A general rant
I work on the railways, I use a lot of trains and this gives me a chance to observe a lot of stupidity.

A stupid thing that I see quite a lot of is people who refuse to look at the timetables posted around the station, or who are oblivious the departure boards. Such people (of all nationalities) will enter the station and run to the nearest member of staff and ask when their next train is. Sometimes, that member of staff may be talking to someone else and the person who has just arrived will be showing signs of panic at the fact that the member of staff is preoccupied. The timetable lists and departure boards are there for a reason, yet these people just don't get it.

Another thing that gets me, is just how many people seem to think that all railway staff know the entire national timetable off by heart. A member of railway staff in York is not going to know the local train times in Soputhampton. Yet, people will still askk quesions like "When I get to London, when is the next train to Penzance". When told to refer to the information desk they seem really annoyed for some reason.

Pressing the 'door open' button before it illuminates does not make the door open any quicker.

Reaching out and touching freight trains while they roll through a staion is really stupid, don't do it.

The sign next to the electrical sockets on new trains that says "Phones and laptops only" is there for a reason. Do not plug irons or fans in to them. Yes, I have seen this happen, more than once.

One other thing, I got on a train at Grimsby once. The guard was helping an American chap who had got lost. Somehow he managed to end up in Cleethorpes, depite the fact he wanted to go to Fort William having originally departed from Penzance. The mind boggles.

Sorry for the rant, I'll feel better now.
(Grundie, Sat 9 Jul 2005, 12:48, Reply)