Dangerous Waiting for a Train

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20856644

US man dies after being 'pushed in front of train'

US police are searching for a woman alleged to have pushed a passenger in front of an oncoming train in New York.

Eyewitnesses said the man was standing on a platform at the subway station in Queens when a woman rose from a bench and shoved him onto the tracks.

In December, a homeless man was charged with murder for pushing a passenger to his death in the Times Square subway.

The incident caused an outcry after a tabloid published a photo showing the victim moments away from being struck.

On Friday, police identified the victim as 46-year-old Sunando Sen, originally from India and a resident of Queens.

Investigators identified Sen through a smart phone and a prescription pill bottle he was carrying.

(continued, watch your back?)

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Now they're going to be all competitive, trying to rack up the biggest score.

[cronus]

Looks like a trend doesn't it?

[pErvinalia]

My ex-wife had a serious paranoia about waiting for trains for this very reason. As irrational as she was, when I hear stories like this it does give me the creeps.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I can see one of our members pushing someone in front of a train just to be one step closer to the door when it stops.

[tattuchu]

I'm very confused as to why there are no railings to prevent this sort of thing from happening. And I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often by accident with all the bumping and jostling.

[pErvinalia]

We don't have railings at our train stations here in Oz. Are they common in the US?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

We don't have railings at our train stations here in Oz. Are they common in the US?

No, they're not. Tat, the doors open where the train stops. Railings would block the doors too often.

[tattuchu]

There should be retractable railings, then. When the train arrives and stops, then and only then will the railings disappear down into the floor. Surely it's possible with modern technology.
Train platforms have always terrified me. And I've never even been on a train.

[pErvinalia]

I think i've seen them in some cities where they have a full enclosure around the platform and doors open in that enclosure when the train arrives. The train has to stop at a certain spot so the doors line up. Maybe in Tokyo somewhere? I'll goggle.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There should be retractable railings, then. When the train arrives and stops, then and only then will the railings disappear down into the floor. Surely it's possible with modern technology.
Train platforms have always terrified me. And I've never even been on a train.

Somebody would get their neck broken on one and they'd have to be removed. A stripe of paint is much more effective of a barrier. And it allows free will.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I think i've seen them in some cities where they have a full enclosure around the platform and doors open in that enclosure when the train arrives. The train has to stop at a certain spot so the doors line up. Maybe in Tokyo somewhere? I'll goggle.

I've seen places where the entrance to the cars is a short corridor. The first door opens when the train arrives. After the passengers exit on one side the car doors and the second door open on the incoming side. Pretty expensive refit for the entire US subway system, I think.

[pErvinalia]

This isn't what I was thinking of, but looks like what you were talking about, tattuchu.

[pErvinalia]

Here's another system

[tattuchu]

That's very fancy. Must be Japanese. Of course, in Japan, I think the people would be much too polite to ever shove anybody onto the tracks anyway. Groping girls once on the train, perfectly acceptable. But shoving people on the tracks, unthinkable.