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Author Topic: Coronavirus: Great Western Railway reduced services  (Read 18189 times)
Celestial
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« Reply #75 on: March 30, 2020, 22:10:27 »

"Ramping up" and "furloughing staff" are also frequently being used. "Furlough" as a noun was once a common word when it came to leave for soldiers or British people serving overseas and returning home on long leave, but appears to have become more of an Americanism until now. But "furloughing" as a verb ...

"So" as the first word in a reply made during TV and radio interviews has become more common in the past few years, but its occurrences have become a spate when experts on Coronavirus are responding to questions.

Contractors are very familiar with a furlough, especially in the run up to holiday periods when they are all asked to take a longer break than maybe they would ideally want. Not complaining though, as it comes with the territory.
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onthecushions
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« Reply #76 on: March 30, 2020, 22:19:09 »


More daytime American TV has confirmed to me the comments of Malburian et al.

One is not impacted by the virus, one is affected by it.

One does not gift food to a food bank, one gives or donates it,

One does not loan, one lends.

One does not envision a pandemic, one imagines it.

One is not conflicted, one is equivocal or ambivalent.

The above comments are not insightful, they are perceptive.

Gated anglophone pedant,

OTC
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GBM
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« Reply #77 on: March 31, 2020, 11:24:44 »


"So" as the first word in a reply made during TV and radio interviews has become more common in the past few years, but its occurrences have become a spate when experts on Coronavirus are responding to questions.


I queried this with our daughter, as starting a sentence with "so" was a no-no when I wuz hedukated.
Her reply was that commencing with "So" softens then impact, making it less aggressive.

English is slowly changing, perhaps not for the better, but it's evolving.
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Marlburian
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« Reply #78 on: March 31, 2020, 11:53:01 »


"So" as the first word in a reply made during TV and radio interviews has become more common in the past few years, but its occurrences have become a spate when experts on Coronavirus are responding to questions.


I queried this with our daughter, as starting a sentence with "so" was a no-no when I wuz hedukated.
Her reply was that commencing with "So" softens then impact, making it less aggressive.

English is slowly changing, perhaps not for the better, but it's evolving.

Its frequent use, especially several times by the one interviewee, raises my hackles! But I suppose I'll have to get used to it. Before "so", it was "well".

Brings to mind one of my very first experiences of having to put up with someone using a new-fangled mobile on a train. He was ringing a sequence of people about something inconsequential, and several of his captive audience grinned/smirked/sniggered when he lost his signal. It was one side or another of Maidenhead, and I recall there being a stretch of line that goes through a cutting, causing reception problems.
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Marlburian
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« Reply #79 on: April 01, 2020, 11:55:15 »

This morning around 0930 I popped into Tilehurst Station to gingerly extract a Metro from halfway down a pile of 40. Outside there was  a private ambulance replacing the NHS one (which often lurks there for prompt access to emergency calls in the neighbourhood).

The ticket-office was open which, with the very few passengers and a ticket-machine, made me wonder a little. Essential work? I suppose there may be a few tasks for the lady (it's usually a lady on duty) to do around the station?

During my brief sojourn last week on Platform 2 at Pangbourne, I recognised the cleaning lady from Tilehurst who, I can see, has a continuing role in wiping handrails etc. In the absence of the ticket-lady I would have thought that she could have reported any major problem, such as vandalism.

(I wonder if the lift at Goring & Streatley is still in use; if so, that would need regular cleaning.)

I wandered up from the station past the Roebuck (and the WWII (World War 2 - 1939 to 1945) gun emplacement on the railway embankment) and saw a sign on the gate in the wall giving access to the path to Purley. It had been tied open, with a sign saying "Covid 19" on it, implying that this was to stop people touching the latch.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2020, 12:32:59 by Marlburian » Logged
Marlburian
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« Reply #80 on: April 01, 2020, 16:59:07 »

Out of region, but "Woman fined £660 for refusing to tell police why she was out".

British Transport Police officers at Newcastle Central station received a report from rail staff of a woman loitering between platforms.

Makes me wonder about my having popped into Tilehurst Station to help myself to a Metro. (Theft might be added to other alleged misdemeanours ...)

Or taking the train or bus into Reading to stock up with various pills from Holland & Barrett and/or to go a Boots offering more than my tiny local pharmacy.(PCSOs are patrolling the town centre and asking people why they're there.)

Not that I would use public transport, I would walk.

Does make me wonder why so many (relatively speaking) buses and trains are running with hardly any one on them.
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Surrey 455
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« Reply #81 on: April 02, 2020, 09:19:53 »

Does make me wonder why so many (relatively speaking) buses and trains are running with hardly any one on them.

