In uk.transport.london message N5adnSsOEN32if7RnZ2dnUVZ7qednZ2d@giganew
s.com, Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:21:47,
posted:


Maybe there are more hotels in Cambridge than Thurso. I don't know.
Where is Cambridge anyway?

It must be very near Kings Cross. ;-)

As little as 45 minutes, in fact.

For those who only want to come from or go to the region of Cambridge
Station; Cambridge itself is significantly further in time.

--
(c) John Stockton, nr London, UK. Turnpike v6.05 IE 7.
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.
Command-prompt MiniTrue is useful for viewing/searching/altering files. Free,
DOS/Win/UNIX now 2.0.6; see URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/pc-links.htm.

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010, Bruce wrote:

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:37:56 -0700 (PDT), bob
wrote:

snip copious twaddle

Well the BVMT are welcome to use the BTHW, it leaves more room for the
real tourists in the real hotels. Please mind the BAAT.

Your Asperger's is showing. ;-)

Oh, shame, it's likely to bolt now. In this sort of weather, you could
kill two birds with one stone by popping some agricultural fleece over it.

tom

--
Wikipedia topics: lists of trains, Mortal Kombat characters, one-time
villains from Mario games, road intersections, boring suburban schools,
garage bands, cats, webcomics, Digimon, Bionicle characters, webforums,
characters from English soap operas, and Mortal Kombat characters that
don't exist -- Uncyclopedia

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010, Mizter T wrote:

On Aug 12, 6:08*pm, Graeme wrote:

1506 wrote:
[snip]
Decent people do not mock the afflicted. *In point of fact asperger's
is a gift as much as it=92s an affliction. *The ability to focus in a
very narrow to the exclusion of outside data can at times be very
useful.

Aspergers is not Autism, though they are in the same spectrum of mental
conditions.

You haven't come across the recent debate about a proposed change in a
new edition some very influential American medical or mental health
text book

Presumably DSM-5:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnos...al_Disord ers

- AIUI the notion is that Asperger's would no longer be separately
classified, instead it would just be at one end of the autism spectrum.

It's been thought of that way for many years, so a change in exactly what
the Dewey decimal number or whatever for it is doesn't seem like a hugely
controversial change.

Interesting debate ensues - one school of thought in the medico-mental
health world seem to consider this to be logical, honest and in line
with the evidence that it's all just a spectrum of the same thing,
whilst others - some campaigners and the like - were/are wary of
reclassification, the thinking being that the term Asperger's has
broadly been successfully de-stigmatised in the mind of society at large
(which in turn has encouraged people to seek help who otherwise wouldn't
have done so), and that 'abolishing' Asperger's and lumping it all in
with autism would be a backward step in this. At least, that's my
understanding of the debate.

Until you put it like that! People in the US seem to have an amazing
talent to get phenomenally wound up about things.

tom

--
Wikipedia topics: lists of trains, Mortal Kombat characters, one-time
villains from Mario games, road intersections, boring suburban schools,
garage bands, cats, webcomics, Digimon, Bionicle characters, webforums,
characters from English soap operas, and Mortal Kombat characters that
don't exist -- Uncyclopedia

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010, Bruce wrote:

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:42:00 +0100, "Recliner"
wrote:
"Bruce" wrote in message

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:33:21 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:
On Aug 11, 11:06 pm, Neil Williams
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:45:20 +0100, Arthur Figgis
wrote:
If you are at King's Cross, the [well known UK city of] Cambridge
might be quicker to get to by train than parts of Greater London.

I've often made the point that, depending on where you're going to
exactly, a commute to London from Milton Keynes or even Rugby may be
quicker than one from somewhere within the Travelcard zones.

Just don't tell Michael Bell that - he seems to think you can get
from anywhere to anywhere in (Greater) London in less than an hour.

In Ringby, it will only take twenty/ten/five/two minutes.

And now he knows that 30 trains per hour is possible, no doubt this will
be the service frequency on the Ringby Circle Line.

Given that these trains will be double deckers with 3+3 seating,
RingbyRail would have to employ Japanese-style "pushers" on the
platforms to make sure that the passengers don't dawdle when boarding
or alighting from the trains.

Perhaps the trains could be equipped with arrival and departure 'pods'
in which passengers would wait (1) at the stations to board, and
(2) on the trains to alight. The pods could be swapped while the
train speeds through the station using similar principles to the
former Travelling Post Offices when picking up and setting down mail
bags while on the move.

Obviously the speed of the train would need to be reduced to ensure
that passengers' internal organs were not ruptured during the pod
exchange, but there would still be a considerable saving in time
compared to having the trains stop.

