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Transit Workers Union tells motormen to slow down trains


Harry

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The transit workers union is telling motormen to slow down their trains to about 10 miles per hour to avoid hitting someone who might be on the tracks. Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen said the reduced speed - trains typically enter a station at 30 mph to 35 mph - will give operators more time to stop in an emergency. The union' s motives are to save riders' lives - and save motormen from the emotional trauma of running someone over, said Samuelsen.

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Instead of 15 mph why not a compromise of say 20 mph when entering the station? Also what does upper management at the (MTA) think? 

 I doubt even if a T/O did ran a train at 15 mph, it would prevent someone from getting seriously hurt or even killed who for w/e the reason jumped the tracks. Plus it's very rare and we as the public still value getting from point a-b as quick and safe as possible.

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its all for show.  if they REALLY wanted to do this, they'd have pulled a broadway junction and started installing more timers @ stations.  Brilliant idea though.  While we're at it lets have buses go 5 miles an hour so they dont run the risk of running over pedestrians and small children...

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I think this idea makes no sense and has the potential to slow down service on plenty of lines. Lines with plenty of stops within short distances (ex. Manhattan locals) need to be able to run with as much speed as possible in between stations to be effective. Being that stations on local lines happen to be real close to one another this slowdown will also occur in the tunnels in between stations which no one wants. How is let's say a motorman on the southbound (6) coming out of 33rd supposed to pick up speed in the tunnel if another slowdown to 15 mph would occur at 28th which is only 5 blocks afterwards?

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While I understand the gravity of the situation here and I feel for the employees who have to go through this ordeal, I cannot side with the TWU on this. Yes, I get where the union is coming from. They're trying to protect their members from being blamed when the crews' trains are the cause of subway deaths. I don't need to tell you guys how the T/O and C/R are subject to drug tests immediately after the incident as though said incidents were intentional on the part of the crew. With that said, we can't have the subway system crawl to a halt because of the relatively few incidents that have occurred this past year. Yes, the number of 12-9s has increased over the past few years, but I don't think it's fair to the vast majority of riders that know not to stand so damn close to the platform edge, especially when under the influence. (Remember, only a few of the incidents were the result of being pushed onto the tracks.) We shouldn't be effectively cutting service so idiots can get another chance to be idiots. Not at the expense of normal folks who know how to wait for trains.

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You know how people hold doors for other people, you'll get more of that, More trains waiting at stations for connecting local or express trains crawling into stations 5 mph = extensive delays, pissed off people, connections not being made, conductors being attacked dispachers asking where we lost our time ect ect......Yeah ok.

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Is this a rule that is in the rule book or is this something that the president wants the T/O to do? The reason why I say that because if its a rule the operator is not protected incase of a suicide or accident. First of all there are no cameras on the lead end of any subway car, can the cameras on the platform get a good shot on how fast the train entered the station? What if the operator enters the station doing a little over 10mph and hits someone, the lawyers will have a field day on him. If this is not a written rule then it benifits the operator. I see the logic of this 10mph thing, if a passenger becomes sick and falls on the tracks the operator has time to react. This was probably put in for a person who becomes ill and fall on the tracks but if someone decides to throw themselves in front of the train then thats nothing the MTA can do about that.

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Is this a rule that is in the rule book or is this something that the president wants the T/O to do? The reason why I say that because if its a rule the operator is not protected incase of a suicide or accident. First of all there are no cameras on the lead end of any subway car, can the cameras on the platform get a good shot on how fast the train entered the station? What if the operator enters the station doing a little over 10mph and hits someone, the lawyers will have a field day on him. If this is not a written rule then it benifits the operator. I see the logic of this 10mph thing, if a passenger becomes sick and falls on the tracks the operator has time to react. This was probably put in for a person who becomes ill and fall on the tracks but if someone decides to throw themselves in front of the train then thats nothing the MTA can do about that.

 

I don't think it's a rule, but I'm not in RTO so I don't have the rule book.

 

There are stations that rules dictate be entered at 10 mph, but that is indicated by a speed limit sign, and often enforced by timers or wheel detectors. I know N/B Local Track at Queens Plaza, for instance, has a series of "WD 10" signs with matching wheel detectors enforcing the speed limit, but these are usually put in place because of curves, interlockings, or other hazards to operating at normal speeds. 

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I think this idea makes no sense and has the potential to slow down service on plenty of lines. Lines with plenty of stops within short distances (ex. Manhattan locals) need to be able to run with as much speed as possible in between stations to be effective. Being that stations on local lines happen to be real close to one another this slowdown will also occur in the tunnels in between stations which no one wants. How is let's say a motorman on the southbound (6) coming out of 33rd supposed to pick up speed in the tunnel if another slowdown to 15 mph would occur at 28th which is only 5 blocks afterwards?

 

 

You know how people hold doors for other people, you'll get more of that, More trains waiting at stations for connecting local or express trains crawling into stations 5 mph = extensive delays, pissed off people, connections not being made, conductors being attacked dispachers asking where we lost our time ect ect......Yeah ok.

 

Yeah this is what I thought. It's too bad the robotic/pre-programmed public won't recognize these problems until if/when they become incorporated into the system. Just another stressful setback the public and MTA employees are gonna have to put up with. Instead of tackling the real root of the problem all we get are these weak ideas that don't solve anything, make matters worse and all in all is just a pathetic attempt by the TWU to act like they give a dam about something outside of their ballpark. There's already a bunch of spy cameras on all these platforms, why cant at least they have a motion tracking system in place that warns people in female voice that says "hey you freak! are you looking to get clipped or mangled bloody dead? Step the hell back a little and spare us more trouble than YOU will ever have!".

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If you check a similar article on NY1 at the moment, it says that MTA management has shot down the TWU initiative.  Honestly though, I have to side with management on this one.  It takes me forever to get to/from college as it is...

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Oh the irony... yesterday the topic was posted and today two guys get hit by a train while fighting on the platform....

 

Actually that wasn't the case...  

 

One guy was taking a dump between cars on a NB 6 train (guess he couldnt hold it or keep his balance)...

 

He became Hamburger, the Other Guy was fighting on the Platform(Homeless and got thrown to the tracks...

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Actually that wasn't the case...  

 

One guy was taking a dump between cars on a NB 6 train (guess he couldnt hold it or keep his balance)...

 

He became Hamburger, the Other Guy was fighting on the Platform(Homeless and got thrown to the tracks...

So the original story that leaked out before the news reporters showed up turned out to be the closest to the right one. At first word was that the guy taking the dump was on the tracks and got hit though. Also, no one knew right away how the other guy got there but supposedly he got hit by a (5) train on the opposite track.

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Management view is this is an illegal job action. I have been told any T/O who operates 10 miles an hour In every station is to be removed from service for improper Train Operation. Also T/O will be sent to the mac for drug testing and given a ability to perform exam. We going to let labor relations handle all cases instead of the regular re instruction.

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