London Banter - View Single Post - Kings Cross Shut

Peter Lawrence · March 26th 06, 04:40 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 26 Mar 2006 02:21:29 -0800, wrote:

Whoever cooked this idea up should see the misery of lost
tourists with suitcases and mothers with young children.

What's worse -- the 'misery' of being lost (and only lost until you ask
a member of staff for directions, at that) or the misery of seeing that
young child go under a train?

What is the point of asking staff for directions? All they canl say
is, effectively 'go away', ie off the station, so you are no longer
our responsibility.

Can I make a plea that London Transport trust the public
to behave sensibly on full platforms and please shut
stations as a last resort ?!

London Underground can't trust people to behave sensibly on full or
busy platforms because people prove every working day that they can't
be trusted to do it. I'm sure we've all seen people refuse to pass down
the platform, block entrances and exits in large groups and do other
things to endanger safety. I doubt I am the only one who is amazed by
the people who, upon seeing that a station is closed for an emergency
try to argue their way past the staff and into the station so that they
can continue their journey.

That was not the subject if complaint. The point is that a platform
approaching congestion is not of itself a reason for emergency
clearance. Further entry should be blocked but there is not an
imminent emergency which requires evacuation.

Can I make a plea to members of the public to trust London Underground
to use their experience to keep people safe, even if they sometimes err
on the side of caution and sometimes you can't understand why they are
doing what they are doing?

Yes, provided we can trust them to distinguish between a crowd and a
real emergency.
--
Peter Lawrence