Oh dear.... (Translink)

Victor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6954599.stm

Translink identify 'Derry denier'

Translink has said it has identified the member of staff who told a tourist "Derry did not exist" when she asked about a bus to the city from Belfast.

The SDLP's John Dallat said he was seeking a meeting with the company later this week to discuss the issue.

Translink's Billy Gilpin said the company apologised to the Canadian tourist for any inconvenience caused.

Earlier this year, following a judicial review, a judge ruled that the name of the city should remain Londonderry.

Mr Gilpin said the incident was currently being investigated by the company.

He said: "We are here to provide a service for the whole community.

"We don't have a particular stance on what we call, whether it be Londonderry or Derry.

"We interchange the two terms all the time in our publications and station announcements.

"It is very unfortunate, and I would have to apologise to the people who were involved in this incident."

Mr Dallat said the girl inquired about transport to the city and was told at the Europa Bus Centre in Belfast that "no buses run to that place".


'Unacceptable'

He said the woman caught a train and was eventually picked up at the Waterside Station.

'There have been several other cases of foreign travellers, mostly students who have had similar experiences and the time has come to sort out this petty bigoted practice once and for all," he said.

He said he had been "unhappy with Translink's response".

"I do accept that the problem is perhaps not as bad as it used to be when they used to have someone standing at Platform Two in Belfast screaming at all passengers to the North-West, 'This train goes to Londonderry', he said.

"That at least has stopped but there is a problem still in existence and it needs to be addressed."

Following a judicial review on the issue brought by Derry City Council in January, Mr Justice Weatherup said the name of the city should remain Londonderry.

Derry City Council had wanted the government to accept its view that the name of the city was Derry rather than Londonderry.

The judge ruled that although the council had changed its title to Derry, this did not mean the name specified back in the 17th century was changed.

He said only legislation or Royal prerogative could change the city's name.

Slice

Bloody jaffa cakes

nordydan

Pure evil. They are pure evil

spacetweek

someone standing at Platform Two in Belfast screaming at all passengers to the North-West

Wonder if it was Ian...

constellation

"I do accept that the problem is perhaps not as bad as it used to be when they used to have someone standing at Platform Two in Belfast screaming at all passengers to the North-West, 'This train goes to Londonderry', he said.

Maybe we could hire this person to work in Connolly station. It'd be useful to have at least one person who knows where the trains go...

Chris_533976

..and who announces it when he knows.
..and who sounds better than a pile of old loudspeakers.

DerekP11

A very sad story that has links with the attitude displayed in the other thread about the N1/A1 opening.

International positivity and local bigotry.

jesus_thats_gre

Funniest thing I have read in ages.

corktina

constellation wrote:

Maybe we could hire this person to work in Connolly station. It'd be useful to have at least one person who knows where the trains go...

if you knew where the trains were going to, you wouldnt tell anyone either....jeez, you'd be out of a jiob if Everyone knew:)

Terrontress

It was funny watching BBC reporting on it last night. Translink held their hands up and apologised, the SDLP came on and complained and then the newsroom passed up to the "reporter in the North-West". Ciaran Tourish came on with a sign at the bottom of the screen stating "Londonderry".

The next report then started and the newsreader said "A teenager in Derry....."

It is difficult not to offend someone or other these days, I don't see why people get so precious but I think any public transport official who has deliberately misled a member of the public for any reason, and especially a tourist, has no place in that job and should be dismissed.

MrPudding

Terrontress wrote:

It was funny watching BBC reporting on it last night. Translink held their hands up and apologised, the SDLP came on and complained and then the newsroom passed up to the "reporter in the North-West". Ciaran Tourish came on with a sign at the bottom of the screen stating "Londonderry".

The next report then started and the newsreader said "A teenager in Derry....."

It is difficult not to offend someone or other these days, I don't see why people get so precious but I think any public transport official who has deliberately misled a member of the public for any reason, and especially a tourist, has no place in that job and should be dismissed.

it is funny the lengths they have to go to. I know some people that work in the BBC up there. As you have noticed they will use Derry and then Londonderry and so on. Then the following day they will start with Londonderry and then Derry. They try to make it so each gets mentioned the same number of times and each get equal numbers of "starts" on the news.

Fcuking stupid.

MrP

E92

Its absolutely ridiculous in this day and age that this sort of nonsense goes on. Here in Ireland we call it Derry. In the UK its called Londonderry. The BBC is supposed to serve the UK, including NI. So they should call it Londonderry. But RTÉ arguably also serves NI, when one considers the amount of coverage they give to matters concerning NI. So they should and do call it Derry.
Personally, I couldnt care in the slightest whether its called Derry or Londonderry, its so ridiculous that somebody should be told that Derry doesnt exist, and obviouly vice versa. But as the locals usually call it Derry, then thats what we should call it all the time.

murphaph

MrPudding wrote:

Fcuking stupid.

Never a truer word said. Bloody nonsense the lot of it.

Red Alert

Try asking CIE for a ticket to Dingle

Navan Junction

In the aftermath the 9 years war, the county of Derry was given to what was effectively London City Council, idea being that that would promote trade links etc between London and a new city of Derry.

That became London-Derry because London Council controlled it, and reflected it's status as a colonial outpost.

Seems a bit daft that Derry City Council can't call the city as it wants - even the most strident "London-Derryists" call it Derry until they want to prove a point..

Absolutely rediculous

Victor

I wonder what happens in other places when you ask for the wrong name?

Konigsberg instead of Kaliningrad?
Strasburg instead of Strasbourg?
Cologne instead og Koeln?

John R

Interestingly the electronic destination display on translink's new coaches alternates between Londonderry and Derry in much the same way all CIE buses ones alternate between the English and Irish words for their destinations.

On this island logic never gets in the way of pointless tokenism and petty political disputes.

Over the years I have had a few encounters with extremely ignorant Ulsterbus employees that I had put down to sectarianism because of the different attitude of them to other passengers. Apart from those few incidents I have found most Ulsterbus and NIR staff to be very professional. It is the same as with any large public-facing company, a handful of arseholes give everyone a bad name particularly if they are allowed get away with it.