The most stupid press article ever (regarding Glebe Way foot crossing)

[Townsend Hook]

Or perhaps just let the police get on with more important work.

A large gathering of people on the track, encouraged by and published in the popular press? Yep, I think that's worth the BTP's time.

 

[SPADTrap]

Or perhaps just let the police get on with more important work.

I guess you're fortunate enough not to have been involved with railway trespass/stupidity then, how nice for you. :-x

 

[SouthStand]

I guess you're fortunate enough not to have been involved with railway trespass/stupidity then, how nice for you. :-x

Your logic is extremely flawed if you managed to deduce that from my first post in this thread. There are far worse things in life to worry about than a few protesters who would soon have moved when the cameraman saw a train coming.

I would much prefer the BTP spent their time dealing with vandals and incidents of assault onboard trains.

 

[221129]

Your logic is extremely flawed if you managed to deduce that from my first post in this thread. There are far worse things in life to worry about than a few protesters who would soon have moved when the cameraman saw a train coming.

I would much prefer the BTP spent their time dealing with vandals and incidents of assault onboard trains.

You mean the cameraman who was busy taking photos so was pre occupied in the fog with his back turned towards the direction of traffic by the looks of it. :roll:

 

[najaB]

There are far worse things in life to worry about than a few protesters who would soon have moved when the cameraman saw a train coming.

The cameraman with his/her eye to the camera might not be the best person to be keeping an eye out for the train that is approaching from behind the assembled villagers.

 

[SouthStand]

You mean the cameraman who was busy taking photos so was pre occupied in the fog with his back turned towards the direction of traffic by the looks of it. :roll:

The cameraman with his/her eye to the camera might not be the best person to be keeping an eye out for the train that is approaching from behind the assembled villagers.

Well, which is it boys? Is he facing the traffic or not

 

[D365]

Well, which is it boys? Is he facing the traffic or not

Heaven forbid you happen to have a pedestrian step out at you next time you're driving a road between two towns... I know of at least one 50mph road with a pedestrian crossing point, foot/cyclepath and no verge whatsoever.

I'm being very reasonable here, I'm not sure other members will be prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[SouthStand]

Heaven forbid you happen to have a pedestrian step out at you next time you're driving a road between two towns... I know of at least one 50mph road with a pedestrian crossing point, foot/cyclepath and no verge whatsoever.

I'm being very reasonable here, I'm not sure other members will be prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Not quite sure how that bears any relation to whether the cameraman/woman on that youtube video is facing the oncoming trains or not.

 

[Bald Rick]

Or perhaps just let the police get on with more important work.

There's an (alleged) trespasser in Leeds General Infirmary tonight who no doubt wishes BTP had got to him before the 25kV did.

 

[D365]

Not quite sure how that bears any relation to whether the cameraman/woman on that youtube video is facing the oncoming trains or not.

No it's about your original comment. That police should "get on with more important work".

 

[SouthStand]

No it's about your original comment. That police should "get on with more important work".

Still don't see the connection. Are you suggesting the Police position themselves alongside dual-carriageways just in case a pedestrian decides to step out into the traffic?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's an (alleged) trespasser in Leeds General Infirmary tonight who no doubt wishes BTP had got to him before the 25kV did.

I don't know, you'd have to ask him. Besides, AFAIK, not enough information has been made public about the incident to know why the incident occurred.

 

[D365]

Still don't see the connection. Are you suggesting the Police position themselves alongside dual-carriageways just in case a pedestrian decides to step out into the traffic?

Okay: Do you want to know how it feels to run into a person at speed?

Because I'm sure there are more than a few drivers, active on these forums, who have found themselves right at the centre of these repercussions.

 

[alxndr]

It does insomuch as they were able to commit suicide at that spot because they could easily get onto the track.

If someone's in that mindset unfortunately it'll often take a lot more than fence isn't going to stop them.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In an attempt to concentrate minds, let us not forget what the reason actually was why this young girl lost her life.

