"Passenger action"
 

Does anyone know what this particular euphemism actually means?
Travelling home last night on the Picc, we sat between South Ken and
Gloucester Road for what must have been close to half an hour, due to
(according to the driver) "passenger action at Hammersmith, passenger
action on a train at Barons Court, and a punch-up on a third train".

Now, being the cheeky bar steward that I am, I'm going to see what
happens to a Charter claim for that debacle - nearly two hours from
Mile End to Northfields via Holborn - I'd have been better to stay on
the Central line all the way to EB and walk!

"Passenger action"
 

In message , James Farrar
writes
Does anyone know what this particular euphemism actually means?
Travelling home last night on the Picc, we sat between South Ken and
Gloucester Road for what must have been close to half an hour, due to
(according to the driver) "passenger action at Hammersmith, passenger
action on a train at Barons Court, and a punch-up on a third train".

Now, being the cheeky bar steward that I am, I'm going to see what
happens to a Charter claim for that debacle - nearly two hours from
Mile End to Northfields via Holborn - I'd have been better to stay on
the Central line all the way to EB and walk!

Passenger Action doesn't really have a definition, it's a description
the message passer chooses to describe what they are being told. It
usually involves a punch up, passenger taken ill on a train or possibly
a one-under.

All are valid examples of passenger action and the generic term may be
used by the driver to protect the sensibilities of sensitive passengers.

What you describe above, suggests passenger alarms used for no good
reason (each of those can easily take 5 mins to deal with) or a fight.
A fight near a platform edge would suspend the service in case someone
ends up on the track, and will usually cause a total shut down until BTP
arrive to deal.

I tend to try and be as accurate as possible with announcements without
using the 'some prat has just jumped under a train' description, even
though that's what I (and, I suspect, most of the train) may be
thinking. Some drivers will just use the generic Passenger Action and be
done with it.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

"Passenger action"
 

I was at Finsbury Park at around 0340 when the platform announcer told
us that there wouldn't be any eastbound Piccadilly services for a while
"due to a fight in progress on a train at Caledonian Road." He went on
to say that BTP were on their way, and the train wouldn't be going
anywhere until they were happy that the situation had been resolved.
(He did also point out that the delays were beyond their control...)

While I was waiting for an N29 outside, I heard the station PA was
announcing that the problems were due to "passenger action".

As for a Customer Charter claim, does that really count when NatWest
paid your fare? :)

On Jan 1, 2:02 pm, James Farrar wrote:
Does anyone know what this particular euphemism actually means?
Travelling home last night on the Picc, we sat between South Ken and
Gloucester Road for what must have been close to half an hour, due to
(according to the driver) "passenger action at Hammersmith, passenger
action on a train at Barons Court, and a punch-up on a third train".

Now, being the cheeky bar steward that I am, I'm going to see what
happens to a Charter claim for that debacle - nearly two hours from
Mile End to Northfields via Holborn - I'd have been better to stay on
the Central line all the way to EB and walk!

"Passenger action"
 

On 1 Jan 2007 11:07:28 -0800, "Martin Deutsch"
wrote:

I was at Finsbury Park at around 0340 when the platform announcer told
us that there wouldn't be any eastbound Piccadilly services for a while
"due to a fight in progress on a train at Caledonian Road." He went on
to say that BTP were on their way, and the train wouldn't be going
anywhere until they were happy that the situation had been resolved.
(He did also point out that the delays were beyond their control...)

While I was waiting for an N29 outside, I heard the station PA was
announcing that the problems were due to "passenger action".

As for a Customer Charter claim, does that really count when NatWest
paid your fare? :)

Well, this is what we'll find out :)

It's no different, from my POV, than any other journey I make, since I
have an annual travelcard, hence...

"Passenger action"
 

Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

What you describe above, suggests passenger alarms used for no good
reason (each of those can easily take 5 mins to deal with) or a fight.

Don't some tube trains have CCTV in them now? Could the drivers not
take a look in the carriage via the cam and if its obviously youths
dicking about and just pulling the alarm for the hell of it then just
cancel the alarm and continue as normal?

B2003

"Passenger action"
 

Boltar wrote:
Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

What you describe above, suggests passenger alarms used for no good
reason (each of those can easily take 5 mins to deal with) or a
fight.

