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Have you ever been mistaken for rail staff, or helped those less familiar with the network?

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_toommm_

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I tend to get asked a lot on P13 and P14 at Piccadilly, and at Crewe when in work stuff (shirt tie trousers). I think the fact that I pace about a lot doesn’t help.
 
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Slightly OT but on the same theme. Those of a certain age might remember that in 1970's BR used to sell rail blue branded sholder bags. I friend at the time was platform end at a station one day carrying said bag. Train pulls in and the driver says "she's all yours now mate". Cue appearance of relief driver muttering under his breath.
 

Sheridan

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Before the TfW mk3 stock was withdrawn, I made many journeys where I would hear people struggling to work out how to open the door and panicking they wouldn’t be able to get out, so I’d pop my head round into the vestibule and tell them to open the window, or do it for them. I remember one journey from Cardiff to Chester where this happened at every single stop! Understandable with the scarcity of slam door stock, especially if they’d boarded at an already open door at Cardiff so hadn’t had to use the handle to open it in the first place.
 

Deepgreen

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While I was rail staff for 38 years, but 'plain clothes', office-based, I would be asked directions anywhere and at anytime. I have lost count of the number of times I've been abroad and been asked directions! People claim that I have the demeanour of a policeman, which is why strangers seem to think I can help them. On one memorable occasion I was at a station in up-state New York and witnessed a fare-dodger being thrown off a train there. He wandered over to me (among many others on the platform) and asked how far it was to Yonkers. I pointed down the line to the south and said "it's about 50 miles that way"!

Before the TfW mk3 stock was withdrawn, I made many journeys where I would hear people struggling to work out how to open the door and panicking they wouldn’t be able to get out, so I’d pop my head round into the vestibule and tell them to open the window, or do it for them. I remember one journey from Cardiff to Chester where this happened at every single stop! Understandable with the scarcity of slam door stock, especially if they’d boarded at an already open door at Cardiff so hadn’t had to use the handle to open it in the first place.
Also shows that even with clear signs on how to open the door, people panic and signs are not noticed.
 
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Bletchleyite

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Slightly OT but on the same theme. Those of a certain age might remember that in 1970's BR used to sell rail blue branded sholder bags. I friend at the time was platform end at a station one day carrying said bag. Train pulls in and the driver says "she's all yours now mate". Cue appearance of relief driver muttering under his breath.

I have an old BR leather crew bag knocking around somewhere (inherited from my Grandad who was a WCML driver) that I used to use as a laptop bag. While it didn't cause me to be treated as staff, it did on one occasion end up put in the cab when I left it briefly in the vestibule of a packed 156 to go to the loo, thought it had been nicked but it turned out the guard thought it was the driver's and had popped it in the cab.
 

MotCO

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My main interest is buses, and I somehow get asked by lots of different people for directions. The last time I was not near a bus stop, and was standing next to my car!

Slightly differently, I do get asked questions when I'm shopping. Several years ago, I remember being asked in Waitrose - that's the last time I go shopping in Waitrose wearing my England cricket replica polo shirt, complete with prominent sponsor on the front!
 

SeanG

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I was once at York Platform 3 next to the entrance and had just witnessed a passenger give an earful at a dispatcher (I think) during delay. The pasenger then came storming over to me, thinking that I also worked for the railway and rudely asked where the Leeds train was. I happily directed her onto the HST which was about to depart southbound, next stop King's Cross.

Karma....
 

Bungle158

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I used to wander round my local Tesco in railway uniform, (FGW old style blue), when l was sitting spare. As my depot was a little remote, it was pretty much a given that the Fat Controller would not call in the sometimes hours between scheduled departures.

In store, l was forever being asked the location of various items. In the end, l took to telling punters that l wasn't sure where the milk was, but that it usually left from Platform 2
 

Bald Rick

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When ‘incognito’ I’m never asked for help at a station (although my spidey-sense has the ability to spot a confused traveller at fifty paces, and perhaps I offer help before I’m asked).

However I’m asked for help by customers of Sainsbury’s roughly once a month!
 

James H

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I was often approached by passengers for information at Bournemouth station, and it was a while before I twigged it was because I was wearing a red jacket not dissimilar to SWT uniform at the time.
 

adc82140

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Not railway related, but I work at various hospitals, inside mobile clinical units normally located in the car park. We often get knocks on the door asking if this is where you pay for parking, despite the big signs that say "clinical area, no public entry". I'm tempted to say "yeah, it's 20 quid payable in cash to me", but I think that may get me in to a it of trouble.
 

GlosRail

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A few years ago I was in London coming home from a business trip. I was at Victoria tube station and was approached by 2 ladies wanted to know about which route they should take a the line was partly closed. I was actually able to help them and showed them on the map.

I was wearing a blue shirt, and black trousers which I later saw looked every much like the London Underground uniform at the time.

I've also been asked in a shop if I work there, when I was just a customer.
 

317 forever

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Wearing London Midland's soft shell jacket in Marks and Spencer was quite an experience. Quite often questions would be asked about produce etc.
This reminds me of when I worked near a library and used the library some lunchtimes or just after work. When I was the only user of the library wearing a tie people occasionally thought I was a member of staff.
 

Bletchleyite

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This reminds me of when I worked near a library and used the library some lunchtimes or just after work. When I was the only user of the library wearing a tie people occasionally thought I was a member of staff.

I've got a black Berghaus soft shell and I do seem to get accused of being staff in various retail establishments when wearing it, so common such things are as staff uniforms.
 

Volvictof

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I have heard stories of “enthusiasts” getting a bit “over enthusiastic“ and donning full oranges, giving people directions etc, and even, however mythical it may be, gaining entry via ped crossings and attempting to bring trains to a stop. I geuss being a pilotman is somebodys dream job.
 

Bletchleyite

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I have heard stories of “enthusiasts” getting a bit “over enthusiastic“ and donning full oranges, giving people directions etc, and even, however mythical it may be, gaining entry via ped crossings and attempting to bring trains to a stop. I geuss being a pilotman is somebodys dream job.

There's an unofficial member of "bus station staff" who hangs around the bus stops outside MKC doing that sort of thing, he's fairly harmless and quite helpful to people given the lack of official provision. I guess potentially a greater danger on the railway than on what is little more than a set of slightly fancy bus stops on a road, though, and as the "bus station" is a public road not a lot that could be done to stop him even if they wanted to.

I've done something sort of not too dissimilar myself in that I used to put timetables up in my local bus shelters until the Council started doing it themselves. Even got a message of thanks graffitied on one once, which was nice.
 
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peakNed

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Once got asked by a DB guard at Munich hbf if I was her driver, she was a touch confused when I explained in my terrible German that I wasn't.
I was using my work rucksack in fairness, it was a straight from work onto the E* eurobash...
 

vlad

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To my annoyance, I'm one of those people who seems to give off a "I can help you" vibe. One extreme example was a few years ago in Osborne House when someone mistook me for a room guide and started asking all sorts of questions. I hadn't realised that the punk-band T-shirt and leather jeans I was wearing was standard English Heritage uniform. :)

Not that everyone believes me, however, even if I do know what I'm talking about. I had a woman come up to me at Barnstaple (a single-platform terminus in case you're not familiar with it) and ask which platform the Exeter train left from. She wasn't satisfied with my answer that there was only one platform and we were standing on it and went to ask someone else.
 

philthetube

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one of the most annoying things when you give advice if for the asker to say are you sure after, if asked this when not working I always say no and walk off.

I have to admit on occasions, when not at work or on company premises I have been rather rude to questioners who, after I have tried to help, or said I couldn't help have been rude to me.

One or two shop managers must hate me.
 

Spartacus

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I've done something sort of not too dissimilar myself in that I used to put timetables up in my local bus shelters until the Council started doing it themselves. Even got a message of thanks graffitied on one once, which was nice.

I did a bit of impromptu bit of work at Church Fenton after the air show in 2015, lots of passengers turning up with not a clue about their trains, not time, platform or even direction in many cases, and 4 platforms to choose from, one bi-directional. It was a while before my train so I turned into full tannoy mode, loud announcements and directions in a voice honed at Elland Road (and once at the Colosseum), while happily answering anything specific. Someone even mentioned 'the person directing people to the trains' on twitter lol
 

Springs Branch

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I seem to have an "ask for directions face" - I'm frequently asked for them whenever I am out and about.
I must have the same sort of face, since I get asked things a bit more often than you'd expect when travelling on trains - despite never being dressed anything like rail staff.

Surprisingly, the place I've been asked for directions more frequently than anywhere else has been on the New York Subway.

