Passing through Ruislip the other day I noticed a guy sitting in a ticket
collectors' booth on the opposite platform from the station exit. I've seen
someone manning it twice now, and thought it odd because there is no exit on
that side of the station, you have to cross the footbridge. I looked at the
booth this morning, and it has signs on top saying "Assistance" and "Way Out"
but there is no way out, I checked. Nor is it a place like Rayners Lane where
people change trains, so I would not have thought there was any special need
for an assistance point. Could be the guy is doing a sort of sentry duty
occasionally to keep an eye on schoolkids etc, but I wouldn't have expected the
ticket booth to have been put there just for that . . . Next time I see him if
I'm not in a rush I'll ask!