Don't some tube trains have CCTV in them now? Could the drivers not
take a look in the carriage via the cam and if its obviously youths
dicking about and just pulling the alarm for the hell of it then
just cancel the alarm and continue as normal?

But it might have been another passenger who pulled the alarm, concerned
about his safety in the presence of wild youths. Difficult for the
driver to tell from the cam screen, I should think, and anyway this is
an area where zero tolerance should be applied IMO.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"Passenger action"
 

In message .com,
Boltar writes

Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

What you describe above, suggests passenger alarms used for no good
reason (each of those can easily take 5 mins to deal with) or a fight.

Don't some tube trains have CCTV in them now? Could the drivers not
take a look in the carriage via the cam and if its obviously youths
dicking about and just pulling the alarm for the hell of it then just
cancel the alarm and continue as normal?

No, it latches down and has to be physically reset with a J door key.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

"Passenger action"
 

In ,
James Farrar typed:
Does anyone know what this particular euphemism actually means?
Travelling home last night on the Picc, we sat between South Ken and
Gloucester Road for what must have been close to half an hour, due to
(according to the driver) "passenger action at Hammersmith, passenger
action on a train at Barons Court, and a punch-up on a third train".

Now, being the cheeky bar steward that I am, I'm going to see what
happens to a Charter claim for that debacle - nearly two hours from
Mile End to Northfields via Holborn - I'd have been better to stay on
the Central line all the way to EB and walk!

No compensation will be for delays which are delayed for reasons outside
the control of LU. Best to find out who was responsible for your delay
and sue them.








--
Bob

"Passenger action"
 

Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

No, it latches down and has to be physically reset with a J door key.

Good. On the occasion I used one for genuine reason[1], I don't think
it would have been obvious via CCTV that there was a justifiable reason
for it, as the train was very crowded.

Actually, on that occasion, I'd say I was disappointed in how the staff
initially handled it. I had expected that (as it was D-stock which
doesn't have a means of speaking to the driver) he'd immediately walk
up the train and see what was up. It took a few minutes before what
appeared to be a member of platform staff noticed me waving frantically
out of the door at them, and the priority seemed to be towards making
an announcement that was in a "we will be delayed because some twit has
pulled the cord maliciously/by accident" type of tone. Is there
perhaps a policy of the driver not attending a passcom incident alone
in case he is attacked?

[1] Very unwell-looking and almost unconscious (or possibly drunk, I
couldn't tell, he didn't particularly smell of it though) man with
panicking young child. I pulled it in the station to get staff
attention to have both of them taken off and sorted out, it seemed the
most appropriate thing to do rather than lead the child off myself as a
"stranger" given how scared he looked. Once dealt with, the passcom
was reset and off we went, with no suggestion afterwards that it was
the wrong thing to do.

Neil

"Passenger action"
 

In message .com, Neil
Williams writes

Actually, on that occasion, I'd say I was disappointed in how the staff
initially handled it. I had expected that (as it was D-stock which
doesn't have a means of speaking to the driver) he'd immediately walk
up the train and see what was up. It took a few minutes before what
appeared to be a member of platform staff noticed me waving frantically
out of the door at them, and the priority seemed to be towards making
an announcement that was in a "we will be delayed because some twit has
pulled the cord maliciously/by accident" type of tone. Is there
perhaps a policy of the driver not attending a passcom incident alone
in case he is attacked?

There is a feeling that ever since guards were removed from trains that
the driver shouldn't walk into something unknown on his own as he is the
only person subsequently able to drive the train.

I can see the point being made, but my personal approach is to try and
make contact with the person who has activated the PEA (via talkback),
then tell the Line Controller to get me some assistance and then go down
to the car concerned (we do know which car the alarm has been activated
in). You never know if the reason is a life or death thing and you just
might be able to help. At the end of the day, I'm in charge of that
train and I like to know what's going on on it.

But then, that's just me!

[1] Very unwell-looking and almost unconscious (or possibly drunk, I
couldn't tell, he didn't particularly smell of it though) man with
panicking young child. I pulled it in the station to get staff
attention to have both of them taken off and sorted out, it seemed the
most appropriate thing to do rather than lead the child off myself as a
"stranger" given how scared he looked. Once dealt with, the passcom
was reset and off we went, with no suggestion afterwards that it was
the wrong thing to do.

That sounds to me absolutely the right thing to do - I would have done
just the same.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)