I lived in north-eastern USA for many years and visited NYC quite a bit. I enjoyed spending weekends using the Subway to seek out quirky parts of the city and after a while a point of honour was (almost) never needing to consult a Subway map whilst out and about (what could possibly go wrong?)

Usually requests for directions came from obvious tourists at busy stations in Manhattan - obvious on account of their dress, accents, little backpacks, the destinations they were trying to get to (Statue of Liberty Subway station??) and their total lack of familiarity with "transit".

But one memorable occasion was on Essex Street station, when two sultry, young Latino women straight from central casting asked me how to get the train to downtown Brooklyn. We were on the J/M platform, so I explained they needed to go downstairs and catch a F-train to Jay Street.

The women were very emphatic that, no I was wrong because they always went "over da bridge". So there was this incongruous scene of someone from Wigan on a Subway station in the Lower East Side trying to explain to two caricature Noo Yawkers the difference between the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges.
 

Dr_Paul

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I've never been confused with railway staff, but I once got mistaken for a ticket tout when I stood outside Wembley Arena waiting for the doors to open, as I didn't look like the average fan of the band which was playing that evening.

As for being helpful, some years back a couple of American tourists mistakenly boarded a North London Line train at Kew Gardens and got very worried when they arrived at Acton Central when they'd hoped to go to Central London. I told them that they'd do best by going on to Willesden Junction and then catching a Bakerloo Line train, rather than returning to Gunnersbury and changing there to the District Line.

On another occasion, when Grey Green were running the 168 bus, there was a bomb scare in Aldwych and we were stuck north of Holborn, I was standing near to the driver's cab, and I directed him to Waterloo via High Holborn, Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge and York Road.
 

ChiefPlanner

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I was once approached on the no 4 Lexington Ave express in NYC if this train stopped at (I think) Bleeker St I confidently said "yes"- only a few mins later for us to go tearing through it at 45 mph.

Actually flattered to be mistaken for a "normal" - she changed at 14th St (I hope)
 

AlbertBeale

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It happens to me frequently abroad that people who're locals (at least relative to me) - as well as, occasionally, other foreigners - ask me questions when I'm on a station. It's a bit of a standing joke with a friend who's been with me on some of these occasions. Do I exude British anorak-ness, I always wonder?

On the S-Bahn or U-Bahn in Berlin, very shortly after the wall came down (and train connections were in a state of flux), I was asked for help by a local; though I speak a miniscule amount of German, and had never been in Berlin before, my instinct cut in and I was able to help. (Being brought up on the tube might mean such things are in my bones!)

Similarly, the only time I was in Sao Paulo - decades back, with their metro just having acquired its second line - I was looking at the system map and a local came up and asked for help with which platform they needed. My tiny amount of Portuguese was enough to help, but I was genuinely puzzled why it was me they asked.

And although I doubt I ever wear anything that could be mistaken for railway uniform, I've often been asked for help on mainline platforms and trains in Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and elsewhere. It must be my combined air of wisdom and approachability...
 

Bletchleyite

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On another occasion, when Grey Green were running the 168 bus, there was a bomb scare in Aldwych and we were stuck north of Holborn, I was standing near to the driver's cab, and I directed him to Waterloo via High Holborn, Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge and York Road.

I've directed a Stagecoach Manchester driver around Manchester Airport before, he didn't have a clue, I guess hadn't driven that before.
 

py_megapixel

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I've directed a Stagecoach Manchester driver around Manchester Airport before, he didn't have a clue, I guess hadn't driven that before.
What route was he on?

I ask because it seems that the drivers of the 313, as it runs fast to Cheadle Hulme along the new link road, seem to actually have a bit of freedom in how they enter and leave the airport, given all they have to do is get onto said link road and then follow the rest of the route. I've been in and out a couple of times now on the same route but taking different ways into out of the airport.

But now you're making me think that maybe there is a prescribed routing and the drivers just haven't been trained properly in what it is...
 

py_megapixel

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This is late 90s, it was the one that used to go through Cheadle. I half recall it was the 48?

It didn't look good when I got on, he'd managed to end up the wrong way round in one of the Airport bus stations (this was before it was all centralised).
Ah right, no, the 313 is a much more recent addition; they only brought it up to the airport a few years ago. No idea what the one through Cheadle was called - sorry!
 

Arglwydd Golau

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I have been mistaken for Richard Branson a couple of times on trains....does that count?
 
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