I was just reading the preliminary report into the Potters Bar rail crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10203742.stm Despite people who probably just assume that "sometimes things just go wrong and it is sad but true", although surprise, surprise, the initial findings already show this is not the case.
Several people reported problems the night before the crash. One was ignore, one was mis-interpreted and another had been ignored or not handled properly by a train manager. Sorry to bang on about it but the handling of these scenarios is not rocket science, it is not even advanced transport science it is basic quality control and common sense.
How many accidents have we had on the railways and we still cannot handle the basics. Look at Kings Cross - the lessons which could easily have led to this accident being avoided - look at the hundreds of other accidents and there is nothing simpler than having a problem reporting system which follows a small set of bullet points including exactly what the reported problem is, what lines it affects if known and who exactly to call with the reported problem.
People being too busy or too lazy is simply not a problem. You have a simple procedure that people cannot object to and if people don't follow it, they are sacked or prosecuted. Too many excuses, too much finger pointing and too much lack of responsibility are all the things that makes Britain an embarassing place to live and work. The few people who take charge like Alan Sugar, Richard Branson and others are famous just because they do things properly. In the UK it makes them look like saints.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
'Food' for thought!
Has anyone else noticed how often the BBC News website adds quote marks on phrases that are statements of fact as if they are metaphors? A couple from today: Senior al-Qaeda leader 'killed'; 'Noise pollution' threatens fish; Whitehall pay 'discipline' urged
Personally, these seem like a poor overuse of something that is used to mark a metaphor or euphemism for something like "John Smith was found 'blotto'" perhaps because that was the word used by somebody in the story.
Anyway, stop 'over-using' the single 'quotation-mark' BBC!
Personally, these seem like a poor overuse of something that is used to mark a metaphor or euphemism for something like "John Smith was found 'blotto'" perhaps because that was the word used by somebody in the story.
Anyway, stop 'over-using' the single 'quotation-mark' BBC!
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