"Do not go on the track" : is this all going too far.......

[Justin Smith]

I was at Doncaster station with my three year old yesterday and he threw my phone on the track. Very annoying, but it was what happened after that which was potentially more worrying. I was tempted to just jump down and get it, it`d only have taken about 5 to 10 seconds, but I was concerned there`d be a big scene if one of the station staff spotted me doing so. Thus I asked the staff to get it for me, but they said they can`t always get them and would take a look. I didn`t know what they meant by "they can`t always get them" until a helpful guy came up with some long pick up tongs with which he retrieved the phone. Now, unless I`m getting the wrong end of the stick, the implication is that if the phone had been a few feet further away (and therefore unreachable with the tongs) they wouldn`t have got my phone ! I think I should mention at this point it was on platform 8 where all trains stop and none ever seem to go at more than about 10mph anyway. To be frank I`d have thought it would be almost impossible to be hit by a train there ! If it really is the case that staff are banned from jumping down onto the track is that not Health & Safety gone absolutely bonkers ? ! ?
I`m only relieved that they could get my phone with the tongs because if they`d have said they couldn`t there`s no way I`d have just left it there. I`d have got it, then I`m sure all hell would have broken out, over, let`s face it, sod all.

NOTE : I`m not blaming the staff here, they were perfectly pleasant and helpful, it seems it may be some crazy regulations that would (even prevent staff retrieving anything) be the guilty party.

This is a bit inconsistent isn`t it ?.

 

[PHILIPE]

Wait for Pokemon Go players going on to the tracks. One has walked into the road in front of traffic already so the time is sure to come when they are chasing the Creatures on to Rail tracks.

 

[DarloRich]

here we go again. :roll: HSEA gone mad init.

You cant, of course, be killed by a train moving at 5 mph can you?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Speaking as a driver, if someone is standing in the middle of the track in a station and I'm not expecting to see them there then I am not going to be very happy. You don't know whether the next train through the station is going to stop or not. You might think it will, but you don't know it will. People making the presumptions that you are making here is generally how accidents happen and when it's moving trains hitting squishy human bodies then lives get ruined or ended.

If something valuable falls on the track and it needs to be retrieved then station staff need to speak to the signaller first. The signaller can ensure that it's safe to be down there, guess work cannot.

 

[AlterEgo]

I was tempted to just jump down and get it, it`d only have taken about 5 to 10 seconds, but I was concerned there`d be a big scene if one of the station staff spotted me doing so.

If the only thing that stopped you from stepping down onto the track was causing a scene, then you are a stupid, stupid clown and you deserve everything you're about to get thrown at you on this thread.

 

[ExRes]

I was at Doncaster station with my three year old yesterday and he threw my phone on the track. Very annoying, but it was what happened after that which was potentially more worrying. I was tempted to just jump down and get it, it`d only have taken about 5 to 10 seconds, but I was concerned there`d be a big scene if one of the station staff spotted me doing so. Thus I asked the staff to get it for me, but they said they can`t always get them and would take a look. I didn`t know what they meant by "they can`t always get them" until a helpful guy came up with some long pick up tongs with which he retrieved the phone. Now, unless I`m getting the wrong end of the stick, the implication is that if the phone had been a few feet further away (and therefore unreachable with the tongs) they wouldn`t have got my phone ! I think I should mention at this point it was on platform 8 where all trains stop and none ever seem to go at more than about 10mph anyway. To be frank I`d have thought it would be almost impossible to be hit by a train there ! If it really is the case that staff are banned from jumping down onto the track is that not Health & Safety gone absolutely bonkers ? ! ?
I`m only relieved that they could get my phone with the tongs because if they`d have said they couldn`t there`s no way I`d have just left it there. I`d have got it, then I`m sure all hell would have broken out, over, let`s face it, sod all.

NOTE : I`m not blaming the staff here, they were perfectly pleasant and helpful, it seems it may be some crazy regulations that would be the guilty party

I'm assuming that this is one of those 'funny' postings which are intended to wind people up, if not then I'm sure the sentence "Very annoying, but it was what happened after that which was potentially more worrying" would be enough to make everyone roll around laughing, if it's a serious post, well, what can you say?

 

[Trog]

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

 

[Clip]

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

Which his why we have tightened up the legislation to ensure this does not happen without the signallers consent.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

NOTE : I`m not blaming the staff here, they were perfectly pleasant and helpful, it seems it may be some crazy regulations that would be the guilty party

It's some crazy regulations which have prevented access to a railway line except for the purpose of crossing it at an authorised point since 1868.

It's exceptionally unlikely that you would be hit by a train arriving into the platform, it's the injuries you cause on the approaching train having to undertake a full emergency brake application that is the problem, of which you're blissfully unaware of. 50 or 100 passengers all up out of their seats, getting their suitcases when the driver has to do an emergency stop because you're flailing around in the four foot looking like the tit you come across as in your post.

