggesting they buy water on the train? But then, thinking about it, does the money from the trolley actually go to the TOC or does it go to Rail Gourmet or whatever they're called?

On many journeys in Waterloo during the peak there isn't the space for a trolley to get down the train even if there was one. And of course many services don't have a trolley service let alone the good old fashioned buffet car.

 

[Chrisgr31]

A lot of TOCs have started making it to prevent the normal delays this time of year, especially in rush hour, due to people passing out on trains due to heat/dehydration.

Not sure if its worked but normally when it gets hot like this we have a string of delays nor ally caused by female passengers it seems who get straight out of bed, no breakfast, nothing to drink, grab a coffee at the station, run into the train and then wonder why they feel faint and pass out delaying the rest of the rush hour.

(I'm not stereotyping but all the instances of this I have know have been women!)

6 months or so ago standing at Crowborough station waiting for the 7.20 train, just as it arrives, a friend turns to be and he says "I dont feel well" before passing out and collapsing on to the platform. As his friends we were all concerned.

As we are at the end of the 6th carriage the conductor is there and she calls the ambulance. The guy in the ticket office turns up with a duvet and agrees with the conductor that he'll wait with the casualty, so the conductor says in that case she'll take the train on to London.

We instantly desert our friend and clamber aboard!

The next day we discover it took over an hour for an ambulance (well actually a paramedic car) to get to the station, the paramedic had phoned the conductor on the train to ask where the station was (to get the response I don't know the train tracks take me there), and therefore had to stop with blue lights flashing to ask a pedestrian where the station was!

We also found that our friend had not had any breakfast but a hot cup of tea and a ciggie which didnt go with the cold weather! Needless to say he now has breakfast!

 

[philjo]

FCC sometimes use a prerecorded message that plays at intervals between the other announcements during hot weather reminding passengers to carry water with them.
I saw a similar message displaying on the departure screens this morning at GN stations.