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I had written to TFL about these megaphone announcements previously to this article appearing.

The station is equipped with a new (and very clear/effective) announcement system. The trains give announcements and a warning tone as the doors are about to close too.

This announcer talks over the top of them so that you can't hear them properly (annoying if you are trying to listen to the destination of the train) and in a totally unintelligible manner. I've only ever made out the word "please" at the end of his announcements. I have no idea what he says.

James

- James, London, 25/08/2010 10:01
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This article (and some of the comments in response) I find extremely distasteful. This is just a guy doing his job as directed by London Overground. I understand that this is adding to the noise nuisance of those who live right by the train station, but to publish this guy's photo and to humiliate him in this way is just wrong. I hardly think he just decided it would be a good idea picked up a loudspeaker as a good idea one day; he's acting on directives from LO, and any comments on service should be directed there
I use the station every day and I can honestly say I have never noticed the loudspeaker. In an industry often beset by indifferent, can I say that since the introduction of the ELL and the handover to London Overground, Sydenham is a far nicer station. There are far more staff therefore it feels safer and the new staff are an agreeable, friendly and polite bunch. It really saddens me to see this chap treated in this way.

- MiniFox, Sydenham, 19/08/2010 22:22
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As far as im concerned the guy is doing his job even though i agree it needs to be toned down a little anyhow as a fellow railway worker he is doing it for safety of passengers and customers.I have seen passengers standing right on the edge of platforms nattering or playing on their phones /mp3 players not paying any attention to their own safety a high speed train could be coming they could get hit or fall on the track and what do you get if you bring it to their attention in a polite way ? a mouthfull of abuse !!! enough said

- ricky, london, 19/08/2010 12:11
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People who complain about loud announcements should try Southern Rail which has found another way of announcing trains and that is to play the sound of a hunting horn first. And they dont even have a station at Tally Ho Corner!!

- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 19/08/2010 12:09
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This newspaper deems it acceptable to carry out personalised attacks on workers doing their job as agreed/instructed to do by their bosses. First there was the teacher paid as a consultant as agreed BY THE GOVERNMENT who you crucified for days... now you publish a photo of a man doing what every other 'station supervisor' or whatever they're called on the new "London Overground" service along what was the East London Line are doing.

I get this service every day, there are loads of these people employed to carry out a service along the line. If the service is not necessary, you talk to his boss who then advises him to do the job in a slightly different manner which is exactly what happened here. What gives the residents the "right" to abuse him? The people in "the wrong" here are residents who think it's acceptable to abuse people for doing their job. I've never been "deafened" by any of them.

As for "creeping along the platform"... really? Or was he walking along the platform ensuring safety on the platform? It would be difficult for him to do that standing on the same spot all day.

Everyone whinges about insufficient staffing leading to poor levels of safety/security on the transport system and then on this line we have visible staffing and there are complaints about it.

We are British - we are supposed to be polite. People abusing this man should be ashamed of themselves.

- STG, Peckham, London, 19/08/2010 11:18
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These announcements only appear to be at a few stations, certainly not on mine.
If this loudspeaker service is so important to health & safety why is it not happening at other stations?

- Mark Myword, London, 19/08/2010 10:57
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Why do the SWT on-train announcements at stations stop when the doors close? People getting on can't hear them, and people who are already on board don't need to hear them.

The little people all try their best, but the managers need to really get their act together and support the lower staff. They strut about admiring each other in their Emperor's New Clothes, oblivious to the rest of the world.

- Don, Sheen, 19/08/2010 09:09
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I travel to and from this station every day and often see this guy in the morning. I have a couple of points.

1) He IS performing an important service. He is mainly asking passengers to stand behind the yellow line. This is not just for their own safety, but for the drivers coming into the station. I have never found him excessive in the use of his megaphone and certainly never noticed him '"creeping" towards the houses'. He doesn't even do the updates, he is merely there for safety reasons, which leads me to...

