Friday, November 02, 2012

East Midlands Trains says walk don't run

For the past few weeks East Midlands Trains has been playing a new announcement at its stations. It tells you not to smoke, that you are being observed by CCTV but should keep you luggage with you at all times, and "for your own safety" to walk not run.

It feels as though you have alighted at a high-tech Approved School.

Given the eye-watering cost of rail fares these days, I would like to be treated as a valued customer. But having heard this announcement several dozen times I will settle for being treated like an adult.

6 comments:

Tim said...

I think you mean "to walk and not run" - unless they've commissioned a different set of annoying announcements especially for Derby station ...

Jonathan Calder said...

Indeed I do, though in "If..." the younger boys are ordered to run in the corridor.

media scum said...

Why not link this with a clip of the 1964 single by the Ventures 'Walk don't run' and suggest this to EMT for loudspeaker backing ?

Jonathan Calder said...

Good idea, but I prefer their 1960 version.

crewegwyn said...

You should be grateful you don't suffer Arriva Trains Wales. Journeys on their trains are constantly punctuated by announcements, the most curious of which is their claim that "this train calls at the following principal stations: ... " and goes on to list every stopping point; on a Manchestyer - Pembroke Dock service by the time the list has been exhausted we are at the next station, and it can all start again!

Simon said...

Are you aware that the 'need' for these announcements is now being used at some stations (I'm looking at you New Street) to justify actually turning off announcements of which train will be leaving at which platform? As a visually impaired train user that makes the stations so much less accessable to me, but apparently it really is more important that people get told that they are being watched and that it is raining!