Station Staff defence.

[43021HST]

I honostly think that station staff should be taught basic self defence such as simple restraints just in case some idiot thinks he can lower the price of his ticket by using violence. They should also carry around pepper spray but only small amounts. I am tired of louts attacking public transport workers who provide a valuable job. The same should apply for bus drivers as well.

 

[Mintona]

No thanks. I'd rather get out of there as soon as possible than risk further violence! Plus we would be getting sued constantly.

 

[43021HST]

It should be the staff's choice if they want to use it or not.

 

[EM2]

Many companies have a 'hands-off' policy. And also, situations like that are what the BTP is for.

 

[googolplex]

Additionally, some of the pepper/CS sprays are classed as firearms, so only the police can carry them.
I don't think self defence training should be provided, but it should be left up to individuals as to whether or not they feel the need to use any force (a hands off policy could be detrimental if it means you can't effectively defend yourself)

 

[Aictos]

It's all very well learning self defence skills but if you're not careful, the lout will claim excessive force was used and sue you.

Plus where's the solid backing from the TOCs that no matter what happens, they will back you 100%

I for one refuse to get involved in any incident like that, I had a passenger who was getting more and more abusive so the best thing I could do was walk away.

 

[ukrob]

I honostly think that station staff should be taught basic self defence such as simple restraints just in case some idiot thinks he can lower the price of his ticket by using violence. They should also carry around pepper spray but only small amounts. I am tired of louts attacking public transport workers who provide a valuable job. The same should apply for bus drivers as well.

Surely that should apply to EVERYONE who deals with the public in their job. Everyone who works in a shop? Before you know it a quarter of the population are carrying around something classed as a firearm!

Its a nice idea, but it quite rightly will never happen.

 

[Mintona]

If someone attacks me I am too scared to attack back for fear of arrest or legal action. It isn't worth the hassle. As ajax103 rightly says, best to walk away.

 

[Aictos]

If someone attacks me I am too scared to attack back for fear of arrest or legal action. It isn't worth the hassle. As ajax103 rightly says, best to walk away.

Too right, but as a colleague found out he backed off from some passenger who was being abusive who assaulted him on the platform only for the passenger to follow him and assault him in the office.

And nothing was done because this passenger was suffering from mental problems or something similar so no action was taken.

But still if I feel threatened at all, I just back off and make sure the office door is secure only coming out to dispatch a train if needed until I feel it's safe enough to leave the door open.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I do feel like knocking out some of the idiots we have to deal with, but it's really not worth it. *Unless there are no cameras in the area* lol just kidding, I do think we could do with some kind of dealing with confrontation course, I'm sure guards get it so why shouldn't station staff, we don't have a back cab to run to... and the BTP are rarely about when you need them as I'm sure most station staff know.

 

[Aictos]

The nearest BTP office for my station in Hertford is either Finsbury Park or Potters Bar, never mind the fact that having a BTP office at Hertford would help both the GN Hertford line as well as the WA Hertford line, not to mention assisting the BTP at Potters Bar when they have incidents in the Hertford and Welwyn areas.

Still because of this, I tend to use the civil police who because they are based in Hertford can respond in a fraction of the time the BTP can and I've never had any problems with the local police.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Still because of this, I tend to use the civil police who because they are based in Hertford can respond in a fraction of the time the BTP can and I've never had any problems with the local police.

Another observation, do you find the civil police are more inclined to do something about a problem than the BTP?
Not so long ago we had armed police doing two blokes on the spot fines for smoking, but the BTP wouldn't harm a fly?

 

[Jim]

Another observation, do you find the civil police are more inclined to do something about a problem than the BTP?
Not so long ago we had armed police doing two blokes on the spot fines for smoking, but the BTP wouldn't harm a fly?

Generally companies seem to ask people to go through BTP and NOT Civils, but if you need help urgently, you ring Civils!

I was at an incident one night and it took 27minutes for ANY poilce to turn up!

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Yeah, we are encouraged to go through BTP control anyhow, but when the local BTP are unavailable they tend to request attendance from the local civil police.

 

[16CSVT2700]

It is best to try to calm the situation or hand it over to a manager and walk away.

 

[mallard]

But still if I feel threatened at all, I just back off and make sure the office door is secure only coming out to dispatch a train if needed until I feel it's safe enough to leave the door open.

The problem with that is that in any sort of delay/cancellation situation, one person gets annoyed with you and you withdraw, potentially leaving a many stranded passengers on the platform with no staff giving them any indication of when/if a train is going to turn up (or how to make alternative arrangements).

Even with good PA announcements (this is a rarity - the usual is "<TOC Name> regrets to announce the cancellation of <Service> we apologise for any inconvenience caused" - repeatedly with no indication of what the problem is or when it might be resolved), there will still be passengers with queries (ranging from "I have an AP and I've missed my connection" to "If I get a taxi to <nearby station>, will my ticket be valid/are trains running there?").

Obviously, the whole situation is less than ideal for everybody involved and some passengers will unfortunately be unreasonable, but having staff members disappear as soon as somebody raises their voice only serves to make a bad situation worse.