Fatalities at and around Southall Station (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[tom-langley]

They may well find some alternative way on to the tracks, but I still think that the most obvious ways should be stopped. When someone is feeling suicidal, are they really going to spend time trying to find a way onto the tracks or are they just going to go somewhere else or even better perhaps reconsider.

Why is everyone resigned to this becoming a fact of life and not more outraged that more is not being done to try and stop it?

[Mookiemoo]

They may well find some alternative way on to the tracks, but I still think that the most obvious ways should be stopped. When someone is feeling suicidal, are they really going to spend time trying to find a way onto the tracks or are they just going to go somewhere else or even better perhaps reconsider.

Why is everyone resigned to this becoming a fact of life and not more outraged that more is not being done to try and stop it?

Because some of us accept if someone really wants to kill themself they will - and I'm not sure i\m of the opinion you should try to stop them

Given that they will do it anyway - in the lack of any advice of the best way to do it (note in America, train or vehicle suicides are low because people can simply swallow a hand gun) the most obvious is launching yourself in front of a train (given their inertia they will almost certainly drive over you if you dont get decapitated on impact - may be painful if not perfected but not as drawn out as death by paracetamol) - throwing yourself in front of a lorry is less accurate as they have more chance of swerving - wrist slitting is bad as it hardly ever works - narcotic overdose works but you have to get enough of them)

In fact, the best method is to get in a car and drive it at 100 mph + into a motorway bridge - head on - involves no one else and almost 100% successful

(not I am not suicidal but I did research this when my cousin departed this world by just that method)

[tom-langley]

I am not of the opinion that you should stop someone trying to kill themselves, IF they do it in a way that does not affect anyone else. Now anyone who commits suicide is going to cause hurt to their family, but why should they be allowed to cause additional hurt to people who have nothing to do with them, such as a train driver.

A member of my family works for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) and I dread the day that they are operating a train and someone throws themselves in front of it.

[smokey]

It's a strange fact that some train drivers have several Suicidal people end it all under their train.
For some it finishes their Driving days, some can shake it off.

I know 1 Driver had his first in his first 4 weeks of being in the Cab, I believe he's up to 5 now and he been driving for about 8 years.

Another Driver retired after a full working life in the Cab and never killed anyone, not that he knew to, in steam days at night running down a fox, deer or Man made the same kind of noise.

But for would be suicide's be warned that trains don't always kill you and then it's a mighty painful time untill you die or get sorted out at the cost of the NHS.

[jane s]

Maybe they should do a very emotive interview with a driver who has been traumatised by this & then put it in all the local papers (including the Asian lanuage ones) & on Sunrise radio.

I agree that if someone really wants to kill themselves they should be persuaded to do it in a way that doesn't involve anyone else.

[Doctor Gideon Ceefax]

Passengers shouldl be compenstated from the deceased's estate.

So I assume you would support suing the parents of the young lad, whom I had to walk the line to check for the remains of, after he threw himself in front of my train a few years ago?

The inconvience to your journey was nothing compared to the inconvience my driver, myself, those shovelling the remains into the body bags, and perhaps most importantly his family had and in some cases will continue to endure.

Suicides are the fault of society as a whole. Rather than wasting time worrying about expensive infrastructure alterations, spend the money on better provision for those suffering from mental health problems. Perhaps if society wasn't so harsh and cuthroat, people may find a better solution than ending it all. Rather than bleating on about what you are owed, maybe take a few moments to think what you could do for others.

[smithy]

Passengers shouldl be compenstated from the deceased's estate.

So I assume you would support suing the parents of the young lad, whom I had to walk the line to check for the remains of, after he threw himself in front of my train a few years ago?

The inconvience to your journey was nothing compared to the inconvience my driver, myself, those shovelling the remains into the body bags, and perhaps most importantly his family had and in some cases will continue to endure.

Suicides are the fault of society as a whole. Rather than wasting time worrying about expensive infrastructure alterations, spend the money on better provision for those suffering from mental health problems. Perhaps if society wasn't so harsh and cuthroat, people may find a better solution than ending it all. Rather than bleating on about what you are owed, maybe take a few moments to think what you could do for others.

agreed

i too have had to walk the track past body parts and also pull bits off a train,i appreciate that the public are more concerned about disruption but for me i dont really care about that.my main concern is for the train crew who through no fault of their own witnessed the incident,the people who have to remove the bits and of course the family left behind.

so to all you people moaning about delays next time you are caught up in chaos caused by a fatality spare a thought for the people that are really suffering.

to enville,if it were a member of your family that done themselves in would you still be saying compensate the passengers from the deceased estate? i doubt it.

