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Talking Buses
Heathrow Connect is one of the worst talking trains with numerous
repetitive and pointless announcements like 'CCTV is used aboard this train.' So what? This didn't stop a hoodie attempting to knife a member of staff a few months ago. Now we have talking buses - like the Transdev's H98. This not only announces the next bus stop, but also stupid requests such as don't forget to take all your belongings with you, etc. Its almost as bad as the FGW buses stating the obvious such as 'the doors are now opening/closing.' It makes me want to turn my Walkman up really loud to stop hearing these inane and nanny state announcements. CJB. |
Talking Buses
On Dec 17, 3:47 pm, CJB wrote:
Heathrow Connect is one of the worst talking trains with numerous repetitive and pointless announcements like 'CCTV is used aboard this train.' So what? This didn't stop a hoodie attempting to knife a member of staff a few months ago. Now we have talking buses - like the Transdev's H98. This not only announces the next bus stop, but also stupid requests such as don't forget to take all your belongings with you, etc. Its almost as bad as the FGW buses stating the obvious such as 'the doors are now opening/closing.' It makes me want to turn my Walkman up really loud to stop hearing these inane and nanny state announcements. CJB. I got really annoyed by the talking bus... but then I thought about it a bit, and unwound. It's not as if a London bus is a haven of quietness for meditative reflection, it's really useful to know what bus stop you're coming to when you don't know the route (I think that's my major problem with London Transport, actually) and works particularly well with tfl.gov.uk's routefinder. And that's with me being reasonably well sighted. Must be a thousand times better for the visually impaired. Could do with fewer 'please remember to take your wotsits' announcements, though. R |
Talking Buses
I'm absolutely sick of them all. I can't imagine being a commuter on
the Heathrow Connect, how awful it must be. It's literally an announcement per minute. I'm all for more information, but could this please be visual information only. That way it doesn't have to disturb all the passengers. The few people for who this doesn't suffice should seek the help from the train assistant or bus driver. |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:12:53 -0800 (PST), Rupert Goodwins
wrote: I got really annoyed by the talking bus... but then I thought about it a bit, and unwound. It's not as if a London bus is a haven of quietness for meditative reflection, it's really useful to know what bus stop you're coming to when you don't know the route (I think that's my major problem with London Transport, actually) and works particularly well with tfl.gov.uk's routefinder. And that's with me being reasonably well sighted. Must be a thousand times better for the visually impaired. And for those who can't see the displays that are also being installed but want to know where they are (but aren't familiar enough with the area to do that by looking out of the window). These kind of things are about the best thing you can do to help those who don't know the area use buses. Could do with fewer 'please remember to take your wotsits' announcements, though. The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007, CJB wrote:
Heathrow Connect is one of the worst talking trains with numerous repetitive and pointless announcements like 'CCTV is used aboard this train.' So what? This didn't stop a hoodie attempting to knife a member of staff a few months ago. Now we have talking buses - like the Transdev's H98. This not only announces the next bus stop, but also stupid requests such as don't forget to take all your belongings with you, etc. Its almost as bad as the FGW buses stating the obvious such as 'the doors are now opening/closing.' I got the N253 the other night, and that's gone talking too. It only does stop announcements, though, no nagging. In theory, i like this, but actually, when i'm on a night bus, i want a chance to doze, not some bird reading out street names like they were passes in a very boring football match. Also, in some places, the announcement went off when the bus was already passing the stop. Possibly because it was four in the morning and the driver was flooring it past deserted stops. It makes me want to turn my Walkman up really loud to stop hearing these inane and nanny state announcements. Maybe you could ask one of the teenagers to play you some nice music on their mobile phone? tom -- never mind your fingers, i've got blisters on my brain |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:26:20 -0800 (PST), sweek
wrote: The few people for who this doesn't suffice should seek the help from the train assistant or bus driver. This would be fine if bus drivers actually, in general, did help. Given that they don't use the PA now even on buses where it is provided, I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in that. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Talking Buses
At 07:47:49 on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 CJB opined:-
Heathrow Connect is one of the worst talking trains with numerous repetitive and pointless announcements like 'CCTV is used aboard this train.' So what? This didn't stop a hoodie attempting to knife a member of staff a few months ago. Now we have talking buses - like the Transdev's H98. This not only announces the next bus stop, but also stupid requests such as don't forget to take all your belongings with you, etc. Its almost as bad as the FGW buses stating the obvious such as 'the doors are now opening/closing.' It makes me want to turn my Walkman up really loud to stop hearing these inane and nanny state announcements. CJB. They are also on the 65 route (Ealing-Richmond-Kingston). -- Thoss |
Talking Buses
On 17 Dec, 17:31, (Neil Williams)
wrote: The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. I've not heard any nagging either (on the 123). U -- http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/ A blog about transport projects in London |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:13:03 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant
