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There's a reason you're not supposed to walk down the yellow line

By adamg on Fri, 10/18/2013 - 11:20pm

Women falls in Pit 101513

The T today released this video of bystanders helped the woman up after she took a pitfall at Downtown Crossing Tuesday morning.

Via WBZ.

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Red Line
Downtown Crossing


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Comments

By Waquiot on Fri, 10/18/2013 - 11:59pm.

Seriously.

I've got it in my head that if I stand just behind the yellow line, people trying to pass me from the direction opposite the one I'm watching will pass on the yellow line. