Brutally Honest: London Underground service updates don't stray from truth. Picture: Cindy Andrie
Getting around London is a breeze and no the underground tube is not as daunting as everyone tells you it will be.
A tube map is a must-have and it’s so easy to read even if your navigation skills are as poor as a captain lost at sea.
But never fear, the London Underground staff are like walking encyclopaedia’s on the city’s tube system and are more than happy to help if you need directions.
The public transport system in London is usually very reliable. Transport for London (TFL) are so efficient at giving service updates that you barely have time to even think about asking what the hold-up is.
But the problem is not in the delivery of the message, it’s in the message itself. On any given day there is bound to be little hiccups that cause station closures or stop travel from one point to the next, but what about the update that “your services are being delayed due to a person under the train.”
TFL staff refer to it as “one-under,” meaning exactly what it suggests – a person has been hit by a train. Usually it is a suicide attempt; less often it is from people being pushed or falling.
It was only recently that I was on the Piccadilly line when I heard the blasé announcement about a person being “under the train.” I just couldn’t comprehend that something so serious was announced so lightly.
I asked a TFL worker why the incident is fully disclosed in that way and he said too many people blame the delays on TFL’s services so they have to inform passengers what is really causing the delay.
But I think the bigger issue here is the fact that someone has just ended their life for whatever reason and TFL announces it to get themselves out of hot water!
I’ve also been told that the announcements are made because the incidents are becoming a regular occurrence. According to the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), around 50 people kill themselves on the London Underground each year.
No wonder there was such an outrage when the film Three and Out was released.
So apart from the delays due to things like a person being under the train (if I may put it so lightly), getting from A to B in London is easy –but hearing the pleasant voice announcing the not-so pleasant news will take some getting use to!
Survival Tip: Don’t become just another service update
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, call the Samaritanson 08457 90 90 90
Going underground
Brutally Honest: London Underground service updates don't stray from truth. Picture: Cindy Andrie
Getting around London is a breeze and no the underground tube is not as daunting as everyone tells you it will be.
A tube map is a must-have and it’s so easy to read even if your navigation skills are as poor as a captain lost at sea.
But never fear, the London Underground staff are like walking encyclopaedia’s on the city’s tube system and are more than happy to help if you need directions.
The public transport system in London is usually very reliable. Transport for London (TFL) are so efficient at giving service updates that you barely have time to even think about asking what the hold-up is.
But the problem is not in the delivery of the message, it’s in the message itself. On any given day there is bound to be little hiccups that cause station closures or stop travel from one point to the next, but what about the update that “your services are being delayed due to a person under the train.”
TFL staff refer to it as “one-under,” meaning exactly what it suggests – a person has been hit by a train. Usually it is a suicide attempt; less often it is from people being pushed or falling.
It was only recently that I was on the Piccadilly line when I heard the blasé announcement about a person being “under the train.” I just couldn’t comprehend that something so serious was announced so lightly.
I asked a TFL worker why the incident is fully disclosed in that way and he said too many people blame the delays on TFL’s services so they have to inform passengers what is really causing the delay.
But I think the bigger issue here is the fact that someone has just ended their life for whatever reason and TFL announces it to get themselves out of hot water!
I’ve also been told that the announcements are made because the incidents are becoming a regular occurrence. According to the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), around 50 people kill themselves on the London Underground each year.
No wonder there was such an outrage when the film Three and Out was released.
So apart from the delays due to things like a person being under the train (if I may put it so lightly), getting from A to B in London is easy –but hearing the pleasant voice announcing the not-so pleasant news will take some getting use to!
Survival Tip: Don’t become just another service update
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90
Picture of London Underground from Flickr
Like this: