Why do people leave their head at home?

[Brucey]

I was at MKC one evening last week, standing at platform 4. ATOS Anne had just announced that a train would be passing through, blah blah blah.

Stood facing the up direction, I spotted a Pendo approaching in the down direction. I also noticed a man (in a suit, probably a commuter there everyday) standing right on the platform edge (feet on the white painted area, back to the tracks) talking to someone standing just on the yellow line.

He was there, didn't move after the announcement. As the Pendo approached, the driver used the whistle. Again, this man didn't move, completely oblivious to everything around him.

I decided to shout "stand back" (thinking back, I should've probably said stand forward!!) The man moved and then looked at me like I was an idiot whilst the train was passing.

Perhaps he does this everyday, but I didn't like the idea of him being pulled onto the track or being caught by the train catching his suit.

There are probably countless other examples, so why do people leave their head at home when they enter a station?

 

[Nym]

Because Passengers are stupid, work at an Airport for a few years to prove this to yourself.

 

[paulravuslante]

Should have just let him find out for himself. That's natural selection!

If I'm approaching a station without stopping I'll sound the high and low tones on the horn if I see someone near the edge. Should they not react then I'll sound it again for longer or continuously as I'm approaching. That way I've done everything in my remit to warn the person and if they do get out of the way then being a deafened by the horn might serve as a warning to their behaviour in future.

That said you do occasionally get idiots acting this way to provoke me into using the horn to impress their group of mates standing elsewhere on the platform.

 

[tempests1]

As Nym said, the average Joe passenger has not got a clue at the dangers they could potientially face at the station! this guy probably does not consider the weight/stopping distance/air tubulance etc of a train. An example is the young mother who dropped her mobile onto the track at Wimbledon and jumped down onto the track to fetch it and was bowled over by the non stop train. Have been a COSS when working working Red Zone (now called Lookout Warning). The Site Lookout blew up for a train and we all got into the Position of Safety 1.25m (4'foot) doesn't seem a lot particularly when a 90mph EMU goes whizzing by. The general public seemed pretty clued up when they brakedown on the motorway, & get behind the crash barrier on the hard shoulder.

 

[paulravuslante]

Because Passengers are stupid, work at an Airport for a few years to prove this to yourself.

Yes, there's something about airports....

 

[Nym]

Oh trust me, most joe public is pretty thick in motorway breakdowns too...

 

[90019]

The general public seemed pretty clued up when they brakedown on the motorway, & get behind the crash barrier on the hard shoulder.

I disagree, I've seen plenty of breakdowns where people are either sitting in the car or standing next to it.

 

[northwichcat]

Because Passengers are stupid, work at an Airport for a few years to prove this to yourself.

A lot of people going on holiday switch to holiday mode.

 

[185]

Doesn't help when the airline is equally stupid...

I've got 4 hours of Ryanair to Tenerife tomorrow

 

[Nym]

You booked it, you could have booked Thomson, Monarch, Spanair, KLM, Thomas Cook or any number of airlines, you choose to fly FR you choose to suffer..

 

[TDK]

That said you do occasionally get idiots acting this way to provoke me into using the horn to impress their group of mates standing elsewhere on the platform.

Moving their arm up and down no doubt!

 

[paulravuslante]

Moving their arm up and down no doubt!

Usually. Although I had one guy balancing on one leg on the edge of the platform with his other leg in the path of the train. Fortunately I was stopping so was only doing about 25mph. I dread to think what could have happened if the platform edge had been slippery....

 

[tsr]

Oh trust me, most joe public is pretty thick in motorway breakdowns too...

Agreed! I doubt whether anybody I have personally spoken to about motorway safety would remember to leave by the left hand door and stand behind the barriers, after ensuring their vehicle was as far to the left as possible, let alone anybody else. Reading the Highway Code seems to me to be something that a few drivers do once but most never even do that. Never mind the fact that most of them forget what their driving instructor says. And that's besides those who have no licence. And the number of times I have seen accidents in the outside lane where people stand behind (or directly in front of) their vehicles will remain shocking.

Back to the OP's point... when people enter railway stations and board trains, I would imagine many of them "turn off" to the safety dangers, because they automatically assume it is someone else's job to keep them safe. In addition, the same old myth is often trotted out that the yellow line was only ever painted to protect you from train doors opening in the slamdoor days. :roll:

 

[185]

You booked it, you could have booked Thomson, Monarch, Spanair, KLM, Thomas Cook or any number of airlines, you choose to fly FR you choose to suffer..

True but it was £54 return to TFS all in.....

FCA, Easyjet and the rest wanted £300. Ryanair is one of those who you hate but can't do without.

 

[Nym]

How far in the past are you living for FCA to have a fare? They where filly intergrated into Thomson a long time ago..!

And did you look at some of the less ovious legacy carriers or multi carrier connections? ie. KLM and Transavia... ?

 

[amcluesent]

most joe public is pretty thick in motorway breakdowns too...