 

[TUC]

Why should local residents suffer the inconvenience of not having a crossing because of a tragic one off accident.

4 in 5 years is not quite a one off tragic incident. There's a few of such crossings all the way to Margate from there too.

There are plenty of road where there gave been four serious pedestrian accidents in five years. These are not used as a reason to stop pedestrians crossing the road.

 

[Townsend Hook]

If someone's in that mindset unfortunately it'll often take a lot more than fence isn't going to stop them.

I know this from first-hand experience, if someone is determined to get on track they will. However, making track access more difficult does go some way to preventing impulsive actions from those who suddenly decide they want to end it all.

 

[alxndr]

I know this from first-hand experience, if someone is determined to get on track they will. However, making track access more difficult does go some way to preventing impulsive actions from those who suddenly decide they want to end it all.

My apologies for my abysmal failure to grasp the English language in the above post, I'm rather embarrassed. I can only assume I wasn't particularly awake at the time of writing.

I suppose that would work for people who spontaneously decide they've had enough, I too was thinking of my own experiences where a fence would have been a mere inconvenience.

 

[Zoidberg]

My apologies for my abysmal failure to grasp the English language in the above post, I'm rather embarrassed. I can only assume I wasn't particularly awake at the time of writing.

...

Don't worry about it. I suspect that most people knew what you meant.

 

[WelshBluebird]

There are plenty of road where there gave been four serious pedestrian accidents in five years. These are not used as a reason to stop pedestrians crossing the road.

In quite a few locations where it is deemed dangerous for pedestrians to cross the road, bridges / overpasses / underpasses are provided and fences are out up to try to prevent pedestrian access to the road and encourage the use of the provided facilities.
On other areas traffic lights are provided where the traffic legally has to stop for the pedestrians).

And that of course the comparison is a bit silly because it ignores that it is:
1 - Legal for pedestrians to walk along / across most roads but not to walk along / across most railways
2 - Easier for vehicles on a road to avoid hitting pedestrians who are in the road.

 

[jopsuk]

most pedestrian fatalities happen on the footway, anyway.

 

[rdlover777]

I read that "the 14-year-old had been listening to music on her headphones and was tragically unaware of the oncoming train as she crossed". No-one has made comment here on this aspect - often people (mostly young ones) go about in public with their senses diminished and attention distracted by portable gadgets - phones, tablets, music machines etc. I think there should be some instruction in school about how to use these things and conduct oneself with safety in public. A national campaign, no less.

i listen to headphones and i still check its it safe to cross

 

[Llanigraham]

Whilst the protest was not exactly safe, a level crossing is a public right of way so how exactly should these people be prosecuted? Really fed up of how railway companies and its employees and maybe even enthusiasts are promoting paranoia about what is perfectly safe, convenient and inexpensive if one uses awareness and common sense as trains don't follow buffer-to-buffer with pedestrians having to scurry between them. Having to cross busy trunk roads is far more dangerous and unavoidable for many people.

Legally, in the majority of cases, a level crossing is not a Public Right of Way, but a Permissive Path. The PoR ceases at the boundary of the Railway property, and this is often laid down in the original Act of Parliament that allowed the building of the railway.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

i listen to headphones and i still check its it safe to cross

As do I - I take my earphones out of both ears and check before opening a gate - pass through and then check again before crossing the track... That method has served me well for 20 years now.

To the matter at hand, could there not be a sort of lock put on the gate that activates whenever the train is within a certain distance? Should the lock become broken, it would default to locked status - failsafed...

If somebody else dies then it would have been by them climbing over and would remove blame from the railway companies

Or perhaps just let the police get on with more important work.

Such as what, may I ask, SouthStand? Is not the sole purpose of the BTP not to, in fact, investigate crimes and carry out railway law? Whilst these people may have looked at a timetable online to see what services would roughly be passing through that area at that time, they most likely didn't see RTT for any unscheduled test trains, freight trains or any other train that has cause to be on that line at speed. :-x:roll: