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Post by messiah on Jun 9, 2010 23:42:16 GMT
<rant>Why do the platform attendants insist on shouting that trains are "Ready to depart" from Canary Wharf in the morning, when they are not even halfway through the mass disembarkation?
This sort of announcement is only likely to make new travellers panic and start to push etc.
Fortunately most of the regular passengers do not pay the slightest attention to the announcements and carry on at their own pace (and credit to the driver's as well, as the warnings beeps/doors don't tend to go until everybody is off).
I know the simple answer is that the platform attendants are only following instructions. However when refering to trains being ready to depart during the morning peak, they are often issuing blatantly untrue announcements that may lead to pushing / falls / injuries etcetc
Why do they do this? Is this some bizarre instruction from TFL/LU to do try and speed up the disembarkation by lying to people? Are the platform attendants just over keen and misguided?</rant>
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Colin
Advisor
My preserved fire engine!
Posts: 11,346
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Post by Colin on Jun 10, 2010 0:11:34 GMT
I would suggest it's a case of over keenness to comply with LU's silly targets.
I won't quote it in full (I'm sure you already know the gist of it), but platform announcements by those carrying bats are defined in our rule book. There's no leeway on the wording to be used and the instruction is to say what's printed and show the bat to the driver when you have finished.
This is measured with the only criteria being that if there's an announcement exactly as printed in the rule book, the station scores. If the announcement isn't done as printed, the station gets no score and that can potentially lead to disciplinary action as you've effectively not done what the rule book says.
It is farcical, and not just on the Jubilee either - many District line stations are similar with station staff constantly repeating "stand clear of the closing doors" in the hope that the driver will shut em' whilst people are still getting off. Of course drivers have more common sense than that (and too much running time on the District to be in a rush anyway!!).
It's the same situation as the similar thread in the London Overground area; it's all about meeting meaningless targets & improving fancy scorecards these days. Transporting people from A to B should be the main focus but sadly we're moving away from that way of thinking.....
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SE13
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2013
Glorious Gooner
Posts: 9,737
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Post by SE13 on Jun 10, 2010 8:39:46 GMT
Flip side of that coin is on the buses where you are begging for a LD or controller to shout something like that so that the bus can get moving!
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cso
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Post by cso on Jun 10, 2010 9:54:05 GMT
Unlike the Met at Wembley Park about 6PM Uxbridge bound - the doors are often starting to shut before the passengers who are trying to get out have managed too, and those trying to get on are left on the platform. Although, that could be because we're following another piece of LU staff advice.... 'Please let passengers off the train before boarding'
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2010 13:21:54 GMT
The member of staff is there to manage the dwell time and to assist the driver with their platform duties.
Many locations have a target dwell time, often around 30 seconds. The staff member is tasked to keep the dwell time to as close to the target dwell time as possible.
Some locations this is more achieveable than others.
From experience the Jubilee Line is worse with their targets than most other lines.
The other masively ignored piece of advice is the old "Move right along the platform and use all available doors to board the train".
I do often wonder the logic of standing at the platform entrance/ exit, blocking the entrance/ exit for others and then forcing your way onto a packed carriage - or perhaps even having to wait for the next train - when there is plenty of space normally located at the front/ rear of the train.
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cso
Posts: 1,043
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Post by cso on Jun 10, 2010 13:43:56 GMT
I do often wonder the logic of standing at the platform entrance/ exit, blocking the entrance/ exit for others and then forcing your way onto a packed carriage - or perhaps even having to wait for the next train - when there is plenty of space normally located at the front/ rear of the train. Convenience? Commuters like to be able to get on to and off the train as near their exit at the destination station as possible... I know I do but will at least stand at the side of the doors to let people off first! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2010 14:32:33 GMT
I accept there may be certain circumstances when you must stand at a particular point, say to gain an advantage with a tight connection, but really is it more convenient to possibly take longer to reach your destination and then ride in greater discomfort?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2010 16:30:01 GMT
With the exception of disabled passengers I really can't see what hardship there is in walking the length of an 8 carriage train (that's the maximum size on the underground isn't it?) in either direction when boarding or disembarking in order to get to or from the exit/entrance. To be honest a lot of people could do with the extra exercise.......  |
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Post by norbitonflyer on Jun 10, 2010 21:56:07 GMT
I accept there may be certain circumstances when you must stand at a particular point, say to gain an advantage with a tight connection, but really is it more convenient to possibly take longer to reach your destination and then ride in greater discomfort? Many people stand near the entrance/exit to the platform because more people will be alighting from the carriage nearest to the exit, so there will be more space in that car. Believe me, on my line that's the only way of being sure you will get on. |
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Post by andypurk on Jun 11, 2010 7:56:26 GMT
I accept there may be certain circumstances when you must stand at a particular point, say to gain an advantage with a tight connection, but really is it more convenient to possibly take longer to reach your destination and then ride in greater discomfort? Many people stand near the entrance/exit to the platform because more people will be alighting from the carriage nearest to the exit, so there will be more space in that car. Believe me, on my line that's the only way of being sure you will get on. Many of the people I see doing it are tourist types (not commuters). The argument about space doesn't really apply in my experience, as it depends on where the entrances have been further up the line. Off-topic for the Jubilee line, but this can be seen at King's Cross westbound Piccadilly, where people arrive on the platform (from the 'old entrance') and stop. Here, the front of the train is generally the busiest part and so they struggle on, where there will be space in the middle and rear. Having the new entrances to the platforms linked to the Northern ticket hall has at least spread the people along the platform better, the rear of the platform used to be nearly empty, unless there were problems on the line. |
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