wrote: On 17 Dec, 17:31, (Neil Williams) wrote: The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. I've not heard any nagging either (on the 123). ISTR that the 168 has actually had all (1 word of) the spurious vocabulary removed, not that it had a lot in the first place. The original version said "Route...168 To... Hampstead Heath" (I rarely use it in t'other direction) but the "Route" was soon dropped, presumably as pointless and annoying. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Talking Buses
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Talking Buses
Now we have talking buses - like the
Transdev's H98. This not only announces the next bus stop, but also stupid requests such as don't forget to take all your belongings with you, etc. Its almost as bad as the FGW buses stating the obvious such as 'the doors are now opening/closing.' It makes me want to turn my Walkman up really loud to stop hearing these inane and nanny state announcements. CJB. What a stupid comment to make. As any fool knows, the biggest inherant flaw that has always existed on bus travel is that someone travelling to a destination they have not been to before has no idea when or where the stop they require is, and relying on the driver to remember to tell you is unreasonable. Example: I know that a bus route passes a road that I want to go to, but on the bus I have no idea where it is other then, perhaps, a timetabled time. And if I ever did notice my destination, by the time I pressed the bell I would probably have missed it. The stupid announcements you may have a point with, but next stop announcements makes far more sense to have on Buses then on trains. Best Wishes, LEWIS |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:13:03 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant
wrote: On 17 Dec, 17:31, (Neil Williams) wrote: The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. I've not heard any nagging either (on the 123). Oh a fellow 123 user. I have heard a range of announcements but only used sparingly. I know some people have been on buses where it seems a never ending stream of messages was allowed to run. I might not have the exact text correct below but they give the right flavour. The helpful extra messages on the 123 have been :- "Passengers cannot alight at the next stop as the stop is closed" - this was correct as the stop was oos due to roadworks. "Please move right down inside the bus" - this at a stop where the bus is often overloaded. "There are seats available on the upper deck" - played after the message just above as an encouragement for people to make space. "The Victoria Line service is suspended. Please choose an alternative route" - the line was suspended so this was good real time information. I was quite shocked to see a Tube reference on a bus. "Please do not play your music loudly" - this was out of context as the bus was silent at the time! "This bus is now being diverted" - used when the bus route was subject to a long diversion due to a traffic accident. I actually don't have an issue with these messages being used in context. They are helpful in terms of showing the driver is "managing" his bus or to help passengers cope with disruption on the transport system. I understand why people are fed up with lots of noise but I think the I-Bus concept is very good and will be a genuine aid to people given that the stop names tie up directly with names on bus stop flags and in the TfL Journey Planner. Once people can tie the three elements together to help them get about London then I think it will be seen as a boon. Now if only it was a bit more reliable - that's the problem with being the first garage (Tottenham) to trial the system. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Talking Buses
The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. For the most part the announcements are good, and helpful to find a destination, and I'm all in favour of it. What bugs me is the "73 pause to pause Victoria" which is unnecessary (I wouldn't have got on if I didn't think it was a 73, and neither would a partially sighted person, surely), and also, shockingly badly done with the huge pauses. If it was one flowing statement, then it would be far less annoying. It's still far better than when someone presses the stop button, as well as the bing and the Stopping sign lighting up, getting "BUS stopping at NEXT bus stop, please stand well clear OF doors". Completely superfluous, and sounds as if it's putting together the statement from all the separate words in its system rather than having one phrase. |
Talking Buses
At 19:31:06 on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 Paul Corfield opined:-
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:13:03 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant wrote: On 17 Dec, 17:31, (Neil Williams) wrote: The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. I've not heard any nagging either (on the 123). Oh a fellow 123 user. I have heard a range of announcements but only used sparingly. I know some people have been on buses where it seems a never ending stream of messages was allowed to run. I might not have the exact text correct below but they give the right flavour. The helpful extra messages on the 123 have been :- "Passengers cannot alight at the next stop as the stop is closed" - this was correct as the stop was oos due to roadworks. "Please move right down inside the bus" - this at a stop where the bus is often overloaded. "There are seats available on the upper deck" - played after the message just above as an encouragement for people to make space. "The Victoria Line service is suspended. Please choose an alternative route" - the line was suspended so this was good real time information. I was quite shocked to see a Tube reference on a bus. "Please do not play your music loudly" - this was out of context as the bus was silent at the time! "This bus is now being diverted" - used when the bus route was subject to a long diversion due to a traffic accident. I actually don't have an issue with these messages being used in context. They are helpful in terms of showing the driver is "managing" his bus or to help passengers cope with disruption on the transport system. I understand why people are fed up with lots of noise but I think the I-Bus concept is very good and will be a genuine aid to people given that the stop names tie up directly with names on bus stop flags and in the TfL Journey Planner. Once people can tie the three elements together to help them get about London then I think it will be seen as a boon. Now if only it was a bit more reliable - that's the problem with being the first garage (Tottenham) to trial the system. How does the speech system work? On the 65s the spoken text was also displayed on a screen. Are they pre-recorded announcements, or is the text typed in and then processed by text-to-speech software? -- Thoss |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:31:06 +0000, Paul Corfield
