European Tribune - Comments - The 1956 Hungarian Revolution

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution - Prelude | 20 comments (20 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: The 1956 Hungarian Revolution - the trailer (none / 0)

the Budapest Traffic Company's ridicuous intro

I mean, the Traffic Company boss's intro.

also control trams, trolleys and buses

Thinking of American urban buses I see on TV or in movies, I shal add: the buses here have frequent stops and carry lots of passengers, thus entry across a single door with the driver playing conductor is impossible. But you may know that from Moscow. (BTW, no ticket controllers on the Moscow metro?)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon Oct 23rd, 2006 at 03:49:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The 1956 Hungarian Revolution - the trailer (none / 1)

I got the idea the film was set in Budapest because of the intro (which I could not tell if it was supposed to be serious or ironic, but was very funny). I don't think I'm all that far out of line thinking a film shot in the Budapest subway and in Hungarian is supposed to be about the subway in Budapest!
Trying to remember Moscow. Mostly I think they just used turnstiles or you flashed your pass at the person at the entrance (some kind of rush hour "express lane"). Once past the entrance, no one asked for your pass. Because you cannot get on without a pass or paying the fare. Same with busses I think. You paid a fare or flashed your passes when you got on, and that was it. Of course, standing in line for a bus you might be asked for your "papers." But that's another story...
Conductors, I guess. They are on the suburban and Amtrak trains. They are very professional. There is this old-timey service ethic they have going on. It basically just charms people into submission. If you don't have your ticket displayed on the suburban trains, they make you buy one. And everyone is generally very well behaved and accomodating. On Amtrak, you cannot board without a ticket.
You do realize one bloody face at a protest is still more than anything I've ever seen in my lifetime. It might be sensational to post that picture, but the fact that anyone did get a bloody face protesting is pretty shocking to me, where I just don't see that type of thing.

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

by p------- on Mon Oct 23rd, 2006 at 04:12:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The 1956 Hungarian Revolution - the trailer (none / 0)

That speech was meant to be serious (the traffic company head insisted on it before consenting to the filming), but its effect was rather comical :-) For your information, for the film, all station signs and recognisable symbols were removed, fake ones installed, and a fake line map and fake line names were shown/talked about.
So there were at least persons at the entrance, doing exactly what our controllers do now. But the buses, that surprises me (especially as we have Soviet-built trolleys here and Moscow has Hungarian-built Ikarus buses). Do I get this right, could people enter only via a single door? That was once tried here, even then only for traffic past 21h and non-articulated buses, still it failed as passengers got angry at standing in line to board and at the resulting reduced average travel speed.
Train conductors are respected here too, and both conductors and controllers are generally well-behaving (they are trained to be). But bus/tram/metro passengers without ticket are generally a**holes with a sense of entitlement who often refuse to pay when caught. As the job is low-wage and usually taken by those desperate for a job, who are not people with an air of authority, they find it difficult to counter such disrespect (this is a real thing that the film hyper-magnified).
OK. I actually didn't realise :-) I must be jaded. I mean, I am still outraged at police (and protester) brutality, but not shocked.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Oct 24th, 2006 at 04:22:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution - Prelude | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

. Home
. About
. Contact
. New User Guide
. FAQ
. ET Editorial Guidelines
. Search
. Search (Google)

Username:
Password:

. Make a new account
. Reset password

Recommended Diaries

Clipping the wings of a judge
by Migeru - Feb 10
58 comments

Sarkozy: Enemies Ahoy!
by afew - Feb 10
35 comments

Hunger March wins PR battle
by DoDo - Feb 9
3 comments

LQD: Unsustainable irrigation
by Melanchthon - Feb 9
1 comment

Romania: protests change government
by DoDo - Feb 8
6 comments

Murdoch - Outsourcing and Hubris
by ceebs - Feb 3
18 comments

Obama wins GOP Primaries (to date)
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 8
9 comments

Bristol Pound
by ChrisCook - Feb 7
14 comments

Recent Diaries

Sarkozy: Enemies Ahoy!
by afew - Feb 10
35 comments

Clipping the wings of a judge
by Migeru - Feb 10
58 comments

LQD: Unsustainable irrigation
by Melanchthon - Feb 9
1 comment

Hunger March wins PR battle
by DoDo - Feb 9
3 comments

Obama wins GOP Primaries (to date)
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 8
9 comments

Romania: protests change government
by DoDo - Feb 8
6 comments

Answers to the Renewable Energy Consultation
by Luis de Sousa - Feb 7

Bristol Pound
by ChrisCook - Feb 7
14 comments

The Imitation Of Germany
by afew - Feb 4
31 comments

Strange Fruit
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 4
14 comments

Murdoch - Outsourcing and Hubris
by ceebs - Feb 3
18 comments

Mismatch with the Natural Gas Market
by Luis de Sousa - Feb 3
22 comments

The Future of Economics
by ARGeezer - Feb 2
191 comments

Desert Island Discs - Helen's distortions
by Helen - Jan 31
48 comments

Gorila
by DoDo - Jan 29
14 comments

Rail News Blogging #7
by DoDo - Jan 29
15 comments

Obama's State Of The Union: LQD
by Crazy Horse - Jan 25
74 comments

Democracy Technology
by gmoke - Jan 24
1 comment

The Hydrogen dream
by Luis de Sousa - Jan 24
49 comments

ET Paris Meet-Up 2012 (2 UPDATE)
by afew - Jan 23
113 comments

More Diaries...

Occasional Series

Click for full list