7 ms·

Not only unpopular, but pretty daft too. If you think the basics of a language should include "this train will separate into two at station X, please sit in the

Not only unpopular, but pretty daft too. If you think the basics of a language should include "this train will separate into two at station X, please sit in the front Y carriages to get to Z" then enjoy doing a cross-Europe trip.

johnisgood 9mo ago
I have done cross-Europe trips before and I needed way less than that.
- xenocratus 9mo ago
  Well in this case this is what you would've needed. Either you ignored that when you replied, or you didn't care.
  - johnisgood 9mo ago
    I planned my trips (read: spent a couple of minutes on them). I went through all countries from Budapest to London. I was only 16 years old at one time. I did fine. Adults, in the age of smartphones are having issues? It actually is wild to me.
    - bombcar 9mo ago
      Being 16 was a benefit - you didn’t know anything so you checked basically everything. This kind of thing captures older adults who know everything and have never heard of a trainset split. I made a similar mistake years ago in NY - I assumed that the impressive subway system could get me to the airport, but you transfer onto a bus that gives you a VERY detailed tour of some neighborhoods.
      - johnisgood 9mo ago
        I did not check out everything, I had to be somewhere. I would have mentioned running away at age 13 with no destination in mind but I never left the country.
gota 9mo ago
Not that I agree with the post you are replying to - I think having announcements in a few of the best-known languages is very reasonable to deal with tourists - but the fair expression/announcement would be something simpler like "Airport carts 1, 2 and 3. so-and-so-place carts 4 through 8". A tourist could make do with "aiport", "cart" and basic numbers in their vocabulary. If I recall, I was able to get to the correct train(s) in Italy with no more Italian than "treno", the name of the city, and "linea gialla" or something.
- bjohnson225 9mo ago
  You can't just learn a few words and expect to follow a train announcement, particularly when it's not obvious from context (anything other than announcing the next station).

johnisgood 9mo ago

I have done cross-Europe trips before and I needed way less than that.

xenocratus 9mo ago
Well in this case this is what you would've needed. Either you ignored that when you replied, or you didn't care.
- johnisgood 9mo ago
  I planned my trips (read: spent a couple of minutes on them). I went through all countries from Budapest to London. I was only 16 years old at one time. I did fine. Adults, in the age of smartphones are having issues? It actually is wild to me.
  - bombcar 9mo ago
    Being 16 was a benefit - you didn’t know anything so you checked basically everything. This kind of thing captures older adults who know everything and have never heard of a trainset split. I made a similar mistake years ago in NY - I assumed that the impressive subway system could get me to the airport, but you transfer onto a bus that gives you a VERY detailed tour of some neighborhoods.
    - johnisgood 9mo ago
      I did not check out everything, I had to be somewhere. I would have mentioned running away at age 13 with no destination in mind but I never left the country.

gota 9mo ago

Not that I agree with the post you are replying to - I think having announcements in a few of the best-known languages is very reasonable to deal with tourists - but the fair expression/announcement would be something simpler like "Airport carts 1, 2 and 3. so-and-so-place carts 4 through 8". A tourist could make do with "aiport", "cart" and basic numbers in their vocabulary. If I recall, I was able to get to the correct train(s) in Italy with no more Italian than "treno", the name of the city, and "linea gialla" or something.

bjohnson225 9mo ago
You can't just learn a few words and expect to follow a train announcement, particularly when it's not obvious from context (anything other than announcing the next station).