London Banter - View Single Post - Boxing Day Tube Strike

Eric[_3_] · December 16th 11, 06:16 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 2011-12-16, d wrote:
On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:52:57 -0800 (PST)
Joe wrote:
On Dec 15, 11:46=A0am, wrote:
So go on , tell us , whats so hard about driving a train?

Do you have to steer? No.

Nope, not as such, but you have to know where you're going, knowing
your route inside out with all possible diversionary routes and be
able to stop and challenge a wrong routing if it happens. The
signallers make mistakes too!

No doubt, but how is that any different to a car driver learning various
routes to work?

Very few car/truck drivers learn their regular routes to the extent that
train drivers have to. Just where to turn and a few tricks about lane
changes and visibility problems.

Do you have to judge other traffic and react accordingly? No.

Yes you do, if you have a train in the section in front of you, you're
going to bloody well stop! You will react differently approaching a
double yellow, single yellow or red signal.

So you see a yellow you slow, if you see a red you stop. Not rocket science.

Given the stopping distances of trains and their variations under
changes in weather or something that a car driver would consider
insignificant, and needing to know what speed to slow to, which is
different for the same type of signal in different locations, yes it is
just about a science, and requires a level of knowledge of the route
that almost no car drivers achieve.

Do you have to change gear? No.

Depending on weather conditions, fog, snow, heavy rain, you will use a
different traction power setting accordingly!

And hows that different to doing the same in a car?

Not much, but you were trying to make out that the train should be
easier.

It's not a simple case of "sitting on your arse pushing a button",

No, but neither is it the most complex job in the world either. Certainly
driving a tube train is NOT worth 50K, especially an automatic one.

There's also the family life aspect, the shift work can make you miss
your loved ones for more than a week, you come home as they're going
to work or vice versa, ending up tired after a week of early starts
(3am), yet trying to mainting 100% concentration for up to 9 and a

Plenty of people do shift work. They don't earn 50K.

Read the news stories on the current dispute, some of which point out
that the pay rose to this level to replace a complicated set of extra
payments (mostly fully justified). And is your idea of equitable pay
rates that everyone should be reduced to the lowest level?

happens on the railway at speed needs to be dealt with ASAP. If you're
trundling along at 90mph and see a cow on the track or a broken rail
or some idiot playing chicken, you have to be on the ball to stop or

If you doing 90mph in a train and there's an obstruction at any visible
distance ahead you're probably screwed so I can't see much point worrying
about it.

You may be going to hit it whatever you do, but depending what is is
there may be a whole variety of sensible responses.

But then you don't actually want to know do you? You'll just go on
making the same sorts of complaints without ever thinking about the
visible circumstances, let alone the hidden ones. And of course you do
your job perfectly all the time, and are paid exactly what it is worth,
and always will be, and you will always have a job. Rhubarb!!!

Eric

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ms fnd in a lbry