OUTBREAK
OF COMMON SENSE ON LONDON UNDERGROUND
Driver
praised for responding to passenger demands
to stop at Turnham Green
Showing
the initiative that you would expect from somebody
on £31,000 a year, a LUL tube driver
recently earned cheers from passengers who
were desperately trying to get home to Chiswick.
The
incident occured recently at Baron's Court
tube station. It had been announced that Hammersmith
station had been closed. Passengers waiting
at on the platform saw 5 Piccadilly line trains
arrive and then depart express to Acton Town.
At that point it was announced that all District
Line services west of Earl's Court were suspended.
Rob
Brougham of Jigsaw
Conferencing, who was trying to get to
Ravenscourt Park takes up the story, "About
the same time another Piccadilly Line train
stopped. The people on this train had evidently
been told already about the District Line suspension
and, when the driver announced he was stopping
next at Acton Town, four or five people in
different carriages blocked the doors and shouted
to the driver to stop at Turnham Green."
Twice
the driver told passengers that the train would
not stop at Turnham Green but people continued
to block the doors and insisted that the train
should stop at Turnham Green. Suddenly, the
driver announced that “In response to passenger
demand" the train would now stop at Ravenscourt
Park and Turnham Green.
According
to Rob, "Everyone on the platform jumped
quickly onto the train amid many smiles, at
least one cheer and just about everybody shaking
their heads in disbelief at the first evidence
many of them had ever seen of a London Underground
employee actually responding to the needs of
passengers."
Ken
Livingstone has promised a full review of the
Turnham Green service when he takes full control
of the management of London Underground.
October
8, 2002
Ken
Livingstone - Turnham Green "frustating"
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