So many announcements, so few people taking them on board

[Krokodil]

I wonder if the BTP have realised that constantly badgering passengers with the SeeItSayItSortIt message is paradoxically deterring people from reporting incidents of concern?

Passengers? Or just you?

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Passengers? Or just you?

All passengers. If you've started to think that only you can hear the on train announcements then you're probably cracking up!

 

[AM9]

All passengers. If you've started to think that only you can hear the on train announcements then you're probably cracking up!

It wouldn't deter me, so that statement on behalf of everybody isn't true. You really shouldn't go around presuming that everybody has the same issues as you.

 

[Krokodil]

All passengers. If you've started to think that only you can hear the on train announcements then you're probably cracking up!

We can all hear the announcements. Only you seem to be using them as an excuse for not reporting something though.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I refer the honourable gentlemen to the title of this thread and the majority of posters on it that support said opinion.

Perhaps as a compromise, TOCs could make their announcements available on their websites as MP3 downloads? That way, people who enjoy listening to pointless announcements could do so to their heart's content while the rest of us could enjoy a blissfully peaceful journey!

 

[Krokodil]

I refer the honourable gentlemen to the title of this thread and the majority of posters on it that support said opinion.

You think that when posters on this thread hear "if you see something..." they think to themselves "well I was going to report the man who was harassing that girl but I'm not going to now"?

You're nuts.

 

[Bikeman78]

SWR guards on my morning train from Guildford to Waterloo have clearly been told they need to announce every upcoming departure from Woking for people who are changing trains to get to eg Weybridge or Walton. That's fine, it could be useful for people. But christ do they really need to go on for five minutes? Surely "change here for services to X from platform Y at ZZ:ZZ", not a full station-by-station announcement, followed by an announcement of the status of every tube line, and then two minutes about delays on the Central line "the orange one on your tube maps" due to train shortages "until a new timetable in may?" (this is all seriously what was announced, I wish I was making it up! The Central line doesn't even stop at Waterloo!)

One announcer was holding the mic too close to their mouth so the announcements were very loud. And then he told us to remember to keep the noise down in the quiet coaches, that elicited a laugh from most of the passengers!

Some of these announcements are a good idea, but badly executed imo.

I was out and about on SWR last week. I must have heard the engineering works announcement about 20 times and yet I couldn't tell any of the affected places. In other news, apparently some of the lifts at Woking are defective.

Because 999 is for emergencies, not for situations you might be a little bit concerned about.

If it's not an emergency then I'm not interested. I've long since learned that complaining to various authorities about things is completely pointless.

 

[farwest]

I try and ignore announcements and try and do the opposite. Especially the one on steps that goes on and on and on saying hold the handrail.

They all certainly put me off using the train.

 

[TurbineEnginee]

Because 999 is for emergencies, not for situations you might be a little bit concerned about.

It’s a train. It’s staffed.

We don’t need a number for things we’re a little bit concerned about.

 

[AM9]

It’s a train. It’s staffed.

We don’t need a number for things we’re a little bit concerned about.

You speak only for yourself. We are free to differ.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

It’s a train. It’s staffed.

We don’t need a number for things we’re a little bit concerned about.

Absolutely. Furthermore, if the BTP have so little to do that they have to repeatedly beg people to text them for the most trivial of reasons, you have to wonder whether it's time their numbers were cut or maybe if the BTP were even phased out altogether?

 

[Purple Train]

It’s a train. It’s staffed.

We don’t need a number for things we’re a little bit concerned about.

I beg to differ. I don't think it's particularly sensible pulling the pass-com and bothering the driver on my local line (DOO) just because of, for instance, some drunks causing a nuisance.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I beg to differ. I don't think it's particularly sensible pulling the pass-com and bothering the driver on my local line (DOO) just because of, for instance, some drunks causing a nuisance.

What crime have these "drunks causing a nuisance" committed? Just put your headphones on and mind your own business!

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Along with SWR's new voice we have new announcements that we must have a ticket (etc., etc.) and also that violence towards staff won't be tolerated. Well, of course - and if that stops one assault let's have it. But does it? It's not just conditioning us to ignore anything recorded at least, I think it is encouraging the climate it seeks to avoid. We are all suspects, or fearful, or both

 

[TurbineEnginee]

---

I beg to differ. I don't think it's particularly sensible pulling the pass-com and bothering the driver on my local line (DOO) just because of, for instance, some drunks causing a nuisance.

