Unacceptable whistleblowing at Blackfriars

[D365]

There are many, many causes of tinnitus

Causes or aggravators? Once you have it, it's a permanent condition.

 

[driver_m]

If this is aimed at me then that is not what I said. You have implied it from my post. I did not deny that caffeinated drinks cause tinnitus (I simply asked for the evidence to prove/disprove it); what I said was that there are far worse aggravating factors (than caffeine). There are many, many causes of tinnitus

What evidence do you need about the caffeine? It's out there if you look for it. I'm only too aware there's a number of factors but that's the most easily fixed at reducing it.

 

[Timrud]

Helpful tip if Blackfriars causes you problems. Stay away from StPanc when a northnound train comes through the core

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Causes or aggravators? Once you have it, it's a permanent condition.

Both

And depending on the cause/trigger/aggravator; it doesn't have to be a permanent condition. It's how you deal with it that increases/decreases your perception of tinnitus

 

[Loop & Link]

I wonder if speaking to the individual on the day might have been the best course of action? Explaining the situation and seeing what they said. The outcome of a civil conversation could have then helped decide if any further action was required, which it may very well not have been.

Oh definitely not!

1. They wouldn’t have been able to post on here after the event, to make a drama out of a genuine mistake.

2. Most people on here seem to lack the social skills to have a proper conversation in the real world, but they can certainly do some mud-slinging from the comfort of an Internet forum behind an anonymous username.

But seriously, nothing wrong with a quick word at the time, or just a simple tweet to the TOC, or a email to their customer relations, no need for a full blown complaint for what might have been a genuine mistake.

 

[Bromley boy]

Hmmm not the most considerate of responses there! I suspect to the outside world 90% of the contents of this forum, with its talk of livery variations and unusual stock movements, would seem 'incredibly sad'... But discussing how people can be physically harmed by the railway is even "sadder", it seems? Tinnitus isn't a lot of fun you know...

Perhaps my previous post was a little strongly worded, and was somewhat tongue in cheek (as much of this thread is!). To clarify, I wouldn’t wish tinnitus on anyone, and I certainly don’t mean to belittle hearing problems of this type.

At least whistling is easily dealt with. The Thameslink wheel squeal at St Pancras is appallig and probably not so easy to fix.

I’m glad someone else has noticed that! It is absolutely appalling and quite unpleasant to experience.

 

[AM9]

... I’m glad someone else has noticed that! It is absolutely appalling and quite unpleasant to experience.

I agree that it can be irritating, but what could TL or NR do to mitigate or prevent it?

 

[Bromley boy]

I agree that it can be irritating, but what could TL or NR do to mitigate or prevent it?

Increase the lubrication of their flanges?!

 

[ComUtoR]

Too much grease causes low adhesion issues. It's the same situation at Lewisham. It's a hard balance and NR must find it a nightmare to manage.

 

[Raul_Duke]

Too much grease causes low adhesion issues. It's the same situation at Lewisham. It's a hard balance and NR must find it a nightmare to manage.

There is, truly, nothing worse for performance, than a greasy flange.

 

[al78]

The thread started off with a complaing about a whistle amplified by a microphone, then became interpreted as a complaint against any whistle at a station. Then someone brings up a completely irrelevant post about the effects of caffeine on tinnitus. So many straw men erected on here you should get jobs in a scarecrow factory.

 

[yorkie]

Or simply don’t bother. Actually, please don’t bother! For such a minor issue!?

It may not be a minor issue for you, but not for everyone.

I find your post confusing; you say above it is a "minor issue" yet you go on to say...

Why complain, and potentially get someone who already probably does a thankless job into a world of trouble?!

No-one is going to get "into trouble" if, as you say, it is a "minor issue".

But surely this is about making improvements and learning from experiences and not about getting people "into trouble".

I must confess complaints about “loud whistles” followed by a lengthy debate about decibel levels, shows how incredibly sad some posters on this forum can be!

Just a gentle reminder of our forum rules under the heading 'Respectful'.

 

[Bromley boy]

No-one is going to get "into trouble" if, as you say, it is a "minor issue".

But surely this is about making improvements and learning from experiences and not about getting people "into trouble".

Trouble is there is a bit of a blame culture on the railway and a formal complaint could end up being blown out of proportion.

As others have said quick informal word to the staff member in question would preferable, and just as effective.

Just a gentle reminder of our forum rules under the heading 'Respectful'

Yes apologies, my previous post does come across as somewhat ruder than I intended. It was not my intention to cause anyone offence.

 

[stut]

Does this make the OP a whistleblowing whistleblower?

You have my sympathy. I suffer from migraines triggered by all sorts of factors outwith my control, notably including bright LED lighting - as that's becoming the norm for public lighting, you can imagine how painful it becomes. Thankfully, there are mitigating measures I can take.

Where lighting is excessively strong or strobing, I do complain, as I know I'm not the only one who suffers from it. I don't expect the company in question to change their lighting policy for me, but if I can make them aware of the impact, perhaps be one of several, and perhaps be an input when they decide on their new bulb replacement contract, why not try.

Similarly, OP, if you frame a complaint not against an individual but perhaps as an accidental effect of how the station operates, which has effects they may not have considered, it may be received in spirit in which it's intended.

 

[AM9]

Increase the lubrication of their flanges?!

