GWR experience

[camperdown9]

Lol like telling someone to "go away" is going to stop them from committing suicide. Would you really go up to a suicidal person and say you are "looking suspicious." I'm not sure; is it suppose to make them feel better? I don't know how even this debate about mental health came into this.

It "might" be enough!

Its not about making them feel better its about changing their thought process. By saying "go away", "hay what are you doing there" etc it interrupts what the person is replaying in their mind. In other words for a few seconds they are no longer thinking about jumping because of lack of money, failed relationship, miserable childhood, arguments or conversations that they had years ago etc. They are now focused on this stroppy git speaking to them.

But to be honest we weren't there we don't know what happened. It could of been you simply came across someone who hates rail enthusiast.

deepgreen said "Unfortunately, "some staff", along with some people in the rest of society, apparently have no time for anyone who isn't exactly like them, so there's little point in trying to accommodate/excuse their behaviour. There's also no legislating for bad days." Totally agree!!

If you are white, male and middle class you will still find people who don't like you because maybe your accent isn't the same. Or maybe you don't support the same football team, or didn't go to the same school, or have more or less money than them.



Alex

 

[Deepgreen]

It "might" be enough!

Its not about making them feel better its about changing their thought process. By saying "go away", "hay what are you doing there" etc it interrupts what the person is replaying in their mind. In other words for a few seconds they are no longer thinking about jumping because of lack of money, failed relationship, miserable childhood, arguments or conversations that they had years ago etc. They are now focused on this stroppy git speaking to them.

But to be honest we weren't there we don't know what happened. It could of been you simply came across someone who hates rail enthusiast.

deepgreen said "Unfortunately, "some staff", along with some people in the rest of society, apparently have no time for anyone who isn't exactly like them, so there's little point in trying to accommodate/excuse their behaviour. There's also no legislating for bad days." Totally agree!!

If you are white, male and middle class you will still find people who don't like you because maybe your accent isn't the same. Or maybe you don't support the same football team, or didn't go to the same school, or have more or less money than them.[/B]

Alex

None of which will be known to a train driver stopping his train at a platform, of course.

 

[Clip]

Lol like telling someone to "go away" is going to stop them from committing suicide. Would you really go up to a suicidal person and say you are "looking suspicious." I'm not sure; is it suppose to make them feel better? I don't know how even this debate about mental health came into this.

Or they couldve been suspiciously looking like they were wanting to commit suicide by taking a run and jump into the running line next to your platform if a through train may have been coming through? See when you try and think abotu the circumstances that were going on on the rest fo the railway including the incidents posted earlier you can try and rationally form a good idea of why the driver said what they said rather than trying to make it about the colour of your skin.

Also if you were 4-5 metres behind the yellow line wouldnt you have been on the neighbouring platform and thus they wouldnt have seen you anyway cos of the buildings too?

Anyway its nearly a month has passed what have GWR said about your complaint?

 

[PudseyBearHST]

I stood at the point where it says "HST 2 + 8 CAR STOP" so I was standing at the point where the HST stops. It would be stupid jumping in front of a train that is stopped lol. I still can't believe how mental health even comes into this. It's just stupid and he only told me to "go away," if he was so concerned then she should have called the platform staff (there were 4 on this platform alone) or call the police who are always present at Reading station. And it was the way he said it which I feel most offended and this is something I am unable to convey on here. And I was pretty much standing right in the middle between the two platforms. Maybe I jumped the gun thinking he was racist but there is no need to make ridiculous excuses up for him. And even if what he did was to prevent me from committing suicide, I would love to know whether or not his technique would be acceptable in the eyes of the company because it undermines customer service skills because he was extremely rude
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
About the complaint: I have got an email from them apologising for this service and they want to investigate it. I gave them more information and details about the train and driver so they can take this further; I am yet to receive a reply.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Also one further point. Does everyone who stands on an "unusual" part of the platform suspected of attempting suicide? If they are so worried about this then why not put a barrier beyond a certain point which says "Prohibited area do not cross" or something like that or why not have one of the platform staff on that end of the platform because there is always 3 or 4 platform staff on that platform alone so I don't see why not one of them can't stand in the area I was in

 

[Hartington]

I'm white. Some years ago I made my way up to the London end of the island platform at Ealing Broadway. Most passengers on that platform congregate at the country end (3 car trains, long platform). I was waiting to get a shot of D1015.

After I'd been there 10 minutes a member of staff came up and asked why I was there. They'd had a suicide the previous week (he explained) and were a bit nervous of me on my own away from everyone.

I decided it probably made sense not to argue and we walked back down the platform, chatting. I re-positioned myself where he was happy and still got the shot.

I've never had a problem at Reading (not that I go there at all frequently).

GWR staff have all had training to keep an eye out for possible suicides (even in my home town in Somerset) and many platforms (not just on GWR) have discreet notices, particularly at the ends, giving the phone number of the Samaritans.

