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by Symbiote 912 days ago
"Hold the handrail", "mind the gap" and so on are there because falling down escalators and falling between train and platform are the leading cause of injury on public transport in Britain, especially London. There are also signs advising people not to run down stairs.

I think "MIND THE GAP!" (when a recorded male voice pretty much shouts it[1]) on the platforms with the sharp curves and wide gaps is fine — it's unusual, and especially useful for visually impaired people.

The more common "Mind the gap" with the female voice is worse than useless, as it is used far too often, when there is barely any gap, and detracts from the significance of the other announcement.

"Hold the handrail" is ridiculous; we should expect some personal responsibility from people. I laughed the first time I heard this, 15 years ago in China, and was disappointed some years later when I first heard it in Britain.

It would be interesting to see statistics on accidents before and after these messages were introduced.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Em-xoAtSM
2 comments
mytailorisrich 912 days ago
"Hold the handrail" is thoroughly ignored so the effect is going to be zero. It's even more ridiculous when you realise that it is simply impossible to do in a crowd, anyway.

Either it's the nanny-state gone mad (with people trying to justify their jobs), or it's the lawyers who advised that "that way they can't sue us". Either is plausible in 21st century London.

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drewcoo 912 days ago
Both are great examples of trying to cover up bad UX with words.

Any time there is "helpful" commentary like that, whether in a tube station or in software, it tries to make individual consumers responsible for what is in fact a design flaw.

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Symbiote 912 days ago
I think everyone will agree the curved platforms on the London Underground are a problem. So far, no engineer has found a suitable solution.

I'd hesitate to call it a "design flaw" though, bearing in mind the design for these stations was from the 1880s-1910s. There were much different requirements then: far fewer passengers were expected, all of them able-bodied and most of them locals. It's clearly a compromise, as it allowed the station to be where it was wanted rather than on a straighter section of track.

I don't know what alternative there is to escalators — lots and lots of lifts?

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