Re: Guard announcements

["Marc Hunt" <march@pip.com.au>]

When I was on the "suburbans" in the middle 80's I never made a single on
board train announcement.
Why ?
My warning whistle told you that the doors were about to close.
You don't have to speak English, Lebanese or Vietnamese to understand it,
the whistle blows, the doors are closing so stand clear or you will have
your turban dragged from here to Punchbowl !

Secondly, 99.99 percent of train running alterations are directed by Control
or Traffic Trouble at stations.

Every time I ever questioned the  Station employee in charge  regarding who
was right and who was wrong, the answer is ultimately "it's my station,
you're in station limits, you will do as I say". And of course the answer
has to be "so be it on your head Bartholomew for history will be your
judge".

I must admit at the time trains PA's were at their infancy and I've never
seen a 1927 Set with a PA.

It indeed appears that in our modern society we seem to believe we have to
treat absolutely everyone as though they are a walking, talking, brainless
morons, with no sense of self preservation or the slightest trace of
comprehension of what is transpiring around them.

So what we do is "kid glove" them all, wrap them in far too many laws for
the "moron" and proceed to pander to the left wing, tree hugging, hippie,
university failure culture that is pervading most  of our society.

It's another case of "we have failed in the basics of life , so the rest of
you will have to come down to my level so I won't feel bad about being the
bottom of the "natural selection" process.

If you do not have enough "self preservation" instinct nor the alacrity to
comprehend what is going on around you, please stay at the nursing home and
let the real workers get on with the job of moving the vast majority of
"switched on" passengers to their destination.

OK, flame away I have my politicaly incorrect asbestos vest on.
--
Marc Hunt
(ex-Enfield Guard0