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Passengers trying to board before passengers can alight...
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anti-pacer
Established Member
I like that!
It p***** me off when ignorant people try and board before I've got off.
Still, I treat them to a bit of "shoulder action" if you know what I mean, and when they say something, I explain 'railway etiquette' to them.
It p***** me off when ignorant people try and board before I've got off.
Still, I treat them to a bit of "shoulder action" if you know what I mean, and when they say something, I explain 'railway etiquette' to them.
David Barrett
Member
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Excellent but probably ineffective as it's highly unlikely that any of the me first crowd would ever read the likes of this; anyway the car comparison would be lost on some as all you would hear is something along the lines of,
"What's cars got to do with trains".
Still I wholeheartedly agree and most certianly wish that something could be done to blunt the sharp elbows of the stupid and selfish.
"What's cars got to do with trains".
Still I wholeheartedly agree and most certianly wish that something could be done to blunt the sharp elbows of the stupid and selfish.
armadillomaste
Member
- Joined
- 9 Mar 2012
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- 79
Some people sit and finish reading the paper or sit down for ages fannying around before getting off.
I get on trains from leeds on a morning and the ones coming in are full and have loads of people fannying around. Varying from re packing bags to reading books and papers. I always get on when reasonable but that takes the mick.
I get on trains from leeds on a morning and the ones coming in are full and have loads of people fannying around. Varying from re packing bags to reading books and papers. I always get on when reasonable but that takes the mick.
From my understanding the etiquette is simply to let those off first who are ready to leave the train (stood in the vestibule and/or at the door), I don't think it extends to waiting to everyone who wishes to vacate the train at the station as that would be unreasonable.
This is very true. I often make it to the door first, and stand carefully to one side, only to have others position themselves slap bang in front of the door, luggage ready to barge forward. I mean, there's a window in the door, they can see people waiting inside, what on earth do they think they will achieve?
The other is when a very brief pause in people leaving the train (e.g. someone needs a suitcase out of the racks) results in a determined influx of passengers, whose best idea is to scrunch slightly sideways and invite us to squeeze past them.
I catch a southbound Thameslink train at St Pancras in the morning peak. I always go for the fourth coach because that's where most of the people for St Pancras alight from and I have a good chance of a seat straight away.
Because so many people get off (perhaps 50 through one door) you can sense other passengers waiting to board starting to get a bit fidgety, especially if the dispatcher is a bit keen and blows his/her whistle whilst people are still leaving the train. However, it's still a very rare situation to see somebody trying to get on until everybody is off.
On the opposite journey in the evening I alight at St Pancras but the opposite is true. People often try to get on the train before I'm off (and I'm not a "dawdler"). Occasionally there's a bit of a standoff as we're both attempting to occupy the same space but I then just stop and explain things meaning that other people then get on before "Mr Pushy".
Perhaps people are just keener to get home than to get to work.
Because so many people get off (perhaps 50 through one door) you can sense other passengers waiting to board starting to get a bit fidgety, especially if the dispatcher is a bit keen and blows his/her whistle whilst people are still leaving the train. However, it's still a very rare situation to see somebody trying to get on until everybody is off.
On the opposite journey in the evening I alight at St Pancras but the opposite is true. People often try to get on the train before I'm off (and I'm not a "dawdler"). Occasionally there's a bit of a standoff as we're both attempting to occupy the same space but I then just stop and explain things meaning that other people then get on before "Mr Pushy".
Perhaps people are just keener to get home than to get to work.
Matt Taylor
Established Member
Some people have actually tried to get on the train before I have even had the chance to step onto the platform to release the main doors (as opposed to my local door). They think that they are helping themselves get to work quicker but all that they are actually doing is slowing things down.
This repeats itself every morning at London Bridge on the up Charing Cross platform.
