This week's "Paddington 24/7" on Channel 5: an observation

[cf111]

The guard must have just been concerned and wanted to make sure things were OK, I really don't see what the problem is. They took and interest an their duty of care seriously rather than turning a blind eye. Maybe they got the call wrong but if I was the guard's manager I would be telling them that they did the right thing and well done because the next person may be genuinely vulnerable.

 

[EM2]

I have empathy for people. I just feel sorry for him that just because the bloke seemed a little odd, they think he's escaped from a mental hospital.

I haven't seen the episode yet, but there could be any number of reasons why the guard is concerned.
The one I would think most likely is that they'd received a report of a missing person that matches the description and pattern of behaviour of this gentleman.

 

[Bromley boy]

I have empathy for people. I just feel sorry for him that just because the bloke seemed a little odd, they think he's escaped from a mental hospital.

Have you not read the numerous postings from many contributors on this thread explaining the guard and BTP’s actions?

This is where it begins to look like trolling.

 

[Darandio]

Have you not read the numerous postings from many contributors on this thread explaining the guard and BTP’s actions?

This is where it begins to look like trolling.

It's just beginning to look like that now?

 

[sd0733]

If staff are concerned and something doesn't feel right what do you propose we do then? Shrug our shoulders, walk on and say ah well they'll be fine... then it transpires that the man was actually lost and ends up frightened, lost, cold and lonely in a big city such as London with nothing and no one to turn to... I think id know what id prefer if I was the guy or he was someone I cared about.

 

[Mag_seven]

I have empathy for people. I just feel sorry for him that just because the bloke seemed a little odd, they think he's escaped from a mental hospital.

This is 2017 not the 1970's.

 

[Bromley boy]

It's just beginning to look like that now?

Touché.

I typed a longer contribution early on so have "skin in the game"

 

[Llanigraham]

Why sue GWR?

If I was that man....

"Your guard reported me to the police, who detained me, questioned me, and insinuated I had escaped from a mental hospital. Yet it was proved that I had done nothing wrong and I had all my valid tickets for the journeys I made. Plus I find it extremely offensive that just because I am a little eccentric, you think I belong in a mental hospital".

The Police did not "detain" him.
They did not insinuate anything.
No-one suggested he belonged in a mental hospital.
The programme is edited so you don't know what else had happened.
You weren't there.

 

[Llanigraham]

No, but the GWR guard's actions caused the BTP to do so.

He was not detained!

 

[Llanigraham]

I have empathy for people. I just feel sorry for him that just because the bloke seemed a little odd, they think he's escaped from a mental hospital.

Nobody said that!

 

[Gareth Marston]

At least three times a week I see people whose behaviour could be deemed to be "of concern". I used to work in supported housing so I suppose I'm les inclined to react, experience has taught me there behaviour maybe disconcerting but there's unlikely to be any consequence to them, staff or other customers. It's very much weigh up the situation using your own experience/ gut feeling. We didn't see any of this passengers behaviour on board so cannot judge why he got on the onboard staffs concerned radar.

 

[6Gman]

I have empathy for people. I just feel sorry for him that just because the bloke seemed a little odd, they think he's escaped from a mental hospital.

Did anybody even mention "mental hospital"?

 

[kermit]

What worried me was that the whole thing was shown on national TV, his face clearly identifiable. I'm not sure people can really give informed consent to that sort of thing, given the hundreds of ways that clip could reverberate for somebody in later life, even if it doesn't have an immediate impact.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They will have asked him if they could show his face in clear.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

I saw this episode, and at no time was any form of institution mentioned by the staff, they were just concerned he may be a missing person. His train journeying was unusual, so, the guard, applied duty of care and called BTP.
Imagine for a moment that the gentlemen in question had in fact gone missing from home, let us say he had suffered from some form of dementia, he may have been happily riding the train, but at home there could have been a very worried wife/son/daughter.
Now imagine being a guard who applied the 'he has valid tickets' rule, then found out that the person was missing and subsequently came to harm, knowing you could have helped.

 

[185143]

Made me wonder how I manage to do some of the mileage stints I do on Merseyrail and never had this happen to me...

My longest time on one unit (I think we had 3 guards over this time) was 5 HOURS on a 508 on the Chester line. Something like Lime Street-Chester-Chester-Chester-Chester-Birkenhead Central. Couldn't walk for a week after that! Some would no doubt say BTP probably should have been called assess my mental capacity for doing that...!

