Delays or Minor delays?

[Chris M]

From TfL's realtime tube map:

Service Disruption on the Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan Line has delays occurring in both directions. This will affect journeys from 12:42 on 07/09/05 until further notice. This is due to a security alert at Uxbridge Station. Marketing Information: Minor delays are occurring.

Message received:
07/09/2005 12:42:40

Is the "Marketing Information" putting a positive spin on things for the punters compared to the information given to staff? Or is it just the very short description to be used on the whiteboards at stations?

[citysig]

I get the feeling that wasn't supposed to be written there and one again Tfl's website excels itself ;D

Mind you, there is a difference between what some staff are told and what the customers are informed. A whole line running with all trains 20 late is, in service control terms, a seriously delayed line. However, if all trains are running 20 late, then to the customer, a train will appear at roughly the same intervals.

[Deleted]

getting the picc from uxbridge this afternoon i did notice the apparent lack of trains in the station. Normally (in my expierience) theres always a Met in the Station and you have a one leaves as the other arrives scenario. However, this afternoon while waiting for my picc's schedulded 14:45 departure not a single met arrived until our driver was closing the doors.

There were no announcements of delays until i got off at Ruislip to find it scrawled over the board.

[Deleted]

Reminds me of a whiteboard ages ago on the interchange raft at Baker Street; just beofore you go down the steps to the Inner Circle. It read: Major Delays to ALL services, please use alternatives modes. I think the person who wrote it had second thought moments later, because added in a different colour was: In fact, in my opinion, walking seems to be the best option...