Random Toots On The Horn!

[O L Leigh]

I've never been told not to wave, nor have I ever been told that I shouldn't wave to drivers of other companies. I wave when I'm being assessed and am not worried about what my gaffers say. New drivers maybe are not aware of the tradition of greeting another driver, but it doesn't take them long to get into the habit.

O L Leigh

 

[Tomnick]

Not much to be distracted by on a single line?

It's not a single line anyway, but either way: single lines have signals, speed restrictions, stations and various other features demanding a driver's concentration just as much as a double line. Indeed, you could argue that the potential consequences of a lack of concentration are far more serious on a typical single line.

 

[Taunton]

it's about accountability. If he asked a question and distracted the guard, the same as a confused passenger might, and something bad happened then it would be the managers fault.

What a nonsense. Whoever made this one up? Do you really think that airline pilots, who maintain a constant discussion with one another, plus listening for vital instructions on a common radio frequency full of static and irrelevant messages to others, but periodically very relevant to themselves, are in any way less capable of performing their task because of all this going on?

 

[Harbon 1]

What a nonsense. Whoever made this one up? Do you really think that airline pilots, who maintain a constant discussion with one another, plus listening for vital instructions on a common radio frequency full of static and irrelevant messages to others, but periodically very relevant to themselves, are in any way less capable of performing their task because of all this going on?

But an airline pilot is being constantly told what to do through listening, and the constant discussion is because it would be very difficult to control a big jet at a vital time such as landing and take off on your own. Remember when they reach cruising altitude, there is little to do but scan the instruments, and there are stories of pilots having a nap in the cockpit, and even pilots waking up to find their co-pilot asleep

Driving a train is, as I see it (preparing for torrent of abuse if I'm wrong), more or less a one person job in each role (driver/guard etc), and their instructions are being given more visually than audibly. But still I completely agree that with any distraction, within reason, a driver or guard should be able to carry out their duties safely.

Back on toots of the horn, when I've been filming at Norwich a few years back, I got three toots and a thumbs up from the driver of a Class 90 as he left for London, and a toot from a 66 hauled container train at Rugby, which made me jump out of my skin

 

[A-driver]

What a nonsense. Whoever made this one up? Do you really think that airline pilots, who maintain a constant discussion with one another, plus listening for vital instructions on a common radio frequency full of static and irrelevant messages to others, but periodically very relevant to themselves, are in any way less capable of performing their task because of all this going on?

There is a difference to be fair. I'm with you that it is over the top and I can certainly drive a train into stations and up to reds whilst talking to anyone who happens to be in my cab but now a days there is a huge blame culture and so managers needs to be very careful. If I have a SPAD with my manager sitting next to me then more questions will be asked of them than of me as they should be supervising me. If they talk to me whilst approaching a red and I try blaming a spad on their distraction then they have no defence. I agree it's OTT but is the way things now are.

 

[Taunton]

I'll take another example. How many train crew, for whom this silence is mandated, at the end of the shift get into their cars, give their mates a lift, and drive along busy public roads chatting away, and yet never get distracted from the task in hand. One mate is new and you take them home along roads which you have never driven before - without any issue. On country roads at the 60mph limit you are passing oncoming vehicles, unguided and driven by amateurs, at closing speeds of 120 mph and passing by a few feet. And yet everyone seems to manage this fine.

 

[ExRes]

I'll take another example. How many train crew, for whom this silence is mandated, at the end of the shift get into their cars, give their mates a lift, and drive along busy public roads chatting away, and yet never get distracted from the task in hand. One mate is new and you take them home along roads which you have never driven before - without any issue. On country roads at the 60mph limit you are passing oncoming vehicles, unguided and driven by amateurs, at closing speeds of 120 mph and passing by a few feet. And yet everyone seems to manage this fine.

What total and absolute rubbish, take a look at these statistics

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...3YDwCA&usg=AFQjCNG_KwrpRiPCMgnYvoFhuTA-1Nc2wQ

Without any issue ?

 

[LowLevel]

I'll take another example. How many train crew, for whom this silence is mandated, at the end of the shift get into their cars, give their mates a lift, and drive along busy public roads chatting away, and yet never get distracted from the task in hand. One mate is new and you take them home along roads which you have never driven before - without any issue. On country roads at the 60mph limit you are passing oncoming vehicles, unguided and driven by amateurs, at closing speeds of 120 mph and passing by a few feet. And yet everyone seems to manage this fine.

Really? My wake up call came when I was nattering to my mates in the car on the way to a holiday while driving. It wasn't until they started shouting at me and the car behind sounded it's horn at me that I realised I'd just blasted through a pedestrian crossing with the road traffic lights on red at 40 mph - luckily with no pedestrians crossing at the time.

Distraction is a very real issue not taken seriously enough. I've had a near miss at work as well dispatching trains with a red signal and that was down to a debate with a lycra clad idiot about there being no room for his group of 4 or 5 cyclists on a busy peak time train.

I got out of both incidents without any actual consequences but they were both close enough to make me think very hard about the way I do things.