Who do you believe?

[dcd]

Who do you believe yourself or the guard?

On a SWT London to Weymouth 10 car that splits at Bournemouth. At all stations announcement to be in first 5 coaches for Weymouth. Then the guard comes on PA and announces that if you can hear this announcement you need to move the the front of the train. Unfortunately he'd announced it to the wrong half of the train. You may be surprised to know how many people in the first 5 coaches decided they were in the wrong place and got up and tried to find the front 5 coaches.

About half of them.

 

[michael769]

It does not surprise me at all.

The vast majority of people are not rail enthsiasts and have little idea how the railway works. If someone in authority tells them they are in the wrong carriage why would they not believe that for all they know another 5 cars could just have coupled onto the front!

The only reason only half tried to move is that regular travellers tend to know the score about their individual journeys are are more likely to realise what is going on.

 

[deltic1989]

On a service I don't know I tend to trust that the guard knows what they're doing and giving the correct information. But guards are human beings like us thus perfectly capable of making mistakes.

 

[SS4]

It's understandable and sitting in my comfortable armchair at home I'd say I'd believe my gut instinct that I was in the correct portion of the train.

However, out in the real world I wouldn't be so sure, especially in an area I am unfamiliar with