 

[bb21]

I'm surprised you are not more concerned about setting a bad example for your kid than making a scene.

I can only wholeheartedly agree with AlterEgo. If the phone is so far that a pair of litter pickers cannot reach, then you are into the territory of the signaller having to put a block on parts of the line, which will take time to arrange and more than likely, and you will have to wait for a suitable gap in service, which is difficult at somewhere like Donny. The block will then more than likely cause hundreds of pounds, if not more, of delays on the network, something that Virgin/Stagecoach will probably have to pick up the tab for. Perhaps you can reimburse them for it in that case?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

Thank god this is not accepted any more, and rightly.

 

[Clip]

P.S dont stand so close to the edge next time and maybe it wont make it to the track

 

[Llanigraham]

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

I doubt it!

To the OP.
Whilst most trains might stop at that platform there is always a chance that a reroute has occurred or a special is run that does not stop there.

A train, even at 10 mph WILL kill you if (and when) it hits you! Is your phone worth your life? If it is then you are a very stupid and sad individual.

Without the tongs your phone may well have still been picked up, but only after following certain requirements to ensure the safety of the person on the line. Someone would have rung the Signaller, who would have confirmed whether there was a train in the section or not. If there was not a train then he would have granted a Line Blockage to that trained person, and only then would they have climbed down and got your phone.

I suggest that in future you teach your child to have more respect for your property.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

20 years ago there wasn't the same number of trains, and you had more chance of the permanent way or even the station staff being on first name terms with the signallers in the box - a quick call to check it's safe as you say, signaller saying you've got 5 minutes or that they'll just stick the next train into another platform, and job's a good 'un.

 

[adrock1976]

I would like to add that despite the very low speed of trains at Platform 8, remember that William Husskinson had the dubious honour of being the very first fatality when he got knocked over by Stephenson's Rocket on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.

The top speed of The Rocket back then was a mere 17mph.

To sum up, never attempt to retrieve a fallen object yourself. Speak to a member of railway staff and they will do their best for you. Remember, there is no contest between a human body and a huge lump of metal that is approaching you at any speed.

 

[Deepgreen]

Assuming for a moment that this is a serious post; on London Underground, items that cannot be retrieved in traffic hours are normally collected in engineering hours and then returned to the owner wherever possible. I don't know if this is how it's done on the main line, but I don't see why it couldn't be.

At the risk of sounding obvious, passengers should never jump off the platform to the track, with the possible exception of trying to save someone from killing themselves or who has fallen, and even then only with clear knowledge that no train is approaching. I don't know what the upshot would actually be of doing this - would one be prosecuted for trespass or given a medal for saving a life?

Anyway, the point is that a phone (or anything else) is simply not worth risking life and limb to retrieve - say you landed badly on the ballast and couldn't get back up - that's likely to be one fatherless and permanently traumatised three year old if the next train is unable to stop before it hits you.

 

[Antman]

I was at Doncaster station with my three year old yesterday and he threw my phone on the track. Very annoying, but it was what happened after that which was potentially more worrying. I was tempted to just jump down and get it, it`d only have taken about 5 to 10 seconds, but I was concerned there`d be a big scene if one of the station staff spotted me doing so. Thus I asked the staff to get it for me, but they said they can`t always get them and would take a look. I didn`t know what they meant by "they can`t always get them" until a helpful guy came up with some long pick up tongs with which he retrieved the phone. Now, unless I`m getting the wrong end of the stick, the implication is that if the phone had been a few feet further away (and therefore unreachable with the tongs) they wouldn`t have got my phone ! I think I should mention at this point it was on platform 8 where all trains stop and none ever seem to go at more than about 10mph anyway. To be frank I`d have thought it would be almost impossible to be hit by a train there ! If it really is the case that staff are banned from jumping down onto the track is that not Health & Safety gone absolutely bonkers ? ! ?
I`m only relieved that they could get my phone with the tongs because if they`d have said they couldn`t there`s no way I`d have just left it there. I`d have got it, then I`m sure all hell would have broken out, over, let`s face it, sod all.

NOTE : I`m not blaming the staff here, they were perfectly pleasant and helpful, it seems it may be some crazy regulations that would be the guilty party

I've seen phones, footwear, childrens toys and various other items being accidently dropped onto the track. In all instances they were either retrieved either by the owner themselves (tut, tut!) or a member of staff with the litter picker.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If the only thing that stopped you from stepping down onto the track was causing a scene, then you are a stupid, stupid clown and you deserve everything you're about to get thrown at you on this thread.

Is this sort of abuse really in keeping with group guidelines?

So what would you have done if you had accidently dropped your wallet or expensive phone onto the track?

 

[SPADTrap]

Those rules exist to protect stupid people from themselves and to keep them alive.

