• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Angry trainspotter 'threatens to break disabled teen's legs' in Walsall

Status
Not open for further replies.

Covshire1

Member
Joined
4 Jan 2018
Messages
126
Do any forum members know the full story, or the individuals involved?

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/bl...arebar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sharebar
Taken from the Birmingham Mail website published 05/12/18.

"The shocking footage, which has been viewed more than 8,000 times, shows the man aggressively approaching Kristian Cox at Walsall Train Station, before launching his assault on Tuesday, December 4.

The victim, who is autistic, was left stunned by the abuse but continued to record the raging man at around 2pm.

During the shocking clip, he said: “Take that off me, now. Take that off me, now. Take that off me, NOW.”

Kristian, 19, replied: “You’re assaulting a trainspotter, here.”

To which the enraged man says: “I don’t fu***** care. Move that [phone]!”"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
Obviously, we don't know the circumstances immediately prior to the video.

All I'll say is that some people on the Autistic Spectrum don't react well to challenge/confrontation, even with innocent intentions ("excuse me, would you mind not standing there"). Similarly they may not see their own actions in response as being inappropriate to resolving the situation (e.g. shoving a camera in somebody's face).

Simple situations can easily escalate if the 'confront-ee' doesn't realise that their behaviour is simply adding fuel to the fire and not diffusing the situation. Autistic people react differently. Society needs far more Autism awareness in general.

Read/see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
 

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
I think the guy filming and the guy being aggressive both appeared to have problems interacting socially. I don't mean that as an insult to either.
 

robbeech

Established Member
Joined
11 Nov 2015
Messages
4,622
And that's why a lot of traincrew like to keep there distance from enthusiasts...
And why stations can have negative views on them.

Of course, they have the same negative views on anyone causing issues on the station so maybe actually what they don’t like is people that cause problems ?
 
Joined
24 Mar 2009
Messages
592
Not improving the "image" of railway enthusiasts at all. It seemed to be that the aggressive person was in some way objecting to where the "victim" was standing on the platform. Perhaps he was standing where he'd be in all their photographs of oncoming trains. As a photographer myself, it is sometimes galling to "plot up" somewhere expecting a particular loco or service, only to have some latecomer rock up and plant themselves right on the edge of the platform in the middle of what would have been your shot, usually oblivious to anyone else.

Still that's no excuse to threaten to break someone's legs and attempting to take a photograph doesn't give anyone the right to order someone else around, even if their camera is less sophisticated (I've seen that happen through my own viewfinder).

I think the nature of railway enthusiasm and sometimes careers in the rail industry, their reliance on order, lists, timetables, numbers and such can be attractive to some who are at various points of the Autism spectrum. Having had experience of that myself, I'm always acutely aware that those on the spectrum view the world and social interaction in a very different way to those who aren't on that spectrum.
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,993
Location
here to eternity
As a photographer myself, it is sometimes galling to "plot up" somewhere expecting a particular loco or service, only to have some latecomer rock up and plant themselves right on the edge of the platform in the middle of what would have been your shot, usually oblivious to anyone else.

Heaven forbid they could even be waiting for a train. Enthusiasts need to realise that stations are there for passengers to catch trains. ;)
 
Joined
24 Mar 2009
Messages
592
Heaven forbid they could even be waiting for a train. Enthusiasts need to realise that stations are there for passengers to catch trains. ;)

Yes, don't those awful passengers know the unit they're standing in front of is wearing the new franchise colours and their cheap Primark clothing is clashing awfully. :D
 

Spirit555

Member
Joined
8 Oct 2017
Messages
821
Having read the various parts to this thread, surely everyone needs to appreciate what happened before and after the footage actually shown. Unfortunately as I have seen personally before the full and true facts never emerge. That is in MY OPINION a big failing of social media these days.

These views are my own and there is no intention to offend, agree or disagree in any way
 

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
Well what is the answer. I struggle to believe that everyone who is difficult on a station is actually Autistic. The pair of them in that clip seem difficult to deal with. The new trend in my line of work is to claim your kids are autistic in order to get repairs on your house done quicker. I assume they are either lying or everyone these days is born Autistic.
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
Well what is the answer. I struggle to believe that everyone who is difficult on a station is actually Autistic. The pair of them in that clip seem difficult to deal with. The new trend in my line of work is to claim your kids are autistic in order to get repairs on your house done quicker. I assume they are either lying or everyone these days is born Autistic.

It used be asthma.
 

Master29

Established Member
Joined
19 Feb 2015
Messages
1,967
Well what is the answer. I struggle to believe that everyone who is difficult on a station is actually Autistic. The pair of them in that clip seem difficult to deal with. The new trend in my line of work is to claim your kids are autistic in order to get repairs on your house done quicker. I assume they are either lying or everyone these days is born Autistic.

What you have just said is sadly what does seem to happen and as an autistic individual this sort of thing casts a very negative attitude toward autistic people which is most unhelpful. At school you get parents claiming their misbehaving children are autistic but have no discernible symptoms that would indicate this. Yes, autistic kids misbehave but haven`t kids always?
 

xc170

Member
Joined
9 Feb 2008
Messages
815
Wow, don't mess with the trainspotters, they're well hard.
 

whhistle

On Moderation
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
2,636
Who says he was a train spotter?
It's strange that some on this forum automatically believe what the guy said without question.
As @fowler9 suggests - people lie. Nearly all the time. They may be "harmless" or "white" lies, but on what scale?

While I understand people who are autistic need extra help sometimes, that doesn't mean they can have carte blanche to do whatever and all will be forgiven.

I find when people start filming other people in this sort of circumstance, it's always going to cause more agression. If that's what the filmer wants... I personally would not want that.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,429
Location
Yorkshire
Who says he was a train spotter?
It's pretty obvious really. They are arguing over who was "there first", with "there" being the far end of a platform at Walsall.

Both parties come across very badly, though one individual goes further by threatening violence. They may both have autism. It's a petty argument between two individuals who are both swearing at each other.
 

Islineclear3_1

Established Member
Joined
24 Apr 2014
Messages
5,810
Location
PTSO or platform depending on the weather
The guy walking from the end of the platform clearly had a short fuse.

And how do we know if he was genuinely upset by the presence of the victim; having a "go" to look "hard" in front of his friends; had anger management issues or just saw the victim as a soft target (due to his autism)?
 

4-SUB 4732

Established Member
Joined
7 Jan 2018
Messages
2,150
I have been informed that the ‘victim’ is a dab-hand at winding people up on various Facebook groups etc. It may well have been that the ‘perpetrator’ was not just angry about the previous 2 minutes...
 

WestRiding

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2012
Messages
1,014
Who cares less if he is autistic!!?? This would not have been known as the bickering was taking place. But now because it turns out he was autistic, it is been used to play the sympathy card. Surely autistic people can be arrogant poo stirrers too? Autism in this case is irrelevant.
 

Journeyman

Established Member
Joined
16 Apr 2014
Messages
6,295
I have been informed that the ‘victim’ is a dab-hand at winding people up on various Facebook groups etc. It may well have been that the ‘perpetrator’ was not just angry about the previous 2 minutes...

I'm always suspicious of people who happen to have cameras ready to film abuse, it always looks like a set-up...see recent Tanyalee Davis thread.
 

Journeyman

Established Member
Joined
16 Apr 2014
Messages
6,295
Who cares less if he is autistic!!?? This would not have been known as the bickering was taking place. But now because it turns out he was autistic, it is been used to play the sympathy card. Surely autistic people can be arrogant poo stirrers too? Autism in this case is irrelevant.

Whilst autism does need to be allowed for, and some reactions can't be helped, a condition or syndrome is absolutely no excuse for deliberately acting like a dick, and anyone who is capable of doing so needs to manage their behaviour.
 

sprunt

Member
Joined
22 Jul 2017
Messages
1,154
I'm always suspicious of people who happen to have cameras ready to film abuse, it always looks like a set-up...see recent Tanyalee Davis thread.

85% of adults carry a camera around with them, and it takes 10 seconds if that to go from it being in the pocket, to filming. I'm not sure what's suspicious about it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top