Reopening doors

[gimmea50anyday]

Unfortunately the general public dont take any of these quoted matters into consideration. Where do we draw the line and say enough? At some point we have to shut the doors, but if we waited for every straggler and late runner, we would never leave the stations!

Besides, when I get smarmy, sarcastic or even downright abusive comments thrown at me when I have shut the doors, then why should I reopen the doors to let people like that get on my train. Courtesy works both ways.

On a different note, I set a train away Newcastle bound one evening, and as the train left someone shouted at me because I had left him behind. I was already 10 late and had another train up my arse! Several weeks later, sat in the beer garden of my local in Durham the same chap started venting his anger and abuse at me because I had left him behind! Cue pub management who promptly grabbed the guy and ejected him from the premises!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

On a 15X I sometimes let a late arrival in through the butterfly, but usually depends what mood I'm in.

Never heard that term before... What is it?

 

[dk1]

Never heard that term before... What is it?

Butterfly? That's the crew door opening on the floor of the cab inside & out.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Butterfly? That's the crew door opening on the floor of the cab inside & out.

Never knew there was a door in the floor

 

[SPADTrap]

Never knew there was a door in the floor

Because there isn't, there is a kick valve though.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Because there isn't, there is a kick valve though.

Right...

 

[47271]

As a teenager in the early 90s I ran along platform 6 at Glasgow Queen Street trying to catch an Edinburgh push pull as it was picking up speed. The guard reached out of his door in the DBSO and successfully pulled me aboard at what must have been at least 5mph. Happy, dangerous days.

 

[Camden]

Crazy the things people used to. At one point, opening slam doors on some commuter trains just before the train had come to a complete stop at the platform was commonplace. And believe it or not, on just missing the closing doors of some models of underground trains a few people used to jump into the gap in between the carriages, and get in through the end doors.

 

[Agent_c]

It depends on the situation. If the train isn't overly delayed, it's a long wait for the next train (if one at all), or the passenger is clearly vulnerable, then no.

An able bodied person on a high frequency line (10-15 mins) then hell no.

 

[PermitToTravel]

I've even seen doors reopened on LU for a runner! That really impressed me

 

[trentside]

If the doors are closed and I've given the driver two, then no - reagardless. We don't stop unless it's an emergency. If the driver wants to kick the butterfly and let them on before proceeding, that's their call.

If they run up just as I'm closing the local door, I'll normally reopen it and let them on. Only exception would be someone behaving obnoxiously!

 

[axlecounter]

If she was cute, I'd be more inclined to re-open the doors.

I must admit that this sometimes matters. But what usually makes me decide to reopen or not is whether it seems that catching that train is really important or not to her/him.
Just a fast walk or some slow gestures won't do it. Show me that it really matters to you, run like hell, and I'll (when possible/appropriate) reopen the doors.

 

[ComUtoR]

Just a fast walk or some slow gestures won't do it. Show me that it really matters to you, run like hell, and I'll (when possible/appropriate) reopen the doors.

I'm like RPM and probably most others here. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into account. Cuteness aside, passenger behaviour is important. If someone is clearly making an effort and its a small delay which I am willing to swallow then yeah, hold it a few moments longer. If your going to f' and blind at me when the doors click just as you got there then I am certainly not going to open them again.

My biggest bugbear is when you do reopen the doors or hold them a bit longer; the passenger never says thank you. A little politeness goes a very long way. If I get polite passengers then I am much more inclined to bend the rules to re-opnen doors etc. When people just can't extend a simple thanks then it will effect my decisions for other passengers.

 

[bramling]

I'm like RPM and probably most others here. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into account. Cuteness aside, passenger behaviour is important. If someone is clearly making an effort and its a small delay which I am willing to swallow then yeah, hold it a few moments longer. If your going to f' and blind at me when the doors click just as you got there then I am certainly not going to open them again.

My biggest bugbear is when you do reopen the doors or hold them a bit longer; the passenger never says thank you. A little politeness goes a very long way. If I get polite passengers then I am much more inclined to bend the rules to re-opnen doors etc. When people just can't extend a simple thanks then it will effect my decisions for other passengers.

Another annoyance is re-opening and finding the one person you thought you were quickly letting on now holds the doors open for the rest of the family to turn up some time later.

For this and other reasons I generally *don't* re-open.

From a passenger's point of view I concur with this approach. Why should a late arrival delay a train full of people who have bothered to turn up on time?

 

[father_jack]

Another annoyance is re-opening and finding the one person you thought you were quickly letting on now holds the doors open for the rest of the family to turn up some time later.

For this and other reasons I generally *don't* re-open.

From a passenger's point of view I concur with this approach. Why should a late arrival delay a train full of people who have bothered to turn up on time?

Or they say "is this the train to XXXX"............. "well it's usually on this platform"..............

I did an epic fail myself coming off the southern at Reading once and saw a guard from my depot on the old P4 getting despatched- I thought I'd made a minus connection woo hoo- ran like hell and he left me get in his reverse formation TGS. Pity it was a 25 late Hereford and next stop Oxford.................

 

[pompeyfan]

I think the thing is that the public don't like running for public transport. They see it as embarrassing. I get it a lot on the buses, I've even had people make complaints. At a few main stops I've pulled up to a traffic light just after the stop and people have banged the door. I would say I'm the same as some of the guards, If I'm in the process of pulling away then I won't stop again.

I would imagine people on shuttle ferry services receive aggro too, Gosport Ferry, Isle of Wight Hovercraft, Whightlink, Red Jet and Thames Clipper.

