SNAFU: Clairvoyant train brings warning of what was coming down the line for 2020

A train with supernatural powers of prediction features in today's edition of signage behaving strangely. Who would could have known that the electronic information panel was warning passengers of what was to come? Spotted by a Register reader at Euston station, the sign on the side of the old London Midland train is what we …

[Anonymous Coward]

SNAFU?

As it happens, the station code for Sandal & Agbrigg is SNA...

... but I can't think of a reason for FU to be added to the end :-)

[Version 1.0]

Re: SNAFU?

At least it didn't say FOCUS

[lglethal]

Re: SNAFU?

Sandal & Agbrigg Freight Underpass?

[chivo243]

My Money is on

Or a little present dropped into the code by a programmer... Love easter eggs!

[Unep Eurobats]

Re: My Money is on

Along with the comment, 'This should never happen.' Ha!

[bombastic bob]

Re: My Money is on

this is why I search for profanities in debug and warning messages before it gets shipped to a customer

[Kane]

Re: My Money is on

"this is why I search for profanities in debug and warning messages before it gets shipped to a customer"

Just to make sure they're there?

[Richard Gray 1]

Re: My Money is on

Not the new Cadbury ones, they aren't the same anymore.

I like the nice proper chocolate ones these days.

What do you mean "Not those kind of Easter Eggs"?

I want my chocolate!!!

[deadlockvictim]

SBB CFF FFS

My nephews were greatly amused to see the letters FFS written on Swiss trains.

The Swiss may think it means 'Ferrovie federali svizzere' (thanks Wikipedia) but my nephews were having none of it.

Wait until they find out that everyone in Lausanne has VD (on their licence plates).

[DJV]

Re: SBB CFF FFS

I use some rather useful software called FreeFileSync (yeah, FFS!) - when you save a batch file is calls it NAME.ffs_gui which always amuses me.

[cd]

Re: SBB CFF FFS

In some areas of the US, there are trucks with JFC painted on them. The current situation with restaurants has reduced their presence somewhat.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: SBB CFF FFS

As a young teen on my first school trip abroad to Germany, we all found it rather amusing to see AUSFART signposted regularly down the autobahns.

[Anonymous Coward]

A bit of fun by the staff...

Almost certainly set by one of the onboard the staff:

A guard managed to set the sign on a class 444 (same basic Siemens Desiro type) to 'TrainyMcTrainFace'

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/trainy-mctrainface-south-west-trains-commute-boaty-mcboatface-waterloo-a6947831.html

I've also seen them set to other similar custom messages as 'Starlight Express' and 'Night Night'

[jake]

Re: A bit of fun by the staff...

Six or seven years ago, when Hwy 121 between Sonoma & Napa was a construction zone, I witnessed one of those programmable road signs on a trailer scrolling "DANGER! Badgers and Hedgehogs crossing!"

Yes, I know how to do it (the control box is almost never locked). No, it wasn't me.

[Sanctimonious Prick]

TITSUP

If only it said TITSUP...

Total Inability To SNAFU Unsuspecting Passengers!

:D

[herman]

Och, aye...

OK, I see Great Cockup is not too far from Cockermouth - makes sense I suppose.

In Canada, to the west of Calgary, you can find Cockrane and to the north east, Balsack and beware of Dead Man's Flats, eh?

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Re: Och, aye...

Cockermouth? I 'ardly even know 'er!*

^{(*see also: user interface, etc.)}

[jake]

Re: Och, aye...

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned AOL's old favo(u)rites, Penistone and Scunthorpe.

[Xalran]

Re: Och, aye...

Apparently it's also not far from Knott.

[richdin]

Formerly know as FUBAR

Fouled* Up Beyond All Recognition

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Formerly know as FUBAR

vaguely recall an OpenVMS <something>UniBusAddressRegister mnemonic

[jake]

Re: Formerly know as FUBAR

DEC VAX ... Failed Unibus Address Register.

See also the metasyntactic variables foo, bar and baz, etc. etc. ...

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Spoiler: It's all metasyntactic variables, all the way down.

[Slabfondler]

To be fair...

That could be any station in the UK right now, we're pretty much SNAFU'd all over.

[Tempest]

Who Knew?

Who knew that The Register claimed to be "a family publication".