FCC dispatch at Finsbury Park - safety issue?

[BestWestern]

In essence, you've done the right thing here. Whilst I wouldn't generally be an advocate of members of the public passing judgement on how railway staff do their jobs - some people's logic and reasoning is little short of frightening! - in this case you refer to a member of staff doing a very visible job in full view of both public and passengers, and who seemingly just can't be bothered to do it properly. You clearly have the common sense and level of understanding of the basics of this person's job to be legitimately concerned, which is fair enough. I'd have to agree that accosting the chap mid-way through his shift isn't a wise move though, best to keep a distance and allow the Management to deal with it.

I have every respect for dispatchers, it's hard work and often thankless, but even so there is no excuse for being sloppy with it, particularly when it appears to be routinely. The same goes for any of us working trains, of course. If the guy is doing nothing wrong then he has nothing to fear, if he's being negligent then he'll probably get nothing more severe than a kick up the backside, this time, which is no bad thing. Certainly a damn sight better for all concerned than him getting caught out when somebody gets trapped in the doors he didn't bother to check one day. Fair play.

 

[asylumxl]

Some folk on here do talk utter bollocks...

This is starting to resemble a certain thread Yorkie posted . Militant railway staff making accusations, being generally aggressive and argumentative. Fact is Jon is a perfectly reputable member of this forum, and I therefore have no reason to doubt what he saw and trust his judgement.

The employee involved is not doing his job properly. Plain and simple. While it wouldn't be my first course of action, I think Jon approaching him was a good idea. If the member of staff involved was to take it on board, it may prevent him from getting in trouble with someone within the company.

I hope for his sake he does take it on board, as it will be safer for passengers and for his career.

I digress.

 

[jon0844]

Maybe I shouldn't have approached him, but the conversation was pretty short - and I didn't go in saying 'I'll get you sacked!' or words to that effect. I didn't go to the Daily Mail. I haven't posted a photo of him or anything like that.

I simply asked him how he could know the doors were all clear when he hadn't looked. He said he had (he hadn't, and couldn't have because he was talking to someone and therefore facing the wrong platform) and he said he hadn't been talking to anyone - before walking off. That was the conversation, pure and simple.

I was particularly surprised he didn't make an attempt to look properly on the next train. Had he realised his mistake, in that he'd gone through the motions while 'being somewhere else' (and I hadn't seen him do it before) then it might have just been a gentle nudge to pay more attention.

If FCC does investigate, they'll either see it for themselves or they won't. Okay, so I've given them a pointer, but I was concerned for the fact that if something did happen then I'd have known it could have been avoided. So, whether people see that as me poking my nose in where it doesn't belong or not, I at least have a fairly clear conscience now.

 

[alanf]

I think you did the right thing Jon. The next train in could of been his accident waiting to happen. Other people on here should remember this is a place to discuss things on not to try to ram your opinion down Jons throat

Alan

 

[BestWestern]

I'd like to think that FCC would deal with your complaint properly. FGW would certainly take a dim view of that degree of willful, repeated negligence, and I would imagine that those safety values would extend to other Group companies. If this guy was too ignorant to appreciate that you had clearly clocked his lack of professionalism, and worked out that having been moved enough to approach him directly you may also have been willing to approach his superiors, then frankly he probably doesn't really deserve the job. Yes, that's a very sweeping statement. But it isn't difficult to do things properly, and this person is responsible for other people'e safety. Just not caring to that level just isn't acceptable really. I say that as a front-line railway employee, looking at things from my own perspective. I'd like to think any colleague of mine would have taken the hint. Again, you did the right thing, no worries.