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bemmy
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« Reply #195 on: January 06, 2009, 18:14:44 » |
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IMO▸ , the arrival/departure boards at Cardiff, which flash in alternate languages, are far more confusing. Too little time is devoted to either language.
Yeah even if you recognise Welsh names it's confusing, especially as some of them are quite long, like Aberdaugleddau and Manceinion Piccadilly. They should double the number of screens, and have one for each language side by side. I wouldn't expect Arriva to fund it, but surely the Welsh Assembly could find the money -- we're only talking about a few tellies and a bit of cable.  Carrying that argument to its logical conclusion, I await with bated breath the confusion caused by K^benhavn, Lisboa, Praha and Moskva. In Greece, London is Londino, in France, Londres. Just a few examples from literally thousands. IIRC▸ , Mumbai, Kolkatta and Chennai, were changed from the colonial form to a style more appropriate for an independent nation. Several other Indian cities have followed suit. In India of course, not everyone is in favour of the new names, so some people use the old name and some use the new one -- this goes for streets as well as cities -- making it extra confusing for the foreigner who can't find Chowringhee, the most famous street in Kolkata, on a map because officially it's Jawaharlal Nehru Road. People aren't even consistant in their preference for old or new names -- one person might say they are travelling from Chennai to Bombay, while another might describe the same journey as Madras to Mumbai. As for the railways, they use the old name for some places (such as Brahmapur for Berhampur) and the new names for others (like Varanasi for Benares). In addition you have to learn in which cities you'll find major stations such as Yesvantpur (Bangalore/Bengaluru), Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi), Howrah (Kolkata/Calcutta) etc. Throughout the country every station sign is in Hindi, English and the local state language (where this isn't Hindi, which is most places) -- even though there are vast areas where hardly anyone knows anything apart from a local language, which may not even be the state language. The prerecorded station announcements are also in three languages in most areas (in many Indian languages, the word they use for a train is Gary ). |
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Btline
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« Reply #196 on: January 06, 2009, 18:43:53 » |
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Why waste money on doubling the screens?
EVERYBODY understands the English, so use English only!
And can someone explain the point of the Bengali signs at Southall.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #197 on: January 06, 2009, 19:22:46 » |
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And can someone explain the point of the Bengali signs at Southall.
It was a community initiative meant to show that Thames Trains were involved in the local community which has a very large population of Sikhs. It managed to offend some other religious beliefs and also some people with a nationalistic viewpoint, though reports of them being removed a couple of years ago seem to have been wrong. By the way, I think they're in Punjabi - if that makes a difference!? |
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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bemmy
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« Reply #198 on: January 06, 2009, 19:27:17 » |
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Why waste money on doubling the screens? The Welsh Assembly has money for that kind of thing, so it need not come from any railway budget. And can someone explain the point of the Bengali signs at Southall.
Turns out they're in the Gurmukhi script, used for Punjabi: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southall_station_sign.jpg. Some people think it's a nice idea because Southall's identity is influenced by the large number of Indian people there. It's not to help people who can't read English, after all most of them will be familiar with a different script anyway. A few years ago I caught a train from Levenshulme, the signs there were in English and Urdu. |
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devon_metro
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« Reply #199 on: January 06, 2009, 19:28:24 » |
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My personal view is that if you live in England, you should be made to speak English when in a public place. Then again, if that was to be the case I wouldn't be very welcome in Wales  |
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bemmy
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« Reply #200 on: January 06, 2009, 19:33:41 » |
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My personal view is that if you live in England, you should be made to speak English when in a public place.
Why? I agree that immigrants who settle here should know English, but what's wrong with using your own language?? Or chatting to a French friend in French??? |
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Btline
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« Reply #201 on: January 06, 2009, 20:10:12 » |
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But what is the point of the Bengalli, Gurnmui, whatever signs when they are not anywhere else?!
If someone can't cope with English sighs at Southall, how will they cope at Paddington/ on the Tube?
