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Author Topic: Dangers of the underground  (Read 1955 times)
grahame
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« on: March 12, 2025, 14:43:45 »

From The Metro:

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Commuters say their last shreds of ‘joy’ were taken away after London Underground station book exchanges suddenly closed.

Tube stations across London were dotted with community bookswaps, where people can drop off and pick up something to read for free.

However, the Tube station bookswaps now face the end of the road after London Fire Brigade told them to close due to safety concerns the ‘combustible material’ poses.

Book lover Ryan Seller, from Clapham, was left confused when he found the shelves stripped empty with a note saying all book exchanges have been ‘forced to close’ with ‘immediate effect.’
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« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2025, 15:05:35 »

From The Standard

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Tube union threatens strike unless e-bikes are banned from London Underground after platform blaze

The fire at Rayners Lane station sent toxic fumes billowing across the station and caused temporary disruption to the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2025, 15:48:02 »

Hmm.

The King's Cross fire in 1987 showed why you really don't want flammable materials on the London Underground.

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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) 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.

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« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2025, 19:59:28 »

I see the article quotes the somewhat clumsy description of "Non-subsurface stations" so on that basis a book exchange would still be allowed at Rayners Lane for example.  Books are actually pretty hard to set light to, particularly when packed close together, so low risk at an above-ground station.  Try it some time with an unloved book! They would eventually burn if the station building went up in flames but would be a trivial part of the overall blaze rather than the cause.  One reason piles of Metro newspapers (clearly visible in one of the photos) are allowed. 

The book exchanges are not on the train where there might be rather more concern, so the (almost certainly dodgy) e-bike is very different in that respect, though modified/non-compliant ones ought to be dealt with on a wider level than just by LU as they're a safety hazard wherever they are.
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