Yes, it's slightly irritating/disturbing, to be asked/told and I'm inclined to agree that the driver might have been on edge but it could simply be training kicking in.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Thanks for sharing your experience. As I say in my previous comment, if they are so concerned about suicides then why not restrict the platform and put a barrier beyond a certain point saying "PROHIBITED AREA" because right now it sounds very hypocritical: on one hand, you are (legally) allowed to stand there because it is not a restricted area, but on the other hand you are not allowed to stand there because staff say so. It is very contradictory at the moment.
And I have seen many drivers who do "check" my mental health but in a very subtle way that I don't even realize it. I've already said before that I've had drivers who wave and smile at me. As well as this being a polite and decent thing to do, waving and smiling at me provides a much bigger purpose for two fundamental reasons:

1. By smiling and waving at me, the driver can then judge mmy reaction and thus see how my mental health is. So I always smile and wave back and the driver then realizes that I am an eager train spotter rather than suicidal. If I was depressed, the reaction would perhaps be a nervous smile, very withdrawn body posture in which case the driver can do what is necessary (e.g. tell platform staff or police)

2. Let's say I was feeling suicidal: by the driver smiling and waving at me, this would make me lose all those "negative thoughts" but also make me feel more valued and I think people really under estimate the power of a smile.

Maybe people have different ways of dealing with suicidal people.

 

[bramling]

Thanks for sharing your experience. As I say in my previous comment, if they are so concerned about suicides then why not restrict the platform and put a barrier beyond a certain point saying "PROHIBITED AREA" because right now it sounds very hypocritical: on one hand, you are (legally) allowed to stand there because it is not a restricted area, but on the other hand you are not allowed to stand there because ghw staff say so. It is very contradictory at the moment.
And I have seen many drivers who do "check" my mental health but in a very subtle way that I don't even realize it. I've already said before that I've had drivers who wave and smile at me. As well as this being a polite and decent thing to do, waving and smiling at me provides a much bigger purpose for two fundamental reasons:

1. By smiling and waving at me, the driver can then judge mmy reaction and thus see how my mental health is. So I always smile and wave back and the driver then realizes that I am an eager train spotter rather than suicidal. If I was depressed, the reaction would perhaps be a nervous smile, very withdrawn body posture in which case the driver can do what is necessary (e.g. tell platform staff or police)

2. Let's say I was feeling suicidal: by the driver smiling and waving at me, this would make me lose all those "negative thoughts" but also make me feel more valued and I think people really under estimate the power of a smile.

Maybe people have different ways of dealing with suicidal people.

I'd agree that there are much more subtle ways of identifying if someone is a potential jumper. There's no excuse for staff being offhand to people, a friendly approach and conversation is all that's required.

Likewise I agree that if an area is marked as accessible then people shouldn't be unduly hassled for using that space. This used to happen quite a bit at King's Cross with the Network Rail blue-hivi people, although in the last couple of years they appear to have become more clued up and professional. A couple of years back I got rather tired of being hassled by them at the country end of Platform 9 whilst waiting for my train to arrive, especially when they clearly didn't have the first clue about the railway and the station's operation.

 

[Deepgreen]

I'm white. Some years ago I made my way up to the London end of the island platform at Ealing Broadway. Most passengers on that platform congregate at the country end (3 car trains, long platform). I was waiting to get a shot of D1015.

After I'd been there 10 minutes a member of staff came up and asked why I was there. They'd had a suicide the previous week (he explained) and were a bit nervous of me on my own away from everyone.

I decided it probably made sense not to argue and we walked back down the platform, chatting. I re-positioned myself where he was happy and still got the shot.

I've never had a problem at Reading (not that I go there at all frequently).

GWR staff have all had training to keep an eye out for possible suicides (even in my home town in Somerset) and many platforms (not just on GWR) have discreet notices, particularly at the ends, giving the phone number of the Samaritans.

Yes, it's slightly irritating/disturbing, to be asked/told and I'm inclined to agree that the driver might have been on edge but it could simply be training kicking in.

If you said you were there to take photos of D1015, and you had the camera to prove it, I cannot imagine anyone thinking you were a suicide risk once they had talked to you. To then ask you to move even though it was obvious that you were an enthusiast and not a 'jumper' is just a nonsense - leave enthusiasts alone if they are not interfering with the railway - they are likely to be far more help than hindrance. In any case, if you were a 'jumper' then being slightly further along the platform is going to make no difference! It just seems that some people simply cannot apply common sense when claiming to be aware (or, more likely, demonstrate to their supervisors that they are following directions to be aware) of risks.

