cycling on narrow platform incident

[HowardGWR]

This was supposed to be a video of Tornado passing through.

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/tornado-steam-engine-brings-joy-10851466?

Tornado steam engine brings 'joy' to train spotters as it passes through Surrey

Watch the cyclists though, as the train steams through and then the train arriving the other way.


I shuddered to be honest.

 

[al78]

I only saw one cyclist and a few pedestrians further down the platform but that does look like a dumb thing to do. All it would take is for someone to walk in front of him and he does a panic swerve to his right, and he is stuffed.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

This was supposed to be a video of Tornado passing through.

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/tornado-steam-engine-brings-joy-10851466?



Watch the cyclists though, as the train steams through and then the train arriving the other way.


I shuddered to be honest.

Yeah, well it's Addlestone, you shouldn't expect too much common sense there. In fact don't expect too much common sense period from kids on bikes.

You ask them to get off and you get told to something off, but that's the mentality of today's generation and all you'll get is a load of squinnying from the parents when one of them falls off his/her bike and either gets frazzled by the juice rail or turned into chunky salsa by a passing or arriving train.:roll:

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I bet that those in the know can come up with every one of the Railway By-Laws that cover cycling on a railway platform

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I bet that those in the know can come up with every one of the Railway By-Laws that cover cycling on a railway platform

Let's just say for simplicity it's illegal, to ride a bike or use roller skates/blades or skateboards anywhere on the station.

 

[najaB]

I bet that those in the know can come up with every one of the Railway By-Laws that cover cycling on a railway platform

I'd go with:

2. Potentially dangerous items
(1) Except with written permission from an Operator or an authorised person, no person shall bring with him or allow to remain on the railway any item which, in the opinion of an authorised person, may threaten, annoy, soil or damage any person or any property.

6. Unacceptable behaviour
(8) No person shall molest or wilfully interfere with the comfort or convenience of any person on the railway.

12. Safety instructions
(1) An Operator may issue reasonable instructions relating to safety on any part of the railway by means of a notice on or near that part of the railway. No person shall, without good cause, disobey such notice.

14. Traffic signs, causing obstructions and parking
(1) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall use it on any part of the railway in contravention of any traffic sign.

15. Pedestrian-only areas
(1) Any person who enters, or is on, any part of the railway to which the public have access must be on foot, except: (i) where there is a notice permitting access to that part of the railway to those with specified conveyances; or (ii) where an Operator or an authorised person has given permission, and in either case he shall obey any instructions given by an Operator or an authorised person.

for a start.

 

[Kite159]

Not as bad as a prat a couple weeks ago who decided they needed to change platform at East Croydon from the 3/4 island to the 5/6 island, peak-time (17:30) so the station was quite busy...

...he decided to ride his bike up/down the ramps nearly hitting several people (as you wouldn't expect someone to come riding up behind you when you are walking up the ramps bunched together)

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Let's just say for simplicity it's illegal, to ride a bike or use roller skates/blades or skateboards anywhere on the station.

Unless, of course, heavily supervised as part of a publicity stunt

 

[Carntyne]

Having seen someone go under a train because they lost their balance cycling up the platform, I generally don't give anyone doing it too much choice about what to do, off the bike or off the station.

 

[TonyR]

Having seen someone go under a train because they lost their balance cycling up the platform, I generally don't give anyone doing it too much choice about what to do, off the bike or off the station.

Pedestrians lose their balance and fall under trains too. While I accept it is illegal and antisocial and they shouldn't be doing it, as a cyclist myself I do think the dangers in this case are being over-dramatised. There were no pedestrians on the platform to "step out" and knock him off, he kept well to the left and was riding carefully. People think cyclists are vulnerable because they are balanced on two wheels, but they are actually pretty stable and there are far more injuries per km travelled on the highway from pedestrian trips and falls than there are from cyclists falling off.

 

[Harlesden]

The platform's yellow line was a good distance back from the edge. The cyclist was well behind the yellow line. There were very few people on the platform. Not the most sensible thing to do but not as dangerous as some seem to be implying.
I have been on some stations where the yellow line is just a few inches away from the edge, so close as to make it rather a waste of yellow paint in my view.

