A cell phone video documents an almost unbelievable announcement made by a train attendant. Can it improve the railway's reputation?
Hanover – Actually, it should be an everyday access route. But then something happens that none of the passengers expected. A passenger recorded the announcement on a train. The camera is discreetly aimed at the floor so that only the floor and the typical seating patterns are visible. However, that's not a big deal because the focus of the video is on the train conductor's voice in the background.
“The train driver is completely exhausted too” The train driver surprises the passengers
“It's really unpleasant for us, the train driver is completely exhausted too. That rarely happens to us. It is also clear to us that they have all paid the full fare and should actually enjoy the entire journey,” it sounds from the loudspeakers. “Now the following has happened: If things continue like this, we will be in Hanover a minute too early. We apologize for that, but we also promise you that we will make up for it with a prompt delay,” the train attendant apologizes and then immediately moves on to the possible connecting connections for the passengers. An ICE arrived in Kassel a full 43 minutes early.
Could it actually be Deutsche Bahn that arrives at its destination too early? The creator of the video clarifies: The train is the RB 38 from Start, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. The announcement took place on the route between Langenhagen and Hanover. “You can tell your grandchildren that,” the passenger comments and adds: “At first I thought he hit a deer.” The passengers have never heard an announcement like that before. The comments on the announcement on the Internet are also enthusiastic.
“Don’t panic!”: Early arrival is just an exception
Delays are the order of the day on the railway. But according to the comments, it sometimes happens that you arrive at your destination earlier than expected. “I once had the announcement “We’re in Stuttgart 9 minutes early… we don’t know how that happened.” I thought it was sweet,” writes one user.
“It happened to me once too, but don’t panic! Our platform was still occupied, so we had to wait 10 minutes in front of the station and I missed my connection, as I should,” reassures another. Some trains don't wait for connections for a reason. Something similar also happens in the air: “I flew back to Berlin from Vienna two years ago. Announcement from the pilot: “I don’t know how I did it, but we’re 30 minutes early.” Another pilot addresses the passengers with a worrying message.
“I wouldn't have believed that without the video recording,” one user commented under the video. “The train driver was fired immediately afterwards,” jokes another. Lateness seems to be stipulated in the employment contract here. But don't worry, arriving earlier remains an exception. Consistency is needed: “What times do we live in when you can’t even rely on the train being late anymore?”
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