Sunday, December 12, 2004

Doors Closing, Ready Or Not 

I saw a woman briefly get snatched in the train doors at Daglish Station last Monday. One stop before, at Shenton Park Station, I boarded after the 'Doors Closing' announcement. I was sure 'Doors Closing' once meant 'Doors closing, stay where you are if you don't want to get stuck.' But if the train driver hasn't waited long enough to let people out before sounding the announcement, then surely it must mean 'Step on board really quick.' Because obviously you'd hardly miss a train you've been waiting ten minutes to catch just because of an automatic announcement. Which is probably what the lady at Daglish was thinking. Fortunately the doors re-opened enough to allow her to step fully into the carriage.

In October I was telling anybody who'd listen that this wouldn't happen in Perth. I can't imagine this happening in Perth, I said after a similar incident in Melbourne, This just wouldn't happen. Perth, of course, being a lovely clean city with talking trains and friendly people.

Melbourne, on the other hand, might be somewhere I'd almost expect a train to take off without me. Which it did. Me and an elderly male passenger wheeling a brown shopping trolley.

We stood at the last carriage - closest to the Bentleigh Station entrance and furthest from the driver. The high-pitched beep beep beeeep signal was given to warn us that the doors were closing before the door was clear of passengers. One woman tried unsuccessfully to hold the doors open and all we could do was stand back and watched the train leave. I was furious.

The old guy looked like it was no big deal and I shouldn't be mad on his behalf. A woman passenger agreed that it wasn't acceptable and said that, in addition, communication with station staff might be a problem due to our differing languages and/or accents. Yeah, yeah. The woman at the station was friendly, took note of the service and my complaint, and called it through to someone.

She didn't sound confident that the complaint would be taken on board by the driver. I guess if he or she can't take on board her or his own passengers... But it's not like he or she is self-employed.

Did I mention that you don't have to read all of this? That if you're a happy type of train driver that picks up all your passengers you can e-mail me with reassurances about transport safety? That I'm comforted that I'm not the only one blogging about the short comings of public transport? Check out Live at the Third Rail if you don't believe me.
// posted by Deanne @ 17:09
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