From Anne Maningas' blog:

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/blog...a-for-the-soul

" [...] the other day I went to speak to The Boss Man about the
possibility of handing in my notice, as I now have an Escape Plan.
Boss Man was understandably quite excited that I’d been offered a
better job elsewhere, but perhaps that may be something to do with the
fact that he is looking to retire – and because it’s quite clear to
everyone that The Job is going down the pan, and that people should
really have either a Backup Plan or an Escape Plan. In fact, it’s the
Boss Man that has been nagging me these last 3-4 years about making
sure I have an Escape Plan. "

--
jhk

On Friday, April 7, 2017 at 2:36:30 PM UTC+1, Jarle Hammen Knudsen wrote:
From Anne Maningas' blog:

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/blog...a-for-the-soul

" [...] the other day I went to speak to The Boss Man about the
possibility of handing in my notice, as I now have an Escape Plan.
Boss Man was understandably quite excited that I’d been offered a
better job elsewhere, but perhaps that may be something to do with the
fact that he is looking to retire – and because it’s quite clear to
everyone that The Job is going down the pan, and that people should
really have either a Backup Plan or an Escape Plan. In fact, it’s the
Boss Man that has been nagging me these last 3-4 years about making
sure I have an Escape Plan. "

--
jhk

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

On Fri, 7 Apr 2017 06:44:22 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Friday, April 7, 2017 at 2:36:30 PM UTC+1, Jarle Hammen Knudsen wrote:
From Anne Maningas' blog:

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/blog...a-for-the-soul

" [...] the other day I went to speak to The Boss Man about the
possibility of handing in my notice, as I now have an Escape Plan.
Boss Man was understandably quite excited that I’d been offered a
better job elsewhere, but perhaps that may be something to do with the
fact that he is looking to retire – and because it’s quite clear to
everyone that The Job is going down the pan, and that people should
really have either a Backup Plan or an Escape Plan. In fact, it’s the
Boss Man that has been nagging me these last 3-4 years about making
sure I have an Escape Plan. "

--
jhk

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

I don't think she has written anything else about it. I have followed
her for a number of years since she's good at photography, and some
material is from the tube.

--
jhk

wrote in message
...

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

Take for example the recent train shortages and restricted
running on the Piccadilly Line.

My technical knowledge is limited but as I understand it anyway
this was because of wheel flats, and the problem was solved eventually
by refacing the effected wheels on lathes.

Now while on the one hand maybe, taking a belt and braces approach
to maintenance is uneconomic in today's climate, nevertheless IMO
this isn't a situation which shouldn't have been allowed to develop in the
first place.

The first the travelling public knew about any of this were stories of
drivers refusing to take out trains. Which immediately put the drivers
in a bad light - they were simply being difficult - as with all their
actions. If it's not about money then 'its all politically motivated
etc. etc.

Whereas in fact drivers should never find themselves in the position
where they're having to refuse take out trains as a direct result of slipshod
maintenance. As its their neck which will be on the line if anything goes
wrong.

Clearly they were correct in their refusal in this case, and for outsiders
there's no real way of knowing how many of their other concerns
are equally justified. As their public representatives, union officials
etc are either very poor communicators or are denied sufficient
opportunities to put over their case.

Basically in such a situation when its impossible to have any confidence
ether in the management of the organisation for whom you work or in the
ability your representatives to put over your case to the public
the job is indeed going down the pan.


michael adams

wrote in message
...
On Friday, April 7, 2017 at 2:36:30 PM UTC+1, Jarle Hammen Knudsen wrote:
From Anne Maningas' blog:

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/blog...a-for-the-soul

" [...] the other day I went to speak to The Boss Man about the
possibility of handing in my notice, as I now have an Escape Plan.
Boss Man was understandably quite excited that I’d been offered a
better job elsewhere, but perhaps that may be something to do with the
fact that he is looking to retire – and because it’s quite clear to
everyone that The Job is going down the pan, and that people should
really have either a Backup Plan or an Escape Plan. In fact, it’s the
Boss Man that has been nagging me these last 3-4 years about making
sure I have an Escape Plan. "

--
jhk

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

or even any claim that they're a tube driver

On 2017\04\08 13:41, michael adams wrote:

Whereas in fact drivers should never find themselves in the position
where they're having to refuse take out trains as a direct result of slipshod
maintenance. As its their neck which will be on the line if anything goes
wrong.

That sounds like you're suggesting they'll be fired or disciplined if a
fault develops, when it's more that they will have a really horrific day
if a door opens unexpectedly and a few people fall off a moving tube
train. (Brake faults obviously do put the drivers neck on the line in a
literal sense.)

On Sat, 8 Apr 2017 13:48:59 +0100, "tim..."
wrote:

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/blog...a-for-the-soul

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

or even any claim that they're a tube driver

http://www.version3point1.co.uk/anne

"is a subterranean train driver instructor"

Also says she is Vice Chairperson of ASLEF, Neasden Branch, Distirct
8.


http://blog.flickr.net/en/2013/06/15...-3-1-maningas/

"At daytime, Anne has made one of her dreams turn into reality and is
driving trains for the world’s most famous public transport network:
The London Underground."

--
jhk

On Sat, 8 Apr 2017 13:41:52 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


wrote in message
...

Is there within all that verbiage an explanation of
how and why the job is going down the pan?

Take for example the recent train shortages and restricted
running on the Piccadilly Line.

My technical knowledge is limited but as I understand it anyway
this was because of wheel flats, and the problem was solved eventually
by refacing the effected wheels on lathes.

Not eventually, but as soon as possible. But the capacity of the wheel
lathe is limited, and it can't deal with a huge number of flat spots
overnight.


