Ceptic Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Looks interesting. Repeated Ch. 13, 11pm, on Freeview. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I've just watched this. It confirmed why I am scared to go onto the platforms even at quiet times, and would not dream of it in the peak.. My other thought is Why on earth are we talking about HS2 which will feed even more commuters on to this already straining Victorian transport system? Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ordinarily, I would generally start from a position of support for LU management, but my years as a London commuter eroded this professional empathy. I lost count of the number of times I heard the system announcing that there was a good service on all lines when I had been waiting for perhaps 8 or 9 minutes. In Central London, headways over 4 minutes should be regarded as minor delays! As a regular on the Victoria line I was frequently affected by technical glitches affecting the new trains as they were introduced and everyone's patience was tested to the extreme. There was an incident last year when one driver/operator forgot the corporate line when, in an exasperated tone, practically shouted "MIND - THE - CLOSING - DOORS - GODAMMIT!" over the PA system. Priceless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Watched only the first 1/2 hr then had to switch off. Probably the most unbalanced and biased item of propaganda for the unions I have seen on tv since the 70s. Badly put together and focusing on a few anonymous grumblers who frankly, if they don't like the job so much then they should get out. That was a pity. As I think deep down there were some very valid points raised, not least of which was the deterioration of the public attitude of both the commuter and the staff. The attitude of ignoring safety rules and then blaming "management" when things go wrong is not the right approach. Considering the number of hard working and conscientious employees on the LU, I found the small number voicing their anti-management views (through an "actor") just typical of a political stance being made by a union or its media collaborators. After 1/2hr the program showed no sign of sensibly presenting the "management" view so I turned off. But then, what did I expect from Channel 4? ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 Precisely why I didn't watch any of it kenton, the trailer for it was enough to tell me it was a Bob Crow production ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I know what you mean Kenton. Unfortunately nowadays, the style of management in most workplaces has succeeded in producing only a bitter, twisted workforce who then become perfect soundboards for unions whose executive largely pursue their own agenda as opposed to protecting their members. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmisterporter Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I too didn't like the "voices of real people played by actors". It sounds like an invitation to whinge, whether justified or not, without any comebacks. I'm not a management lackey by any means, I've been union rep in several jobs, but this kind of hiding behind a screen is pathetic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 I didn't bother to watch it - the trails gave all too good an impression of what it was going to be like and comments above have confirmed that. As for as the peculiar expression 'Good Service', which LUL nowadays seems to have fallen in love with, my view is that they should be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act - even if, in objective terms, the expression is semi-meaningless. One example of 'good service' I am familiar with is that on two recent occasions an UndergrounD journey from Paddington to Kings Cross has taken at least twice as long as it regularly took 40 years ago (and had to my knowledge had taken in the decade prior to that). The abysmal state of the service and journey times on the (semi) Circle Line could hardly be described as 'good' in any version of the English language i have ever come across. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 Nobody's mentioned the dot matrix displays on LU platforms, showing the time(s) of the next train(s). I once joked to a colleague that LU disregards normal time and uses 95 seconds to the minute for these indicators. Try timing them when next down on the Tube. When it works properly I would still argue that the London Underground is a fantastic system, but there is a need to deal with contingencies more efficiently. I don't think these points were brought out sufficiently in the programme. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 I must admit, this programme was a Tad different from Mr.M. Portillo's "Perfect UK world" / GB Railway Journals, when he wafted / breezed through LUTLand, from Stratford to the Embankment, some weekdays ago, IIRC. The two compared, just go to show, how staged / pre-rigged / ad-libbed, TV documentaries can be, and are, presented. At best, listen to the people involved, i.e., lay railway men/women, who are (briefly) interviewed in the BBC2 series, and, in this instance, portrayed by actors (however stiffly) to expound on their concerns. It's always best to get reports / stories from both sides of the tracks,... read between the lines,...and,... "Mind The Gap"... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 It's always best to get reports / stories from both sides of the tracks,... read between the lines,...and,... "Mind The Gap"... "Reports" I don't mind, stories and particularly grudge stories I do.</br /> I cannot help feeling that deep underneath the poor presentation and overt politics of the program there may well have been some important issues worthy of a balanced report. The increasing passenger numbers, particularly at peak "rush hour" and the impact of overcrowding on the temperament of both passengers and staff. The effect of increased numbers during 2012 of 1000's of additional tourists during the Jubilee and the Olympics. Not to mention the safety and potentially disruptive implications. These alone could have been made into a much more revealing and worthy documentary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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