On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 15:56:57 -0700, Louis Krupp wrote:

I also recall the time (I don't remember the year) when I went to a
ticket window at Glasgow Central, asked about a train to Glasgow, and
was told the next one would leave in a couple of hours. So I waited. I
learned about the 15-minute walk to Glasgow Queen Street on a later trip.


Hello Louis

I used to work as a ticket collector on London Underground, and one thing I
noticed about visitors from north America is that they would often truncate
the station name they wanted directions for. So for example, they often
asked me for the way to "Liverpool".

After a while you realise they mean the tube station "Liverpool Street",
but "Liverpool" is a large city in northwest England, so the question is a
bit ambiguous. I mean, you're doing it yourself there, by saying you were
asking the way to "Glasgow", when what I presume you meant was "Glasgow
Queen Street" It would be good if visitors from the US and Canada could
be encouraged to use the full names of the stations they want to go to.

I'm surprised about your experience in Glasgow though. That must just have
been bad luck, because I go up there often and my experience is that people
in Glasgow are generally very helpful and honest.
--
Cliff Laine, The Old Lard Factory, Lancaster http://www.loobynet.com
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