Revealed: Why you never want to hear a call for ‘inspector Sands’ at a train station
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While you’re waiting for your train at a busy station, you’ll probably hear all kinds of things.
From cancellation announcements to upcoming arrivals, hearing the tannoy sound every five minutes is a common occurrence at these travel centres.
Some things are easy to understand. For example, called departure times are clear.
But other calls you may hear may have hidden meanings.
Secret codes in the railway industry have hidden significance and notify staff if something goes wrong.
And a reference to ‘Inspector Sands’ is something you never want to hear.
What is the secret meaning behind this code word? Fire.
This term is used in tannoy announcements to warn staff of a fire without causing panic among passengers or evacuating the entire station.
Train stations often play announcements loudly on the tannoy system
The code is also used on the London Underground system.
It originates from sand buckets historically used to extinguish fires.
There is no need to panic if you hear the call, as there are systems in place when evacuation is necessary, but it helps to be aware.
Secret codes are popular in the travel industry, and they’re not the only code for the train station.
London commuters will often hear ‘code’ announcements on their travels.
Transport for London uses a numbered code system to alert cleaners and staff to areas where standby passengers need attention for unpleasant details.
The numbers correspond to things like vomit, urine, blood and feces, broken glass, trash, overflowing trash cans and spills.
For example, ‘Code One’ refers to blood, while ‘Code Two’ refers to urine or feces.
But some announcements have hidden meanings – including ‘Inspector Sands’
A few years ago, a video emerged showing commuters realizing that ‘Inspector Sands’ was the staff code for fires at train stations.
In the clip, they can be seen running away when they heard the call.
Travelers at different London tube and train stations have been recording special ‘Inspector Sands’ announcements for years.
The special code was used by staff to warn of possible fire hazards without causing an alarm.
