On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, Martin Underwood wrote:

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, Kippo Oppik wrote:

What is the rational behind passengers asking staff "how long are the
delays?" after hearing a public address announcement stating that the
train service is delayed.

Er, could it perhaps be because they'd like to know how long the delays
are?

I agree with Tom: it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask, because
passengers want to know when they'll get home etc.

Or they may want to re-route. For example, i go from Liverpool Street to
the vicinity of Euston Square (ie UCL) every morning, and i usually do it
by circle/H+C/met, but if they're delayed, i can go to Tottenham Court
Road by central line and walk the rest of the way. If the delay is 5 mins,
it's quicker to wait, but if it's 30 mins, it's quicker to go by the
backup route; hence, i ask.

The supplementary question which staff should anticipate for very long
delays is "what alternative travel arrangements (eg buses, taxis) will
you be organising?"

That's an interesting one. Every time i've been on a train which has been
severely late or similar *outside London*, the TOC has arranged taxis etc
for the passengers. Inside London, it seems to be every man for himself -
when i recently got on a train which i thought was going home, but which
decided to wander off towards Stratford and then up the east side of the
Lea Valley, making its first stop at Seven Sisters, leaving me miles from
anywhere useful, there wasn't even someone about to give advice, let alone
transport to finish the trip. It's a similar story for the train going
home which just forgot to stop - all off at Tottenham Hale and work the
rest out for yourself. I suppose it's because London has a pretty decent
transport network, whereas the situations i've been in in the provinces
would have resulted in people being stuck in Birmingham or somewhere
similarly unimaginable. Anyway, mustn't grumble.

tom

--
Biochemistry is the study of carbon compounds that wriggle.