Commuters have been asked not to watch 'explicit' content with inappropriate jokes, bad language or offensive topics on trains and in railway stations. The train operator Northern has told its customers to 'wait until you get home'.
The company, which runs train services and manages stations across Greater Manchester and the north of England, issued the appeal this week. The largest train operator outside of London, it claims that people tend to err on the side of caution at work, but 'rush to view content' once they are on their way home.
The British Transport Police, which polices the railway network, says people should report any behaviour on trains that makes them feel uncomfortable. This includes if someone is watching 'explicit' content such as pornography in public which the national police force says is considered sexual harassment.
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Northern bosses are now asking commuters to apply the 'not suitable for work' (NSFW) rule when it comes to consuming content on their trains and stations. Chief operating officer Tricia Williams said: "We welcome millions of people into our stations and on-board our trains every year – and access to safe and reliable internet is part and parcel of our customers’ expectations.
"It is important, however, that people remember that some content is not suitable for everyone to see or hear - particularly children. As such, if something is ‘not suitable for work’ it’s more than likely not suitable in our stations or on-board our trains either – so please wait until you get home.”
Internet is available in stations managed by Northern and onboard their trains thanks to a partnership with ‘Friendly WiFi’ – a government-initiated safe certification standard for public WiFi. Friendly WiFi aims to reassure users that the service meets minimum filtering standards – particularly in areas where children are present, such as in Northern’s stations and on-board their trains.
Northern has been a member of the scheme, which is delivered in partnership with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) since 2017. The firm manages train stations across Greater Manchester and the north of England.
Bev Smith, director of Friendly WiFi, said: “We are excited to be working with Northern as a ‘Friendly WiFi’ certified train operator. They were passionate throughout the process to achieve the standard to ensure a great experience online for all their customers whilst travelling with them."
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England. It also directly manages many train stations across Greater Manchester and the North.
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