 

[Carntyne]

Pedestrians lose their balance and fall under trains too. While I accept it is illegal and antisocial and they shouldn't be doing it, as a cyclist myself I do think the dangers in this case are being over-dramatised. There were no pedestrians on the platform to "step out" and knock him off, he kept well to the left and was riding carefully. People think cyclists are vulnerable because they are balanced on two wheels, but they are actually pretty stable and there are far more injuries per km travelled on the highway from pedestrian trips and falls than there are from cyclists falling off.

I'm a cyclist too. It's illegal as per the By-Laws above show, so I wouldn't cycle up a platform.

 

[Johnuk123]

I was at Cambridge station last year and a foreign student ended up on the track after falling off her bike whilst riding on the platform, came to no harm but was the subject of a few adverse comments.

 

[westv]

The platform's yellow line was a good distance back from the edge. The cyclist was well behind the yellow line. There were very few people on the platform. Not the most sensible thing to do but not as dangerous as some seem to be implying.
I have been on some stations where the yellow line is just a few inches away from the edge, so close as to make it rather a waste of yellow paint in my view.

I agree. Yes, it's illegal but so is smoking but I can't see we'd have a video and thread about someone doing that.

 

[trentside]

It happens a lot.

When I used to working in booking offices, you'd sometimes get people cycling up to the counter - even through the queuing ropes. I'd always ask them to get off their bike - especially as they were inside the station building at that point.

Now I'm a guard, you see it more often, as the bike area will be at the wrong end of the train for the station exit so they'll get off, mount their bike and cycle down the platform. They'll usually ignore you shouting and gesturing at them, or give you abuse. If they refuse to get off their bike, the train doesn't move until they're clear of it - far too easy for them to end up falling between it and the platform.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I can't remember which station it is, but there is one whose entry in wikipedia has an image of a guy cycling directly through the front doors of the station and into the ticket hall

 

[Paul180]

As an cyclist myself you should not cycle on the platforms it is not clever no matter how full or empty the platform is I have bean hit more than once from behind by people cycling on the platform weaving around people and have sean some one and his mate all most go under an departing train they joust gout off and when you ask them if that was a good idea the response (to be polite) we will decide on that sir I wish more people were prosecuted for doing it especially at the bigger stations.

 

[al78]

Pedestrians lose their balance and fall under trains too. While I accept it is illegal and antisocial and they shouldn't be doing it, as a cyclist myself I do think the dangers in this case are being over-dramatised. There were no pedestrians on the platform to "step out" and knock him off, he kept well to the left and was riding carefully. People think cyclists are vulnerable because they are balanced on two wheels, but they are actually pretty stable and there are far more injuries per km travelled on the highway from pedestrian trips and falls than there are from cyclists falling off.

I don't agree. stations don't tend to have continuous buildings on the platform, there are gaps between, say, the waiting room, a cafe and a flight of stairs. This means that pedestrians can easily step out from around a corner into the path of that cyclist and he has very little room to manoeuvre. Pedestrians walk around and between buildings and out of doors without looking all the time, I know because I have lost count of the number of times I walk down a high street and someone walks straight out of a shop oblivious and nearly walks into me. I don't think he is riding carefully either, if he was he would be riding at walking pace in that environment. It is the action of one of the "I'll do what I want, nothing will happen, sod it" brigade, I would argue that those sort of people (aka knob heads) are a hazard or at least a pain in the backside to others and that their attitude should be challenged. I'm speaking as a cyclist who rides thousands of miles a year to get around.

 

[LowLevel]

My views on cyclists on the railway are well known. I don't take prisoners. They pack it in or they bugger off. I make a point of refusing them travel on a fairly regular basis. A peak time ban is definitely a happy dream. They get one polite request to comply and if I get lip or smarmy comments about how they know what they're doing and I'm a jobsworth out comes my ID card and they don't get their train ride. They're one of the types I'll put my foot down and launch my toys out of the pram and leave the train standing over as well.

People on stations are not reknowned for paying attention. Judging by the amount of folk I collide with as they step out from looking at a departure screen or similar without looking particularly when they forget how long they are with their wheelie cases and that collision occurring with a cyclist is significant. The difference to a road collision where someone steps off the kerb without paying attention is that a) the cyclist is already committing a criminal offence so is automatically liable regardless because they shouldn't be cycling in the first place and b) if they or their hapless victim do take a spill trains and 3rd rails etc aren't forgiving.

I do not understand why this particular group finds it so hard to respect other people's simple rules.

