Alarms on Platform ends.

[Southernrover]

Hi all, not sure if this is common knowledge but Southeastern have started fitting cameras towards the platform ends that trigger an alarm if you stray near the end barriers. At present I only know that Deal has them as I inadvertently triggered them whilst photographing the semaphores. A very nice lady explained that they have had a lot of trespassing lately and that’s why they’re there. Something to be mindful of if photographing/Videoing. They are small square cameras mounted on the last but one lamppost. Not sure what happens if a train pulls up to the 8 car stop mark and you get off through the front set of doors?

 

[The exile]

Hi all, not sure if this is common knowledge but Southeastern have started fitting cameras towards the platform ends that trigger an alarm if you stray near the end barriers. At present I only know that Deal has them as I inadvertently triggered them whilst photographing the semaphores. A very nice lady explained that they have had a lot of trespassing lately and that’s why they’re there. Something to be mindful of if photographing/Videoing. They are small square cameras mounted on the last but one lamppost. Not sure what happens if a train pulls up to the 8 car stop mark and you get off through the front set of doors?

If they’ve got any sense they’d be disabled/ignored when there’s a train at the platform.

 

[bramling]

Hi all, not sure if this is common knowledge but Southeastern have started fitting cameras towards the platform ends that trigger an alarm if you stray near the end barriers. At present I only know that Deal has them as I inadvertently triggered them whilst photographing the semaphores. A very nice lady explained that they have had a lot of trespassing lately and that’s why they’re there. Something to be mindful of if photographing/Videoing. They are small square cameras mounted on the last but one lamppost. Not sure what happens if a train pulls up to the 8 car stop mark and you get off through the front set of doors?

I don’t really get why someone would install an alarm in an area that *is* accessible, versus having it monitor the area where the trespass is actually happening.

Just another thing to make life unpleasant.

 

[DarloRich]

I don’t really get why someone would install an alarm in an area that *is* accessible, versus having it monitor the area where the trespass is actually happening.

clearly as a deterrent.

They have/had a similar system at Durham on the viaduct end. The challenge can ( sadly not always) have the effect of turning someone back from carrying out their plan. It is an additional unexpected barrier for the person to cross. The challenge is not much use after the point of no return.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

The one at Deal isn't even at the end of the (Down) platform; it's sited on a post just a few paces after the footbridge. The platform extends quite away beyond this. It triggers a very loud threatening message over the tannoy (which can be heard in the adjacent Sainsburys car park) which then alerts the person in the ticket office. When I was last there, the woman threatened to call the police

 

[Southernrover]

Don’t know what happens after the ticket office closes. Presumably it goes through to some sort of centralised security control or possibly route control. Unless the harsh message scares anyone away I very much doubt that Police BTP/Kent would arrive in time to prevent any trespass. There are absolutely NO WARNING SIGNS posted to warn anyone that the last car length of the platform is a no go area.

 

[DarloRich]

There are absolutely NO WARNING SIGNS posted to warn anyone that the last car length of the platform is a no go area.

It's not though is it? Unsure what a sign would be needed for other than to tell you the area is monitored for worrying behaviour

 

[bramling]

The one at Deal isn't even at the end of the (Down) platform; it's sited on a post just a few paces after the footbridge. The platform extends quite away beyond this. It triggers a very loud threatening message over the tannoy (which can be heard in the adjacent Sainsburys car park) which then alerts the person in the ticket office. When I was last there, the woman threatened to call the police

Be interested to know upon what basis the police would be called? If there are no warning signs then I’d be responding with some “advice” regarding her attitude.

 

[DarloRich]

Be interested to know what basis the police would be called?

"concern for welfare" I should expect

 

[Scotty Dog]

Isn't it basically just another deterent?

Sure I read somewhere once that even at a person's lowest point their brain still reacts to warnings, be it sounds or signs and can trigger a positive reaction.
Think this was based on the individuals human characteristics in life to obey or disobey authority. Most people are obedient of such warnings.

So overall a good idea.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Isn't it basically just another deterent?

Sure I read somewhere once that even at a person's lowest point their brain still reacts to warnings, be it sounds or signs and can trigger a positive reaction.
Think this was based on the individuals human characteristics in life to obey or disobey authority. Most people are obedient of such warnings.

So overall a good idea.

Not if it's 2/3 down the platform on a quiet station with an average 1tph service and a speed restriction

 

[CornishDave]

I noticed this warning announcement too when I visited Deal earlier this year. Never heard it anywhere else. The location of it could definitely be improved (moved one lamp post towards the end) to stop annoying/worrying people genuinely wanting to wait there for the train.

 

[bramling]

"concern for welfare" I should expect

Even if it’s obvious there’s no welfare issue? Another definition of that could be “wasting police time”…

Some people may simply like to wait in a spot remote from others, especially if there’s undesirables elsewhere on the platform. Perfectly reasonable and legitimate, and certainly not worthy of the police being called.

 

[DarloRich]

Even if it’s obvious there’s no welfare issue? Another definition of that could be “wasting police time”…

Some people may simply like to wait in a spot remote from others, especially if there’s undesirables elsewhere on the platform. Perfectly reasonable and legitimate, and certainly not worthy of the police being called.

I would assume/hope someone was checking the cameras and making a decision if the person involved required any intervention. There is training available on this topic ( I am trying to be sensitive about it) and I would expect front line staff to have undertaken said training.

 

[bramling]

I would assume/hope someone was checking the cameras and making a decision if the person involved required any intervention. There is training available on this topic ( I am trying to be sensitive about it) and I would expect front line staff to have undertaken said training.

That’s reasonable. What I dislike is the notion of no warning sign, someone innocently sets the alarm off, gets shouted at by staff and told to clear off or the police will be called. One would like to *hope* any interaction wouldn’t go like that, but unfortunately I’ve seen enough over the years to imagine it’s quite possible.