coldest winter
Last night I had the opportunity to ride the Metro. I enjoy the concept of a metro/subway system but the one we have here in DC drives me nuts sometimes. After living in London and using their system as my sole mode of transportation, I think I was spoiled by a great system. I might like our (DC's) Metro Rail if it wasn't so ugly. The plain concrete walls, the dim lighting, the turbo-slow escalators, I can deal with most of those things easy enough. There is one thing that I struggle to understand. I was standing on the platform tonight waiting for the train when I heard the new announcement.
"Hi. Welcome to Metro. We have a lot of escalators in our system. You'll notice that most people stand on the right side. And while you're riding, hold the handrail for your safety. Enjoy your trip, and thank you for riding Metro."
Now, if you have been in the London Underground, they say the exact same thing. But they say, "Please stand to the right when using the escalator so that others may walk past you on the left." Over and over while you walk/ride up the escalators.
I know this has been covered by a few thousand bloggers back when Metro made this announcement in August, but this is the first time I have heard it. Crazy. Why can't we just say, "Stand to the right"? Why do we have to use forty two words when five would work? What happened to brevity? I thought that was the key to effective communication. --I know, look who's talking. I prattle on for a thousand words and don't say anything.
The real reason I started talking about the Metro, I was outside waiting for the train and started thinking about how cold it was. I was only wearing a light jacket and the wind was pretty brisk at times.
"Hi. Welcome to Metro. We have a lot of escalators in our system. You'll notice that most people stand on the right side. And while you're riding, hold the handrail for your safety. Enjoy your trip, and thank you for riding Metro."
Now, if you have been in the London Underground, they say the exact same thing. But they say, "Please stand to the right when using the escalator so that others may walk past you on the left." Over and over while you walk/ride up the escalators.
I know this has been covered by a few thousand bloggers back when Metro made this announcement in August, but this is the first time I have heard it. Crazy. Why can't we just say, "Stand to the right"? Why do we have to use forty two words when five would work? What happened to brevity? I thought that was the key to effective communication. --I know, look who's talking. I prattle on for a thousand words and don't say anything.
The real reason I started talking about the Metro, I was outside waiting for the train and started thinking about how cold it was. I was only wearing a light jacket and the wind was pretty brisk at times.
3 Comments:
Regarding your comments that METRO should use fewer words, such as "Stand to the Right when using the escalator" instead of many more words. You may not have been exposed to it yet, but there is an entire school of thought out there which insists that words must be softened as not to offend or give a strong direction. Hence, the round-about - "You may have noticed--" method of saying something.
On the other hand, I do not believe that users must stand to the right at all. And that those who run up and down beside you are creating a hazard for themselves and others, so I do not agree with any such announcement in any form.
If they want to make announcements, METRO should direct them to the parents who allow children to play on the escalators, run around the platforms, and play siwng-around inside the train. Strong caution statements about that would be more helpful.
Maria
In American vernacular, "stand to the right" doesn't make sense. 'Stand to the right'? 'Of what?'
And, while Metro isn't perfect, it's a hell of a lot better than the crowded and slow Tube, the smelly dungeon that's the NYC Subway, and the total cock-up that's the Sydney train system!
Feedback! Woo hoo! My hope would be that Americans would figure out the "Stand to the Right". We could change the second word to "On" if you thought it would work better. My problem with the 42 word disertation? Most people stop listening after "Hello, welcome to Metro."
I know I do. And the one about bags "Excuse me? Is that your bag?"
No. Back to staring at a blank, dark wall.
As much as it sounds snotty, I love the London system. For two years it was my sole means of tranportation and it did get crowded. Mostly because 9 million people were trying to use it. The Metro is good, but has a ways to go in my eyes. That doesn't stop me from using it.
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