Imagine your three year old witnessing what happens when you struggle to climb back onto the platform after underestimating how high it is, how you panic seeing an approaching train and your arms go weak, how said train effortlessly splits you in two leaving you on the platform minus both legs, how in your absence it takes another hour to find them...

Seen that happen because someone didn't want to use a bridge, an expensive phone to me isn't worth my life or even risking it, more your fault for giving it to your child?

 

[Domh245]

So what would you have done if you had accidently dropped your wallet or expensive phone onto the track?

I'd probably be wondering why I was so close to the edge that dropping them meant they fell onto the track

 

[Deepgreen]

I've seen phones, footwear, childrens toys and various other items being accidently dropped onto the track. In all instances they were either retrieved either by the owner themselves (tut, tut!) or a member of staff with the litter picker.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Is this sort of abuse really in keeping with group guidelines?

So what would you have done if you had accidently dropped your wallet or expensive phone onto the track?

Do you really expect anyone here to support trespass on the railway no matter how safe it might appear to be? What's more bizarre is that it happened at a very busy station like Doncaster, so it's not as if there were no staff around to assist.

BTW, the abuse may be borderline (not for me to judge) but cannot be unexpected.

 

[LowLevel]

The last person I had the pleasure of dealing with for jumping on the track ripped her dress off on a short piece of wood sticking out lineside.

The one before landed on a wet rail (on a 15 mph line), his feet went from under him and he snapped his ankle and caused all sorts of stupidity and delays while we recovered him. He had had a few sherbets and dropped his wallet.

Great. Do it in front of me and I'll have you in front of a constable for a trespassing on the railway charge.

 

[SPADTrap]

He does have a point about H&S. Twenty years ago any passing member of the P-Way would have put his yellow jacket on, checked if it was safe/waited until it was, jumped down picked up the phone and then climbed out again. Job done.

Yellow?

 

[AlterEgo]

Is this sort of abuse really in keeping with group guidelines?

So what would you have done if you had accidently dropped your wallet or expensive phone onto the track?

Frankly, where people suggest it might be a good idea to get onto the track, and the only reason they didn't is they're worried about staff seeing them, they should be called stupid - people get bloody killed from being on the tracks. And not only killed, but killed in an appalling manner which nobody should have to witness.

It's a serious matter.

If I had dropped my phone I would approach a member of staff, and I would accept that if they can't get it with a litter picker then I might have to wait - even hours - to get it back.

 

[SPADTrap]

Frankly, where people suggest it might be a good idea to get onto the track, and the only reason they didn't is they're worried about staff seeing them, they should be called stupid - people get bloody killed from being on the tracks. And not only killed, but killed in an appalling manner which nobody should have to witness.

It's a serious matter.

If I had dropped my phone I would approach a member of staff, and I would accept that if they can't get it with a litter picker then I might have to wait - even hours - to get it back.

Fully agree, well said.

 

[Antman]

I'd probably be wondering why I was so close to the edge that dropping them meant they fell onto the track

I think most items get dropped as people are getting on or off the train.

 

[Domh245]

I think most items get dropped as people are getting on or off the train.

Very true, which is why I tend to keep things in my pockets whilst disembarking. However, from the context of the thread, it seemed as if the question was about dropping something onto the track whilst on the platform.

 

[Antman]

Frankly, where people suggest it might be a good idea to get onto the track, and the only reason they didn't is they're worried about staff seeing them, they should be called stupid - people get bloody killed from being on the tracks. And not only killed, but killed in an appalling manner which nobody should have to witness.

It's a serious matter.

If I had dropped my phone I would approach a member of staff, and I would accept that if they can't get it with a litter picker then I might have to wait - even hours - to get it back.

People get killed doing all manor of things, few things in life are without some sort of risk.

Leave your phone or wallet there and go back later and what are the chances it will still be there?

 

[AlterEgo]

People get killed doing all manor of things, few things in life are without some sort of risk.

Leave your phone or wallet there and go back later and what are the chances it will still be there?

Now you're trolling. :roll:

 

[Antman]

Now you're trolling. :roll:

OMG:roll:

 

[Deepgreen]

I've only just noticed the OP's 'signature' - he seems to have set himself up as some sort of crusader against 'Health and Safety'. While some H&S may be OTT (putting yellow cones on every splash of water on a concrete path, for example), railway rules are not - they are there to ensure not only the safety of individuals, but the avoidance of massive delays arising from one person's actions.

 

[SPADTrap]

Leave your phone or wallet there and go back later and what are the chances it will still be there?

Maybe they'd learn for next time...

If it is this difficult to impress the dangers on a fully grown adult only to be met with excuses and a refusal to understand the risks I may as well give up on my planned school visits, if an adult won't respect it what chance is there for kids?

I do wonder sometimes.