2) I don't think he'd be needed if the bulk of passengers did not need the obvious stated to them. I am staggered by the rudeness of commuters who barge in front of others while queueing and stand right on the edge of the platform - often not letting people off first. While walking down the platform to alleviate congestion, I have often been barged into or made to walk very near the edge (not fun on a wet day on an uncovered platform) and get there as early as I can as I don;t want to be barged off a train (as I have in the past). Once we stop acting like animals maybe we won't need someone to herd us.

- Scott, Sydenham UK, 19/08/2010 08:02
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Only in this country, will you find someone actually paid to state the obvious.

It's a nanny country terrified at the prospect of lawsuits and people who would deliberately hurt themselves for compensation, rather than get a job.

I find it sad, very sad and we'd think of ourselves as a modern, civilised country? Don't make me laugh.

- Marco Marboni, Kettering, UK, 19/08/2010 05:38
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To be fair, I can understand why the announcements are made on the tube, as this is a World City and we are visited by tourists who may or may not be used to our transport system. I think the purpose of these announcements, apart from the obvious health and safety aspects, is to keep the services running as efficiently as possible. How many times have you seen people trying to get through the closing doors, that's what delays trains, I would imagine. This is more annoying if the next train is just 4 mins behind the one in the platform.

If you use the tube/rail every day then you will most probably know the system like the back of your hand, but spare a thought for those who may not.

Thinks of others for a change and not yourself.

- Chris, Ealing, 19/08/2010 04:06
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"jobswoths justifying there existance yet again typical.

- james, london.uk, 18/08/2010 20:41"


Ah, the petty minds of London's city workers'.
That comment was very poorly spelt 'james' (without a capital letter)

What exactly is your definition of a "jobswoth"?
Perhaps we're all jobsworths James, including you!
Everyone of us that goes to work is paid to do it properly, and if we bend the rules we get sacked for it.

- National Rail Worker, London, 18/08/2010 23:32
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Most annoying announcement from SW trains has to be the one where they thank you for travelling with them and wish you a pleasant onward journey. Whoever made this one up has clearly never arrived at Waterloo at 8 in the morning and then endured the drain up to Bank station! I agree that SW announcements are a complete nightmare and incredibly patronising. When the staff add their own announcements it makes it even worse if that is possible. Why do they insist on saying 'last and final stop'? If the last stop isn't the final one then what on earth is it?

- Nick A, London, 18/08/2010 22:57
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I can understand why some people could be annoyed by the use of a megaphone and there have been stories before where annoucements made in railway and tube stations have had to be made quieter to stop annoying nearby residents. But maybe he has to be loud so that those people with MP3 players played so loud with their leaking headphones that annoy other people on the platform and trains, can hear as well.

What is really bizarre is that people who live right near the railway line do not have double-glazing. I too live near a railway line in London, less busy than the one going through Sydenham as well, and double-glazing is a must, as well as reducing heating bills as well.

It is also not every Overground station that has over-loud annoucements, since Norwood Junction on the same line does not.

I wonder if the planes that fly overhead, including large passenger jets, helicopters and whinning private planes from places like Biggin Hill could also reduce their noise.

- Phil J, London, 18/08/2010 22:02
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jobswoths justifying there existance yet again typical.

- james, london.uk, 18/08/2010 20:41
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I don't think he's a guard (as per title), otherwise he'd be on the train and not on the platform!

More likely to be a Station Operative.

- Paul Harley, Newport, 18/08/2010 20:04
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@TinyTim

Like the buses, SWT also gives out frequent recorded destination announcements. I can,at a push, understand the point of these rather more than the endless safety information drivel from the voice known as "Patricia Hewett" (see earlier blog). However, what lends a further touch of farce just out of Waterloo in the evening is the guard doing his own destination and other announcements (but almost always sounding as if he's mumbling through a mouthful of hay); he has to hurry desperately to finish his spiel before the first safety announcement from "Patricia" usually just before Vauxhall. Sigh...if only Reggie Perrin were using SWT nowadays....

