Interesting Observation: person dangling legs over platform edge

[Poolie]

While waiting at a not very busy station on the Durham coast for a down train, there was someone sitting at the end of the up platform with his legs dangling over the edge, bottle in hand and carrier bag next to him. My train duly arrived and then crawled past the person sat on the up line. He was wearing a hoodie and his eyes were transfixed on something............not the train. At the next signal, we stopped alongside an up freight http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H24883/2015/08/10/advanced

Drivers had words I guess to the effect that someone could be in danger by a passing train. Maybe a minor detail to you professionals, but the hassle it must cause. Credit to all concerned

 

[TDK]

While waiting at a not very busy station on the Durham coast for a down train, there was someone sitting at the end of the up platform with his legs dangling over the edge, bottle in hand and carrier bag next to him. My train duly arrived and then crawled past the person sat on the up line. He was wearing a hoodie and his eyes were transfixed on something............not the train. At the next signal, we stopped alongside an up freight http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H24883/2015/08/10/advanced

Drivers had words I guess to the effect that someone could be in danger by a passing train. Maybe a minor detail to you professionals, but the hassle it must cause. Credit to all concerned

This seems that the first driver contacted the signaller who then asked him to pass the message on to the freight driver maybe?

 

[Llanigraham]

This seems that the first driver contacted the signaller who then asked him to pass the message on to the freight driver maybe?

Not something that would be done.
Might have asked passenger driver to tell the freight driver to ring the Box.

 

[Stigy]

Would the passenger train driver, going slow enough to stop, and assuming the Freight driver was stationary, not pass the massage on manually just in case?

 

[Chouette]

Would the passenger train driver, going slow enough to stop, and assuming the Freight driver was stationary, not pass the massage on manually just in case?

I wonder what the delay attribution would be for giving a massage to another driver?

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Not something that would be done.
Might have asked passenger driver to tell the freight driver to ring the Box.

Seems a strange thing to do these days with GSM-R.

 

[fluff]

This is fairly common unfortunately, even at high speed locations where the view of approaching trains is limited. I've had a few near misses at speed as people have scrambled out of the way at the last second and no doubt many other drivers have.

If possible I stop and talk to such people. Alternatively, if I am just passing through a different platform and they don't move, I might make a priority call to the controlling signalbox, or even an emergency call if I believe their life is in imminent danger. As is also often the case with trespassers, such people seem to be oblivious to approaching trains until the driver spots them and sounds the horn.

 

[edwin_m]

I've never heard of anyone losing their legs this way but it must have happened. Perhaps a safety reason to provide more seats on the platform?

 

[Elecman]

I remember being in the works training school at a certain BREL works one Monday morning when a livid works manager gave a very severe reprimand to all the apprentices who travelled on the train northbound on the previous Friday for doing exactly that sitting on the platform edge with their legs over the edge. He had been phoned late on the Friday afternoon by the DCC after 2 seperate drivers had stopped out of course on the WCML to report them.

 

[Groningen]

With no bench(es) in the close vicinity i can understand it, but it is still dangerous to do so.

 

[ExRes]

I've never heard of anyone losing their legs this way but it must have happened. Perhaps a safety reason to provide more seats on the platform?

Yes indeed, at Mill Hill on the up fast, a girl died after losing at least one leg. I distinctly recall the passengers at St Pancras, due to travel on that set on its outward departure, blaming MML and the railway in general for causing a delay to their journey

I have to say that if someone does something so stupid then the railway providing 'more seats on the platform' is most unlikely to have any effect whatsoever
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

With no bench(es) in the close vicinity i can understand it, but it is still dangerous to do so.

If you say you 'can understand it', then are we to assume that you would be likely to do it yourself ?

 

[TheNewNo2]

I seriously doubt a lack of benches caused this, more likely a lack of brains.

 

[Clip]

I've never heard of anyone losing their legs this way but it must have happened. Perhaps a safety reason to provide more seats on the platform?

How many seats would you like sir? And then how many do you put on before it has the adverse effect of not letting passengers disperse the platform area quickly and safely?

