On Jul 9, 6:49 pm, "Paul Scott"
wrote:
"alex_t" wrote in message

ups.com...





I think London Underground is the only major underground system in the
world that actually tells passengers when their service is good
(probably to celebrate this rate occasion?).
Today at Stratford station I heard an expanded version - "Ladies and
gentleman! There is a good service on the Central line from this
station. I repeat, there is a good service on the Central line". Now
aside from the questionable need for such announcement at all I see at
least three unneeded parts in the announcement:
1. "Ladies and gentleman" (pretending to be polite is even worse then
being impolite)
2. "from this station" (because, God forbid, there will be no Central
line service from all other stations???)
3. "I repeat, there is a good service on the Central line" (is there
any need to repeat that???)

And don't get me started on the constant announcements for the stupid:
"Ladies and gentleman! Be careful when using the platforms of the
Stratford station today - the floors has become slippery. This is due
to adverse weather conditions." ("adverse weather conditions" - wtf?
was it hard to say that it is raining???)
"Ladies and gentleman! Be careful when using the stairs and platforms
on the Docklands Light Railway. Take special care of the
children." (aka "watch your steps"?)

And more from the status updates:
"Ladies and gentleman! This is your status update from the control
room at Liverpool Street. We have a good service on all underground
lines. There are no reported station closures." (I don't care where
this update comes from - this is not a radio station, dammit! And if
there is not closed stations, or if the service is fine - then there
is no need to say anything!)

The DLR scrolling announcements are even funnier: for more then a year
now they constantly show the message that "No lift service at
Shadwell". I'm sure that 99,9% of DLR passengers never used this lift
and would prefer to see the time when their train will arrive instead!
It is actually hard to see between constant reminders to change at
Poplar for other destinations (don't the already have the signs and
the maps to show this?) or keep my belongings with me at all times.

I remember not so long ago when the bottom line of those platform indicators
on the main lines used to helpfully alternate between the destination of the
2nd and 3rd trains to arrive. Now they seem to alternate between the No
Smoking or else, and Fast Trains regularly pass this platform. Progress?

Paul-


The other day, all the platform indicators on the Lewisham extension
of the DLR were continuously scrolling with information about a
service disruption at the far end of the Beckton branch, and nothing
else.

It's possible that some people were planning to continue their journey
in that direction, but very likely to be a minority, and even they
might have liked some information about the time and destination of
trains approaching the station they were currently waiting at.