Well OBVIOUSLY the solution is that the trains maintain a constant speed
through the stations, but that the pods accelerate and decelerate out of
and into them. For trains travelling at 100 mph, pods changing speed at a
comfortable 1 m/s^2 would take a touch under 45 seconds to go between
moving and stationary in either direction, covering a cubit and a half
less than a kilometre in doing so. So, allow about a mile of podway on
either side of the station, and everyone will enjoy optimum travel time.

tom

--
Wikipedia topics: lists of trains, Mortal Kombat characters, one-time
villains from Mario games, road intersections, boring suburban schools,
garage bands, cats, webcomics, Digimon, Bionicle characters, webforums,
characters from English soap operas, and Mortal Kombat characters that
don't exist -- Uncyclopedia

On Aug 12, 8:34*pm, Tom Anderson wrote:

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010, Mizter T wrote:

On Aug 12, 6:08*pm, Graeme wrote:
[snip]
Aspergers is not Autism, though they are in the same spectrum of mental
conditions.

You haven't come across the recent debate about a proposed change in a
new edition some very influential American medical or mental health
text book

Presumably DSM-5:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnos...al_Disord ers

That's the one, yes. My google-fu was weak today.

It is apparently very influential in the realm of the mental health
profession, in the US obviously but also worldwide where the ideas
trickle (or wash) across.


- AIUI the notion is that Asperger's would no longer be separately
classified, instead it would just be at one end of the autism spectrum.

It's been thought of that way for many years, so a change in exactly what
the Dewey decimal number or whatever for it is doesn't seem like a hugely
controversial change.

Interesting debate ensues - one school of thought in the medico-mental
health world seem to consider this to be logical, honest and in line
with the evidence that it's all just a spectrum of the same thing,
whilst others - some campaigners and the like - were/are wary of
reclassification, the thinking being that the term Asperger's has
broadly been successfully de-stigmatised in the mind of society at large
(which in turn has encouraged people to seek help who otherwise wouldn't
have done so), and that 'abolishing' Asperger's and lumping it all in
with autism would be a backward step in this. At least, that's my
understanding of the debate.

Until you put it like that! People in the US seem to have an amazing
talent to get phenomenally wound up about things.

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:02:07 +0100, Bruce
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:42:40 +0100, Neil Williams
wrote:
On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:26:19 -0700 (PDT), Neal
wrote:

I personally think it should be branded as part of and integrated
into the Crossrail system rather than 'Thameslink' so that we move to
a more Paris style - Metro / RER (Tube / Crossrail).

I suppose that fits with the branding, as Crossrail would then have a
network in the shape of a cross.


Or, you could call Thameslink "First Capital Connect" and Crossrail
"Second Capital Connect".

The Chelsea-Hackney route would be "Third Capital Connect".

;-)

God help us if First retain FCC or worse gain the Crossrail
franchise.

I can think of worse. National Express, for example.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:51:09 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Bruce wrote:

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:42:40 +0100, Neil Williams
wrote:
On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:26:19 -0700 (PDT), Neal
wrote:

I personally think it should be branded as part of and integrated into
the Crossrail system rather than 'Thameslink' so that we move to a
more Paris style - Metro / RER (Tube / Crossrail).

I suppose that fits with the branding, as Crossrail would then have a
network in the shape of a cross.

Or, you could call Thameslink "First Capital Connect" and Crossrail
"Second Capital Connect".

The Chelsea-Hackney route would be "Third Capital Connect".

Or, if it ends up being built to tube gauge, First Lowercase Connect.

No, it would have to be First lowercase Connect.

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:56:21 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010, Bruce wrote:
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:42:00 +0100, "Recliner"
wrote:
And now he knows that 30 trains per hour is possible, no doubt this will
be the service frequency on the Ringby Circle Line.

Given that these trains will be double deckers with 3+3 seating,
RingbyRail would have to employ Japanese-style "pushers" on the
platforms to make sure that the passengers don't dawdle when boarding
or alighting from the trains.

Perhaps the trains could be equipped with arrival and departure 'pods'
in which passengers would wait (1) at the stations to board, and
(2) on the trains to alight. The pods could be swapped while the
train speeds through the station using similar principles to the
former Travelling Post Offices when picking up and setting down mail
bags while on the move.

Obviously the speed of the train would need to be reduced to ensure
that passengers' internal organs were not ruptured during the pod
exchange, but there would still be a considerable saving in time
compared to having the trains stop.

Well OBVIOUSLY the solution is that the trains maintain a constant speed
through the stations, but that the pods accelerate and decelerate out of
and into them. For trains travelling at 100 mph, pods changing speed at a
comfortable 1 m/s^2 would take a touch under 45 seconds to go between
moving and stationary in either direction, covering a cubit and a half
less than a kilometre in doing so. So, allow about a mile of podway on
either side of the station, and everyone will enjoy optimum travel time.


Sorted!