 

[kermit]

They will have asked him if they could show his face in clear.

That's why I said "Can really give informed consent".

 

[Bletchleyite]

Made me wonder how I manage to do some of the mileage stints I do on Merseyrail and never had this happen to me...

My longest time on one unit (I think we had 3 guards over this time) was 5 HOURS on a 508 on the Chester line. Something like Lime Street-Chester-Chester-Chester-Chester-Birkenhead Central. Couldn't walk for a week after that! Some would no doubt say BTP probably should have been called assess my mental capacity for doing that...!

Surprised you didn't need to get off for a wee in any case!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Do guards get any training about how to spot potential "concern for welfare" persons?

 

[richw]

The guard was concerned because the guy had gone form Bristol to Paddington to Bristol and back to Paddington

So it’s someone who enjoys rail travel. Maybe someone from this very forum reading some of the travel journals people here go back and forth.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

I can't actually remember from the episode word for word, but I believe the whole saga came about, not because he was riding back and forth so much but the guard had spotted he was, obviously asked why etc and then he had given a odd excuse or reason and when questioned came across "confused" I think they said.

Maybe he wasn't sure what to say so just made something up whilst trying to give as little away as possible which made him sound confused when in fact he was fine.

I think the guard did the right think to at least check if he had concerns.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So it’s someone who enjoys rail travel. Maybe someone from this very forum reading some of the travel journals people here go back and forth.

If you want to have a long day on the rails (certainly not innocent of this myself) a circular route is a bit nicer than just going to London and back several times, though.

 

[mpthomson]

That's why I said "Can really give informed consent".

He'll also have signed something which will have been checked carefully in legal terms prior to being issued to ensure that consent is informed and the production company will be under clear direction as part of the contract with the broadcaster that anyone featured MUST be capable of giving informed consent and not considered vulnerable or lacking in mental capacity.

If that didn't happen then the production company and broadcaster could be open to legal action.

 

[AlterEgo]

I was watching this with Mrs AlterEgo who was really confused as to why a man would go to Bristol and then head straight back without even getting off the train. It does certainly appear to be strange behaviour to the uninitiated, but some of us who spend a lot of time on trains know there are some hardcore neds and eccentrics who really do get up to that sort of thing, perfectly harmlessly.

Sounds like the guard was taking Duty of Care seriously, particularly if the man's behaviour was a little odd.

 

[goblinuser]

What I find scary is having something like this happen then being filmed for a tv show about it...

 

[AlterEgo]

I've been asked plenty of times if I'm "alright" by railway staff and had BTP question me several times, as I don't look like a conventional enthusiast. I've never once got offended by this. In fact, I'm proud that our staff care about their passengers enough.

This has happened to me too, in fact quite recently in Belfast. I arrived off the Enterprise at night from Dublin. Now, the loco stops at the north end of the station and I wanted to get a quick shot of it. This meant walking past the exit staircase and heading up the platform, which is not where you'd expect most people to head. A member of staff asked me if I was alright and did I know I'd missed the exit - it's quite responsible for them to do that. For all they know I could be heading up the end of the platform to top myself, or placing a suspicious device.

 

[AlterEgo]

Ok. But say, I go from for example Crewe to London and back. Then I immediately repeat the journey. Yes, this would be unusual. But providing I have all the correct tickets for every part of the journey made, why should it be questioned the reasons why I'm doing that?

It's just someone asking a question to ascertain your well-being. That's what the BTP did. They didn't think he was up to no good, but they perhaps picked up signals that he may have been vulnerable.

They were very good about it really.

 

[ShildonBR]

Hi I'm new to the forum but it just looks like the platform staff where concerned about this guy and they have a duty of care. Its better being safe than sorry.

 

[TheEdge]

The impression I got was not that travelling back and forth was the issue. It was the travelling back and forth coupled with his general demeanor, paired together I could see why they might ring alarm bells.

I've been on trips with a priv and got the odd look, and as soon as I've gone "I'm a bit of a spotter and got the means, may as well use it" or words to that effect thats the end of it.

 

[Mag_seven]

Hi I'm new to the forum but it just looks like the platform staff where concerned about this guy and they have a duty of care. Its better being safe than sorry.

Exactly - nothing more than that.