There isn't flange squeal (to any degree) at the southern end of St Pancras. It's wheel howl caused by the small radius curve making one or both of each wheel slip as they are fixed on their axles but they travel over different length rails. Flange greasers would make no difference.

 

[RichardN]

So if you work on the railways and reported this, you'd be whistleblowing on whistleblowing?

 

[mpthomson]

They reckon mine was probably caused by a mis-spent youth at loud concerts and taking part in loud motorsport!

Semi OT, but in line with your comment, but Brian Johnston from AC/DC's hearing problem that caused him to stop touring wasn't anything to do with the volume of gigs, it was because he forgot his ear defence when competing in a single vintage car race.

 

[Bromley boy]

There isn't flange squeal (to any degree) at the southern end of St Pancras. It's wheel howl caused by the small radius curve making one or both of each wheel slip on their fixed axles as they travel over different length rails. Flange greasers would make no difference.

I was just looking for an excuse to use the phrase “flange greaser”.

 

[AM9]

I was just looking for an excuse to use the phrase “flange greaser”.

OK. That must be a euphemism for something!

 

[Chris M]

Something that seems to have been overlooked by several posters is that the OP does not necessarily know which individual dispatcher is doing this or indeed whether it was the same individual both times. They will also have no way knowing whether other staff are doing it at other times.

The proportionate response is to make the station manager aware (e.g. via customer services) and in turn for the station manager to make staff aware that this is something they need to think about - as chances are that most of them have never thought about it. IFF an individual member of staff repeatedly continues to do it after this point only then would disciplinary action be something to be considered, probably starting with the individual's line manager having a word with them about it one-on-one as unless it is just one of a range of issue's with that individual's behaviour anything more would likely be overkill.

 

[adamello]

Something that seems to have been overlooked by several posters is that the OP does not necessarily know which individual dispatcher is doing this.

My initial thought of the whole situation, a whistle is a sharp high pitched sound - High pitch means the sound doesn't travel as far but you can identify the direction of the source. When a whistle is blown on a platform, you have a reasonable idea of where there signal is being made, and you would be able to identify it's relevance.
If the sound is then repeated over PA, which could be single platform, island platform or even a larger area, then use lose the value of locating the sound, whether if its relevant to your train or not, and it then just becomes an annoying noise.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Happy to report that today the dispatcher with the microphone and the dispatcher with the whistle were different people, at different points on the platform, so no issues.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Interesting article here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...ring-loss-tinnitus-riding-london-underground/

Dr Joe Sollini, of UCL's Ear Institute said it was concerning that many journeys were louder than 85 decibels - the level that requires hearing protection in a workplace.

"Hearing loss accumulates over our lifetime," he said.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

To compound the issue, many people will listen to music through personal devices with volume control maxxed out to try and hear above the noise which increases the risk of hearing loss and tinnitus

 

[Scotty]

To compound the issue, many people will listen to music through personal devices with volume control maxxed out to try and hear above the noise which increases the risk of hearing loss and tinnitus

Many people will ue noise-cancelling headphones to allow them to listen to music at an acceptable level.

 

[Ibex]

Happy to report that today the dispatcher with the microphone and the dispatcher with the whistle were different people, at different points on the platform, so no issues.

I honestly don’t know why they give the dispatchers through the Thameslink core those roaming microphones in the first place.

The auto PA announcing the stopping pattern as the train arrives is enough; all the dispatchers do is add constant unnecessary and unintelligible drivel which nobody needs to hear, as well as having to shout over the dispatcher on the opposite platform doing the same thing. It’s particularly bad at Farringdon where there’s LU staff doing it too.

I do sympathise with the OP taking issue with the whistle down the PA, there is a conductor on the line I commute on who does the same thing and it’s painful. The sound of an already loud whistle being amplified over a PA.

I’m sure a quiet word in these people’s ear would do the trick, they may not necessarily be aware of how it comes out to the people around them.

 

[12CSVT]

Going back to the point raised by the OP, surely the person most likely to suffer ear damage is the person blowing the whistle.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Many people will ue noise-cancelling headphones to allow them to listen to music at an acceptable level.

Agreed, but many people will be using normal earphones as they (probably) can't afford noise cancelling ones

 

[jon0844]

I honestly don’t know why they give the dispatchers through the Thameslink core those roaming microphones in the first place.

The auto PA announcing the stopping pattern as the train arrives is enough; all the dispatchers do is add constant unnecessary and unintelligible drivel which nobody needs to hear, as well as having to shout over the dispatcher on the opposite platform doing the same thing. It’s particularly bad at Farringdon where there’s LU staff doing it too.

Platform staff are going to be required to get trains in and out on time, with virtually no margin of error.

As such, the platform announcements will be made automatically - but platform staff will judge the situation best to tell people to move down and use all doors, to let people off and generally everything needed to keep the dwell time to a minimum.

And in reality, many passengers will ignore all of the above advice and we'll end up with delays with horrible knock on effects.

Cattle prods are probably a better item to carry than a whistle!

 

[jon0844]

Agreed, but many people will be using normal earphones as they (probably) can't afford noise cancelling ones

I know you didn't mean it to sound that way, but after the other thread on here I couldn't help but imagine someone from Momentum tweeting something about the working class unable to afford the necessary kit to avoid pain from a privatised railway company.

(As an aside, don't some good noise cancelling headphones have the ability to let through very loud sounds specifically to help hear alarms/alerts or someone shouting?).