Announcer "Please everyone on platform 6 can you move down the platform; there is more room towards the middle and rear of the train"
[nothing happens]
[train pulls in, people gather around the front two coaches/four doors leaving a gap one person wide, pax detrain slowly]
Announcer "The train on platform 6 is almost ready to depart, if you wish to join this train you are advised to move back along the platform as there are 20 doors on this train"
[nothing happens; dispatcher gives the CD]
[hustle alarm, people start pushing back the doors because they haven't gotten on]
[passengers start whining at the dispatchers because the passengers were too stupid to let the train clear out efficiently]
repeat 24TPH
Announcer "Please everyone on platform 6 can you move down the platform; there is more room towards the middle and rear of the train"
[nothing happens]
[train pulls in, people gather around the front two coaches/four doors leaving a gap one person wide, pax detrain slowly]
Announcer "The train on platform 6 is almost ready to depart, if you wish to join this train you are advised to move back along the platform as there are 20 doors on this train"
[nothing happens; dispatcher gives the CD]
[hustle alarm, people start pushing back the doors because they haven't gotten on]
[passengers start whining at the dispatchers because the passengers were too stupid to let the train clear out efficiently]
repeat 24TPH
60163
Member
Only today, waiting for everyone to get off a BhamNS - Walsall train (threw up a 350 
), when there were about three people left to get off the train a man behind me started motioning for me to get on board. It's amazing when people can't wait, ooh, thirty seconds.
), when there were about three people left to get off the train a man behind me started motioning for me to get on board. It's amazing when people can't wait, ooh, thirty seconds.Qwerty133
Established Member
be nice if passengers had time to alight before the guard closes the doors let alone other passengers board!
I find both that and people push me off when I've opened the local door but before opening the main doors. In which case I block the door and get back on!
Nothing tops the elderly man who, as I stood in the door, T-Key ready in the DKS, door panel open, reached round me to press the open door button the moment the door shut before I'd even opened the local door.
bezzer
Member
What makes my day is how people stand in groups in exactly the position where the doors will be if the train stops in the right place. So often I like to stop a few centimetres short (on platforms that are longer than 8 cars) or stop a few centimetres past the Car Stop board and then have fun watching groups of people shuffling to get to the doors.
People are like robots with no common sense. They complain when the train is delayed, but what do they expect when 30 people try to get in 2 sets of doors and 4 sets of doors a few meters down the platform are empty and with plenty of seats. Sometimes you just want to ask them what is going through their minds!!
People are like robots with no common sense. They complain when the train is delayed, but what do they expect when 30 people try to get in 2 sets of doors and 4 sets of doors a few meters down the platform are empty and with plenty of seats. Sometimes you just want to ask them what is going through their minds!!
I've often wondered if that was deliberate. The undignified shuffle as we all realise we'll need to shift must look pretty stupid...
(Mind you, my local drivers stop a few train lengths later if they feel the urge, not just a few cm)
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Would it help if there were two door open buttons on the bodyside either side of the doorway, rather than one near the middle of the doors themselves? 455s have this, though the buttons would have to be further away on designs with plug doors to avoid the area the door sweeps over as it opens. I don't think it would make much difference to dwell times, as the people inside would get to their button first, but those who jump on before people have alighted are probably the same ones who feel they must jab the button early and repeatedly and having those people off to one side might ease the situation a bit.
The other problem is on longer-distance stock particularly where there are narrow doorways and a luggage rack just beyond the vestibule. People start to board when the flow of alighting people ceases, only to find their way blocked by someone extracting their case from the rack or running a bit behind for other reasons. On this type of stock the vestibules are too small for two people to pass each other easily. Putting the racks further into the coach might be helpful here.
The other problem is on longer-distance stock particularly where there are narrow doorways and a luggage rack just beyond the vestibule. People start to board when the flow of alighting people ceases, only to find their way blocked by someone extracting their case from the rack or running a bit behind for other reasons. On this type of stock the vestibules are too small for two people to pass each other easily. Putting the racks further into the coach might be helpful here.
Darren R
Established Member
Passengers trying to get onboard the instant the doors open is my pet peeve - it drives me up the effing wall. 
Heaven help any miscreant who attempts to do it to me: I position myself immediately in front of them, hands wedged deep in coat pockets with elbows spread wide, blocking any further attempt at ingress. (I've even been known to step on their toes "accidentally".) They have no option but attempt to squeeze past me using the narrow gap I leave them, or step back onto the platform.