- Stevie G, London SW11, 18/08/2010 17:52
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"I am sick of people that cannot speak ENGLISH!!

- BB, London, 18/08/2010 16:41"

That is not technically correct either is it.
I haven't spoken to you, so how could I possibly be speaking English, when I wrote a comment?

I think we can call it even, don't you?

- RailEmployee, London, 18/08/2010 17:03
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@RailEmployee, London

Don't you mean Is there any reason why they couldn't simply "HAVE" raised this issue with London Overground management? rather than Is there any reason why they couldn't simply "OF" raised this issue with London Overground management?

I am sick of people that cannot speak ENGLISH!!

- BB, London, 18/08/2010 16:41


Oh dear, any excuse to moan eh BB?!

Thank you for your comment,

I have not written to you in any other language have I?

It is perfectly acceptable to say 'of' instead of have. Whether it is deemed as 'proper English' or not is never factual.
I "HAVE" not witten to you in slang or any other language, so what other language could I possibly be speaking in?
It is an invidual's choice to speak as they will. I am not at work today, so I shall speak as I will.


Your Pal,

RailEmployee.

Oh sorry...

Yours Sincerely,

RailEmployee

- RailEmployee, London, 18/08/2010 16:57
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"Sorry to sound like I lack sympathy, but it is not neccessary to humiliate someone using the media for simply doing his job. Is there any reason why they couldn't simply of raised this issue with London Overground management? Is there any reason a complaint form couldn't be picked up?"

@RailEmployee, London

Don't you mean Is there any reason why they couldn't simply "HAVE" raised this issue with London Overground management? rather than Is there any reason why they couldn't simply "OF" raised this issue with London Overground management?

I am sick of people that cannot speak ENGLISH!!

- BB, London, 18/08/2010 16:41
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Rail employee - I suspect that the reason that this has got into the media is that (as the Standard article implies) complaints have been made but nothing was done.

- Stevie G, London SW11, 18/08/2010 15:56


In that case you'd put in a request to a have chat with either the head of stations or the MD.
Passenger Focus are also very good at getting responses out of train operators that try to ignore issues.

- RailEmployee, London, 18/08/2010 16:32
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I sympathise with you SW trains 'clients'; we also have to put up with this patronising, useless drivel on the buses. There are continuous (and LOUD) announcements about the bus's destination and which bus it is: "This is a blah-blah to blah-blah" I *know* that, that's why I got on the bloody bus. If anyone says "Oh, it's for blind people" then why is the announcement about the destination made after the vehicle has pulled away? A bit late, no? Anyway, most blind people I know resent being treated as imbeciles who don't understand public transport. All this irritating yatter does is force people to turn their i-Pods up louder, despite notices to 'keep it down'
Sure, it's often useful to know one's whereabouts, especially in an unfamiliar area; the info is useful for places such as hospitals, stations and interchanges, but that was what the Conductor used to do ! I was even told that this constant bellowing is an EU requirement ! So they *do* think we're stupid Englanders !
TT

- TinyTim, What Bus Am I On? E.london, 18/08/2010 16:26
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Makes me wonder why these people are complaining? Don't they have jobs to go to??

- Peter, Vienna, Austria, 18/08/2010 16:05
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Yet another example of the nanny state that infiltrates every facet of life today; infantile announcements on buses and trains, railings everywhere because we can't be trusted to cross the road...etc etc.

I must concur with Stevie G; SWT's enthusiasm for this intrusive form of pollution is exceptinally pernicious. The hectoring tone and loud volume of the excessivley frequent harangueing utterances can be countered only with an expensive pair of headphones. Apparently the Stagecoach subsidiary when challenged about this, lays the blame at the door of European regulation.

