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VTTrain

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Dec 3, 2018
Messages
324
In preparation for my first long distance trips with Amtrak, I have been watching some YouTube videos.  Among the things that have struck me are the cabin announcements.  They are often... well... patronizing.  Not only does the tone reflect this, but the content does as well.  Quite often the same piece of information is repeated in the same announcement.  I'm not saying that this is true of every announcement, but it's true of a surprising number.  

Perhaps I am too used to the European announcements, which are short and friendly.  Usually a professionally recorded voice stating the name of the next stop and not much more.  

I'm not trying to pick on anybody here.  My suspicion is that this has a lot more to do with the fact that the announcements are not recorded, let alone by a professional.  

Am I just imaging this?
 
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The announcements are live, not recorded.
Yes, I understand that.
Your original wording suggested otherwise.

And I'm not really totally sure what you're asking. Just whether you are the only one who finds them patronizing? Every once in a while I've heard announcements that felt a little overly repetitive, but not really condescending or patronizing. YMMV, I guess.
 
Your original wording suggested otherwise.
It was imprecise, which is why I made the edit.

I originally said, "My suspicion is that this has a lot more to do with the fact that the [Amtrak] announcements are not professionally recorded."

I did not mean to imply that Amtrak's announcements were recorded, since I did not think that anyone would believe that Amtrak would go through the process of making amateur recordings.  I guess that I shouldn't assume anything when it comes to people's perceptions of Amtrak.  Hopefully my edit clarifies this.
 
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Absolutely true that some crews (or individual members of a crew) are definitely better than others when it comes to announcements. Some repetition, especially on safety items is valuable, and some needed since people get on at every stop. A quick public speaking training wouldn't be a bad idea. 
 
In preparation for my first long distance trips with Amtrak, I have been watching some YouTube videos.  Among the things that have struck me are the cabin announcements.  They are often... well... patronizing.  Not only does the tone reflect this, but the content does as well.  Quite often the same piece of information is repeated in the same announcement.  I'm not saying that this is true of every announcement, but it's true of a surprising number.  

Perhaps I am too used to the European announcements, which are short and friendly.  Usually a professionally recorded voice stating the name of the next stop and not much more.  

I'm not trying to pick on anybody here.  My suspicion is that this has a lot more to do with the fact that the announcements are not recorded, let alone by a professional.  

Am I just imaging this?
How about giving us some URLs of the videos that you're referring to?

jb
 
How about giving us some URLs of the videos that you're referring to?

jb
I'll do that the next time I come across one.  I was just watching random videos and didn't keep track of any URLs.
Shouldn't be hard to find a single one of the videos you watched. You can also check your search history, so long as you haven't cleared it since then, and weren't in private browsing...
 
Shouldn't be hard to find a single one of the videos you watched. You can also check your search history, so long as you haven't cleared it since then, and weren't in private browsing...
The problem is that announcements are a few seconds in videos that are generally a half hour or longer.  As much as I liked the videos, once was enough.  
 
The problem is that announcements are a few seconds in videos that are generally a half hour or longer.  As much as I liked the videos, once was enough.  
That sort of limits how well I (and I imagine others) can answer the question of "Am I imagining this".
 
Nothing makes me happier than a sleeper with an inoperable PA system! Announcements should be short and professionally delivered. Training is needed.

For sleeper passengers, I would prefer the conductor or AC make the only announcement using the PA for the entire train and then just for operational information. Most other information, such as safety or regular meal times, should be delivered in person by the SCA, normally when explaining the features of your room shortly after boarding. In person delivery is much more effective than an anonymous (and sometimes annoying) PA announcement. 

As far as reservations for a meal, if I have a 6pm reservation that’s when I’ll show up, just as at any restaurant. If they’re not ready, I head to the lounge. Also like a restaurant. We are all grown up and don’t need reminders.
 
