Laughter is the best medicine.
chris7
Bots Posts: 2,696
Hi everyone 
Just thought I would share this tale with a happy ending .
Got to work, inspite of a rotten cold, slipping and sliding on the snow hoping for a quiet day but the folks of my nearby town are made of sterner stuff. Was mad busy and me on me own until 1.30 with the hip complaining loudly and the perching stool removed from the shop floor so not even a brief respite. Then I get the useless 16 year old to help who needs babysitting ALL THE TIME!!!
By closing at 4.30 I was knackered, could hardly walk and had to head off to the bus station freezing cold and with the snow falling heavily again. I am normally home by ten past 5. But not today, just got there to see all the buses pulling out with Not on Service signs and going home to their beds. They had JUST cancelled ALL services as they do when it snows a bit. All the more frustrating for me as the overnight bus depot is in where I live, I can see if from my house!! but no they let couldn't take us health and safety and all that jazz.
Was no point getting a taxi as the roads now looked gridlocked mostly with buses trying to get to the depot. :?
Luckily the train station is next to bus station and only one stop for me get home so I and several dozen others headed there. It was cold miserable and I was well cheesed off to find the next train was not until 5.30. By now with all the workers and shoppers trying to get home the station concourse was packed with well over a hundred people Resigned to our fate we waited only to hear the pre recorded announcer say customer announcement We regret to inform you 5.30 train to York is ..... dramatic and long pause here, the crowd went deadly silent while we prepared for the really bad news.. which continued with... is delayed by 4 minutes!! I swear the whole crowd burst into laughter with relief. But it gets better. The local station announcer then added "I bet that had you worried" and was greeted with a round of applause.
He must have been encouraged by this and a couple of minutes later he chimed in customer announcement... "If anyone has a long time to wait for their train could they please help us put up our Christmas tree". By this time everyone was smiling. A couple of minutes later, once again Customer announcement. " Would everyone please look at the floor..." we all expected the usual tosh about take care its slippy but all dutifully looked at the mud and snow slush everywhere. he continued in a weary tone. " I have to mop that later" Maybe you had to be there, but it made me smile.
Then shortly before our train arrived we got the pre recorded customer announcement again apologising for the (vast) 4 minute delay to which the local announcer added. " Hey guys that just gives us time for a sing song, come on everyone..... and I swear he started singing. "If your happy and you know it clap your hands" Much laughter and singing ensued from all but the stuffiest of commuters.
After a couple of verses he quipped I don't know why you lot on the other platform are laughing you train isn't due for 20 minutes. By this time I was convinced they were filming that advert for a mobile phone company.
Anyway I didn't get home until nearly 6 and paid extra for the privilege but I wasn't the only one on that train humming, "if your happy and you know it.." and stifling a giggle. I do not know who that chap was but he deserves a big slap on the back for making us all laugh and getting us home in a better mood. And the poor guy still has to mop that floor!!
Keep warm folks
Chris
Just thought I would share this tale with a happy ending .
Got to work, inspite of a rotten cold, slipping and sliding on the snow hoping for a quiet day but the folks of my nearby town are made of sterner stuff. Was mad busy and me on me own until 1.30 with the hip complaining loudly and the perching stool removed from the shop floor so not even a brief respite. Then I get the useless 16 year old to help who needs babysitting ALL THE TIME!!!
By closing at 4.30 I was knackered, could hardly walk and had to head off to the bus station freezing cold and with the snow falling heavily again. I am normally home by ten past 5. But not today, just got there to see all the buses pulling out with Not on Service signs and going home to their beds. They had JUST cancelled ALL services as they do when it snows a bit. All the more frustrating for me as the overnight bus depot is in where I live, I can see if from my house!! but no they let couldn't take us health and safety and all that jazz.
Was no point getting a taxi as the roads now looked gridlocked mostly with buses trying to get to the depot. :?
Luckily the train station is next to bus station and only one stop for me get home so I and several dozen others headed there. It was cold miserable and I was well cheesed off to find the next train was not until 5.30. By now with all the workers and shoppers trying to get home the station concourse was packed with well over a hundred people Resigned to our fate we waited only to hear the pre recorded announcer say customer announcement We regret to inform you 5.30 train to York is ..... dramatic and long pause here, the crowd went deadly silent while we prepared for the really bad news.. which continued with... is delayed by 4 minutes!! I swear the whole crowd burst into laughter with relief. But it gets better. The local station announcer then added "I bet that had you worried" and was greeted with a round of applause.