Now while on the one hand maybe, taking a belt and braces approach
to maintenance is uneconomic in today's climate, nevertheless IMO
this isn't a situation which shouldn't have been allowed to develop in the
first place.

The first the travelling public knew about any of this were stories of
drivers refusing to take out trains.

No, the trains were taken out of service because of severe wheels
flats. Nobody disputes that they needed to be taken out of service.

Which immediately put the drivers
in a bad light - they were simply being difficult - as with all their
actions. If it's not about money then 'its all politically motivated
etc. etc.

No, the wheel flats didn't put the drivers in a bad light.


Whereas in fact drivers should never find themselves in the position
where they're having to refuse take out trains as a direct result of slipshod
maintenance. As its their neck which will be on the line if anything goes
wrong.

Clearly they were correct in their refusal in this case, and for outsiders
there's no real way of knowing how many of their other concerns
are equally justified. As their public representatives, union officials
etc are either very poor communicators or are denied sufficient
opportunities to put over their case.

Basically in such a situation when its impossible to have any confidence
ether in the management of the organisation for whom you work or in the
ability your representatives to put over your case to the public
the job is indeed going down the pan.

I don't think the drivers were refusing to drive trains with wheel
flats. That was a different issue. They have variously complained of
door and brake problems, and you've confused two completely different
episodes.

The wheel flats were not caused by lack of maintenance. They were
caused by drivers locking the brakes on slippery track, causing the
wheels to slide along the track, which creates a flat spot. That's a
combination of a possible lack of drivers' skills and LU's failure to
use the RAT frequently enough after Storm Angus brought down a lot of
leaves in a short period.

If the trains had been newer, they'd have had WSP (Wheel Slide
Protection), which would have reduced the incidence of flats. They
would also have had wheels that were easier to swap in the depot. And
if they were older, they'd have had tread brakes. So the 1973 stock
trains are particularly vulnerable to wheel flats, and they happen to
run on a fairly leafy line.

See:
http://www.londonreconnections.com/2016/wear-and-lathing-problem-with-the-piccadilly-lines-trains/

"Basil Jet" wrote in message news
On 2017\04\08 13:41, michael adams wrote:

Whereas in fact drivers should never find themselves in the position
where they're having to refuse take out trains as a direct result of slipshod
maintenance. As its their neck which will be on the line if anything goes
wrong.

That sounds like you're suggesting they'll be fired or disciplined if a fault develops,

The finger will point at them until such time as the evidence indicates
otherwise. Which might take days or weeks.

The general public without the requisite technical knowledge are probably
more likely as first at least to attribute any such occurance to operator
or driver error. As that's something everyone can understand,
Wereas the systems they're operating are supposedly designed
not to fail.

Same as with these wheel flats. As a member of the travelling public I've not a
got a clue whether there are any safety implications in driving with wheel flats.
Again I can't really believe that drivers weren't reporting this problem,
before all of a sudden it became necessary for drivers to actually refuse to
take out trains and for the decision to be made to take large numbers
of trains out of service .

There's plenty in the news about drivers being disciplined or dismissed
for various offences. I've yet to read anywhere of a single member
of the LT management or Board (if such still exists) being dismissed
as a result of their decision to cut back on wheel maintainence and
inspections on the Picaddilly Line.

when it's more that they will have a really horrific day
if a door opens unexpectedly and a few people fall off a moving tube train.

How many people other than his fellow drivers will accept that the
door opened "unexpectedly" for any other reason than that the
driver somehow opened it himself by accident ?


michael adams

...

On Sat, 8 Apr 2017 14:46:03 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


"Basil Jet" wrote in message news
On 2017\04\08 13:41, michael adams wrote:

Whereas in fact drivers should never find themselves in the position
where they're having to refuse take out trains as a direct result of slipshod
maintenance. As its their neck which will be on the line if anything goes
wrong.

That sounds like you're suggesting they'll be fired or disciplined if a fault develops,

The finger will point at them until such time as the evidence indicates
otherwise. Which might take days or weeks.

The general public without the requisite technical knowledge are probably
more likely as first at least to attribute any such occurance to operator
or driver error. As that's something everyone can understand,
Wereas the systems they're operating are supposedly designed
not to fail.

Same as with these wheel flats. As a member of the travelling public I've not a
got a clue whether there are any safety implications in driving with wheel flats.
Again I can't really believe that drivers weren't reporting this problem,
before all of a sudden it became necessary for drivers to actually refuse to
take out trains and for the decision to be made to take large numbers
of trains out of service .

Drivers would certainly report wheel flats if they became aware of
them, but a flat somewhere in the middle of the train may not be
audible in the cab. So a member of station staff or even a passenger
may report a bad one. That's a fault that is easy to check, and it's
part of the driver's job if s/he becomes aware of one.

If it's a bad flat, the train will be withdrawn from service. The
problem arises with rare, intermittent faults that are hard to
reproduce (such as the doors that allegedly opened spontaneously
between stations).


There's plenty in the news about drivers being disciplined or dismissed
for various offences. I've yet to read anywhere of a single member
of the LT management or Board (if such still exists) being dismissed
as a result of their decision to cut back on wheel maintainence and
inspections on the Picaddilly Line.

That wasn't what caused the wheel flats. There hadn't been any
cutbacks on wheel maintenance or inspections.


when it's more that they will have a really horrific day
if a door opens unexpectedly and a few people fall off a moving tube train.

How many people other than his fellow drivers will accept that the
door opened "unexpectedly" for any other reason than that the
driver somehow opened it himself by accident ?

There's no way a driver could open a single passenger door while the
train was on the move, so no-one would blame him if it happened. The
question was whether the reports of such door openings were spurious.