But we need a snappier name for these pods. Given that they are
effectively coaches that slip on and off a moving train, I suggest we
call the pods "slip coaches". Very 21st century, don't you think?

In message
Mizter T wrote:


On Aug 12, 6:08*pm, Graeme wrote:

1506 wrote:
[snip]
Decent people do not mock the afflicted. *In point of fact asperger's
is a gift as much as it=92s an affliction. *The ability to focus in a
very narrow to the exclusion of outside data can at times be very
useful.

Aspergers is not Autism, though they are in the same spectrum of mental
conditions.

You haven't come across the recent debate about a proposed change in a
new edition some very influential American medical or mental health
text book - AIUI the notion is that Asperger's would no longer be
separately classified, instead it would just be at one end of the
autism spectrum.

Yes I have, I've also had my ear bashed comprehensively by various interested
parties about why that shouldn't hasppen.


Interesting debate ensues - one school of thought in the medico-mental
health world seem to consider this to be logical, honest and in line
with the evidence that it's all just a spectrum of the same thing,
whilst others - some campaigners and the like - were/are wary of
reclassification, the thinking being that the term Asperger's has
broadly been successfully de-stigmatised in the mind of society at
large (which in turn has encouraged people to seek help who otherwise
wouldn't have done so), and that 'abolishing' Asperger's and lumping
it all in with autism would be a backward step in this. At least,
that's my understanding of the debate.

That's the meat of it.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:37:56 -0700 (PDT), bob
wrote:

On 12 Aug, 09:26, Bruce wrote:
On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:48:22 -0700 (PDT), Andrew H

wrote:
Now that Oyster Pay as you Go is valid on National Rail (although it
may already have been valid on Thameslink? but was all a bit vague and
confusing), I used the Thameslink route for the first time this year,
and realised that once Blackfriars south bank entrance is open, it
will be a handy link straight to the south bank and the popular thames
walkway/London Eye/Tate Modern/Millennium Bridge etc. At off peak
times a more comfortable journey than using the Northern line from
Euston.

It will be a very long walk from Thameslink's Blackfriars southern
exit to the London Eye. *I doubt that even 1% of tourists would
consider it.

You're right. Walking along a famous river through the centre of a
world famous city

They've dug out the Houndsditch ? That's going to mess up the traffic
a bit, isn't it ?

so that you can look at the sights and be outside in
the fresh air is not something any tourist would do. The BVMT[1] will
all cram themselves onto the Underground with all the commuters and
business people instead. Because that lets you take down the train
numbers. Oh no, that's only something the BAATs[2] do.

As it happens, when I was last showing round some real tourists in
London, walking along the Thames to get from one tourist site to
another was something they explicitly asked to do, and rejected out of
hand my suggestion that it might be quicker to use public transport.
But then none of the tourists I have ever shown round is a BVMT, I
suppose.

As so often on uk.railway, posters only consider their own personal
situation and seem to lack any ability to give a moment's thought to
what most normal people would want, and do.

Right, so because the real tourists I have met (visiting friends and
family), who do not share the tastes of the BVMT don't count.
Presumably because you take me to be a BAAT, so that my real world
observations don't count. Nothing like an ad hominem arguement to
help prove your point.

The vast majority of tourists would find staying in the thoroughly
seedy Kings Cross area quite repugnant. *If anything is going to put
them off returning to London, that's it. *

The situation may well improve over the next few years as the new
Kings Cross and St Pancras International is completed (the hotel is
still under construction) and the area is cleaned up. *But for the
time being, it is a particularly unpleasant place to be.

Hang on, are you suggesting there might be a hotel in the area? But
in just the other post you explained to me that there was no demand
for hotels in the area, because the BVMT all stay in BTHW[3].

When exactly was the last time you visited King's Cross? Of course
you can't get there, can you, because it's impossible to get from
Waterloo to King's Cross. That's why any BVMT who might have used
Eurostar *all* use Heathrow now (they can't use Gawtwick, as we have
already "established" that no tourist could ever possibly want to use
Thameslink). The area is alreay much improved over its one time
status, and is now reasonably pleasant (especially the area to the
south of Euston Road where all the made-up hotels with fictitious
tourists staying in them are).

So for some years hence, the vast majority of people who come to
London will still find accommodation among the thousands of hotels
that are to be found to the west, and of which trainspotters seem
completely unaware. *Perhaps I should not be so surprised that
trainspotters are so out of touch with normal people - it's the nature
of the hobby, I suppose, and its close connection with autism.

Well the BVMT are welcome to use the BTHW, it leaves more room for the
real tourists in the real hotels. Please mind the BAAT.

[1] Bruce's Vast Majority of Tourists
[2] Bruce's Army of Autistic Trainspotters
[3] Bruce's Thousands of Hotels in the West

Robin