Stupid things

[t o m]

I must confess I've never been lucky enough to be right at the door when approaching a station on a HST for a long time. When i did a few weeks back, the first dim question was: "Where's the handle?" then it dawned on me i needed to open it from the outside luckily it wasn't a busy train..

If ever I'm on a HST I always go and wait by the door early when it's getting towards the station so I get to open it! Sad I know

 

[YorkshireBear]

If ever I'm on a HST I always go and wait by the door early when it's getting towards the station so I get to open it! Sad I know

Not sad at all. I do that every single time!!!!

my friends take the relentless p*** out of me for it. Also if i am at a station and one is there, ill shut them too, its so satisfying.

 

[t o m]

Also if i am at a station and one is there, ill shut them too, its so satisfying.

I do that too, it's such a nice sound and it helps the train leave on time!

 

[YorkshireBear]

I do that too, it's such a nice sound and it helps the train leave on time!

well at least i now know theres two of us

 

[fairysdad]

I do that too, it's such a nice sound and it helps the train leave on time!

When I alight an HST, particularly if I'm the only person out of a door, I will shut it behind me, as well as pull the window back up. I've become quite proficient in doing both of those at the same time as getting off!

I will admit that I have stood by a train door waiting for the doors to open before remembering that I need to press a button... in my defense, it was on an Overground train and it was after an afternoon on the Underground...

 

[Flamingo]

When I alight an HST, particularly if I'm the only person out of a door, I will shut it behind me, as well as pull the window back up. I've become quite proficient in doing both of those at the same time as getting off!

Thank you! (And I mean that most sincerely )

(I take it you don't live in South Wales?)

 

[DarloRich]

When I alight an HST, particularly if I'm the only person out of a door, I will shut it behind me, as well as pull the window back up. I've become quite proficient in doing both of those at the same time as getting off!

I do that to - the amount of people who CANT do this is shocking. Take Northallerton for instance - no station staff so train staff have to run along train closing doors. If i get off at the back i walk along closing doors and windows to save time!

 

[66526]

However not knowing that you need to push a button to open the doors that's pretty dense. I was once on a 158 arriving into Hull, it was fairly busy and I was about the third person in the queue for the door. We stop, I hear the doors being released by the guard and the two people in front of me don't do anything. I stood there for about 5 seconds before realising they weren't going to open the doors themselves before I leaned in and did it for them. Cue embarrassed looks from them and annoyed glances from everyone behind them!

I've done that once in full uniform complete with hi vis... Waited and waited for the driver to open the doors until the woman behind me leant forward and pressed the button... I'm just glad I don't have steer them!!

 

[Flamingo]

Trying to get to the panel to unlock the doors on a HST a while ago, passenger standing in front of door.
Me: "Can I get past you, sir?"
Grumpy Old Git: "I'm getting off in a minute, you can just wait until then"
Me: "OK"
GOG: "Bloody thing's stuck, it won't open" as he leans out the window and pushes.
Me "That's because it's not unlocked, sir. If you let me past you, I can unlock it - unless you want to climb out the window"
GOG "I suppose so".

 

[ApAp]

I think the confusion is caused because many tube trains have buttons but they're never used so they assume trains will be the same.

Are passengers ever expected to open the doors themselves on the tube? As I'm sure all the trains are custom built for LU (well the Central line stock is shared by Waterloo and City line which was BR) it seems odd fitting buttons that are seemingly never used.

 

[jon0844]

Weren't the buttons on the Central Line used when the trains first went into service?

I can only imagine it changed as there were increased dwell times, taking into account the extra time for people to realise they had to press the button!

 

[Deerfold]

Weren't the buttons on the Central Line used when the trains first went into service?

I can only imagine it changed as there were increased dwell times, taking into account the extra time for people to realise they had to press the button!

They were only ever used on the overground sections at the ends of the line - presumably to keep the heat in. But then people were even more confused as sometimes the buttons did something and sometimes they didn't.

I think they're due to disappear when the next refurb happens.

 

[krus_aragon]

When I alight an HST, particularly if I'm the only person out of a door, I will shut it behind me, as well as pull the window back up.

I do likewise, on my (occasional) HST jaunts in South Wales, whether getting on or off. Having boarded, I also have a habit of closing all the windows as I walk up toward the buffet.

 

[BestWestern]

I had a new one today; a bloke was on the phone whilst digging about for his ticket, and kept telling his mate that he was " on the David ", clearly talking about the train from the context of his conversation. After he said it several times the penny dropped and I gathered that he meant David Blaine - train. Quite a good one I thought! Unless I got that totally wrong and it rhymes with a different David!?!

 

[umontu]

Hmm I remember the tubes didn't need you to press the doors... Quite confusing to me as a northerner.

 

[SS4]

Hmm I remember the tubes didn't need you to press the doors... Quite confusing to me as a northerner.

And a Midlander used to travelling on 323s!

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Hmm I remember the tubes didn't need you to press the doors... Quite confusing to me as a northerner.

But as a Northener with a First Class rail ticket transferring to London Underground, I take great pleasure in asking LU staff (if I happen upon them) whether First Class is at the front or the rear of the tube.

Stupid?

Oh yes.

 

[HST Power]

i regularly jolt awake at or just before the station... very lucky.

