On Nov 23, 3:21*pm, Fat richard wrote:
On Nov 23, 8:06*am, MIG wrote:

On good form today with reports of South Eastern services suspended
between Shepherds Bush and Milton Keynes.

If you will indulge me, I will rewind a bit back to the beginning.

snip interesting explanation of how the chain becomes broken just to
stop this being too long

I was in a hurry, but to put it into context ...

I was listening to a news report (TV in fact) and I heard "Major
disruption ... South Eastern ..."

I was already cursing before I cottoned on that this was, in fact, a
story about disruption on the WCML (or perhaps that's not a story any
more).

I was not taking the PIS out of them getting the TOC wrong, because
I'm all in favour of not even advertising the TOC.

And I'm not criticising those in the chain that got broken. I am
critisicing people in a local newsroom who seem to have bugger all to
do except read out sixty seconds of the same script every half hour
and don't seem to give a sh*t that the script is nonsense with respect
to a local area that they are supposed to know about.

This time, I think they started getting the TOC right after an hour
and a half, but still didn't bill it as a story about the WCML.

On Nov 23, 6:00*pm, MIG wrote:
On Nov 23, 3:21*pm, Fat richard wrote:

On Nov 23, 8:06*am, MIG wrote:

On good form today with reports of South Eastern services suspended
between Shepherds Bush and Milton Keynes.

If you will indulge me, I will rewind a bit back to the beginning.

snip interesting explanation of how the chain becomes broken just to
stop this being too long

I was in a hurry, but to put it into context ...

I was listening to a news report (TV in fact) and I heard "Major
disruption ... South Eastern ..."

I was already cursing before I cottoned on that this was, in fact, a
story about disruption on the WCML (or perhaps that's not a story any
more).

I was not taking the PIS out of them getting the TOC wrong, because
I'm all in favour of not even advertising the TOC.

And I'm not criticising those in the chain that got broken. *I am
critisicing people in a local newsroom who seem to have bugger all to
do except read out sixty seconds of the same script every half hour
and don't seem to give a sh*t that the script is nonsense with respect
to a local area that they are supposed to know about.

This time, I think they started getting the TOC right after an hour
and a half, but still didn't bill it as a story about the WCML.

I appreciated that you was just stating the obvious from the outset
and the chain is often broken at then end where the names of TOCs and
locations involved tend to be unknown by the pretty face / voice.
Their lack of knowledge of the system is, to be honest, undertsandable
as they tend to be the journos at the star of the process to becoming
a top flight presenter with brains, that said the appalling offerings
on Skys rolling news does not instill confidence that the (w)anchors
have a clue what they are "on about".



Richard

Fat richard wrote:

I appreciated that you was just stating the obvious from the outset
and the chain is often broken at then end where the names of TOCs and
locations involved tend to be unknown by the pretty face / voice.
Their lack of knowledge of the system is, to be honest, undertsandable
as they tend to be the journos at the star of the process to becoming
a top flight presenter with brains, that said the appalling offerings
on Skys rolling news does not instill confidence that the (w)anchors
have a clue what they are "on about".


I think the Sky News anchors/presenters are probably chosen to be less
than totally bright in order not to make the channel's target audience
feel that they are being talked down to.

On Nov 23, 10:13*pm, Bruce wrote:

Fat richard wrote:

I appreciated that you was just stating the obvious from the outset
and the chain is often broken at then end where the names of TOCs and
locations involved tend to be unknown by the pretty face / voice.
Their lack of knowledge of the system is, to be honest, undertsandable
as they tend to be the journos at the star of the process to becoming
a top flight presenter with brains, that said the appalling offerings
on Skys rolling news does not instill confidence that the (w)anchors
have a clue what they are "on about".

I think the Sky News anchors/presenters are probably chosen to be less
than totally bright in order not to make the channel's target audience
feel that they are being talked down to.

Kay Burley... shudder!

On Nov 23, 6:06*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:06:38 -0800 (PST), MIG

wrote:
On good form today with reports of South Eastern services suspended
between Shepherds Bush and Milton Keynes.

Their willingness to repeat nonsense for bulletin after bulletin is
often less obviously workable out than that one, like the time that
they kept announcing that services on the "Lewisham line" were being
diverted, when they meant that services between Dartford and Lewisham
via Bexleyheath were being diverted via Sidcup (rather important for
punters to know that they were NOT going via Bexleyheath, but WERE
going via Lewisham).

