Used the tube for the first time in ages yesterday. Met to Finchley Road
fine; Jubilee platform indicators showed all trains going to Canary Wharf.
Train itself said Stratford on the internal signs. Obviously anyone wanting
to go to Stratford would have been better off changing at Bond St to the
Central, but no info given by the driver. Get off at Bond St (my
destination). Very muffled station announcement as I went up the escalator
that no Jubilee trains were going beyond Canary Wharf.

What is it about LU that makes it so unbelievably poor at communicating?

In article ,
Orienteer wrote:
E Obviously anyone wanting
to go to Stratford would have been better off changing at Bond St to the
Central, but no info given by the driver.

Not necessarily: if you have a seat on the Jubilee train, think you
won't on the central line, and aren't in a hurry, then it might be
better to sit in comfort that crowd in like a sardine.

It's not hypothetical, either: I regularly make longer journeys
than I need to because they'll be more comfy.

"Orienteer" wrote the following in:

[Jubilee terminating at Canary Wharf]

Obviously anyone wanting to go to Stratford would have been
better off changing at Bond St to the Central, but no info given
by the driver.

Err, what about changing at Canary Wharf for DLR to Stratford? Why
unecessarily increase passeneger numbers on the Central line through
the middle of London? Also, for passengers wanting North Greenwich,
Canning Town or Stratford, changing at Bond Street would be rather
pointless.

Get off at Bond St (my destination). Very muffled
station announcement as I went up the escalator that no Jubilee
trains were going beyond Canary Wharf.

What is it about LU that makes it so unbelievably poor at
communicating?

Err? You knew exactly what was going on and yet you're saying it's poor
communication simply because the train driver didn't give passengers
the rather dubious travel advice you'd have given them?

--
message by Robin May, founder of International Boyism
"Would Inspector Sands please go to the Operations Room immediately."

Unofficially immune to hangovers.

On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 10:00:44 GMT, "Orienteer"
wrote:
Used the tube for the first time in ages yesterday. Met to Finchley Road
fine; Jubilee platform indicators showed all trains going to Canary Wharf.
Train itself said Stratford on the internal signs. Obviously anyone wanting
to go to Stratford would have been better off changing at Bond St to the
Central, but no info given by the driver.

a) Aren't people big enough to find their own way round the network?
b) I don't think in a similar situation I would have changed to the
Central. A ride round on the Jubilee (especially if I had a seat, as
stated by other posters) and a change to DLR would be better.

Sam
--
Sam Holloway, Cambridge
www.samholloway.co.uk

In message , Sam Holloway
writes
a) Aren't people big enough to find their own way round the network?

Not if your a visitor to London. Or don't use the tube that often.
Just because you know the network doesn't mean everyone else does.
Im asked questions so often about lines and how to get places when Im
travelling that Im thinking of buying a blue hat and blue shirt and
charging for the information.
--
CJG

Sam Holloway wrote:
On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 10:00:44 GMT, "Orienteer"
wrote:
Used the tube for the first time in ages yesterday. Met to Finchley
Road fine; Jubilee platform indicators showed all trains going to
Canary Wharf. Train itself said Stratford on the internal signs.
Obviously anyone wanting to go to Stratford would have been better
off changing at Bond St to the Central, but no info given by the
driver.

a) Aren't people big enough to find their own way round the network?

Many aren't. I suggest you spend a moment considering why your particular
academic background (same university and courses as me, as it happens) means
that you find such a task easier than some others do.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"Richard J." wrote the following in:


Many aren't. I suggest you spend a moment considering why your
particular academic background (same university and courses as me,
as it happens) means that you find such a task easier than some
others do.

Everyone hears about Oxbridge elitism but honestly, this is ridiculous.
You do not need to go to Cambridge to understand a tube map. In fact if
you're from a poor area like Stratford you're more likely to have to
use public transport and so if anything more likely to know your way
around the system.

--
message by Robin May, founder of International Boyism
"Would Inspector Sands please go to the Operations Room immediately."

Unofficially immune to hangovers.

In message , Richard J.
writes
All I'm saying is that if you've managed to get to (any) university,
obtained a good maths degree and then a post-graduate computer science
qualification, you are very likely to have the sort of mind that will
cope easily with the problem of an unplanned diversion on a journey in
an unfamiliar network.

Its funny I use to work with a load of people with degree's. And taking
the hard route with no education and working my way up I got up to their
level and beyond. And when I got there I realised that I was far more
intelligent and knowledgeable than the rest of them. And then I realised
the horror that a certain amount of people in offices with degree's
don't have common sense. . Your find these the kind of people doing
stupid stuff like trying to get on the train before anyone can get off,
and come through the entrance to the platform and wait for the train
right by the entrance causing everyone else having to squeeze by.
I think the only people who truly understand the tube map are ones with
a bit of common sense. And I can guarantee you with experience that a
maths degree or computer science degree doesn't not guarantee you the
person has common sense.
--
CJG

On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 00:55:26 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:
All I'm saying is that if you've managed to get to (any) university,
obtained a good maths degree and then a post-graduate computer science
qualification, you are very likely to have the sort of mind that will cope
easily with the problem of an unplanned diversion on a journey in an
unfamiliar network. But you shouldn't assume that everyone else is "big
enough to find their own way round the network", as Sam put it, because we
know that for all sorts of reasons people do get lost and/or need guidance.

Yeah, fair point, especially from the point of view of a visitor to
London. I think once you've used the system a few times to do a
standard journey, your ability to work out new routes and look at the
map to plan diversions probably gets better. If you're not used to
such systems and something goes wrong on your first trip, mmm, it
could be quite daunting.

There are probably two parts to this : using a map to find a route,
and then actually going along this route changing at stations, finding
platforms and so on. I know it's a fact of life, but I do find it hard
to believe when people can't do the first part of this (there's A,
there's B, move your finger along the map - it might not be the best
route but it works). Not being able to do the second part is
completely understandable - I've been on foreign metro/rail/bus/road
systems and a lack of local knowledge has been a problem.

Sam
--
Sam Holloway, Cambridge
www.samholloway.co.uk

Hi,
Here in Germany they refer to "The light's on, but there's nobody home!"