Although once i got confused and paniced id missed my stop (heading leeds plymouth) and i suddenyl thought we were in cornwall. I forgot train terminated at plymouth there was no need to panic.

I never know what to do when I see people sleeping on the train. There was a story about a man on a Virgin Atlantic flight who slept the whole way through. Yet for unknown reasons, nobody shook him awake when the plane touched down, and he was later woken in the aircraft hanger by a mechanic!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Last Saturday 23rd April, at Ewell West station, I observed a classic!

On this date, because of engineering works, services were reversing in platform 2 to return to London ( using a crossover just below Worcester Park station ).

It was clearly stated on the indicators on platform 1 that all trains to London would be departing from platform 2.

Naturally, as we settled in to our seats awaiting departure we could see a bloke standing on platform 1, patiently awaiting the train. ( Attempts to attract his attention by calling through the hopper vents failed - I'm not so evil that I'd not make at least some attempt to correct him! ).

A moment later we moved off. At first the bloke just stood there with a confused look on his face, but when we had moved about a carriage length the penny clearly dropped because that is when he suddenly sprinted for the footbridge in a panic - as if there was any chance he could still catch the train...:roll:

 

[12CSVT]

Not long after the Channel Tunnel opened, a French traincrew driving a Eurostar on the English side of the tunnel come across some deer on the line. They then report it to the signaller, who ask them to describe the animals. Not knowing the English word for deer they replied "cows with pantographs".

 

[43167]

Last Boxing Day at Keighley, Trains as in most areas, dont run. But despite the christmas amendments poster stating on 25th & 26th Dec No service, people turned up waiting for trains.

 

[The North Briton]

American tourist outside of York station: "Say, can you tell me where York Minster is?"
Me, taking one step to the right and pointing with a flourish "THERE!!"

Thinks...what the heck do you think that massive medieval stone building is??

 

[HugePilchard]

I do wonder how ticket barriers can confuse so many people. I've got off at Durham on several occasions when the barriers have been unmanned, and hence open and displaying the text 'No ticket required' on the display. There's been more than one instance where I've been stuck behind someone failing to get their ticket into the slot, rather than just walking straight through. Maybe they're Oyster users, worried that they'll be charged for the onward journey to Edinburgh if they don't touch out!

And, to counter that one with my own stupidity... arrived at Darlo for my train home, spotted an EC HST sitting at the platform, and ran onto it just as the platform staff were closing the doors. Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I sat down and waited for Durham. Standing up just before the viaduct, I wandered to the door (wondering why nobody else seemed to be getting off) just in time to see the platform go past me at high speed. Whoops - moral of this story - read the departure screens first!

Anyway, we pulled into Newcastle, with me wondering what to do. I decided that speaking to the staff at the information point was the way forward. I introduced myself with "Hello. I'm a bit stupid.", at which point the chap behind the desk leaned forward, shook my hand and said "Nice to meet you. Me too.".

 

[jon0844]

As long as the gates accept tickets as normal even if they're open, no harm done. I've been so quick to use one that I've not noticed that it - and in fact all the others - are open.

I'm not sure it that makes me stupid, or just too quick as I am not (generally) confused by ticket barriers!

 

[Cherry_Picker]

American tourist outside of York station: "Say, can you tell me where York Minster is?"
Me, taking one step to the right and pointing with a flourish "THERE!!"

Thinks...what the heck do you think that massive medieval stone building is??

- "Can you tell me where Edinburgh Castle is?"

- "Sure, do you see that really big castle shaped thing on top of the hill?"

- "Yes"

- "It's behind that"

 

[scotsman]

Punter: Can you not move the engine back?
Me: Why?
Punter: So we can take photos
Me: No, not really. Get passengers onboard safely is more important
Punter: Yes, but, after when everyone's got onboard you could move it back

 

[33056]

Seen by my other half at Ashford International:

Woman with two kids in tow and a third in a pushchair appears on the platform in good time to catch the train, the kids (being kids) run on several coaches ahead, press the button and get on. Woman shouts at them to stop, puffing and panting with pushchair along behind them.

Just as she gets to the door, the doors go into auto-close mode, cue absolute panic hock: The train is going! my children are on their own in there!! Stop the train!!! Platform "bert" isn't too far away, so saunters nonchalently up......."no problem madam, see" (presses door button - door opens)

Cue other half virtually falling off seat with laughter

 

[HST Power]

Cue other half virtually falling off seat with laughter

That was brilliant! I'd probably be crying with laughter!

 

[island]

As long as the gates accept tickets as normal even if they're open, no harm done. I've been so quick to use one that I've not noticed that it - and in fact all the others - are open.!

I don't think the glass ones (that go sideways, like at LDS and BDI) up north accept tickets when they're open. The plastic ones that rotate do.

 

[trentside]

I do wonder how ticket barriers can confuse so many people.

Try coming to Lincoln, you'd be amazed by the stupidity. The barriers must have been in for 5 or 6 years now, and people still get confused by them, then just stand in everyone else's way rather than going and finding the barrier staff.

Just after the barriers appeared at Nottingham I discovered an older woman trying to exit through a barrier that was showing a red cross. I told her it wouldn't accept the ticket and she needed to use one with a green arrow. She shot me a dirty look, mumbled something and carried on trying to shove her ticket in the barrier. I just put my ticket in the next barrier and went through. I understand it can be confusing, especially when barriers are first installed, but surely the red cross is a clue?