My local Arriva bus and Stagecoach rail replacement buses are running around with front displays that alternate to show messages such as "Thank you to the key workers" (Stagecoach Gold) and something to do with the NHS logo and Unity (Arriva). I only noticed as they were approaching me whilst doing my daily walk so didn't have time to see what else there might have been on the display.
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Thatcham Crossing
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« Reply #82 on: April 02, 2020, 09:30:10 »

Quote
Its frequent use, especially several times by the one interviewee, raises my hackles! But I suppose I'll have to get used to it. Before "so", it was "well".

.....and "down under" it was and still is "look", which depending on how it's used could be seen as less-softening.
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johnneyw
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« Reply #83 on: April 02, 2020, 12:06:31 »


"So" as the first word in a reply made during TV and radio interviews has become more common in the past few years, but its occurrences have become a spate when experts on Coronavirus are responding to questions.


I queried this with our daughter, as starting a sentence with "so" was a no-no when I wuz hedukated.
Her reply was that commencing with "So" softens then impact, making it less aggressive.

English is slowly changing, perhaps not for the better, but it's evolving.

I'm usually left with the impression that starting a sentence with "so" means that someone is being in some way evasive.

It's probably due to having seen various PR (Public Relations) people use it as an opening device when trying to explain away something  unacceptable.
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grahame
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« Reply #84 on: April 02, 2020, 12:31:03 »

I'm usually left with the impression that starting a sentence with "so" means that someone is being in some way evasive.

To be honest with you, I find it useful at the beginning of  reply as a test piece to make sure that my receiver (a.k.a working ear) is in line with the sound source and there volume is about right.

Frankly, there are other throwaways on the beginning of responses which turn me off much more.

Oops!
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grahame
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« Reply #85 on: April 02, 2020, 14:33:11 »

From Railway Technology

Quote
Transport tech firm Zipabout has said that the currently reduced rail timetable in the UK (United Kingdom) does not meet passenger demand.

The company said that the trimmed services resulted in a 25% increase in the number of passengers who are unable to find suitable rail service.

It noted that the unavailability of preferred railway services increased despite a 38% drop in overall passenger numbers after the lockdown due to the coronavirus (Covid-19).

The data is based on Zipabout’s passenger communication and analytics platform that provides real-time journey updates.

Assessing the data, the company identified Dumfries and Galloway, Leicestershire and Swindon as the most affected regions, which witnessed an average increase of 30% in train cancellations or service reductions.
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« Reply #86 on: April 02, 2020, 15:09:33 »

A 38% drop in passenger numbers?!  Hmm, swap those two numbers and add 10 to get a more realistic figure!

Mind you, I'm all for amending the timetable to meet demand, but that would result in many more cancellations.  For example, trains are running every hour between London and Worcester all day which is way, way, way in excess of any demand - most are completely empty.  Though of course the odd person you might stumble across on board might be a very important worker.
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« Reply #87 on: April 02, 2020, 15:41:22 »

Presumably this comes out of the Connect service Zipabout provide via NRE(resolve) - which I know nothing about. But it's really saying that 25% more (however defined) of user requirements they have logged there are not resulting in "preferred" journey solutions (whatever that means). If the threshold of "preferred" is set up for a normal service, that doesn't surprise me at all. And presumably he's not really calling for a "dial-a-train" on-demand service, just that the pattern adapt to demand as shown by his site. But without knowing more about this Connect feature it's hard to know whether these are all real journey requirements.
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Lee
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« Reply #88 on: April 02, 2020, 15:52:40 »

I'm usually left with the impression that starting a sentence with "so" means that someone is being in some way evasive.

To be honest with you, I find it useful at the beginning of  reply as a test piece to make sure that my receiver (a.k.a working ear) is in line with the sound source and there volume is about right.

Frankly, there are other throwaways on the beginning of responses which turn me off much more.

Oops!

My ex (and others) always used to tell me off for my use of At the end of the day for similar reasons. Apparently, research suggests it turns the listener against you from the start, and I used to ban those I advised (politicians, businesspeople etc) from starting their sentences with it in speeches and presentations as a result.

My dad used to use The proof of the pudding is in the eating in radio interviews because it was a surefire way of getting your piece used as a soundbite.
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ray951
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« Reply #89 on: April 02, 2020, 16:43:41 »

In the great scheme of things I guess this is a minor issue but does anyone know whether the performance measures for season tickets, etc. are still be measured during this period of reduced services?
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