Its not more seats its just less idiots on the railway is the answer

 

[Be3G]

If you say you 'can understand it', then are we to assume that you would be likely to do it yourself ?

I suspect (though could be wrong) that what Groningen means is he can understand how someone with a careless attitude might think ‘bah, nowhere to sit, I'll just perch on the edge of the platform’; I say that as it is my opinion too, yet would never think of doing such a thing myself. Most railway stations I know of are woefully short of seating, which leaves people having to either stand for ages or improvise – the shall we say ‘improvisation skills’ of some people would appear to be better than others.

(Lest anyone feels like misinterpreting what I've said, I'm not blaming the railways. There's no excuse for one's own stupidity. I do though believe that the lack of seating could be a contributing factor in these kinds of incidents.)

 

[whoosh]

Stupidity is the only cause. Whilst a lack of seating might be plausible, I think we need to stop and ask ourselves whether we are really just looking for excuses for people who are thick.

 

[SqUaShIe P]

Ive seen people doing this on a few occasions and it really annoys me. Once at Sheffield, two people dangling their legs off the edge of Platform 2. Line speed is 15mph through Sheffield so they might have had time to move out the way from hearing/seeing a train approaching. I shouted over at them from platform 1 and they got up and moved. The other place was Hathersage, Both times dangling their legs off the Up Platform. Line speed is 70/SP90 through this station. The first occasion, I was travelling in the Down direction. I knew there was an EMT Norwich service due through so I gave a blast on the horn and contacted the signaller. The other time, I was travelling in the Up direction, I came around the bend and spotted them, I held down the horn and started braking, I was just about to stick it in emergency but they had moved to safety.
Personally, I think its such a stupid thing to do, and i think there are a few benches at Hathersage. I wish people would use their brains.

 

[edwin_m]

I suspect (though could be wrong) that what Groningen means is he can understand how someone with a careless attitude might think ‘bah, nowhere to sit, I'll just perch on the edge of the platform’; I say that as it is my opinion too, yet would never think of doing such a thing myself. Most railway stations I know of are woefully short of seating, which leaves people having to either stand for ages or improvise – the shall we say ‘improvisation skills’ of some people would appear to be better than others.

It's about the difference between empathy (understanding someone's reasons for doing something) and sympathy (agreeing with them).

 

[Welly]

I once explained (using a normal conversational voice) to a 14 year old boy sitting on the platform edge that it is a very bad habit to get into. He did get off the edge eventually.

 

[edwin_m]

How many seats would you like sir? And then how many do you put on before it has the adverse effect of not letting passengers disperse the platform area quickly and safely?

Its not more seats its just less idiots on the railway is the answer

I think this probably only happens on quiet stations or on busy stations at quiet times, otherwise the presence or the comments of other passengers would probably deter the people concerned. So a fairly small number of benches would remove the excuse of having nowhere to sit.

 

[Paul180]

I have seen this all to often and I just give them a fewe stern words and they soon decide it is not a good idea.

 

[Groningen]

If you say you 'can understand it', then are we to assume that you would be likely to do it yourself ?

A clear no of course, but than i arrive at the station normally less than 5 minutes before departure.

 

[CockneySparrow]

I've never heard of anyone losing their legs this way but it must have happened. Perhaps a safety reason to provide more seats on the platform?

No, guess any contact would then drag the individual under the train, so not really about losing legs

 

[Ianno87]

I think this probably only happens on quiet stations or on busy stations at quiet times, otherwise the presence or the comments of other passengers would probably deter the people concerned. So a fairly small number of benches would remove the excuse of having nowhere to sit.

Nope, once had to advise a guy who sat down off the edge of Platform 4 at King's Cross in the middle of the evening peak (who couldn't be bothered to stand up for a whole 60 seconds until the train pulled in) that he may wish to reconsider where he was sitting.

I do worry for the future of the human race occasionally...

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Knowing the stations penchant for drunken idiocy on an evening, especially on friday and saturday nights i would suspect a lack of brains. Sadly Durham is renowned for being a jumping spot, either through passing trains as linespeed is around 80mph, or by jumping off the viaduct. Most likely the driver would have called the bobby who would then have advised to proceed at caution and inspect the line while all other trains would have been stopped. Having seen the stationary train and under caution it is usually out of courtesy that info is passed on face to face as direct word of mouth will be more accurate than third party info.