They do this sort of thing over and over. *The newsreaders just keep
on dumbly reading it out every half hour. *You'd think that the London
travel newsroom would have some vague idea about transport in London.

While I understand the point you make I think you have unrealistic
expectations. I think, but am happy to be corrected, that the BBC simply
gets a feed from the respective websites for NR and TfL plus whatever is
reported for roads. The terminology that they use is just about
identical to whatever is shown on digital teletext which usually aligns
with web info. *If the source info is poorly described in terms of
location, impact and expected duration then that will simply be
repeated.

I don't think television news broadcasters are expected to add anything
to "official" information. I would imagine their response to you would
be - "we get the info from an official source. Surely it is their
responsibility to provide accurate and coherent info to the public?
They *do* *know* what is going on on their railway or road don't they?"

Not ideal I accept but would you really want artistic licence sprinkled
on top of your morning transport information?

--
Paul C

No, but maybe someone in the newsroom on seeing that the bulletin was
nonsense might have made the odd phone call or something to find out
what was really happening.

Or if they really can't even do that, why bother at all?

On Nov 23, 7:23*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:10:12 -0800 (PST), MIG

wrote:
On Nov 23, 6:06*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
Not ideal I accept but would you really want artistic licence sprinkled
on top of your morning transport information?
No, but maybe someone in the newsroom on seeing that the bulletin was
nonsense might have made the odd phone call or something to find out
what was really happening.

They only relay what they are told. *I would be surprised if the people
in the newsroom had any real clue what TOC ran where or in this case
that two TOCs run over a stretch of line in West London and that one of
the services could be affected by a problem at Watford. *There might be
some BBC employees who know because they use the service to Shepherds
Bush but I suspect their ability to inform the newsroom is rather
limited.

Or if they really can't even do that, why bother at all?

There will be many occasions when the information is perfectly fine
because the source info is fine. Therefore people will find the info
helpful. That's probably sufficient reason. I recognise that the real
world situation changes faster than the telly can but I am grateful that
I can see something on the telly as I get ready to head out rather than
having to switch my PC on and wait for it to warm up, get connected to
the net etc etc and then have to switch it all off again.
--
Paul C

In this case I was only listening to the TV because I was making
myself late by trying to get my PC to do something it was having a
problem with ... but didn't affect my ability to post through Google.
It should really have been off by then.

I nearly didn't listen after the "major disruption ... South Eastern"
part of the report. If I'd been using the WCML today I might have
been peeved that the real problem wasn't highlighted.

On Nov 23, 10:31*pm, MIG wrote:

On Nov 23, 7:23*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:10:12 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

On Nov 23, 6:06*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

Not ideal I accept but would you really want artistic licence sprinkled
on top of your morning transport information?

No, but maybe someone in the newsroom on seeing that the bulletin was
nonsense might have made the odd phone call or something to find out
what was really happening.

They only relay what they are told. *I would be surprised if the people
in the newsroom had any real clue what TOC ran where or in this case
that two TOCs run over a stretch of line in West London and that one of
the services could be affected by a problem at Watford. *There might be
some BBC employees who know because they use the service to Shepherds
Bush but I suspect their ability to inform the newsroom is rather
limited.

Or if they really can't even do that, why bother at all?

There will be many occasions when the information is perfectly fine
because the source info is fine. Therefore people will find the info
helpful. That's probably sufficient reason. I recognise that the real
world situation changes faster than the telly can but I am grateful that
I can see something on the telly as I get ready to head out rather than
having to switch my PC on and wait for it to warm up, get connected to
the net etc etc and then have to switch it all off again.

In this case I was only listening to the TV because I was making
myself late by trying to get my PC to do something it was having a
problem with ... but didn't affect my ability to post through Google.
It should really have been off by then.

I nearly didn't listen after the "major disruption ... South Eastern"
part of the report. *If I'd been using the WCML today I might have
been peeved that the real problem wasn't highlighted.

OK, well put like that your gripe does make more sense -
(a) your ears pricked up a little on hearing "major disruption ...
South Eastern" - when of course we know that SE had nowt to do with
it, and
(b) there was wider disruption on the WCML, of which the disruption to
Southern services from the WLL up to MKC was only a part (just how
disruptive was this disruption at Watford Junction?).


Perhaps I should go and get a job in a travel newsroom - I didn't
immediately (on first reading) spot that Southeastern had been
erroneously substituted for Southern, nor did I think laterally and
ponder that disruption to the Southern WLL services was a likely
indicator of wider problems on the WCML. I think I'll be off to watch
Sky News where I can feel 'less than totally bright' in good company
(well, plentiful company at least)!

On Nov 24, 12:00*am, Mizter T wrote:
[snip]
(b) there was wider disruption on the WCML, of which the disruption to
Southern services from the WLL up to MKC was only a part (just how
disruptive was this disruption at Watford Junction?).
[snip]

Answering my own question (inadvertently I must admit - I was looking
on the LM website for something else!) - from the front page of London
Midland's site:

---quote---
This is an important announcement

Thank you for your patience during this morning's disruption

If you were caught up in the disruption around Watford Junction today,
please accept our sincere apologies.

A maintenance train damaged the track at an important junction south
of the station which prevented any trains from accessing the St Albans
Abbey line. In addition, the incident blocked two of the 4 lines
between Watford and Euston, which was further complicated by a
signalling problem at Wembley.

While Network Rail worked to reopen the lines, both Virgin Trains and
ourselves ran a special timetable with fewer trains until
approximately 0830 to reduce congestion. We also ran buses on the St
Albans line until 0930.

Once again, please accept our apologies if your journey was disrupted.
If you were delayed by more than 30 minutes, remember you can claim
compensation under the Delay Repay scheme.

For the latest updates during disruption visit nationalrail.co.uk/
disruption or if you use Twitter, follow us @londonmidland.
---/quote---

On Nov 24, 12:00*am, Mizter T wrote:
On Nov 23, 10:31*pm, MIG wrote:





On Nov 23, 7:23*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:10:12 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

On Nov 23, 6:06*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

Not ideal I accept but would you really want artistic licence sprinkled
on top of your morning transport information?

No, but maybe someone in the newsroom on seeing that the bulletin was
nonsense might have made the odd phone call or something to find out
what was really happening.

They only relay what they are told. *I would be surprised if the people
in the newsroom had any real clue what TOC ran where or in this case
that two TOCs run over a stretch of line in West London and that one of
the services could be affected by a problem at Watford. *There might be
some BBC employees who know because they use the service to Shepherds
Bush but I suspect their ability to inform the newsroom is rather
limited.

Or if they really can't even do that, why bother at all?

There will be many occasions when the information is perfectly fine
because the source info is fine. Therefore people will find the info
helpful. That's probably sufficient reason. I recognise that the real
world situation changes faster than the telly can but I am grateful that
I can see something on the telly as I get ready to head out rather than
having to switch my PC on and wait for it to warm up, get connected to
the net etc etc and then have to switch it all off again.

In this case I was only listening to the TV because I was making
myself late by trying to get my PC to do something it was having a
problem with ... but didn't affect my ability to post through Google.
It should really have been off by then.

I nearly didn't listen after the "major disruption ... South Eastern"
part of the report. *If I'd been using the WCML today I might have
been peeved that the real problem wasn't highlighted.

OK, well put like that your gripe does make more sense -
(a) your ears pricked up a little on hearing "major disruption ...
South Eastern" - when of course we know that SE had nowt to do with
it, and
(b) there was wider disruption on the WCML, of which the disruption to
Southern services from the WLL up to MKC was only a part (just how
disruptive was this disruption at Watford Junction?).

Bah. The cleared disruptions have gone now, but I recall seeing on
NRE this afternoon the usual list of affected routes (Birmingham,
Nuneaton etc).

Not going that way, I can't be sure how bad/long it was. Is Neil
Williams on holiday?


Perhaps I should go and get a job in a travel newsroom - I didn't
immediately (on first reading) spot that Southeastern had been
erroneously substituted for Southern, nor did I think laterally and
ponder that disruption to the Southern WLL services was a likely
indicator of wider problems on the WCML. I think I'll be off to watch
Sky News where I can feel 'less than totally bright' in good company
(well, plentiful company at least)!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -