UK: Train guard with megaphone ordered to pipe down

[John Ashworth]

Nathan, take note!

Train guard with megaphone ordered to pipe down as residents complain he’s waking them up

Genevieve Roberts and Ali-Abbas Punjani
London Evening Standard
18.08.10

For weeks, residents near a London commuter station have been woken by the deafening yell: "MIND THE DOORS!"

Astounded by the sheer volume, they investigated and found that the Tannoy announcement at Sydenham had been replaced by a guard with a megaphone.

Sleep deprivation took its toll, they begged train bosses to stop it and today guard Usman Shaheen turned down the sound.

Lorraine Page, 50, said: "I can hear it every morning from six until 10.30. All he does is repeat what is already on the board and chant 'Mind The Doors'."

Her son Stephen, 28, added: "I've been so tired at work and loads of residents have written to Transport for London to complain that it is just too loud. This guard really needs to keep it down a bit. His extreme shouting is not necessary."

Stella Rae, 31, a housewife living opposite the station said: "It drives me nuts."

Mr Shaheen, from east London, who has worked for TfL for three months and at Sydenham station for the last three weeks, has now been told by his manager to move along the platform away from the houses and modify the volume.

He said: "I think it has been sorted now. This is the job assigned to me and it's for passenger safety.

"It is a shame that when people living locally tried to make me stop using my megaphone they used vulgar language. It's my job - I can't do anything - and people have no right to abuse me."

Mrs Page claimed she had seen him "creeping" towards the houses where the sound of yelling is most likely to upset sleeping residents.

"We've lived here for 29 years and got used to the sound of trains but this man has appeared out of nowhere in the last few weeks. None of these houses have double glazing. They have extended the platform for bigger trains and so the noise is a lot worse in general."

Charlene Soraia, 22, a musician, said: "Because of the extension of the East London line there are so many more trains. Sound travels down this street, it's like a valley. These announcements are completely unnecessary."

Transport bosses apologised to the residents but said the announcements were needed following the completion of the £1billion line extension in May. A spokesman said: "Not all passengers are familiar with the station, which now offers a Tube-like service.

"It is important that announcements can be heard over incoming and outgoing trains."