Announcement volumes

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Agree, the catering facilities should be advertised, but not endlessly, and not in great detail.
"the buffet is now open and offers a selection of hot and cold drinks and a range of snacks"
On leaving the terminus, and at roughly half hourly inrtervals, would seem to suffice.

And if there is a lengthy queue for the buffet, do not advertise it at all until most of those waiting have been served.

On Pullman services (if not already full)
"we also offer a Pullman restaurant on this service, offering a selection of full meals silver served at your seat, from ^XX for 3 courses"
Repeat once only.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

The main problem for me is that the sound volume of announcements varies from carriage to carriage, sometimes a little high if you are seated directly under a speaker but then hardly audible in another carriage sitting away from a speaker. I cannot think how this could be resolved, economically.

[thetrout]

I also think it's the speaker using the PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) that is part of the problem. I almost always know which train manager is working a train based on their announcements.

However I also find the PA ironically is always loudest in the Quiet Carriage.

When I've been on the phone to someone in Coach F an announcement is made whilst I was on the phone. I had to stop my conversation on my mobile because I couldn't hear the person on the other end

This in it's own right isn't such a bad thing as someone who is hard of hearing would be very grateful of this. It's the TRANSEC requirements for unattended luggage announcements that wind me up the most. Have you ever tried to take a large-ish holdal, shoulder strap toolbag and yourself all at the same time into a Mk3 toilet* ?? My advice? Don't. It won't work.

A passenger once reported my bags unattended because I left one the seat, the other in luggage rack whilst I went to the Buffet. The Seat I had chosen was in Coach F and I could see both bags from the Buffet. The passenger still reported my bags unattended despite me being on the train for a good hour at least by this point. I recall hearing the words "I don't mean to be an alarmist, but someone has left a bag on the seat" I to which I immediately piped up "They're mine and I can see them so I don't class them as unattended" , "Why have you left them" , "To get a cup of coffee" ,  <-- Passenger facial expression

Personally, I wouldn't have carried my holdal and toolbag to the buffet to get a cup of coffee because A they are heavy and B dangerous as I could trip over carrying a hot drink.

Completely unnecessary announcement in the nanny state we live in. Probably the only type of sense where initiative and common sense makes you a terror suspect... honestly...

</end of rant>

* - With the exception of the DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about) Compliant Toilet in Coach C!

[stuving]

It's the TRANSEC requirements for unattended luggage announcements that wind me up the most.

I do wonder how consistent and effective this concern over unattended luggage is. I once left a case on a train - it was a Reading to Paddington stopper that was late and announced as non-stop from Slough at very short notice. I realised I'd not taken it down from the rack immediately the doors closed, chased after it, and rang up while away, but had given up on it by the time I came back.

Then (about 4 days after losing it) I got a phone call from Reading station to say they had it in the office. It had gone back to Oxford with the train, at least twice, before being spotted much later. I'd left a business card easy to find in a pocket so a TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) dropped it off at Reading while passing. All very irregular, but I thought it was first-class customer service. Not, however, very impressive security.

This was December 2006, so over a year after 7/7 but still supposedly in high-vigilance mode (and there were other foiled  plots in the meantime).