East Coast Disabled Alarm

[rmt4ever]

I travelled return England to Scotland last week... the most prominent thing that stuck me on the east coast 225 set each way, was the alarm.

2 times going outward, and 4 times inward, we heard "bing bing bing...... Attention train-crew... disabled passenger alarm operated"

Now I used the disabled toilet (the one in our 1st class coach) and it is quite clearly an alarm button. Not toilet flush, door control, hand dryer, gin refiller etc..... surely with this amount of idiotic misuse a fine is in order for each offender ??

 

[Zoidberg]

I travelled return England to Scotland last week... the most prominent thing that stuck me on the east coast 225 set each way, was the alarm.

2 times going outward, and 4 times inward, we heard "Attention train-crew... disabled passenger alarm operated"

Now I used the disabled toilet (the one in our 1st class coach) and it is quite clearly an alarm button. Not toilet flush, door control, hand dryer, gin refiller etc..... surely with this amount of idiotic misuse a fine is in order for each offender ??

That seems to me to be a bit severe if the misuse was accidental. Perhaps a case for it if the misuse was intentional, but there could be difficulties proving that.

But a fine for misusing an alerting system which impedes the progress of the train seems right.

 

[Searle]

That seems to me to be a bit severe if the misuse was accidental. Perhaps a case for it if the misuse was intentional, but there could be difficulties proving that.

But a fine for misusing an alerting system which impedes the progress of the train seems right.

I don't think it impedes the progress of the train, whenever it's activated the train hasn't even slightly started to slow down! I have noticed it happening a few times on my trains as well now

 

[Zoidberg]

I don't think it impedes the progress of the train, whenever it's activated the train hasn't even slightly started to slow down! I have noticed it happening a few times on my trains as well now

No, it doesn't. It's something to which, I think, the on-train staff are expected to respond while progress is maintained.

I was trying to contrast the misuse of such an alarm with the malicious yanking of the communication cord and its modern equivalent.

 

[YorkshireRider]

The problem with this is that we now don't take the alarm seriously, and one day it will actually be a disabled passenger in distress. Its rarely done on purpose, just by mistake, there is also a button in coaches L and F by the wheelchair space and sometimes luggage can press up against it on busy trains. The frequency of it been activated that the OP mentions is not uncommon.

 

[sarahj]

The issue is when people push it by accident, but then ignores the driver saying, 'whats up'. All they need to say is, 'sorry, accident'. So each one needs to be sorted asap.

 

[91111]

As a guard for EC I agree that the disabled alarm is not taken seriously due to the amount of times it is pressed accidentally or by some scally (I've never had a real call on it and had to reset it hundreds of times). This has also led to some guards disabling the alarms in the carriage (the toilet alarms can not be disabled) which would then lead to further issues if there was a real emergency further down the line. I think the main issue is people sitting in the wheelchair spaces with buggies or large amounts of luggage when really they should just be used for disabled passengers. Fair enough if a child presses it as it is a big red button after all but it is very rare to get a person to apologize or explain when it is pressed accidentally and you look stupid racing to the affected coach just in case it is a real call for help.

 

[gottago]

I sat by that little office they have on Virgin Trains once and whenever the alarm was pressed the manager would return and every time the person on the other end was asking where the flush button was! Granted its hidden by the seat but given that it's signposted by those stickers you wouldn't think it would be that difficult to locate!

 

[BestWestern]

The obvious answer here would be to place a liftable cover over the button, with 'EMERGENCY USE ONLY' written on it. This would at least solve the issue of suitcases and, to some extent, smalll children pressing it. For the record, it's just as bad in FGW HSTs. It is, however, preferable to the Passcom being pulled to flush the lav, as per class 158s!

 

[Skoodle]

A metal flap doesn't seem to stop people using the call for aid alarms on 378s in the wheelchair bays. They've all been accidental or children pressing it. Like you say though it usually takes me saying "can someone pkease let me know if it was pressed by accident or this train will be delayed whilst I come to investigate". Funny how they suddenly hear me then!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

On the 375s / 377s the alarm buttons in the secondary toilets ( the smaller ones with proper locks on the doors ) are unprotected and are located in a position that guarantees they are going to be knocked by accident upon entry / exit to the toilet!

 

[Gathursty]

I must admit I've made such an error when on a Voyager going south. When the train changed lanes, I jolted and the finger slipped onto the alarm button. Interesting thread.

 

[Tom B]

In my (anecdotal) experience it appears to be less frequent than it was when they were first introduced. Also people seem to be locking the doors now - at first there were a few embarrassed individuals who had the doors opened on them through not locking them!

 

[sarahj]

Agreed, the one in the little toilet of the 377's is quite easy to knock, I've almost knocked it myself.

As for locking the toilet, things have not changed. Everyday I see people not locking it. Some have ended up in situations.

 

[trentside]

Last heard this as the CDL was being released at Wakefield Westgate a few weeks ago. There didn't seem any hurry on the part of the crew to go and see what was wrong. I haven't actually heard this alert for a few years, but I remember it being quite common in GNER days.

 

[Clip]

In the wheelchair spaces they should do what they have on the DLR and actually have it facing downwards with a flap over it, no risk of prams or anything pushing it then. According to me lass there appears to be very little misuse of those ones too, always the ones by the door that get pushed tough.