I've travelled all over Europe by train in recent years and have yet to hear an operator that matches the zeal of SWT in these matters. Were they to redirect their efforts into cleaning the mobile dustbins they describe as trains, SWT really would provide a service that matched the standards prevalent in Europe.

- Jayceeyoukay, Surrey, UK, 18/08/2010 16:01
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Cheer Up Stevie G

- Jez, Lambeth, 18/08/2010 16:00
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Rail employee - I suspect that the reason that this has got into the media is that (as the Standard article implies) complaints have been made but nothing was done.

- Stevie G, London SW11, 18/08/2010 15:56
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This guy needs to turn his mouth down.

If the problem is new then it needs resolving after all no problem before he started using the megaphone.

His bosses need to come up with other ideas.

Residents have rights and should enforce them if the problem persists

- PATRICK'S OPINION LAMBETH, LONDON, 18/08/2010 15:50
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Sorry to sound like I lack sympathy, but it is not neccessary to humiliate someone using the media for simply doing his job. Is there any reason why they couldn't simply of raised this issue with London Overground management? Is there any reason a complaint form couldn't be picked up?

- RailEmployee, London, 18/08/2010 15:37
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@John, London, 18/08/2010 12:52

On the irritating announcement front you haven't lived until you've travelled on South West Trains. They're miles worse than anyone else. When you get on one of their horribly overcrowded trains, not only does the on-train PA system say "mind the gap between the train and the platform edge" (where else?) between every station, we get "Do try to keep all personal belongs with you and if you see anything suspicious, please tell a member of staff" and even worse "Safety information is displayed in all coaches". All of these announcements between nearly every station! Delivered in a patronising Patricia Hewitt voice. I kid you not.

Its piece de resistance is the announcement "You must buy a ticket before you travel on one of our trains. If you don't have a ticket you may be liable to a penalty fare!" In this piece of nagging, "Patricia" sounds like the woman reading out "Watch With Mother", on the BBC circa 1968, to 4 year olds.

This is OCD, on acid. It may be a half-witted safety Nazi, or it might just be a third rate lawyer, employed in-house by SWT, who thinks that by inflicting this drivel upon its customers he might save SWT from any claims.

SWT, stop this nonsense. I am not 4 years old. None of the other operators see fit to nag us like you do. I am sorely tempted to blast your trains' PA systems with a flame thrower. Or leave an empty box behind on one of your luggage racks. If you treat people like kids............

- Stevie G, London SW11, 18/08/2010 14:41
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The one that reaaly gets me is the modern addition to "Mind the Gap", the bit that explains it's the gap between platform and train.

- Don, Sheen, 18/08/2010 14:32
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the continual announcements on the tube when I am in London drive me nuts, and I think the announcers know how annoying they are and laugh about it.

I don't want them to tell me when there is a good service. I can be the judge of that. They never seem to want to tell you when there is a bad or poor service.

It's the same on intercity trains. You simply cannot settle down and work or read unless you have had the foresight to bring earplugs.

No wonder people prefer the peace and quiet, or their own selected music or radio station, of their own cars, no matter how sluggish the traffic.

- David Short, Tunis, 18/08/2010 14:20
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actually, that's one of the things I am missing about this great city! .... I do understand, however, how annoying it could be...

- Maria Cristina, U.S., 18/08/2010 14:16
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I was first taken in the Tube as a kid in 1964 and for the next 20+ years managed to get around public transport in London without being constantly, pointlessly barked at by petty officials. Recently on the platform at South Kensington District Line I counted 50 out of every 60 seconds bombarded with announcements, often incomprehensible to me as a native English speaker, let alone to most visitors. Specially on the Tube with maps and train indicators everywhere and recorded announcements on the trains, additional PA or megaphone announcements are completely superfluous. By all means, have staff on the platforms to answer passenger enquiries and assist with safe operation, but why do TfL and the train companies insist on assaulting our ears (and often insulting our intelligence) with this non-stop drivel?

