"How long are the delays?"
 

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.

I mean, if you think about it, the question just doesn't make any sense. The
amount of times I have been sarcastically informed by a passenger that I am
'very helpful' because I can't tell them how long they are likely to be
"delayed" just beggars belief.

"How long are the delays?"
 

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? And they think that LU staff might know? I generally ask station
staff if there are notices of delays, and often get a useful answer.

I mean, if you think about it, the question just doesn't make any sense.

It makes perfect sense.

The amount of times I have been sarcastically informed by a passenger
that I am 'very helpful' because I can't tell them how long they are
likely to be "delayed" just beggars belief.

I'm sorry to hear that; that's just rude.

tom

--
All we need now is a little energon and a lotta luck

"How long are the delays?"
 

"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? And they think that LU staff might know? I generally ask station
staff if there are notices of delays, and often get a useful answer.

I mean, if you think about it, the question just doesn't make any sense.

It makes perfect sense.

The amount of times I have been sarcastically informed by a passenger
that I am 'very helpful' because I can't tell them how long they are
likely to be "delayed" just beggars belief.

I'm sorry to hear that; that's just rude.

I agree with Tom: it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask, because
passengers want to know when they'll get home etc. Now the answer may be
"indefinitely" if the line is blocked and nothing's getting through, or it
may be "half an hour" if traffic is still getting through but is delayed by
speed restrictions or because they've lost their proper path. And the
information should ideally be updated every few minutes over the PA. The
supplementary question which staff should anticipate for very long delays is
"what alternative travel arrangements (eg buses, taxis) will you be
organising?" The only time that I suffered a very long delay was at
Guildford after arriving back from Portsmouth and each half-hourly service
to Reading was cancelled, but only five minutes before it was supposed to
depart. After 90 minutes of this, people were getting a bit ****ed-off. The
staff were very helpful and offered to arrange taxis to local places (eg
Bracknell in my case) if either the next Reading train or the next Ascot via
Aldershot train were to be cancelled. Fortunately, an ageing DMU turned up
to form the next Reading service.

"How long are the delays?"
 

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.