13036
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: A year on - how is this site doing?
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on: January 25, 2008, 23:48:28
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Grahame, thanks for this update!
I note we now have 209 members: they're joining at the rate of about two a day, which is great! However, some of them are not posting, but logging out fairly soon after registering. Is there any way we can perhaps welcome them immediately (maybe with an automatic message?) to encourage them to stay logged in, and perhaps make their first post?
I know you and the other moderators welcome new members when they do post - and indeed I have done so myself in some cases, where I have spotted a new member's first post, for example! However, as we expand our membership, we may risk discouraging some of our newest members from actually posting after they've registered, when they see some of the 'in jokes', strange technical jargon and the occasional 'personality differences' which are evident in some of our threads?
Just a suggestion, perhaps to be discussed with the moderators and the existing members? I don't want us to discourage new members from posting, that's all - for example, we're getting more FGW▸ staff, and females, registering. I really don't want to start any debate about females joining such a website, for whatever discrimination reason - but as, for example, on my commuter train they make up about 50% of the passengers, I really would value their input from a female point of view! Same with FGW staff - I've gained some very useful information and a much greater understanding of the wider issues from some of them, for example.
Anyway, enough from me: what do others think?
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13037
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All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Ticket To Ride - How Bristol Pays The Price
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on: January 25, 2008, 21:37:07
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I don't think a few busybodies from Bath have influenced a ^5m decision somehow, it's simply FGWs▸ poor performance that brought it about! It was after a meeting with the DFT▸ of all people!
I expect that DFT were very much behind FGW offering more money in compensation as an indirect way of fining them for poor performance on top of what they would have had to pay out anyway under the passengers charter. I can't honestly see that FGW came up with this idea all by themselves, after all what privately owned company gives away money unless they either have to or its in the own interest to do so? Where I would say that MTLS▸ have played a small part would be that they have kept the peformance of FGW in the media spotlight which has got it noticed by a great deal of people, not just in the West Country but all over the country. Not a day seems to go by now without an article about FGW in some form or other appearing in one of the papers or on TV. Exactly. Would DFT have cared two hoots if there hadn't been any bad publicity? And who has driven that publicity?
I hadn't heard of MTLS until I came to this forum! In the far West country we never hear of them? ? So it can't be that stronger brand! I admit I had never heard of them either, we don't have any participants down here. I agree with Timmer and John R on this one. While I do accept that many of you in Devon and Cornwall had probably not even heard of MTLS until very recently (that's no way a criticism of you - please hear me out!), they are nevertheless a very potent voice in the Bristol / Bath area, where they originated. They have tapped into a lot of dissatisfaction on that particular commuter route, and because Bristol and Bath have big populations with their own issues with First Bus as well, MTLS have easily gained a lot of local support. There are also a lot of MPs▸ in this area, and they have generally publicly supported the sentiments of their constituents (strange, that?). As John R and Timmer wrote earlier, scarcely a day goes by up here in Bristol / Bath / Somerset without some comment in the local paper / radio / television about FGW, usually quoting someone from MTLS. However, MTLS are really still just a local group - as we've seen from the dwindling support they have received for their fare strike from other areas (for example, Oxford) after FGW's offer of increased compensation. You could argue that MTLS's influence is out of all proportion to the area of their mainstream support - indeed, John R did, and I think he's quite right. Nevertheless, they have raised these issues, which will probably not go away until the situation improves - to the benefit of both passengers and staff of FGW, I think! By the way, I am NOT a member of MTLS, I do NOT support any lawbreaking by fare-dodging. I hope everything goes good-naturedly on Monday; the protesters get to make their point and perhaps FGW get a chance to put their case as well!
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13039
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Coffeeshop adds weight
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on: January 25, 2008, 19:59:39
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The 600 calories job is one of the starbucks 'venti' chocolaty coffees with loads of whipped cream on top and sprinkles of chocolate / marshmallows etc on it! Not sure I'd want to drink one of those at any time - least of all just before boarding a Voyager!
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13043
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Adios Adalantie
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on: January 24, 2008, 01:16:40
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Quote from a fading notice on the 2006 service from Tiverton Parkway - Castle Cary (26/11/2007) : Adelante was chosen as the name for the new fleet as it is a word implying modernity with speed and reliability , through its Spanish meaning of progress and moving forward.
... but they forgot to add another Spanish word, 'ma^ana' - 'tomorrow'!
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13046
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Devon / Re: In a past life
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on: January 23, 2008, 22:00:40
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When we had all the flooding a couple of Fridays ago, I saw a lovely sky blue 'St Ives Bay Belle' on platform 3 at Bristol Temple Meads. Not a problem, I just wondered what sort of tidal wave had brought it all the way up to Bristol!
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