Trespass at station with baby buggy

[Kingston Flyer]

It seems that joe public gets less sense every day:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-20269158

Baby taken across Dinas Powys railway line by 'mindless' pair

Two people who carried a baby across a railway line in the Vale of Glamorgan have been condemned as "reprehensible" by British Transport Police (BTP).

CCTV footage showing the woman and man carrying the child in a buggy over the tracks at Eastbrook station, Dinas Powys, has been released.

The incident happened on Tuesday 9 October at 16:17 BST and BTP officers want to identify the pair.

Insp Mike Jones said the couple's behaviour was "mindless".

"I am genuinely shocked to see that, despite our constant warnings, some people are still willing to risk their lives by trespassing on the tracks," he said.

"Not only that, this footage clearly shows the man and woman pictured had complete disregard for the safety of others as they carried across an infant in a buggy."

(read more)

 

[southerner2174]

Its amazing how stupid and unresponsible people are just to avoid going the long way around.
I remember about 3-4 years ago seeing a couple with a buggy exit the train and rather than turn and walk back and use the underpass like most normal people do they decided to cross over the 2 tracks and continue on their merry way.
It made for an interesting conversation with my driver

 

[big_dirt]

Its amazing how stupid and unresponsible people are just to avoid going the long way around.
I remember about 3-4 years ago seeing a couple with a buggy exit the train and rather than turn and walk back and use the underpass like most normal people do they decided to cross over the 2 tracks and continue on their merry way.
It made for an interesting conversation with my driver

When I used to live in Northern Ireland this type of behaviour was extremely common on NIR. Coleraine station would often have people walk from the level crossing to get to the platform. Balmoral had a few crossing too. Indeed I walked the track from Coleraine to University on several occasions and when the train came just moved off to the side. Gave a wave to the guard and he waved back.

The rails were not electrified and the trains could be quite infrequent. Still quite crazy nevertheless.

 

[wbbminerals]

I have seen this happen at Knottingley before...

 

[Wath Yard]

I saw a woman pushing a pram, with a toddler walking beside her, on the hard shoulder of the M621 in south Leeds once. Now that was an eye opener.

 

[90019]

What's the betting they're the sort of people who push the buggy out into the road in front of them, and only then check to see if there's anything coming.

 

[wintonian]

Unfortunately this sort of thing happens in third rail land too, although possibly not as regularly.

 

[73001]

I used to be part of regular ticket checks on Merseyrail by the PTE... once saw a woman go off the platform edge with a baby buggy (& baby), cross the tracks and lift the buggy over the third rail at Seaforth & Litherland just to avoid the check.

 

[jon0844]

Not in third rail land but people used to cross the fast lines at Potters Bar to avoid checks before they installed gates. Never saw babies or buggies though.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I saw a woman pushing a pram, with a toddler walking beside her, on the hard shoulder of the M621 in south Leeds once. Now that was an eye opener.

I have seen that happen on road to Wrexham once, very dangerous.

In relation to the OP, what the couple did was very stupid and idiotic, it just shows how thick people are, there was no need to do it and they shouldn't think they will get away with it either.

 

[tsr]

Unfortunately this sort of thing happens in third rail land too, although possibly not as regularly.

Not only is it highly dangerous and illegal, it obviously also runs the risk of staff having to go about closing down busy routes in order to discharge any traction current and make critical safety checks, causing hours upon hours of overall delays and many compensation claims - and nowhere is this more keenly felt than in some parts of "third rail land", such as (for example) the incredibly complex network that is in South London.

 

[wintonian]

Not only is it highly dangerous and illegal, it obviously also runs the risk of staff having to go about closing down busy routes in order to discharge any traction current and make critical safety checks, causing hours upon hours of overall delays and many compensation claims - and nowhere is this more keenly felt than in some parts of "third rail land", such as (for example) the incredibly complex network that is in South London.

Not to mention the poor bloke/ woman that may have to walk down the track with a black bag.

 

[tsr]

Not to mention the poor bloke/ woman that may have to walk down the track with a black bag.

I think it's a given that everyone must, however, remain optimistic (if realistic) about the fate of even the most idiotic trespasser, until proven otherwise. They could be safely on the pavement of the local side road, or, quite frankly, they could be in a mess on the ballast. I think we'd all rather the former, but I agree we must indeed be sympathetic towards those poor souls who have to deal with the latter.

Also, did I mention how much the "man-hours" and witness appeals of the BTP cost?

 

[MattRobinson]

Even the professionals do it, though. I have a PTS for KWVR, and one of the main things stressed during that course (and in the rulebook) is that you should only be on or about the line when necessary to carry out your duties. I can only assume that the same rule is in force on the actual railway?

Anyway, I was once on my local station and there were some Network Rail guys doing some fencing work along the back of the platform. When they came to leave (or just go for a tea break, I can't recall what time it was. They weren't carrying any tools or anything), instead of walking down to the road and then back up onto the other platform (and thus the car park), they just dropped onto the tracks, wandered across and back onto the other platform. Seemed lazy, it would have taken less than a minute to walk around.

 

[wintonian]

I think it's a given that everyone must, however, remain optimistic (if realistic) about the fate of even the most idiotic trespasser, until proven otherwise. They could be safely on the pavement of the local side road, or, quite frankly, they could be in a mess on the ballast. I think we'd all rather the former, but I agree we must indeed be sympathetic towards those poor souls who have to deal with the latter.

Also, did I mention how much the "man-hours" and witness appeals of the BTP cost?

A fair and prudent point there.

 

[O L Leigh]

Even the professionals do it, though. I have a PTS for KWVR, and one of the main things stressed during that course (and in the rulebook) is that you should only be on or about the line when necessary to carry out your duties. I can only assume that the same rule is in force on the actual railway?

Correct.

On a related note, I've run into a station where a young Mum was nattering to her friend while her progeny shinned his way up an OLE stanchion.

O L Leigh