Just on the roads in general! I didn't trouble EC today and drove to Leicester and Coventry and it was madness in the torrential rain.

 

[Geezertronic]

Perhaps he does this everyday, but I didn't like the idea of him being pulled onto the track or being caught by the train catching his suit.

That wouldn't happen, everybody knows trains can stop on a sixpence or swerve out of the way :roll:

He probably didn't have a clue that you most likely saved his life...

 

[SS4]

The dork on the edge of the platform deserves what's coming to him; it's the driver, witnesses and his family that will bear the brunt of it and none of them deserve it.
Conservation of momentum (feel free to correct me!) will soon take care of a person against a train.

I'm inclined to agree with the poster that said that it's as though someone else is in charge of their safety. Also, while not safety related, the amount of times I've seen everyone pile into a single carriage leaving the others deserted is astonishing, especially on LU

 

[amcluesent]

Just speculating, but wouldn't the pressure wave off the train's nose tend to push a person away, then the turbulence and reduced pressure tend to pull pax off the platform as the train has passed?

 

[Waddon]

To be fair, its not just joe public who's stupid, anyone who gets too familiar or complacent with a hazardous environment can be at risk.. it's often the people who think they know the most about a workplace or an environment who are likely to make a fatal error. It's always the zookeeper with 20 years experience who gets mauled by the lion...

 

[Pumbaa]

It's always the zookeeper with 20 years experience who gets mauled by the lion...

I would be highly surprised to find someone other than a zookeeper with 20 years experience in a lions den though...

 

[Trog]

Railway stations are a bit odd though.....

Where else in modern life would you encourage loads of people to congregate near the edge of an unfenced 3' drop.

If that was not bad enough where else would you encourage loads of people to gather, then run unguarded machinery past at 125MPH?

Its a small fragment of the Victorian way of life still surviving in the modern world.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Many moons ago while pulling in to a certain station in suburban North-West London some idiot teenager with his freinds was sticking his legs out in front of the approaching train I was driving. I stopped short level wih him pulled down the cab window and bellowed " Were you born totally f****n' stupid ?" This was during the middle of the morning rush hour London bound. I also had an area manager in the cab with me at the time and he seemed quite happy with my response. The teenager cowered off to hide away somewhere.
It seemed a natural reaction to me at that time and I'm sure these days such behaviour from staff would probably be punished but I felt justified in responding that way to re-iterate the message to said idiot. Would he do it again if it evoked such a repsonse from the driver kind of thing. It's immaterial these days as certain posters continue to bleat ' the customer pays your wages therefore the customer is always right' (in spite of the fact that half the who use the tube don't pay any fares anyway).
I'm glad I no longer have to 'serve the public' as you can't win - You can't emphasise the dangers to people and if they do end up with a leg amputated then it is bound to be 'someone else's' fault and not their own.

 

[ji459]

Should have just let him find out for himself. That's natural selection!

Very true!

 

[TDK]

Because Passengers are stupid, work at an Airport for a few years to prove this to yourself.

It's not only passengers who are stupid see this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16kCRTFJr04

And this happens a lot - more than you would imagine

 

[Nym]

Oh I know that steam orgasm seekers and idiots at Northallerton occur lots too... Shame that there's drivers on the trains to think about or it would be perfect natural selection...

 

[WestCoast]

Because Passengers are stupid, work at an Airport for a few years to prove this to yourself.

What do expect when BAA/MAG/Peel/GIP drive them crazy, herding everyone through an overcrowded duty free shop to be flogged all sorts?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Oh I know that steam orgasm seekers and idiots at Northallerton occur lots too... Shame that there's drivers on the trains to think about or it would be perfect natural selection...

Each time (only twice) I've been to Northallerton there was either some crazy spotters or loud members of the public mucking about!

 

[Nym]

What do expect when BAA/MAG/Peel/GIP drive them crazy, herding everyone through an overcrowded duty free shop to be flogged all sorts?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Each time (only twice) I've been to Northallerton there was either some crazy spotters or loud members of the public mucking about!

Because most pax are also too stupid not to buy shiny things?

 

[WestCoast]

You booked it, you could have booked Thomson, Monarch, Spanair, KLM, Thomas Cook or any number of airlines, you choose to fly FR you choose to suffer..

I think I'd probably take Ryanair over crappy Spanair and Thomas Crook. It's inhumane how much legroom those airlines give you. Spanair are dear and they are the surliest airline around!

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In my opinion, it does depend on the type of passenger on any form of transport. You get the people that know what they are doing and those that don't. However, some people don't seem to be able to look after their own personal welfare...

 

[TDK]

I think I'd probably take Ryanair over crappy Spanair and Thomas Crook. It's inhumane how much legroom those airlines give you. Spanair are dear and they are the surliest airline around!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion, it does depend on the type of passenger on any form of transport. You get the people that know what they are doing and those that don't. However, some people don't seem to be able to look after their own personal welfare...

You can't beat easyjet - flown with them 6 times and no problems