He must have been encouraged by this and a couple of minutes later he chimed in customer announcement... "If anyone has a long time to wait for their train could they please help us put up our Christmas tree". By this time everyone was smiling. A couple of minutes later, once again Customer announcement. " Would everyone please look at the floor..." we all expected the usual tosh about take care its slippy but all dutifully looked at the mud and snow slush everywhere. he continued in a weary tone. " I have to mop that later" Maybe you had to be there, but it made me smile.
Then shortly before our train arrived we got the pre recorded customer announcement again apologising for the (vast) 4 minute delay to which the local announcer added. " Hey guys that just gives us time for a sing song, come on everyone..... and I swear he started singing. "If your happy and you know it clap your hands" Much laughter and singing ensued from all but the stuffiest of commuters.
After a couple of verses he quipped I don't know why you lot on the other platform are laughing you train isn't due for 20 minutes. By this time I was convinced they were filming that advert for a mobile phone company.
Anyway I didn't get home until nearly 6 and paid extra for the privilege but I wasn't the only one on that train humming, "if your happy and you know it.." and stifling a giggle. I do not know who that chap was but he deserves a big slap on the back for making us all laugh and getting us home in a better mood. And the poor guy still has to mop that floor!!
Keep warm folks
Chris
0
Comments
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Aw dear Chris,
You are so right, laughter is often the best medicine. What a card that fellah was! A little humour can put things into perspective sometimes, can't it? There was nothing anyone could do about the situation but at least he made you all smiley. Sorry that you got home later than normal but at least you were with a crowd of peeps mostly with a sense of humour and that must have been cheering.
Look after yourself, my lovely, no snow here at the moment but I am sure it will arrive.
Love
Elna xThe happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.
If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.0 -
Oh Chris, that's the most cheering thing I've come across for ages.....well done that fella!
We have been lucky so far, no snow yet, but told we will get it Tuesday when I have a hospital appointment, of course!
Love
Annie0 -
Hi Chris
It seems that although late aso cold you did enjoy your trip home tonight. I expect of others did too.
It can make such a difference when they announce, they do it in a nicer way.
So far we are lucky no snow yet but we are expected to getsome soon
Love Trish xxxx0 -
Wow CHris what a day you had!
what a wonderful way the announcer found to lighten the mood for so many people who were no doubt just as fed up as you with the awful delays etc.
so glad you could smile about it, but I do hope you are feeling better now you are home and hopefully warm and dry.
I hate this weather, but now I will think of your story and maybe just maybe I'll be humming a little tune too
hugs
Wonky xxx0 -
Hi chris
yes it is good to laugh, makes you feel so much better.
I half expected you saying it was the mobilephone advert too.
What a good end to your day
Hope you are ok this morning and have a good day today.
Snowing like mad here
juliepf x0 -
That has made my day Chris. It is so lovely when people have a laugh and a joke or help each other. I wish I had been there.
ElizabethNever be bullied into silence.
Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no ones definition of your life
Define yourself........
Harvey Fierstein0 -
What a difference a pleasant person can make to a tiring and frustrating situation - I hope his bosses are made aware of the fact that he made people smile - mind you, in this day and age he will probably get into trouble for it! I can hear the ticking off - 'I don't know what you think you were playing at, now they will always expect someone to make them giggle. Don't forget our role is actually to make a rotten situation much worse.' Well done to him for breaking the mould! DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0
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I very hope hope he will not be reprimanded. I am sure joe public will be getting in touch via whatever means with nothing but good feedback regarding the friendly commentating and being kept uptodate with events that particular afternoon.
Elna xThe happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.
If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.0 -
Oh Chris what a brilliant story...I am still chuckling...I could just see you all singing along..if your happy and you know it
I bet it really made his day, has well as yours.
We have a lovely ticket collector on one of our trains, the first time I came across him I heard him say good morning Mr...how are you..then he would move along and say hello Mrs...and I am thinking how dose he remember all these people....so I made a right fool of myself asking him...he was delighted to say...there names are on there passes.. :oops: :oops:
Thanks for making me laugh
Love
Barbara xxx
Just thinking he sounds like the same one Love
Barbara0 -
love it !0
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Thanks for all the replies.