[WashuChan]

I was delayed by the suicide at Hilsea and at another station on Monday this week and while I feel a little annoyed at being delayed, I know in no way was it the train company, the driver, the BPT's fault. I don't even have any ill feeling for the person who took their life, because I've been so close to it myself before and can easy see where it can be done.

What disturbs me was seeing the attitude of some of the posters in this topic about sueing the persons estate/family in regards to the inconvience it's caused them.

I'm going to be out right blunt but polite with you (and by you, I mean those who think it's the best idea) about it.

You are very wrong.

You've been delayed getting home. Your late for a meeting. Your late for your flight to x place. You won't get in time to watch the latest episode of X program.

The person's family have just lost a family member.

The train driver has just had to witness someone being dragged under the train they are driving, knowing full well they won't survive.

The first carriages passengers will have to see the blood splatter across their windows.

And you want to get money from the persons family for the actions their son, daughter, father, mother, uncle, aunt, cousin, grandfather, grandmother has just taken?

Take a reality check and note you are not that important, that ticket you have in your pocket or wallet does not entitle you to compensation at all from anyone.

I do agree that measures need to be taken to prevent such actions from occuring, and do acknowledge that sadly if someone is very determined, that they will find some way to do it, but thats not an excuse to try and make it incredible hard to do so.

I apologise if I've ruffled a few feathers with my first post on this forum however I've grown very tired of the sue culture that seems to be creeping into the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) from our "friends" in the USA.

[smithy]

I was delayed by the suicide at Hilsea and at another station on Monday this week and while I feel a little annoyed at being delayed, I know in no way was it the train company, the driver, the BPT's fault. I don't even have any ill feeling for the person who took their life, because I've been so close to it myself before and can easy see where it can be done.

What disturbs me was seeing the attitude of some of the posters in this topic about sueing the persons estate/family in regards to the inconvience it's caused them.

I'm going to be out right blunt but polite with you (and by you, I mean those who think it's the best idea) about it.

You are very wrong.

You've been delayed getting home. Your late for a meeting. Your late for your flight to x place. You won't get in time to watch the latest episode of X program.

The person's family have just lost a family member.

The train driver has just had to witness someone being dragged under the train they are driving, knowing full well they won't survive.

The first carriages passengers will have to see the blood splatter across their windows.

And you want to get money from the persons family for the actions their son, daughter, father, mother, uncle, aunt, cousin, grandfather, grandmother has just taken?

Take a reality check and note you are not that important, that ticket you have in your pocket or wallet does not entitle you to compensation at all from anyone.

I do agree that measures need to be taken to prevent such actions from occuring, and do acknowledge that sadly if someone is very determined, that they will find some way to do it, but thats not an excuse to try and make it incredible hard to do so.

I apologise if I've ruffled a few feathers with my first post on this forum however I've grown very tired of the sue culture that seems to be creeping into the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) from our "friends" in the USA.

well said

but i do not think you need to apologise for ruffling a few feathers,you are just talking sense so the posters you refer to need to take note.

[bobm]

Another fatality at Southall this morning at 9 o'clock. A Heathrow Express was involved. Relief lines reopened within 45 minutes but when I passed at 10:40 the train involved was still standing on the Up Main just past the station. Not sure if the passengers had been de-trained. I doubt it as the only option would have been to walk back down the track which wouldn't have been pleasant for obvious reasons.

[Mookiemoo]

And given it can take hours - I wonder how many missed their flights!

i'd have taken the unpleasant walk over flight missing

[bobm]

The train was coming from Heathrow - so not a good start to a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) visit for tourists after a long flight.   Hopefully no-one missed their flights as they did manage to get trains running on the relief lines pretty quickly and I think only one train to the airport was cancelled - the return working of the train involved.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

is it just me that finds it sickening that someone has died and some people are more concerned with missing their flights?

[Ollie]

I tend to find that when there has been a fatality most people understand and tend not to grumble - but there is always some that feels the need to say something which could be deemed inappropriate.

For example of a couple of responses after being told a fatality.

1st was said to me, but everyone around me heard and someone nearly hit the guy after he made a comment about hoping it was a member of staff
2nd was said to a colleague and the guy wanted to know when they would hurry up and get a train as his dinner was getting cold.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i always remember when i was a kid living up marple and on the way back from chester once all the trains were delayed at manc p, my mum asked a member of staff what was happening and wasnt given a very good reply when my mother pointed out that she was traveling with two young kids and it was nearly 11pm the reply from the female member of staff well its not my f*king fault someones threw themselves infront of a train.... this rather upset my mum at the time and as a result we got free travel for a day i guess everyone deals with it in different ways