If it's safety things they're repeating; it may have to do with the fact that in US law (I'm not a lawyer, but knowing this tanjunctionally is part of my job) it's the responsibility of the (in my work case) manufacturer (or train operator in this case) to fully inform the user of the safety warning; whereas in most of the rest of the world, the responsibility of is more on the user (my work doesn't require me to know this part yet...)

peter
 
On the SWC last month, I found the diner announcements really intrusive, although I'm not sure what the alternative was given that the train was very full (a few days before Christmas), and the diner might have been understaffed.

The LSA did a magnificently efficient and cheerful job of feeding absolutely everyone who wanted meals in the diner (coach as well as sleeper passengers). But not only were reservations called by time ("11:30 lunch reservations please come to the diner now"), but EVERY waitlisted party was called by name, as was everyone signed up for a reservation by time who didn't show up at that time when it was called. I know this because at "last call" she said that if she had a reservation for you, she'd already called your name, and if you wanted to eat you needed to come to the diner right away. This added up to every-few-minutes announcements for several hours three times a day.

By the end of the second mealtime on the train, I was ready to take an ice pick to the speaker in my roomette.
 
Okay, I found one from my viewing history.  The announcement starts at 9:53.  The part of this particular announcement that I thought was somewhat patronizing was the, “Galesburg included,” line at the very end of the announcement.  It doesn’t sound as bad when I re-listen to it.   Maybe hearing a bunch of announcements in a row on these videos exacerbated things. 

 
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Quite often the same piece of information is repeated in the same announcement.  I'm not saying that this is true of every announcement, but it's true of a surprising number.  
I feel that repeating key information is important.   

I never know when there will be an announcement, therefore, I might not be paying attention.   Or there is a lot of background noise.   Or something else.   With that, I might miss something, and the repeating gives me another chance. 
 
As far as reservations for a meal, if I have a 6pm reservation that’s when I’ll show up, just as at any restaurant. If they’re not ready, I head to the lounge. Also like a restaurant. We are all grown up and don’t need reminders.
Several times over the years, I had a 6pm "reservation" for dinner.    So, at 6pm we all headed to the diner car.   We stand at the vestibule, and wait our turn to be seated.

The LSA tells us, very directly (sternly), that it is not "6pm" until she announces over the PA system that they are ready for the 6pm seating.
 
I feel that repeating key information is important.   

I never know when there will be an announcement, therefore, I might not be paying attention.   Or there is a lot of background noise.   Or something else.   With that, I might miss something, and the repeating gives me another chance. 
This!  I'm deaf/HoH and appreciate important info being repeated so that, hopefully, I'll catch all the important stuff.
 
There are scripts for all of the announcements in the Blue Book, but most crews I've heard add their own personality to them.
As someone who has worked Passenger service it's better to do you own spin on something in the book. I felt like if I said what the book said I was a robot. It's not that hard to make an announcement based off the book and still sound like you know what you're talking about and professional.  
 
As a European myself this was one of the most interesting differences between riding Amtrak or a train in Europe. I think the main reason are different safety rules. Another important thing might be first time riders, who are unfamiliar with a train and the security protocols. In Europa taking a train is much more common and to be honest, compared to Western European trains a Superliner is a complete different thing. You can actually hurt yourself when you go from one car to an other.    

Yes it is a little patronizing sometimes but it also adds personality and it is just part of the experience. ;)     
 
Another example is at 55:10 in the above video.  

Again, it may be exacerbated by hearing these in sequence.   
 
Not condescending at all. And they have to be repetitive as no one is expecting announcements so they don’t pay attention until half way through. And the Glenwood announcement...hey don’t leave the platform or the train will leave you is kind of important information. People do leave and people do get left.
 
Several times over the years, I had a 6pm "reservation" for dinner.    So, at 6pm we all headed to the diner car.   We stand at the vestibule, and wait our turn to be seated.

The LSA tells us, very directly (sternly), that it is not "6pm" until she announces over the PA system that they are ready for the 6pm seating.
Yes 6pm is not 6pm unless they announce it. They repeat that very thing often but I guess people miss it and head down to the diner instead. I generally tune out the announcements till its close to my time then I pay attention.
 
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