Here's a question for you.... Mid afternoon and a business man comes up to the door after they've been locked and you're just about to give 2, and starts leaning on the train and hammering the button. The bloke is obnoxious and abuse (probably drives an M3 BMW ) if you start the train with him in contact with it, then you're up for manslaughter if anything happens, but you don't want to be bullied into reopening the doors.

 

[Kettledrum]

You only have yourself to blame, levels of customer service don't come into it.

It's well publicised at all major stations that doors close up to 60 seconds before departure, thus 20 seconds is inconsequential. East Midlands trains website says as much http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/travelling-with-us/A-little-helpful-advice/

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

 

[BestWestern]

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

Isn't this sort of akin to arriving at a shop just as the shutters are coming down and demanding to be allowed in, though? Of course, there should be a considerate attitude to the customer where possible, and some flexibility to boot, but equally there are wider considerations and times when the desired level of flexibility isn't possible.

 

[notadriver]

I think the thing is that the public don't like running for public transport. They see it as embarrassing. I get it a lot on the buses, I've even had people make complaints. At a few main stops I've pulled up to a traffic light just after the stop and people have banged the door. I would say I'm the same as some of the guards, If I'm in the process of pulling away then I won't stop again.

I would imagine people on shuttle ferry services receive aggro too, Gosport Ferry, Isle of Wight Hovercraft, Whightlink, Red Jet and Thames Clipper.

Here's a question for you.... Mid afternoon and a business man comes up to the door after they've been locked and you're just about to give 2, and starts leaning on the train and hammering the button. The bloke is obnoxious and abuse (probably drives an M3 BMW ) if you start the train with him in contact with it, then you're up for manslaughter if anything happens, but you don't want to be bullied into reopening the doors.

I'd make an announcement telling passengers the train is being delayed due to someone leaning on the train.

 

[notadriver]

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

I think in the public transport business punctuality is more important than catering for late runners all the time.

 

[najaB]

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

So a guard should delay 200 passengers who managed to get there on time, to accommodate one passenger who didn't?

 

[ComUtoR]

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

Even when your absolutely, totally to blame. The company is in the wrong. Yay, you win the internet.

I have a retail background and at one point we had the approach of "the customer is always right" It's very broken philosophy and is much more detrimental to the buisness.

 

[najaB]

I have a retail background and at one point we had the approach of "the customer is always right" It's very broken philosophy and is much more detrimental to the buisness.

Indeed. A more productive attitude is "Never assume the customer is wrong."

 

[Camden]

In any other business an attitude of blaming the customer would be really unhealthy from a customer service point of view.

So you wouldn't blame a "customer" for missing an on-time train?

I think missing a train by moments is something we've almost all done, and at the time it happens there are plenty of people you might feel are to blame:
If that person at the top of the escalator hadn't got in your way delaying you by 2 seconds.
If the postman hadn't stopped you on the way out.
If that tourist hadn't stopped you for directions.
If that train hadn't been on time to the second, what seems to you to be the first time in its existence.

But in reality, who is to blame? And who do we all accept is to blame for us missing our trains? It's not a bone of contention. Miss train: Own fault.

Also in almost any other business at times large amounts of money can hinge on proving that something was the customer's own fault. Marketing flannel for the shop floor doesn't equate to real world scenarios

 

[Camden]

Here's a question for you.... Mid afternoon and a business man comes up to the door after they've been locked and you're just about to give 2, and starts leaning on the train and hammering the button. The bloke is obnoxious and abuse (probably drives an M3 BMW ) if you start the train with him in contact with it, then you're up for manslaughter if anything happens, but you don't want to be bullied into reopening the doors.

I would expect it's a case of keep the doors shut, and don't give the signal to move off until he's got the message and has moved away from the train.

I've seen this happen before, including with the guard shouting down the platform to the person to clear off because he's not getting on.

 

[bramling]

I would expect it's a case of keep the doors shut, and don't give the signal to move off until he's got the message and has moved away from the train.

I've seen this happen before, including with the guard shouting down the platform to the person to clear off because he's not getting on.

I wouldn't move the train if someone's leaning against, but that doesn't mean the doors have to be re-opened. Indeed, if the bloke's playing the arse then I definitely *won't* be opening up.

Others may have different experiences, however I'd say it's quite rare for people to do this, perhaps because they assume the train may move.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Yep, I've done that a number of times and it works-I've even asked someone to leave when they barged through my local door bumping into me and almost knocking another customer flying.

 

[BestWestern]

Open local door, gesture to passenger to come towards, shout to passenger that the door are locked and they have missed the train, close local door and dispatch.

 

[bb21]

I would expect it's a case of keep the doors shut, and don't give the signal to move off until he's got the message and has moved away from the train.

I've seen this happen before, including with the guard shouting down the platform to the person to clear off because he's not getting on.

Had that the other day.

Bloke in business suits franticly jabbing door button after the bodyside indicators were off. Guard shouted for him to move back - ignored, still jabbing the button. Shouted again - looked at the guard, told him it's a f* disgrace the doors closed on him and he will complain about him while continued to jab the door button, at which point I went up to him and told him to move away. Eventually obliged. Guard gave me the wink and thumbs up as he departed. Unfortunately I had my lanyard on, so mouthful of abuse were to follow, and said bloke demanded my name and said he would put in a complaint in the strongest words and that I would get the sack for abusing a customer.

"Yeah right", and I walked off.

 

[najaB]

Unfortunately I had my lanyard on, so mouthful of abuse were to follow, and said bloke demanded my name and said he would put in a complaint in the strongest words and that I would get the sack for abusing a customer.

"Yeah right", and I walked off.

What happened? Don't leave us in suspense! Did you get fired for abusing a customer? We need to know!