So they can

- use a bad word
- use a bad word loudly
- use a bad word loudly and raise their fist
- do all that and advance on you
- thump you upside the head

At what point do you call the silly number not 999?

Why did they give you a way to contact the driver?

 

[island]

I tried to use 61016 the other day, the text failed and I got a notification from my operator (Smarty) that it was a premium number not covered in my plan, and that I would need to deposit a minimum of £5 to be granted access to it.

The BTP need to set up a normal number.

 

[TUC]

What crime have these "drunks causing a nuisance" committed? Just put your headphones on and mind your own business!

I do think there is a difference psychologically about how unsafe different types of passengers and behaviour make people feel. I've been on trains with a table full of women drinking wine and being noisy, but clearly of no harm to anyone. That is very different to a woman travelling alone, in a carriage with a group of men drinking beer, swearing loudly and making suggestive comments.

I tried to use 61016 the other day, the text failed and I got a notification from my operator (Smarty) that it was a premium number not covered in my plan, and that I would need to deposit a minimum of £5 to be granted access to it.

The BTP need to set up a normal number.

I agree with you. Whatever one makes of when 61016 should be used, if it being promoted as the contact route to BTP then it should be freely available

 

[43066]

I tried to use 61016 the other day, the text failed and I got a notification from my operator (Smarty) that it was a premium number not covered in my plan, and that I would need to deposit a minimum of £5 to be granted access to it.

The BTP need to set up a normal number.

It’s been previously explained that there would then be the thorny question of who will pay the fees charged by mobile networks. In any case, surely the majority of people nowadays have texts included in their plans?

Perhaps in time they will move to a WhatsApp based service which should eliminate the problem.

 

[bramling]

that is your own interpretation. I certainly don't feel that. I have, however, used the text number to report anti social behaviour on trains and seen a response ( some of the time!)

You have done well to get a response!

There seems to have been a significant downturn in BTP responsiveness in recent times. There’s plenty of instances of BTP declaring themselves unavailable to respond to incidents, or where staff have called them on the non-emergency number and waited for well over an hour for the call to be even answered, let alone any kind of response initiated.

Dare one suggest that 61016 is diverting resources away from what might be seen to be their core functions? (Or is this just yet another example of dysfunctional broken Britain?).

 

[TUC]

It’s been previously explained that there would then be the thorny question of who will pay the fees charged by mobile networks. In any case, surely the majority of people nowadays have texts included in their plans?

Perhaps in time they will move to a WhatsApp based service which should eliminate the problem.

The point is that many text packages do not include premium numbers such as this. I do not think it is unreasonable that, if BTP want the public to use this route, then it should bear the cost.

Despite What's App being used by a significant number of people, fewer use it than use texting.

 

[island]

It’s been previously explained that there would then be the thorny question of who will pay the fees charged by mobile networks. In any case, surely the majority of people nowadays have texts included in their plans?

I have texts included in my plans, to normal numbers. Not to shortcodes.

Perhaps in time they will move to a WhatsApp based service which should eliminate the problem.

I would not be supportive of a move to a platform controlled by Meta (or any of the similar tech giants whose main income stream is serving you advertising).

 

[Krokodil]

My provider sends the texts fine and charges 10p without drama

 

[Craig1122]

Despite What's App being used by a significant number of people, fewer use it than use texting.

Ofcom research suggests conventional texting is very much in the minority compared to online platforms. Of those platforms What's App is by far the most popular:

"According to Ofcom’s latest research, between 2012 and 2022, the number of text messages (SMS and MMS) sent fell from 151 billion to 36 billion.[1] Over the same period, the number of online messages sent in the UK has increased from 100 billion a year to over 1.3 trillion."

(I've had less than 10 conventional text messages this year from 2 people compared to probably thousands of what's app messages)

WhatsAppening in the world of online communications?

In September 2022 we published our approach to digital markets in the communications sector, where we announced a programme of work to examine how digital markets are working for UK consumers and businesses.

www.ofcom.org.uk

 

[stuu]

My provider sends the texts fine and charges 10p without drama

Depends who you are with. I pay a fixed amount a month rather than a variable bill, so if I want to do anything chargeable like premium numbers I have to add credit to my account. I never use premium services so I never add money, so I couldn't "say it" either. It should be a free number

 

[Mag_seven]

The topic of onboard announcements has been done many times before - I think therefore this particular thread has now run its course.