And surely having sign in minority languages discourages integration, thus damaging the local community. I would have thought the majority of people in Southall would want to learn English, in order to help themselves merge with the rest of London/the UK▸ .
NB: I have no problem with the signs!
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Tim
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« Reply #202 on: January 07, 2009, 09:42:03 » |
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The Southall signs and the Latin signs at Wallsend metrostop are basically there to lend a distinctive apearance to the station (either as a nod to its ethnic makeup or as a celebration of its history). They are one-offs and add a bit of fun and local colour. I did the Hadrians Wall walk a couple of years ago. It starts from Sedegunum (Wallsend) and the station signs are fantastic (where else would I have learnt that "Noli Fumare" means "No Smoking")
As a non-Welsh speaker I could view Welsh in Wales in the same vein as merely being a harmless but interesting addition to the rich variety of life (afterall noone needs signs in Welsh as an aid to understanding). I have problems adopting that view because I think that there are some unpleasant undercurrents in the Welsh language movement. It makes proud Welshmen and Women who don't speak Welsh feel like second class citizens (or perhaps even traitors to the English) in their own country and it uses the school system to force people to learn and speak Welsh who otherwise would not. This is illiberal and undemocratic. So I don't object to the use of Welsh in public buildings and railways when it is the natural medium of the local people in Welsh speaking parts of Wales, but I think it is artificial and wrong in places like Newport.
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G.Uard
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« Reply #203 on: January 07, 2009, 09:54:49 » |
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In India of course, not everyone is in favour of the new names, so some people use the old name and some use the new one -- this goes for streets as well as cities -- making it extra confusing for the foreigner who can't find Chowringhee, the most famous street in Kolkata, on a map because officially it's Jawaharlal Nehru Road. People aren't even consistant in their preference for old or new names -- one person might say they are travelling from Chennai to Bombay, while another might describe the same journey as Madras to Mumbai. As for the railways, they use the old name for some places (such as Brahmapur for Berhampur) and the new names for others (like Varanasi for Benares). In addition you have to learn in which cities you'll find major stations such as Yesvantpur (Bangalore/Bengaluru), Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi), Howrah (Kolkata/Calcutta) etc. Throughout the country every station sign is in Hindi, English and the local state language (where this isn't Hindi, which is most places) -- even though there are vast areas where hardly anyone knows anything apart from a local language, which may not even be the state language. The prerecorded station announcements are also in three languages in most areas (in many Indian languages, the word they use for a train is Gary ). Yes bemmy, I noticed the use of 'gary', in what I presume were Malayalam announcements, whilst down at Ernakulam in the deep south. I have to say though, that I was impressed with the signing, announcements and general level of willingness to help which I found throughout my 2,200 mile journey. I do still chuckle about trains 'shartly' arriving though. |
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devon_metro
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« Reply #204 on: January 12, 2009, 17:06:34 » |
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Just been told that they have been fitted? Any truth in this?
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super tm
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« Reply #205 on: January 12, 2009, 17:16:55 » |
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Not as far as I Know. There was a system that enabled you to key in a code and limited number of auto announcement were available. That was about 5 years ago but was never really used.
We had to stop using it because it refered to the Refresca Buffet Car and this name was subsequently dropped.
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devon_metro
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« Reply #206 on: January 12, 2009, 17:54:27 » |
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Ok thanks for confirming that, the person who mentioned it to me claimed that it could mention that the train was now reaching its final destination.
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plymothian
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« Reply #208 on: January 12, 2009, 18:55:10 » |
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How can people be that stupid? The station's name is shown on its nameboard along the platform |
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Please be aware that only the first 4 words of this post will be platformed on this message board.
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6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01
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« Reply #209 on: January 12, 2009, 19:00:45 » |
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well me and you know the route.... but mum with 3 screaming kids and a buggy.... wont notice that!
still funny tho haha
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