Weed smell coming from back of Victoria Line train!

[ChewChewTrain]

This evening, I was in the last carriage of a northbound Victoria Line service, and was right at the back of the carriage.

Within a minute or two of the journey’s start, I thought I could smell weed. Not uncommon in London these days, of course, even on the Tube (at least residually on partakers). But this smelt like it was a “live event”, and I was the only person in the last two carriages, and had been ever since the train had departed…the southern terminus of the Victoria Line.

Then I got it again. There was no mistake. Not only that, but I could hear music from within the driver’s cab (or what would have been the driver’s cab had the train been going the other way). Someone was obviously having a good time in there.

What would you have done? As it is, all I did was shout “Hope you’re enjoying your weed!” as I got off (by which time a few people had got onto the carriage). 61016 would presumably have been about as useful as it ever is (I’ve reported beggars and nothing ever seems to happen). Perhaps using the emergency lever would have been technically justified, but I didn’t particularly want to halt the train(s) for everyone while the issue was dealt with. And while the (I presume!) member of staff concerned surely needs an attitude adjustment at the very least, I’m not sure I’d want to be indirectly responsible for their sacking. Not that I’m at all certain that would have happened anyway, for various reasons.

Again, what would you have done? It wasn’t harming anyone, that’s true. I believe in “live and let live” as far as possible, and (FWIW) have been a firm supporter of legalisation since the days when most people certainly weren’t. But this hardly inspires confidence, either in the staff member themselves, or in their supervisors, who surely should have picked up on this by now (because I have a hard time believing this was anything like the first time). Regardless of the “reasons”, I would not like to think a blind eye was being turned to what I would assume is a fairly meaty infraction, at least in theory.

ETA: I suppose I could also have broken the emergency glass and opened the door myself, bursting in on their little world, possibly even recording with my phone while I did so. But that would have been taking liberties that weren’t mine to take, and of course people do all sorts of things when they’re surprised/threatened/desperate. Still, the possibility of doing that (and maybe even shouting “Here’s Johnny!”) did amuse me.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

member of staff concerned

Did you actually see that it was a member of staff or are you assuming?

 

[bramling]

This evening, I was in the last carriage of a northbound Victoria Line service, and was right at the back of the carriage.

Within a minute or two of the journey’s start, I thought I could smell weed. Not uncommon in London these days, of course, even on the Tube (at least residually on partakers). But this smelt like it was a “live event”, and I was the only person in the last two carriages, and had been ever since the train had departed…the southern terminus of the Victoria Line.

Then I got it again. There was no mistake. Not only that, but I could hear music from within the driver’s cab (or what would have been the driver’s cab had the train been going the other way). Someone was obviously having a good time in there.

What would you have done? As it is, all I did was shout “Hope you’re enjoying your weed!” as I got off (by which time a few people had got onto the carriage). 61016 would presumably have been about as useful as it ever is (I’ve reported beggars and nothing ever seems to happen). Perhaps using the emergency lever would have been technically justified, but I didn’t particularly want to halt the train(s) for everyone while the issue was dealt with. And while the (I presume!) member of staff concerned surely needs an attitude adjustment at the very least, I’m not sure I’d want to be indirectly responsible for their sacking. Not that I’m at all certain that would have happened anyway, for various reasons.

Again, what would you have done? It wasn’t harming anyone, that’s true. I believe in “live and let live” as far as possible, and (FWIW) have been a firm supporter of legalisation since the days when most people certainly weren’t. But this hardly inspires confidence, either in the staff member themselves, or in their supervisors, who surely should have picked up on this by now (because I have a hard time believing this was anything like the first time). Regardless of the “reasons”, I would not like to think a blind eye was being turned to what I would assume is a fairly meaty infraction, at least in theory.

Really you should make a complaint to TFL, and give precise details of the train you were on. It should be possible for them to identify the individual, who at the very least could then be subjected to a D&A test when next on duty.

It may seem like a minor thing, but if it’s being done whilst technically on duty in one setting, then who’s to say it might be happening at other times as well?

This is all on the assumption that the person was a member of staff, of course. It isn’t inconceivable that someone else could have gained access to the cab.

 

[ChewChewTrain]

Did you actually see that it was a member of staff or are you assuming?

As I said elsewhere, I am assuming. I could be wrong.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Dec 2024 ==

Really you should make a complaint to TFL, and give precise details of the train you were on. It should be possible for them to identify the individual, who at the very least could then be subjected to a D&A test when next on duty.

It may seem like a minor thing, but if it’s being done whilst technically on duty in one setting, then who’s to say it might be happening at other times as well?

This is all on the assumption that the person was a member of staff, of course. It isn’t inconceivable that someone else could have gained access to the cab.

Thanks. Of course the trains on that line are so frequent that I don’t think I could narrow it down to one service. But I can give them maybe a 5-minute window, and I remember which platform it departed from.

 

[Flying Snail]

A big no on all the ideas involving pulling emergency levers or breaking into cabs, that is just stupid on a number of levels.

If you were genuinely that bothered then taking a pic through the cab window of the occupant as the train departed would have had zero risk of causing chaos or conflict and you could then make a report on the person if you wanted to. If it was a staff member then they could be identified, if it wasn't then unauthorised access to cabs is LU's problem.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Pull an emergency alarm and leave it to staff to deal with. There is a trend of youths breaking into rear cabs (it’s not exactly hard…) and unless it’s reported no action can be taken.

