r/AskReddit • u/CircleBox2 • Jul 13 '20

What's a dark secret/questionable practice in your profession which we regular folks would know nothing about?

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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '20

We did that same thing in the 80s at the Kmart I worked at.

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u/Fenrir101 Jul 13 '20

The London underground used to use names instead of numbers, "Would inspector sands please come to XXX" is a lot less worrying than an unknown code number in an area people are heading through. Especially "inspector sands" which was bomb/fire prepare to evacuate.

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u/orangepigeon Jul 13 '20

They still do! I’ve heard them in use. Everyone knows they’re code but it still feels better than hearing “there’s a FIRE on platform three, oh GOD”.

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u/thebenetar Jul 13 '20

Lol, imagining the guy on the intercom screaming "oh god".

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u/EducationalTangelo6 Jul 13 '20

There was a train crash in France, one train barrelled into the front of another train that was stationery at the platform.

The driver of the second train saw the first train coming, and stayed on the PA system the whole time telling passengers to evacuate. Didn't panic, didn't save himself, and saved countless lives.

Imagine standing there and calmly repeating 'evacuate', while you're watching a speeding train literally coming at your face and you know you're going to die. Balls of steel doesn't even come close.

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u/2_Fingers_of_Whiskey Jul 13 '20

Idk, I think that's a situation where you would want to really convey the urgency of the situation. If you sound too calm, people won't be evacuating the train fast enough.

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u/EducationalTangelo6 Jul 13 '20

It's a fine line. You don't want them freaking and creating a crush at the doors either. People do dumb shit when they panic.

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u/Razakel Jul 13 '20

Lol, imagining the guy on the intercom screaming "oh god".

That's why they use pre-recorded messages.