Disruptive Passengers

[Chrisgr31]

Fairly regularly, including around 8.05am yesterday Southerns tweet team report that trains have been delayed by "disruptive" passengers. I have only once been on the train that had the "disruptive" passenger on it, but it wasn't a disruptive passenger at all, it was a door fault.

When reading the tweets I initially felt that disruptive passengers were aggressive, arguing passengers who potentially required removing by the police before the train could move.

However more recently I have decided that disruptive passengers occur too frequently to be aggressive arguing passengers.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the term "disruptive" passenger is used in cases where they don't know the reason for the delay, or for someone being taken ill. Does anyone know what it means or indeed what do you assume it means?

 

[dk1]

It is very often schoolchildren holding doors for their friends.

 

[tsr]

The issue at East Croydon yesterday was that a passenger inappropriately attempted to leave a London Bridge train by means of an emergency egress handle, supposedly because they got the wrong train... hence why it was also described as a problem with the doors, as they were forced open!

The incident only lasted around 10mins but did result in considerable congestion, as the train in question was well on the way out of the platform when the egress handle activation occurred.

Disruptive passengers take many forms, including fare evaders who become aggressive, drunk people, people forcing the doors (at stations or otherwise), those who assault staff, etc. etc. Some of the stuff is pretty nasty and not revealed in public in case it is worrying for passengers, or indeed confidential.

 

[Darandio]

It is very often schoolchildren holding doors for their friends.

Right, time to start a new thread entitled 'Are The Young Not Respected Enough?'

 

[Greenback]

Passengers of all ages hold doors open, and this can cause door faults.

 

[BestWestern]

The issue at East Croydon yesterday was that a passenger inappropriately attempted to leave a London Bridge train by means of an emergency egress handle, supposedly because they got the wrong train... hence why it was also described as a problem with the doors, as they were forced open!

The incident only lasted around 10mins but did result in considerable congestion, as the train in question was well on the way out of the platform when the egress handle activation occurred.

Disruptive passengers take many forms, including fare evaders who become aggressive, drunk people, people forcing the doors (at stations or otherwise), those who assault staff, etc. etc. Some of the stuff is pretty nasty and not revealed in public in case it is worrying for passengers, or indeed confidential.

I do hope the idiot concerned was dealt with appropriately?!

 

[TDK]

I have only once been on the train that had the "disruptive" passenger on it, but it wasn't a disruptive passenger at all, it was a door fault.

Every day there are disruptive passengers on trains, drunk passengers, passengers who have got on the wrong train, passengers who get aggressive, passengers who evade fares, passengers who just like to cause problems, that is the railway and delays are by far higher due to disruptive passengers than door faults or any faults for that matter.

The main cause for delays is the one door syndrome, passengers who all want to use only one door for ingress and egress. Unless you work on the trains you would never realise how many delays are caused by passengers.

 

[tsr]

I do hope the idiot concerned was dealt with appropriately?!

Staff tracked down the person who did it and found out the exact reason, so I very much hope the culprit felt the wrath of the BTP, but I can't be certain (I got some eyewitness info, but wasn't there myself).

 

[SPADTrap]

The issue at East Croydon yesterday was that a passenger inappropriately attempted to leave a London Bridge train by means of an emergency egress handle, supposedly because they got the wrong train... hence why it was also described as a problem with the doors, as they were forced open!

The incident only lasted around 10mins but did result in considerable congestion, as the train in question was well on the way out of the platform when the egress handle activation occurred.

Disruptive passengers take many forms, including fare evaders who become aggressive, drunk people, people forcing the doors (at stations or otherwise), those who assault staff, etc. etc. Some of the stuff is pretty nasty and not revealed in public in case it is worrying for passengers, or indeed confidential.

Thanks for the info.

