Bicycle lights interfering with signal for a station cleaner?

[brad465]

This will probably sound bizarre, but at Swanley station earlier I arrived with my bike, where walking down to the platform a cleaner asked me to turn my lights off as they were "interfering with the signal", having forgotten to on arrival. This is completely new to me, and I never actually asked what device they were using to cause this concern.

Does anyone know what might be going on, in terms of what electronic devices station cleaners use, how a bicycle light might interfere, or whether the cleaner was talking nonsense?

 

[Gloster]

Could the cleaner mean that your rear light, whether flickering or steady, could be misinterpreted by a driver as an emergency hand signal?

 

[alxndr]

Could the cleaner mean that your rear light, whether flickering or steady, could be misinterpreted by a driver as an emergency hand signal?

That would be my thoughts as well. A red light, or a waving white light, pointing towards the driver could potentially be misinterpreted.

 

[brad465]

Could the cleaner mean that your rear light, whether flickering or steady, could be misinterpreted by a driver as an emergency hand signal?

Possible come to think of it, I'm guessing a cleaner can be trained on this knowledge as until now I'd be surprised if they knew rail operations' knowledge.

 

[55018ballymoss]

Incredibly condescending towards the cleaner!
Your lights red, or flashing white displayed to a driver could cause an emergency brake application, as well as the stress to a driver when they think they have encountered an incorrect sequence of signals. Also the discomfort to any passengers that a heavy and prolonged brake application might cause…

 

[185143]

Incredibly condescending towards the cleaner!
Your lights red, or flashing white displayed to a driver could cause an emergency brake application, as well as the stress to a driver when they think they have encountered an incorrect sequence of signals. Also the discomfort to any passengers that a heavy and prolonged brake application might cause…

Not necessarily. Given the amount of people that do have to be told things like turning off red lights, not waving balloons ect round near the overheads, not to trespass and so on, it's not unreasonable to assume that this may not be as common knowledge as Safety Critical staff might assume. And frankly, I wouldn't expect a cleaner to be taught stuff like that in their training, their role whilst absolutely essential, unappreciated and definitely undervalued, is not Safety Critical operations.

 

[Need2]

The ‘cleaner’ at Swanley is normally a member of platform dispatch staff.
It happens at every station, cyclists have no idea that leaving there lights on can cause a complete nightmare for drivers!

 

[bengley]

The member of rail staff is correct, you should not be displaying a red light on the station

 

[Deepgreen]

The member of rail staff is correct, you should not be displaying a red light on the station

Or, indeed, any coloured lights, including white. The term "signal" was probably a general reference to driver sighting.

 

[ComUtoR]

And frankly, I wouldn't expect a cleaner to be taught stuff like that in their training, their role whilst absolutely essential, unappreciated and definitely undervalued, is not Safety Critical operations.

Just because it may not be trained, doesn't mean they don't have the knowledge. Maybe the "cleaner" was an "enthusiast" ? Maybe the cleaner was just another normal person, who, doing a job in any industry, might have some inside knowledge purely based on experience ?

Or possible the cleaner was actually PTS trained. Like some of our Cleaners.

 

[Skoodle]

I was driving in a tunnel that opens up directly in to a platform on a curve. As I was approaching I could just see the platform wall lit up flashing red. Freaked me out as first thing you think is there's a train ahead with flashing tail lamp, then second guessing myself as I was 99% sure I just passed a green. Slowed right down to a crawl to creep in only to see it was a reflection from someone with a bike on the other platform.

 

[JRT]

From another thread

Trainrave
Member
Slightly off topic - But has any driver almost had a brown trouser moment catching a glimpse of a Red light bar at the top of one of these ticket machines when they weren’t expecting it?

Staggering how they are allowed to show Red/Green light bars on platform machines at all…

 

[rower40]

On a dark winter evening of 1985, I took my bike on the train from Chelmsford to Rayleigh, changing at Shenfield. I'd left the dynamo running against the tyre. As I ran along the platform towards the guard's van (Remember them?), the front light lit up to its usual dim glimmer (this was before decent LED bike lights, or possibly even before halogens). I loaded the bike, and the guard proceeded to tear me a new one. He'd nearly mistaken my light for the "right-away" signal from platform staff, so had been about to ding-ding the driver, and cause the train to start with its (slam) doors open.

So - switch off your bike lights on platforms, guys!

 

[AF91]

Red lights can be mistaken for a danger signal and white lights could be mistaken for a dispatch signal. Its one of those situations which is unlikely but it's always best to try and minimise any risk even if it's just removing any potential distractions to drivers as they arrive at the station.

 

[WesternBiker]

I was driving in a tunnel that opens up directly in to a platform on a curve. As I was approaching I could just see the platform wall lit up flashing red. Freaked me out as first thing you think is there's a train ahead with flashing tail lamp, then second guessing myself as I was 99% sure I just passed a green. Slowed right down to a crawl to creep in only to see it was a reflection from someone with a bike on the other platform.

Some modern LED lights can actually be incredibly bright, can’t they? A cyclist passed me this evening on my street, and his flashing red rear light lit up the houses on both sides.

It seemed to me a bit excessive, but I didn’t think any more of it until I read this thread! I can see how modern cycle lights could be a real menace on platforms.