Ooer Del I hope you are wrong :shock: Cos I emailed the local paper today to send a thank you on the letters page. I'm with you on this Elna and others here, and think he deserves a bit of a slap on the back for cheering us all up. After all how was he going to get home when he was done mopping the floor!! :roll:
Keep warm
love
Chris0 -
Good for you, Chris, emailing the local rag today. I am sure there will be other people doing likewise. He was giving out the information keeping the passengers aware of the situation, along with some humour that obviously went down very well with most of the passengers present judging by their positive response.
I hope your day has been ok for you
Love
Elna xThe happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.
If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.0 -
Hi Chris
I enjoyed your post enormously! That chap deserves a medal. Where would we be without humour. I wonder if he's related to my husband?
He makes me laugh all the time - he talks a lot of nonsense but he's a tonic to everyone!
What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Sharmaine
Xchris7 wrote:Hi everyone
Just thought I would share this tale with a happy ending .
Got to work, inspite of a rotten cold, slipping and sliding on the snow hoping for a quiet day but the folks of my nearby town are made of sterner stuff. Was mad busy and me on me own until 1.30 with the hip complaining loudly and the perching stool removed from the shop floor so not even a brief respite. Then I get the useless 16 year old to help who needs babysitting ALL THE TIME!!!
By closing at 4.30 I was knackered, could hardly walk and had to head off to the bus station freezing cold and with the snow falling heavily again. I am normally home by ten past 5. But not today, just got there to see all the buses pulling out with Not on Service signs and going home to their beds. They had JUST cancelled ALL services as they do when it snows a bit. All the more frustrating for me as the overnight bus depot is in where I live, I can see if from my house!! but no they let couldn't take us health and safety and all that jazz.
Was no point getting a taxi as the roads now looked gridlocked mostly with buses trying to get to the depot. :?
Luckily the train station is next to bus station and only one stop for me get home so I and several dozen others headed there. It was cold miserable and I was well cheesed off to find the next train was not until 5.30. By now with all the workers and shoppers trying to get home the station concourse was packed with well over a hundred people Resigned to our fate we waited only to hear the pre recorded announcer say customer announcement We regret to inform you 5.30 train to York is ..... dramatic and long pause here, the crowd went deadly silent while we prepared for the really bad news.. which continued with... is delayed by 4 minutes!! I swear the whole crowd burst into laughter with relief. But it gets better. The local station announcer then added "I bet that had you worried" and was greeted with a round of applause.
He must have been encouraged by this and a couple of minutes later he chimed in customer announcement... "If anyone has a long time to wait for their train could they please help us put up our Christmas tree". By this time everyone was smiling. A couple of minutes later, once again Customer announcement. " Would everyone please look at the floor..." we all expected the usual tosh about take care its slippy but all dutifully looked at the mud and snow slush everywhere. he continued in a weary tone. " I have to mop that later" Maybe you had to be there, but it made me smile.
Then shortly before our train arrived we got the pre recorded customer announcement again apologising for the (vast) 4 minute delay to which the local announcer added. " Hey guys that just gives us time for a sing song, come on everyone..... and I swear he started singing. "If your happy and you know it clap your hands" Much laughter and singing ensued from all but the stuffiest of commuters.
After a couple of verses he quipped I don't know why you lot on the other platform are laughing you train isn't due for 20 minutes. By this time I was convinced they were filming that advert for a mobile phone company.
Anyway I didn't get home until nearly 6 and paid extra for the privilege but I wasn't the only one on that train humming, "if your happy and you know it.." and stifling a giggle. I do not know who that chap was but he deserves a big slap on the back for making us all laugh and getting us home in a better mood. And the poor guy still has to mop that floor!!
Keep warm folks
Chris0 -
Hi Chris,
What a great end to a traumatic day. It lifts the sprits no end when such an unexpected kindness happens. Nice to know the great British sense of humour is alive and well.
Hope your journey home tonight is a lot easier for you.
Lv, Ix0 -
Hi Cris
how did I miss this
beleive it or not I have been laughing out loud at it.
I hope you have sent a thankyou in to the staion - they raerly get compliments dont they?
Glad you got home safely too in the end.
Love
toni xx0
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