 

[Clip]

Thanks for sharing your experience. As I say in my previous comment, if they are so concerned about suicides then why not restrict the platform and put a barrier beyond a certain point saying "PROHIBITED AREA" because right now it sounds very hypocritical: on one hand, you are (legally) allowed to stand there because it is not a restricted area, but on the other hand you are not allowed to stand there because ghw staff say so. It is very contradictory at the moment.
And I have seen many drivers who do "check" my mental health but in a very subtle way that I don't even realize it. I've already said before that I've had drivers who wave and smile at me. As well as this being a polite and decent thing to do, waving and smiling at me provides a much bigger purpose for two fundamental reasons:

1. By smiling and waving at me, the driver can then judge mmy reaction and thus see how my mental health is. So I always smile and wave back and the driver then realizes that I am an eager train spotter rather than suicidal. If I was depressed, the reaction would perhaps be a nervous smile, very withdrawn body posture in which case the driver can do what is necessary (e.g. tell platform staff or police)

2. Let's say I was feeling suicidal: by the driver smiling and waving at me, this would make me lose all those "negative thoughts" but also make me feel more valued and I think people really under estimate the power of a smile.

Maybe people have different ways of dealing with suicidal people.

Im sorry but you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

However, the OP has already said he was waiting for a train, not just 'spotting' and therefore presumably did not have notebooks, cameras, etc., around. This being the case, what made the driver assume the OP was an enthusiast? In any case, the argument about the benefits of enthusiasts on stations has been very well rehearsed. If a person is waiting on the public part of a platform and not interfering with the railway's operation, it is unreasonable to challenge them, especially if the excuse is a supposed concern for their well-being, when "go away" or similar/worse, will not be of any help to the suicidal (and may well strengthen their resolve)! When the driver in question told the OP to "go away", were those the exact words used, I wonder, or were they more 'outdoor' and aggressive?

Unfortunately, "some staff", along with some people in the rest of society, apparently have no time for anyone who isn't exactly like them, so there's little point in trying to accommodate/excuse their behaviour. There's also no legislating for bad days.

Sorry for the late response and thank you for your comments. I wouldn't say he was aggressive but he was very rude and abrupt. His literal words were "You look suspicious" and "Go away!" and he was making rude hand gestures (i.e. telling me to get lost). I did ask him many times, "Am I not allowed to stand here" and "Why can't I stand here" but he wouldn't give me any satisfactory response.
I was bit taken aback when he said "You look suspicious" because I know some people on here say he was referring to my 'mental health' but at the time I thought he was accusing me of being a terrorist or a hijacker.

 

[BestWestern]

I can see the OP's frustration here. I've had an enthusiast on board, with whom I've chatted and found very pleasant, only for them to approach the Driver at the end of the run to pass comment on the traction, and be given short shrift. A shame indeed. Some staff have a good attitude towards those with an interest in the railway, some are indifferent, and some have a rather poor attitude and see them as some sort of nuisance. All staff, however, are told constanly to look out for people who may be 'suspicious'. Some interpret this as free reign to be rude to anyone other than a 'regular' passenger, believing that anybody else is a problem and shouldn't be there.

As for the suicide angle, interestingly the current training is very much geared around interrupting the thought process. The suggested tactic is to say something odd or unexpected, in order to gain the individual's attention. However, I can't see that "go away" would quite fit the guidelines!

 

[PudseyBearHST]

What exactly are you wishing to gain from pursuing a complaint?

I am wanting to gain the following from the complaint:

1. An investigation into this and a response. An apology and assurance this won't happen again will be satisfy me.
2. Also, I want to be advised what I should do next time some staff member decides to harass me
3. And £1 million compensation would be good of my troubles. Joking, joking To be honest, I don't even particularly want compensation because I get free train travel so I guess I kind of see this complaint as 'internal' in a way.

"Anybody can look suspicious regardless of their credentials"
I have already said this but you need to have 'reasonable' grounds to think someone is suspicious and therefore able to search and legally detain someone. I did absolutely nothing for anyone to even think I was suspicious thus why no driver or platform staff has ever said anything to me until then. I have had a few platform staff glimpse at me for a second to see what I'm up to as I'm in an 'unusual' part of the platform but then they go and don't bother me (assumably they see me as 'mentally' fine).

I have said this time and time again but if they really have a problem with people standing where I was, they should restrict the platform size. "You can stand on the platform, oh but by the way you can't stand here, here and here because I say so" is not good enough. Why don't they officially put a barrier there saying 'Prohibited area, do not cross?"

I think some people on here seem to be getting very defensive especially because I may have pulled the 'race card.' I have 2 things to say:

1. I am NOT saying he was definitely racist nor am I saying he definitely was calling me a terrorist or whatever. I said it was a possibility that racism could come into this and a factor which some people seem to have completely ruled out.

2. Yes, maybe minorities are guilty of thinking everything is racist and perhaps I may have 'over-reacted' but equally, some "white" people seem to think 'nothing is ever racist' and its just minorities trying to get sympathy.