Tourist told by Translink Derry does not exsist!!

[Harry]

Tourist told city 'doesn't exist'

The tourist ended up catching a train to Derry
A tourist was told by transport company Translink that "Derry did not exist" when she asked about a bus to the city from Belfast.
The SDLP's John Dallat said he was seeking a meeting with the company later this week to discuss the issue.

Translink has issued a statement apologising to the tourist for any inconvenience caused.

Earlier this year, following a judicial review, a judge ruled that the name of the city should remain Londonderry.

Mr Dallat said a Canadian girl inquiring about transport to the city was told at the Europa Bus Centre in Belfast that "no buses run to that place".

'Sort out'

He said the woman caught a train and was eventually picked up at the Waterside Station.

'There have been several other cases of foreign travellers, mostly students who have had similar experiences and the time has come to sort out this petty bigoted practice once and for all," he said.

He said he had been "unhappy with Translink's response".

"I do accept that the problem is perhaps not as bad as it used to be when they used to have someone standing at Platform Two in Belfast screaming at all passengers to the North-West, 'This train goes to Londonderry', he said.

"That at least has stopped but there is a problem still in existence and it needs to be addressed."

A Translink spokesperson said the incident was currently being investigated by the company.

'Professional'

Translink's Billy Gilpin said: "We are here to provide a service for the whole community.

"We don't have a particular stance on what we call, whether it be Londonderry or Derry.

"We interchange the two terms all the time in our publications and station announcements.

"It is very unfortunate, and I would have to apologise to the people who were involved in this incident."

Following a judicial review on the issue brought by Derry City Council in January, Mr Justice Weatherup said the name of the city should remain Londonderry.

Derry City Council had wanted the government to accept its view that the name of the city was Derry rather than Londonderry.

The judge ruled that although the council had changed its title to Derry, this did not mean the name specified back in the 17th century was changed.

He said only legislation or Royal prerogative could change the city's name.

[Wasp]

Well the tourist was told the truth although translink should have said do you mean Londonderry, or they could have said is that dairy creameries. lol

[lochy]

Very very sad that an employee would do this. She was told by her friend to get a bus to Derry and when asked did she want to get to Londonderry, she didn't know. She was told to go to Derry and that is all she knew.

A vindictive employee who should be severely disciplined. By all accounts Translink are launching an investigation and should come up with rule for employees that they will respond equally to both Derry and Londonderry.

[Wasp]

But responding equally does not mean it is legal as the legal term is Londonderry so I think this employee could have a good case in dealing with and discipline especially with the European court. He/she could argue they only know the place by its name which is fully recognised by law.

Although I do think the employee should have at the worst say something like oh you mean Londonderry and help her all he could.

[Blue Angel]

I do think we need to remember the whole world is not aware of what is at best a petty local dispute over the name of stroke city and that if you are dealing with tourists especially as Lochy says it would be best to just answer to either. If the employee is so petty as all that it's ridiculous. I'd call it Derry but if a tourist from Canada walked up to me in a job where i was dealing with the public and asked the way to Londonderry then I'd tell him the best route available. Any other course of action is idiocy. I do not think any inhabitant of NI could reasonably argue that they did not know Derry and Londonderry are two names used interchangeably for the same place. Also it is not an employees job to foist his own beliefts on his customers, if the employee knew where she meant he should just have said how to get there. Your example of an employee saying, 'oh you mean londonderry' apart from proving that the employee knows the two names are interchangeable just shows the employee is trying to push his own view.

[bearhunter]

Would the employee have denied the existence of Carrickfergus if the tourist had asked for a ticket to Carrick?

[Blue Angel]

I shall give a personal example - when I was younger (and lo the dinosaurs walked the earth still!) I worked for a tourism company in London's West End. On one occassion a gentleman who was a rep for a company we dealt with and who was also a staunch orangeman asked could i help him obtaining a load of ulster flags (the one with the crown on!). It was not my job to start giving him a lecture at that point about my own political beliefs but just to help put him in touch with an appropriate company. The employee for the company in this thread was the public face of his company and should have been doing the same instead of playing at been a petty minded eejit.

[Jim]

wasp said:

But responding equally does not mean it is legal as the legal term is Londonderry so I think this employee could have a good case in dealing with and discipline especially with the European court. He/she could argue they only know the place by its name which is fully recognised by law.

Although I do think the employee should have at the worst say something like oh you mean Londonderry and help her all he could.

Its not illegal but its no reason to be a dickhead about it either. He should know the score with tourists. If it was said to me I'd tell him to give me a bloody ticket to doire.

[Blue Angel]

fair play to the guy in my example as when he turned up to my work place one day one of our colleagues who was a bit of a born again nutter was going on about the wicked catholics and he told him to give it a rest as he heard enough of that nonsense at home. But realistically the employee here is been as jim puts it 'a dickheard' he is just been argumentative for the sake of it - and seems unable to realise canadians don't spend time wringing their hands about the finer points of the nomeclature of the cities of NI.

[Wasp]

blueangel said:

I do think we need to remember the whole world is not aware of what is at best a petty local dispute over the name of stroke city and that if you are dealing with tourists especially as Lochy says it would be best to just answer to either. If the employee is so petty as all that it's ridiculous. I'd call it Derry but if a tourist from Canada walked up to me in a job where i was dealing with the public and asked the way to Londonderry then I'd tell him the best route available. Any other course of action is idiocy. I do not think any inhabitant of NI could reasonably argue that they did not know Derry and Londonderry are two names used interchangeably for the same place. Also it is not an employees job to foist his own beliefts on his customers, if the employee knew where she meant he should just have said how to get there. Your example of an employee saying, 'oh you mean londonderry' apart from proving that the employee knows the two names are interchangeable just shows the employee is trying to push his own view.

I see your point and I agree he is trying to push his own view but would it stand in any disciplinary hearing? The transling timetable says Londonderry I believe so technically he did nothing wrong but we all know what he was playing at. Probably the samething that my partner and I experienced in the workplace from certain Catholic employees and a few times from certain Protestant employees.

I have people say to me quite often the word Derry but I usually use the word Londonderry when I am referring to the maiden city. But we all still know where we are talking about.

[lochy]

wasp said:

I have people say to me quite often the word Derry but I usually use the word Londonderry when I am referring to the maiden city. But we all still know where we are talking about.

But the point is that the tourist didn't know what he was talking about. Therefore he failed in his duty and should expect to be disciplined. He was just being a dickhead and tbh we have enough of them.

[earl]

A lovely way to threat tourists. Give them a taste first-hand of the small-minded pettiness that runs rampant up there.

[Jim]

Besides, even protestants in the waterside call the place Derry. Londonderry is a term used when the BBC are giving the weather, thats about it.

[lochy]

jim said:

Londonderry is a term used when the BBC are giving the weather, thats about it.

and uneducated bigotted translink employees.

[Wasp]

I use the term Londonderry so am I an uneducated bigot also?