 

[Bevan Price]

Apologies to any sensible cyclists, but there is a sizeable minority who can only be described as selfish morons. They ride on platforms, pavements - even through our local bus station, expecting passengers to move out of their way. They ignore traffic lights and road signs, but try to blame drivers for any accidents. And at nights, it is rare to eee more than 20% of cyclists with any adequate lighting.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Apologies to any sensible cyclists, but there is a sizeable minority who can only be described as selfish morons. They ride on platforms, pavements - even through our local bus station, expecting passengers to move out of their way. They ignore traffic lights and road signs, but try to blame drivers for any accidents. And at nights, it is rare to eee more than 20% of cyclists with any adequate lighting.

I accept your apology...

When I go out on my bike I am always lit up fully, have reflective gear and only once rode on the pavement when it was part of a publicity stunt/event

 

[HowardGWR]

Apologies to any sensible cyclists, but there is a sizeable minority who can only be described as selfish morons. They ride on platforms, pavements - even through our local bus station, expecting passengers to move out of their way. They ignore traffic lights and road signs, but try to blame drivers for any accidents. And at nights, it is rare to eee more than 20% of cyclists with any adequate lighting.

Well, we've had two people on this thread that thought it was OK to ride on that narrow platform! If that is typical, then there is clearly no hope and people will continue to fall over into the tracks or knock over fellow walking pax or even knock them onto the tracks. A thoroughly disappointing response, but I suppose the two of them were at least honest with us.

 

[bnm]

I agree. Yes, it's illegal but so is smoking but I can't see we'd have a video and thread about someone doing that.

Smoking on a station platform is only illegal if there is a sign saying it is prohibited. No sign? No offence.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Well, we've had two people on this thread that thought it was OK to ride on that narrow platform! If that is typical, then there is clearly no hope and people will continue to fall over into the tracks or knock over fellow walking pax or even knock them onto the tracks. A thoroughly disappointing response, but I suppose the two of them were at least honest with us.

Two...?

Who are these terrible twins?

 

[bramling]

I accept your apology...

When I go out on my bike I am always lit up fully, have reflective gear and only once rode on the pavement when it was part of a publicity stunt/event

It's depressing how any thread relating to cyclists basically degenerates into:

"I hate cyclists, they ride too fast, ride on pavements, don't use lights at night and don't pay road tax"

Yes some individuals do some or all of these things, as well as cycling on platforms where they shouldn't, and storing their bikes on trains in inappropriate places.

However in the grand scheme of things there are worse annoyances in the world, I find it disproportionate how some people seem to get so worked up about this issue, speaking with a sense of great accomplishment and pleasure about having 'dealt' with a cyclist, or over-exaggerating how much of an issue it is.

 

[Llanigraham]

Smoking on a station platform is only illegal if there is a sign saying it is prohibited. No sign? No offence.

I suggest you check the Laws!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

You beat me to it, but it seems only in England and Wales. The prohibition also applies to E-cigs too.

If it's an E-cig, I just have a discreet word, the proper thing gets a bit more, but still discreet. Ignore it, the discretion goes out of the window and you get shouted at.

 

[bnm]

I suggest you check the Laws!

I have checked the byelaws. They say:

No person shall smoke or carry a lighted pipe, cigar, cigarette, match, lighter
or other lighted item on any part of the railway on or near which there is a
notice indicating that smoking is not allowed.

My local station has no 'No Smoking' signs. What law do I break by lighting up a cigarette? Or for that matter an e-cigarette which aren't even covered by ANY prohibitive legislation as yet.

 

[carriageline]

Apologies to any sensible cyclists, but there is a sizeable minority who can only be described as selfish morons. They ride on platforms, pavements - even through our local bus station, expecting passengers to move out of their way. They ignore traffic lights and road signs, but try to blame drivers for any accidents. And at nights, it is rare to eee more than 20% of cyclists with any adequate lighting.

Glad someone said it!! Why am I not surprised that the cycling fraternity on here jump around saying "it's not as dangerous as people are making out"

And you can add riding 2 abreast to that list, in places like Richmond park which IMO is a busy road at certain times of the day... But unfortunately, like drivers and pedestrians there are some utter morons out there.

 

[Ploughman]

Its all very well having the byelaws in for whatever offence.
But without anyone around to actually enforce them what use are they?

Train staff cannot be asked to do this so it must be ground based staff.