 

[sd0733]

Disruptive passengers are sadly part and parcel of the day now for toc's especially on friday and saturday nights. The train I was on last night was involved in a rather nasty group of incidents on board the train which caused it to be delayed 58 minutes at Liverpool South Parkway and causing knock on delays of 50mins+ to services to york, manchester and nottingham. Sadly BTP are spread so thinly that waiting is often a long time and then a very small amount of officers can't do much.
On the birmingham cross city the other day was a fight involving school children which ended with an ambulance, soco being brought out and csl2 being declared. They cn be hugeley disruptive incidents.

 

[LowLevel]

Various railway lines are vile places to be after 2000 on a Saturday night. As someone who has to work on them I don't see how they can be remunerative with the damage to trains and stations, police and security costs and lost staff time due to assaults.

I'd quite happily withdraw the service (I know this has occurred certainly with bus routes) because there's no point operating them.

I saw a post on EMT's twitter not long ago commenting about how they dislike the way security works on the Robin Hood line to Mansfield on a Saturday (BTP and security controlling access to the trains, no ticketless travel, queuing systems etc) and the only response I could think of is 'sorry, the main users of these trains are scum and I'd be happier if they ceased running full stop. Bad luck for being caught in the crossfire'.

 

[bb21]

On the birmingham cross city the other day was a fight involving school children which ended with an ambulance, soco being brought out and csl2 being declared. They cn be hugeley disruptive incidents.

Sorry but I have no idea what you mean by the second part of this paragraph.

 

[Qwerty133]

Sorry but I have no idea what you mean by the second part of this paragraph.

Soco is scene of crime officer (normally to get forensic evidence), and I think csl2 will be crime seen level 2

 

[sd0733]

Sorry was on my phone so trying to write small amounts. Yes the scene of crime officers were sent out to Soho to get forensics off the unit for evidence. CSL2 is customer service level 2 where due to major delays and disruption tickets are valid on alternative routes/operators.

 

[170401]

Much of the problem these days is that people are learning that they can do whatever they like as their are rarely negative consequences.

Of course I speak largely of my own area, Scotland, but from reading these and other forums the same issues appear to be widespread.

The prevailing attitude with privatisation these days is to keep the trains moving at all costs with incidents tending to be dealt with retrospectively using CCTV. CCTV, sadly, doesn't prevent staff getting a smack in the mouth, it only provides evidence in the unlikely event any case actually reaches court.

BTP, as a result, have become complacent in their attitude in recent years in dealing with incidents, tending to centre on major termini and rarely being available 'out in the sticks'. In my experience they have become lazy, incompetent and pretty much not worth a tuppence, sadly many disruptive types are now also seeing this side to them and seeing it as a green light to whatever behaviour they like.

Tackling disruptive behaviour needs instant consequences to be nipped in the bud. We need to see the police out and about more and not just a wee run out to the first stop to show face. They need to become more random out on 'the beat' rather than just hanging around terminals defending Burger King and Boots.

 

[abbo1234]

21:16 Blackpool North - Liverpool Lime Street delayed by around 15 mins at Preston last night after a fight broke out after leaving Kirkham in the rear unit of a 4 car unit.Too much drink by the look of it.Police ejected those involved at Preston.

 

[LBSCR Times]

The prevailing attitude with privatisation these days is to keep the trains moving at all costs with incidents tending to be dealt with retrospectively using CCTV. CCTV, sadly, doesn't prevent staff getting a smack in the mouth, it only provides evidence in the unlikely event any case actually reaches court.

BTP, as a result, have become complacent in their attitude in recent years in dealing with incidents, tending to centre on major termini and rarely being available 'out in the sticks'. In my experience they have become lazy, incompetent and pretty much not worth a tuppence, sadly many disruptive types are now also seeing this side to them and seeing it as a green light to whatever behaviour they like.

People are less tolerant of delays these days.
In the past, a train could be delayed anything up to half an hour waiting police, and they would attend. Or, as often was the case, pre CCTV days, the person would have been thrown off by other passengers, without recourse to an assault claim being lodged.
I remember one oik being ejected at Chilworth on a Sunday evening, with the next train being two hours later!