Month: December 2010

Ticket Inspections Southern Rail

Business / By

I’m on a roll today so I thought I’d share another of my irrational moans

The question of the first class ticket and the freeloaders. Now, when I feel like being a big shot I buy a first class season ticket from Lingfield to London so as to enjoy the privilege and peace and quiet of the first class ‘cabin’ on your Southern Services Rail. Now leaving aside that the ‘first class cabin’ is in every respect exactly the same as the paupers ‘enjoy’ then only thing you get is a half decent shot at a seat for the whole journey. So you can imagine dear reader that I get rather wound up when one of the lower orders piles into the first area and plonks himself down in a seat – cap wrong way around, reading the Sun and backside hanging out of his jeans – with clearly no first class ticket. Now rather than not worrying about this, as I should be relaxing and putting myself into a tolerant mood ready for the day, I find myself getting rather p****d off that the guard who is hiding in his slot does not come and check the tickets. Even when they do (on ascension day every two years) its – Oh ‘sorry’ sir/madam this is a standard ticket and you have to move – oh is it I did not notice (arghh!!!!) – sorry I’ll move. So it goes on day after day. So I now think what am I paying for if there is no sanction for those not playing the game. Now I may be the only person that thinks this . (you are and that’s enough of this rant ed.) Royston

Teenager fined £150 for feet on seats

Society / By

I don’t know if I am the only one who thinks this (you are ed.) but I was surprised when I read in the newspaper the other day that a teenager was miffed because she was pulled up for putting her feet on the seat on a train as ‘it was only for a minute’ (whatever). I do think perhaps that it is a little harsh to pull her before the beak and potentially fine her £150 – it is a hard knock for a teenager. But I find myself somewhat happy that someone has been pulled up for breaking the rules and rather than the inspector falling for a sorry etc line and letting her off. Sometimes you have to make the point and make an example. This same situation happened to me – I asked a girl ‘resting’ her feet on the seat next to me on the train after a busy lunchtime shoplifting I expect – to move them so there was no danger of me getting my rather nice suit dirty – responded to my polite request (I bet) with a string of abuse and with the retort ‘these shoes are nearly new and not dirty anyway’. The problem with making the seat dirty for other people didn’t cross her mind. Now I may be alone on this (you still are ed.) but I think sometimes you have to make it clear your disapproval because when there is no cost to a person there is no motivation to correct maverick behaviour and the acceptance of a ‘it was only a minute’ excuse is an excuse for inaction and a sanction of the behaviour itself.

What is the difference between Inductive and deductive reports?

Education / By

I was asked by some students this week about their assignment and the difference between inductive and deductive reports.

An inductive report involves moving from the specific issues of the case you are using to general summarised information shown usually in the conclusion and recommendations at the end.

In an inductive report you move from the specific to the general and the structure of the report looks like:

  • Introduction
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Recommendations
  • References

These reports are best for a reader who will read the whole report – from beginning to end. If the findings can be disputed or are controversial then you need to lay out a clear path from your propositions and arguments to the conclusion – the recommendations following from the conclusion are meant to be acted upon.

In a deductive report you move from the general to the specific and the structure of the report looks like::

  • Introduction
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations
  • Discussion
  • References

This order is aimed at an audience who may not read the entire document but need to review just the conclusions and recommendations and then the discussion if further enlightenment is needed. These reports generally are best used for non controversial subjects.

The report asked for in a management report is an amalgamation of the two approaches above. In effect the Executive Summary of 1 to 2 pages is the deductive part of the report and the main body an inductive component.

So the structure of a management report is:

  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Recommendations
  • References

Hope this helps clarify this issue

Roy