On Wed, Aug 05, 2009 at 04:02:30PM +0100, Paul Corfield wrote:

On LUL we plan to make sure that the gates are not an evacuation route
pinch point and also that there are sufficient gates for the highest
peak 5 minute combined flow rate. This should mean there is very little
queuing at a gateline although I recognise some locations fare better
than others in this respect.

Quite. I can't remember the last time I was seriously delayed *leaving*
a tube station. And yet it happens just about every time I have to go
through barriers at Victoria.

At Thornton Heath, they did what the OP suggested should have been done
at Wandsworth Town - set the gates back where there was more space.
They still cause delays and crowding though when they're in use.
Thankfully, they're just left open nearly every evening.

And I maintain that there should be giant hydraulic spikes shooting up
through the floor whenever a passenger is too ****ing stupid to work the
gate.

--
David Cantrell | Official London Perl Mongers Bad Influence

"IMO, the primary historical significance of Unix is that it marks the
time in computer history where CPUs became so cheap that it was possible
to build an operating system without adult supervision."
-- Russ Holsclaw in a.f.c