wrote: "The Victoria Line service is suspended. Please choose an alternative route" - the line was suspended so this was good real time information. I was quite shocked to see a Tube reference on a bus. Now that is good. Perhaps an even better improvement for the future (which I've not seen on buses anywhere, but the Hamburg U-Bahn does have the feature) would be to allow the control room to take control of the PA of all or selected buses, and thus to announce connectional information like that? Presumably the information was sent to the driver via the radio then he pressed the button, but why not take out the middle man? Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:44:09 -0800 (PST), SamB
wrote: For the most part the announcements are good, and helpful to find a destination, and I'm all in favour of it. What bugs me is the "73 pause to pause Victoria" which is unnecessary (I wouldn't have got on if I didn't think it was a 73, and neither would a partially sighted person, surely), and also, shockingly badly done with the huge pauses. If it was one flowing statement, then it would be far less annoying. If you wanted to benefit partially-sighted people, it might make sense for a speaker to be fitted to the outside of the bus so they can hear it before they board. It's still far better than when someone presses the stop button, as well as the bing and the Stopping sign lighting up, getting "BUS stopping at NEXT bus stop, please stand well clear OF doors". Completely superfluous, and sounds as if it's putting together the statement from all the separate words in its system rather than having one phrase. And a piece of information, like the repetitive references to the doors on the Tube, that is quite easily summed up in one sound - "ding". Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Talking Buses
In message , Neil Williams
writes On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:31:06 +0000, Paul Corfield wrote: "The Victoria Line service is suspended. Please choose an alternative route" - the line was suspended so this was good real time information. I was quite shocked to see a Tube reference on a bus. Now that is good. Perhaps an even better improvement for the future (which I've not seen on buses anywhere, but the Hamburg U-Bahn does have the feature) would be to allow the control room to take control of the PA of all or selected buses, and thus to announce connectional information like that? Presumably the information was sent to the driver via the radio then he pressed the button, but why not take out the middle man? That system has been in place on the Tyne & Wear Metro since its inception (thought I've seldom heard it used and haven't travelled on it for a long time now). It's also used on the so-called C-Train in Calgary.......where I once heard it used to announce a local hockey team's win! -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Talking Buses
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Talking Buses
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Talking Buses
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:31:06 +0000, Paul Corfield
wrote: I understand why people are fed up with lots of noise but I think the I-Bus concept is very good and will be a genuine aid to people given that the stop names tie up directly with names on bus stop flags and in the TfL Journey Planner. Mostly. The TfL Journey Planner (at least the WAP one) calls the Tiffin Girls School stop (just outside Kingston on the 65) "Tiffin School for Girls" -- which isn't what the bus stop or, indeed, the school are called! I'm sure that's not the only anomaly around... |
Talking Buses
"Neil Williams" wrote in message
... The version I've seen (on the 73 and 168) doesn't have any such announcements - its vocabulary is just a list of stops, the number and the destination. I do hope the rolled-out version doesn't have all the rubbish added. I was on the 73 near Victoria, and I heard one annoucnement reminding customers that ticket inspectors are working the route. |
Talking Buses
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
... I understand why people are fed up with lots of noise but I think the I-Bus concept is very good and will be a genuine aid to people given that the stop names tie up directly with names on bus stop flags and in the TfL Journey Planner. Once people can tie the three elements together to help them get about London then I think it will be seen as a boon. Now if only it was a bit more reliable - that's the problem with being the first garage (Tottenham) to trial the system. My thoughts go out a little bit to the bus drivers: "73, to Victoria" Having to hear that every few minutes for eight hours a day. |
Talking Buses
On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:35:18 GMT, wrote:
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message .. . I understand why people are fed up with lots of noise but I think the I-Bus concept is very good and will be a genuine aid to people given that the stop names tie up directly with names on bus stop flags and in the TfL Journey Planner. Once people can tie the three elements together to help them get about London then I think it will be seen as a boon. Now if only it was a bit more reliable - that's the problem with being the first garage (Tottenham) to trial the system. My thoughts go out a little bit to the bus drivers: "73, to Victoria" Having to hear that every few minutes for eight hours a day. Not sure what it's like in a bendy bus but on my local route which has double decks the driver cannot hear the announcements in his cab. I know that because I often stand close to the driving cab position and I can hardly hear them. As the drivers are behind an assault screen and boxed in on all sides I doubt they hear much apart from road noise. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
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