Conductor announcements. Proper word usage?

The conductor announcements in question are:

“Beginning July 22nd backpacks and other items will be subject to police search". It is already July 27th. Assuming July 22nd is required to be stated, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to say “as of” July 22nd?

Another one that I do not understand is, “Penn Station, last and final stop”.

Am I being too picky?

I'm not picking or anything, I'm just commenting. I love how the M-7 recorded messages say "This is the train to...Penn Station.....the next station is....Penn Station" lol

Things happen for a reason...I guess they got into the habit of saying it in a redundant way, as you said "this is the last and final stop", probably because the crew would get to the end of the line, and go to pull the train beyond the platform only to find that there were still people on the train. I worked at a Home Depot Expo for 3.5 years, and we would close at 9PM mon-sat and at 6PM on sundays. You would be shocked how long it takes people to leave when it's closing time. There were times when I had customers in my department until 45 minutes after the store closed. That is even after numerous announcements leading up to the store closing, and after I told them several times....last call, the last register is about to close and count out. I'd imagine the railroads have similar problems at their "last and final stops"

I always assumed that crews said "last and final" to make sure that people got it into their heads that the train didn't go any further. After a whole trip of hearing "next stop," and not really paying attention, it's possible for passengers to mishear "last" as "next" (like I said, they're not really paying attention). "Final" usually attracts some more attention, even though some people still don't get it (oblivous, ignorant, headphones, sleeping, etc).

Both announcements comply with what crews are given by management. The Transportation Department has a communications doctor/attorney whose job is to write this stuff.

Clem

Well, I always say, "next and final stop". I did kid with another Conductor one day by telling him that "last" and "final" meant the same thing. As far as the announcement for the bag searches, we read from the same pamphlet that was issued to all the passengers. Almost all of our announcements are actually already printed on some form of publication by the RR. But some of us like to improvise.

The pre-printed announcements could explain the "This station is Freeport. Change here for busses to Jones Beach" at 2:15 in the morning.
The real question is why I'm in Freeport at 2:15 in the morning...



~Tom

It's redundancy.

Sort of like when people say that something is "all inclusive."

"Inclusive" means "including all."

Same goes for "pizza pie."

Pizza means pie in Italian. So, techinically you're asking for a "pie pie."

Dave Keller

Speaking of pizza, I sure do miss good Long Island pizza! It just ain't the same here in NH lol

Dave,

In New York " a slice" means Pizza. Joe

Ditto for Florida!

When anyone asks me what I miss most about Long Island I always say:

1. The LIRR
2. L.I. pizza
3. Real bagels
4. German bakeries
5. German restaurants
6. Dirty water hot dogs (Sabrett's)
7. Boar's Head cold cuts


Sadly, on my last trip up in October, 2004, I find that:

1. Most of the bakeries are no longer around (all in supermarkets like in FL).

2. The bagels are no longer made the same (first boiled then cooked).

3. All my favorite German restaurants are out of business.

On the plus side:

1. We now have Sabrett's in the supermarket in Florida

2. Ditto to the Boar's Head cold cuts.

Back to the "unfortunate" category:

All the changes to the LIRR since I left LI in 1988.

All I'm left with is the pizza!

Not worth moving back just for that!

Dave Keller

I dunno, a good pizza is quite a motivating factor! lol. Dave, what part of Long Island did you live in? How long have you lived off the island? I dunno if it was around when you were still living on the Island or not, but in Hicksville in the late 90s to early 2k years there was this kick ass pizzaria on the corner of Newbridge Rd and Old Country Rd to the right side of the CVS. My friend's dad owned it during that time period (and then sold it so they could spend less time working and more time with family and stuff). The pizza was SO good! He would take a pepperoni pizza and sprinkle grated parm and mossarella cheese OVER the current layer of cheese and pepperoni. My buddy's dad knew everyone and everyone knew him, it was an event going in there! I miss that place.

Here's what I miss about Long Island:

-Of course the LIRR

-Jones Beach

-Oyster Bay Beach

- Now I know it didn't matter last year, but I miss being comfortably close to three different hockey teams. From where I was, I could drive to the Coliseum in less than 10 minutes, take the train to MSG in about 45 minutes to an hour (including travel to the station and waiting on the train), and then in addition to that a 10 minute walk from Penn Station to the Port Authority and a 20 minute bus ride across the Hudson to NJ.

-I also miss all the eye candy, especially during the summer!

I was born in Port Jeff, as Mather Hospital was the only one around Holtsville, where my family had migrated from Corona, Queens and Brooklyn. (Brookhaven Memorial in Patchogue had not yet been built and Southside in Bay Shore was too far away!)

I lived in Holtsville (with a one-year stint in Bohemia) from 1952 until I moved to FL in Sept., 1988.

My wife was from Bklyn but moved to Deer Park in her early teens. When I met her, Deer Park had about 10 pizzerias from one end of the town to the other!!!!! (and that wasn't counting the ones in North Babylon!)

Ever see "Brighton Beach Memoirs?" Remember the line when the brothers are arguing about what is better, eating ice cream or looking at naked women and the younger one says the best thing would be to "eat ice cream WHILE looking at naked women!"

Well . . . .. my best of both worlds would be: Eating good LI pizza WHILE riding on the LIRR into NYP to see the many shops and museums!!

Ahh . . . . . heaven!

Signed,
Alone and Homesick in Orlando
(a.k.a. Dave Keller)

yeah, it doesn't get much better than eating pizza while riding the LIRR...not specificly to the city, but anywhere on the tracks. I always enjoyed riding theOyster Bay trains from Mineola to OB, or the other direction too. I also really really enjoyed my trip to Greenport last summer...although I didn't have pizza while I was ON the train,upon exploring the town a little bit after I got there, the next train back was about an hour later (and then the only other one would have been late evening if I remember correctly) I came across the pizzaria down the street from the station. The main point of that trip was to just ride the train on that branch since I'd never done it before. Afterwards I was thinking, if I told anyone else that story..ya know, non railfans...they would probably have said "You took a 2 hours train ride just to get pizza??" lol

I grew up in Westbury, and there are a few pizza places on Post Ave. Alfrados is close enough to the tracks to grab a slice to go and hop on the train. I've done that several times on the way to Rangers games, or just for trips to the city. Oh the great memories

In New York " a slice" means Pizza. Joe

Hi Joe:

I know that!

Also know a "Schmear" is a bagel with cream cheese

Then there's "going for Chinese" which DOES NOT have the same intent as the phrase "going Greek!" Yassou!

Dave

Guys: Yes-LI pizza is great! I left LI for a while and I lived in the Philadelphia area. The trade-off was great cheesesteaks and hoagies and soft pretzels with mustard but now a dirty water dog and some good cold cuts from time to time just hits the spot! When I returned to LI I realized I missed the food not to mention the LIRR. Thank you all for enjoying the food of LI! MACTRAXX