The assumption that it might be staff is rather a poor one, I will admit. LU staff do not routinely travel in the rear cab and this is well known and understood across the combine, before we even get into the actual allegations.

This is exactly what a PEA is designed for.

 

[J-2739]

I would just keep my mouth shut, let the guy have a good time lol

 

[Mawkie]

Given the difficulties in getting a postiion as a tfain operator, and the ease of which one can lose said job, I would say it was highly unlikely that it was a member of staff smoking weed in the rear cab. For one thing, it will be smelt immediately by passengers, secondly, the passengers on the platform do tend to stare when they see a staff member in the rear cab, thirdly the staff member would know the platform CCTV cameras will record any irregularities once reported.

Isn't it more likely to have been one of the new cannabis smelling aftershaves such as Mugler Fly Away, or any of the hundred others?

 

[357]

LU staff do not travel in rear cabs apart from very specific circumstances, and on service trains certainly for no longer distances since Covid.

These are some pretty bold allegations to be making especially since you didn't even think about taking a photo or video of the train departing to show who was in the back cab. But apparently did think of breaking in?!

 

[Towers]

Pull an emergency alarm and leave it to staff to deal with. There is a trend of youths breaking into rear cabs (it’s not exactly hard…) and unless it’s reported no action can be taken.

The assumption that it might be staff is rather a poor one, I will admit. LU staff do not routinely travel in the rear cab and this is well known and understood across the combine, before we even get into the actual allegations.

This is exactly what a PEA is designed for.

Indeed, one obvious thought would be whether the OP noted if the access break glass had been breached, which would then allow unauthorised access to the rear cab.

As you say, it would need to be a pretty brazen/daft staff member to be sat in the back end of a train in service enjoying a spliff.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

It might not be staff, I saw a group of boys break into the rear cab of an Overground train a few weeks ago. I think it’s a TikTok trend

 

[Towers]

It might not be staff, I saw a group of boys break into the rear cab of an Overground train a few weeks ago. I think it’s a TikTok trend

Indeed it is, sadly. The Overground has featured on social media with these types gaining access and blowing horns etc. Unfortunately Electrostars provide a particularly poor degree of cab security if accessed externally, as indeed do many other fleets.


In any such incident the nearest passenger alarm should be utilised where available, they may be bored ‘yoofs’ with nothing better to do or they may have more sinister intentions.

 

[357]

It should also be noted that 09 stock doesn't have glass to break to get into the cab. It's a plastic cover over the emergency handle that has a ring pull on it.

If they entered the cab again Brixton while no keys were in either cab, then no alarms would have gone off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Dec 2024 ==

It might not be staff, I saw a group of boys break into the rear cab of an Overground train a few weeks ago. I think it’s a TikTok trend

Don't let reality get in the way of a good accusation against staff!

 

[Starmill]

Pressing the alarm in the train while you're stopped at a station and reporting smoke of an unknown source isn't at all unreasonable, nor likely to cause anyone shock or panic. It may cause a short delay while a member of staff is called to assist or the train driver has to investigate, but that's all. That's not exactly rare or unusual for LU trains to have to do and won't take very long. A member of the public who'd broken into the train and lit up would then be caught in both acts. Breaking into the cab and smoking would both be offences against the TfL Byelaws, and potentially dangerous.

 

[D6130]

Certainly if anyone was smoking weed in the rear cab there would be the danger that, on changing ends, the driver entering the cab would find it almost impossible to avoid passive inhalation of the residual fumes....thus rendering them unfit to drive. Additionally the aroma would be on their clothes....which could lead to awkward questions from colleagues and supervisors.

 

[Tube driver]

If you are absolutely sure and I mean absolutely sure that it was coming from the rear cab then an emergency handle would be appropriate to alert the driver. You should report it sooner rather than later as as long as you have a rough time and directio/station, cctv can be checked of the train departing and shouldn’t be too onerous on local management to ‘zone in’ on the particular train.

Opening the rear cab door whist the driving end is livened up will cause an alarm to go off in the drivers cab and should that happen then the driver should be going back to investigate anyhow, especially if he doesn’t get a fairly immediate cab to cab communication to seek permission to travel in the back. Again, there are generally only certain circumstances on who and why travel in the rear is permitted and conveying a driver from point A to B is one of them and a hangover from covid times.

Again, only if you’re 100% sure it was coming from the rear cab and not just hanging in the air from a passenger who has since got off as it’s not entirely unknown for some of our clientele to ignore the conditions of carriage

 

[43066]

I think the chances of this being a member of staff are infinitesimal. Anyone walking into a depot or even just walking around in uniform while stinking of weed is going to be D&A’d and out of a job quicksmart. Much more likely to be a kid who had broken into the cab, or weed that had been smoked by someone who had alighted before the OP boarded. The smell really does linger.

Certainly if anyone was smoking weed in the rear cab there would be the danger that, on changing ends, the driver entering the cab would find it almost impossible to avoid passive inhalation of the residual fumes....thus rendering them unfit to drive. Additionally the aroma would be on their clothes....which could lead to awkward questions from colleagues and supervisors.

Not unknown on the mainline for drivers to refuse to take trains in that condition. People do seem to smoke behind cab ends of trains, for whatever reason, and the smell lingers for ages.