In relation to announcements by staff, many years ago I heard the following little gem at Baker Street:
"Please allow passengers to fall off the train before attempting to board!"
Heaven help any miscreant who attempts to do it to me: I position myself immediately in front of them, hands wedged deep in coat pockets with elbows spread wide, blocking any further attempt at ingress. (I've even been known to step on their toes "accidentally".) They have no option but attempt to squeeze past me using the narrow gap I leave them, or step back onto the platform.
In relation to announcements by staff, many years ago I heard the following little gem at Baker Street:
"Please allow passengers to fall off the train before attempting to board!"
trainophile
Established Member
I wish passengers wanting to alight would try to keep up with the flow, rather than leave a large gap then saunter towards the door looking bemused and/or put-out that people are getting on. Also remember that, from a door-side platform position, it is not possible to see what is going on on the internal side of the windows, so it's a fair assumption that when no-one is in view in the vestibule, everyone who wants to get off has done so.
Only the very ignorant or selfish will forcibly barge through people who are obviously trying to alight, but many's the time I've inadvertently been caught up in the above scenario, truly believing the coast is now clear to board.
Only the very ignorant or selfish will forcibly barge through people who are obviously trying to alight, but many's the time I've inadvertently been caught up in the above scenario, truly believing the coast is now clear to board.
Haha that's really cruel!
But if you do a journey every day twice then it's only natural to sit closest to the most convenient doors for your subsequent platform exit. Some of the stations and over bridges just get so crowded and if you can get away first you will probably save minutes every day ...
The problem I often have when waiting for everyone to finish getting off before boarding myself is that the flow of passengers getting off appears to have ceased, then I try to board only to find more coming to get off.
I sometimes wonder whether it would be possible to introduce a one way system. The door at one end of the coach would be for passengers getting on and the door at the other end would be for those getting off. If it is possible, would it reduce the dwell time?
I sometimes wonder whether it would be possible to introduce a one way system. The door at one end of the coach would be for passengers getting on and the door at the other end would be for those getting off. If it is possible, would it reduce the dwell time?
Why? Why does that really matter? Do we live in a world where minutes mean so very much that everyone needs to sit nearest to their exit and barge over bridges?
There are 42 million minutes in the average life, losing 2 because you didn't get to the footbridge first isn't the end of the world.
Back to topic, another thing I have noticed in the shove for seats is (this is going to sound really self important) no-one seems to understand the importance of train crew to a train. Big shove onto the train yet no-one will let the driver or guard get on the train, you can all rush as much as you want but if train crew are still stood on the platform waiting to get on you will be waiting even longer.
A certain member of the forum who I won't name makes his displeasure at people boarding before passengers have alighted very clear, even quoting the byelaws to them. It can cause some arguments.
AndyLandy
Established Member
2 minutes every day, each way, five days a week, over a working life of 40 years? About 40,000 minutes. So, about a month of your life.
i hate people who try to board before you get off on my local services when i use them. I usually if am at the front hold grab rails on both sides of the door so no one can push past till am off the train. Get some horrible looks off people but who cares.
And 4 years on the loo, 26 years asleep. Hold it in and set early alarms. And do tell me, what do you plan to do with that extra 4 minutes a day. You got through the door at 17:28 rather than 17:30, working on a cancer cure in those 2 minutes?
AndyLandy
Established Member
You seem to be assuming that I'm disagreeing with you! A whole month of your life isn't a great deal at all. :roll:
Yes, I do. No barging required though, just fast walking
Witness a loaded to capacity 350 arriving at the buffers at Euston then see the crush that develops to get through the 6(?) available gates. It is very unpleasant. Likewise the Northern line on the way back forces you to one set of escalators shared with the Victoria line, it can get very crowded. (Admittedly there are some steps)
So if you have a journey of 3/4 short connections then a few lost minutes here and there can add up. I can probably gain half an hour over a day if I stand in the right places rather than shuffle along in a queue. That's worth memorising the places on the platform for!
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