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What does 'good-service' actually mean?

whenthiswasfields

Posted by whenthiswasfields over 2 years ago
Last active about 1 year ago 5 responses

I recently e-mailed LUL to ask them about their policy regarding the wording on the whiteboards they use in most Tube stations to inform passengers of the status of services on all lines. I queried the widespread and irksome use of “Good service” to denote an absence of delays.

Whether it’s a good service or not is a subjective matter and surely only the paying passengers should be the judge of it. Is a good service on the Jubilee line (mean waiting time: 5 mins) really the same as a good service on the Victoria line (2 mins), for example? Surely it should be “normal” or “OK”, I suggested. The response I received was that “good service” is easier for foreign passengers to understand. But “No delays” means that they have to understand only two words to get the picture, I argued. Answer came there none.

Llamapiss

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5 responses

whenthiswasfields

The phrase “Normal Service” was phased out on the London Underground signage by none other that Mayor Ken Livingstone. The idea was that “Good Service” sounded better, was easier for tourists to read and makes people more confident about their journeys. Also the fact that the phrase “Normal Service” led many to expect delays.

enfant terrible

Posted over 2 years ago by whenthiswasfields

whenthiswasfields

On the subject of inappropriate messages at tube stations, I was amused and annoyed in equal parts when the platform indicator at Canary Wharf told me that the East London line had ‘a good service with delays’.

JooPoo

Posted over 2 years ago by whenthiswasfields

unknown

I think there is a clear translation issue between lines when it comes to these warning messages. I’m almost certain that a good service on the Northern line means exactly the same thing as severe delays on the Picadilly line. Likewise Minor delays on the Northern line actually means Nuclear war has broken our and all trains have been removed to be made into a vast array of missiles, except to move into your local tube station and never leave.

Posted about 1 year ago by unknown

logomomo

I don’t beleive a word they say any more… like when you wait 10 minutes for a piccadily line train which stops at the next station for 5 minutes to “even up the gaps” – do they think we’re all stupid

Posted about 1 year ago by logomomo

Morals

Does that question even require an answer? Of course they think we’re all stupid, that’s what these people DO.

Bastards.

Posted about 1 year ago by Morals