- tom, london, 18/08/2010 13:43
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Oh dear! He’s like a cheap Alarm clock!.....
Well we only have ourselves to blame, for joining the culture to exploit our Law & sue because we can’t hear an announcement, see a yellow line clearly painted or signs pointing to the fact that there is a gap big enough to cause you damage….seems announcements are here to stay

- Jamie, London, 18/08/2010 13:42
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Andrew of Tel Aviv. Many thanks, you've given me a great idea. I'm off to buy a megaphone to shout at the kids "Close the door". Rock on. Finally sussed it.

- Peter M, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 18/08/2010 13:17
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I use the station every day and the other daft thing the guy does is to tell people to get back across the yellow line. Trouble is, it's half way across platform, which means half the platform is too crowded to walk down, while the other is empty. Still - hardly his fault, he's only doing his job. He's actually a nice chap.

- Wispy Wonder, London, 18/08/2010 13:15
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I don't know what's worse. Over-loud announcements telling people to mind the gap, London Underground thinking people need to be told the bleeding obvious or people who would sue because the bleeding obvious isn't pointed out to them.

- Paul, London, 18/08/2010 13:12
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"Why do commuters need telling to mind the gap? I think we all know about the gap. When are they going to stop these pointless messages - on the whole train system." - Chris.

What he said.

People have been walking on and off trains for over a hundred years, (and walking through doors for thousands). Why do we suddenly need to be told to watch where we're going?

- John, London, 18/08/2010 12:52
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London certainly is a city of unnecessarily loud public services for some reason! During my time there, i had got used to the constant sirens day and night, the loud public announcements in rail stations (that were badly muffled and therefore incomprehensible) and as Londoner here amusingly says, people who "horn" every morning for no reason!
Also everything runs on diesel so the taxis, cars picking people up etc make a loud tractor-like sound when idling outside peoples houses early in the morning!

That guy shouting down a megaphone is overkill and unnecessary.. Employing people to shout Mind the Gap is rather like employing someone to stand outside my house and shout with a megaphone "close the gate" at the top of his voice! Ridiculous.

- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 18/08/2010 12:41
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How true. Since TfL took over these stations from Southern with the opening of the Overground, these jobsworths have been on every platform at rush hour, urging us to stand behind the (ridiculously far back) yellow line and informing us of every bloody thing with their megaphones. There's NO NEED For it, at all. They serve no purpose, and TfL should rethink and redeploy.

- Big D, Forest Hill, 18/08/2010 12:40
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I'm astounded how people feel the need to commment on race and/or religeon where it's irrelevant to the story.

SqUiz - bet you feel really proud of that one eh?
You sitting in front of your PC giggling like a little girl telling yourself how witty you are?

Peter M - and perhaps you'd like to tell your hosts what you really think of their call to prayer or maybe you're scared of losing that tax-free haven and being sent back here to pay taxes like the rest of us.

- Saj, London, 18/08/2010 12:38
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Why do commuters need telling to mind the gap? I think we all know about the gap. When are they going to stop these pointless messages - on the whole train system.

- chris, Hammersmith, 18/08/2010 12:13
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Now now SqUiz, that's just silly. Every 20 minutes or thereabouts? I think not.

If there was only five trains a day you might have got away with it.

- Peter M, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 18/08/2010 11:56
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I never sleep without earplugs. Some idiots horn every morning near my house just to announce their arrival.

- Londoner, London, United Kingdom, 18/08/2010 11:55
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Did the commuters on the platform suffering from burst and bleeding eardrums? Sounds like they should have if it was that bad.

I have to admit that I would have been tempted to buy a megaphone and provide Mr Shaheen with some short advice of my own.

A lack of common sense or good manners?

- Peter M, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 18/08/2010 11:43
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If you're unnecessarily annoying them, then they actually have every right to abuse you.

- ST, London, 18/08/2010 11:33
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