Re: Belgian?

From: Richard Herring (junk_at_[127.0.0.1)
Date: 07/15/04 

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 09:52:48 +0100

In message <40F5A4F8.6E90@worldnet.att.net>, Peter T. Daniels
<grammatim@worldnet.att.net> writes
>Harlan Messinger wrote:
>>
>> "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
>> news:40F59E3E.5E2E@worldnet.att.net...
>> > Harlan Messinger wrote:
>> > >
>> > > "Harlan Messinger" <h.messinger@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> > > news:2lla87Fdusk4U1@uni-berlin.de...
>> > > >
>> > > > "Rasmus Thorsř Nielsen" <rasmus.nielsen_NOSPAM@tele2adsl.dk> wrote in
>> > > > message news:ImeJc.306$Dt4.197@news.get2net.dk...
>> > > > > Hello NG
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Anyone who speaks belgian, that would help me?
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I would like to know what "arret facultatif" means.
>> > > >
>> > > > "Belgian" is not the name of a language. The term "arręt facultatif" is
>> > > > French and it means "optional stop" or "stopping is optional"
>> > > >"stop at
>> > > > your discretion".
>> > >
>> > > I just figured out the likely meaning (you really should always
>> > >context
>> > > if you want a decent translation): On a bus or tram line, an arręt
>> > > facultatif is a stop that the bus will make if someone requests it, by
>> > > pulling a cord or pushing a button, or by standing on the sidewalk and
>> > > waving.

In BrE that's a "request stop".

>> > >The other kind of stop is the mandatory stop, where the bus or
>> > >
>> > > will always stop whether or not someone has requested it.
>> >
>> > Why would they do that?
>>
>> Some stops, such as transfer points to other lines, are so heavily
>> trafficked that it would be rather unusual if someone *didn't* want to get
>> on or off. So the stop is automatic, and no one needs to signal for it.
>
>You seemed to be saying that the bus or tram stops even if no one wants
>to get on or off.
>
>> Also, some stops are off the street, such as the ones in D.C. where the bus
>> drives into a Metro station parking lot to get to the stop. The driver can't
>> tell from the street whether someone is waiting at the shelter to get on;
>> but once he's taken the trouble to drive into the lot, if he just drove
>> around and left it would be kind of silly.
>
>That seems an odd way to arrange a bus stop.
>
>Buses also need to pause to get back on schedule if they're ahead, and
>typically that's not done at a bus stop.

FWIW, often it is on this side of the pond.
Prospective passengers need not hurry, knowing that the bus will be at
the stop at the scheduled time. (Of course, a sufficiently evil driver
will see them approaching, and leave just before they arrive ;-)
>
>> Even on heavy rail, there are stations where the train will only stop to
>> board passengers if they wave it down at the platform.
>
>They're called "flag stops," but that's the opposite of stopping when no
>one wants one to. 

-- 
Richard Herring
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