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Great Western Coffee Shop > Sideshoots - associated subjects > The Lighter Side > Burned toast shuts King's Cross Tube Station twice
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Author Topic: Burned toast shuts King's Cross Tube Station twice  (Read 3368 times)
Chris from Nailsea
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« on: April 22, 2010, 20:09:40 »
From the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Quote
Staff at one of the busiest Underground stations are being told to be more careful after it was shut down twice - because Tube workers burned the toast.
On both 13 March and 7 April, King's Cross was closed due to a fire alert caused by burning toast in a staffroom.
Firefighters were scrambled to the station and commuters evacuated. The incidents happened in the morning and evening rush hours respectively.
Transport for London said staff have been "reminded to take care".
A spokesman said: "King's Cross St Pancras station was closed for approximately twenty minutes due to a fire alert at the station. The fire alert was caused by smoke from a toaster in the staff area of the station. London Underground has extensive heat and smoke detection systems, fire alarms and auto sprinkler systems and both incidents were dealt with quickly."
He added: "Staff have been reminded to take care when using the cooking facilities and we would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused."
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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
johoare
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« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2010, 21:55:51 »
I guess (without wishing to spoil the fact that it is in the Lighter Side), after what happened there back in 1987 it might be best not to have false fire alarms..

I was attempting to meet a friend on 7th April and she was delayed by this as she was changing at Kings Cross to come down to Covent Garden where I was waiting..

She was apparently on the Picadilly line platform, a train was due in a minute or so but they were all ordered out the station.. If I remember rightly it was doing this back in 1987 that may have led to people getting on a burning escalator whilst staying on the platform and getting on the next train maybe would have been better..

Meanwhile she, although having worked in London for many years, was quite shaken by all the sirens and being evacuated...July 7th 2005 is never that far from peoples minds when something out of the ordinary happens..

I will tell her the reason she was evacuated from the station and so delayed..

Sorry Chris, I didn't want to spoil the lighter side of your story  Roll Eyes Grin
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2010, 22:06:32 »
I agree with you, Jo: there are some implications of this that are not so funny.

However, the point is, perhaps, that even all the latest high-technology still can't cater for some chump over-cooking their breakfast.  Roll Eyes
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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
johoare
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« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2010, 22:09:42 »
Well yes.. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes (maybe?  Grin).. I guess there isn't anyone there who was there the night the fire happened or they might only have burned their toast the once instead of twice  Wink Smiley
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2010, 05:57:54 »
Quote from: johoare on April 22, 2010, 22:09:42
Well yes.. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes (maybe?  Grin).. I guess there isn't anyone there who was there the night the fire happened or they might only have burned their toast the once instead of twice  Wink Smiley

I certainly hope that the fire brigade and safety people take a proportionate look at how the evaculation went and see if there are lessons which could be learned to tweek the system and perhaps do better (save more lives) if there's ever another real fire again there.

Of course, as the toast ended up blackened, this should have been posted in "the darker side"
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devon_metro
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« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2010, 16:38:10 »
Perhaps they ought to turn down the setting on the toaster, that way it will pop up in time  Grin
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Tim
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« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2010, 17:19:53 »
or stick the toaster in the bin? or rebuild the staff room in a separate surface building.
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JayMac
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« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2010, 18:07:19 »
Can't throw the toaster in the bin - there's probably a union agreement in place for toast!  Wink Tongue Grin
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"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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paul7575
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« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2010, 21:03:41 »
Quote from: bignosemac on April 23, 2010, 18:07:19
Can't throw the toaster in the bin - there's probably a union agreement in place for toast!  Wink Tongue Grin

They stick to outdated practices for so long they are probably still allowed an open fire and a toasting fork...

Paul
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devon_metro
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« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2010, 21:25:13 »
Quote from: bignosemac on April 23, 2010, 18:07:19
Can't throw the toaster in the bin - there's probably a union agreement in place for toast!  Wink Tongue Grin

Plus you can't have bins in underground stations due to the security risk  Cheesy Cheesy
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2010, 18:55:04 »
Quote from: bignosemac on April 23, 2010, 18:07:19
Can't throw the toaster in the bin - there's probably a union agreement in place for toast!  Wink Tongue Grin

You are closer to the truth than you may realize...take a look at this article from the Independent in 2001!
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JayMac
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« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2010, 19:15:16 »
 Shocked Roll Eyes Shocked Roll Eyes Shocked Roll Eyes

And in the 21st century as well!

Good find blakey.... I had heard of the story, or one similar, but thought it was apocryphal.
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"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
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