No doubt station staff would also have been made aware and would have been on scene fairly rapidly if BTP were not deemed necessary. Unfortunately Durham staff often have to deal with clowns behaving like this. I have seen people emerge from under a mk4 set on platform 1 while the train was being despatched in order to avoid the ticket barriers on platform 2. one individual lost his life by climbing onto the roof of a voyager unit in order to retrieve his shoe his mate threw up there and unintentionally bacame a human pantograph.

And SSP are planning to put a pub in the empty building on Platform 2.....

I think this probably only happens on quiet stations or on busy stations at quiet times, otherwise the presence or the comments of other passengers would probably deter the people concerned. So a fairly small number of benches would remove the excuse of having nowhere to sit.

That is no excuse! There are plenty of seats on both platforms at Durham, and with up to 6 departures per in each direction (usually 4) Durham isnt exactly a quiet station either

 

[Argosy]

I've never heard of anyone losing their legs this way but it must have happened. Perhaps a safety reason to provide more seats on the platform?

Sadly someone lost their life like this on a train I was on.

I think it was 2005 and it was at Totton. I was on a Voyager heading for Reading when travelling through the station an emergency brake application brought us to a halt. I thought at first it was a SPAD.

Turned out it was a young woman who committed suicide. Very sad.

What was interesting is that a 158 was brought alongside on the Down line to transfer the passengers. We were on our way within 90 minutes. Sadly the girl was on her way to somewhere else. I hope she is at peace.

 

[Chris M]

What matters isn't so much the number of trains per hour, or the interval between them, but how long it is until the train that person is wanting to catch, how tired they are, how much luggage they have (and how heavy/bulky it is) and how physically able to stand for long periods they are.
I'm not the best in the world at timekeeping, so I have been known to arrive at a station significantly far in advance of the specific train my ticket is valid for so as to be sure not to miss it - even to the extent of having time to catch the preceding service had my ticket been valid. I'm not alone in this.

There is also the issue of where on the station seats/benches are - people will generally find where there train is going to depart from and then look for somewhere nearby to sit down. At some stations, all the seating is concentrated at one end of a platform which leaves people at the other end sitting on ledges, planters, etc.

 

[najaB]

What matters isn't so much the number of trains per hour, or the interval between them, but how long it is until the train that person is wanting to catch, how tired they are, how much luggage they have (and how heavy/bulky it is) and how physically able to stand for long periods they are.
I'm not the best in the world at timekeeping, so I have been known to arrive at a station significantly far in advance of the specific train my ticket is valid for so as to be sure not to miss it - even to the extent of having time to catch the preceding service had my ticket been valid. I'm not alone in this.

There is also the issue of where on the station seats/benches are - people will generally find where there train is going to depart from and then look for somewhere nearby to sit down. At some stations, all the seating is concentrated at one end of a platform which leaves people at the other end sitting on ledges, planters, etc.

None of which makes sitting on the platform edge a sensible thing to do.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No, but you have to accept that people do sometimes do silly things. Passive safety measures to handle that are quite effective - in this case they won't even consider sitting on the platform edge if there are enough benches.

 

[Haydn1971]

No, but you have to accept that people do sometimes do silly things. Passive safety measures to handle that are quite effective - in this case they won't even consider sitting on the platform edge if there are enough benches.

Absolutely - generally people are doing silly things because of fairly obvious oversights - lack of seating means people find other places to sit and wait, lack of waste bins means litter is dropped and ends up in the track that an operative has to clear (risk due to human waste in track), lack of hot drinks availability on platforms necessitating the carrying of hot drinks down steps, the list goes on...

 

[L&Y Robert]

I have a wheely-bag with a fold-down seat. You pack your stuff, pull out the handle and wheel it along like any modern 'bag'. But then comes the clever bit. No seat on the platform? (or anywhere else for that matter). No problem - flip down the seat, the wheely-handle forms the seat back. Ahhh - that's better. This device is called "The Chairman" - I've never seen another one like it.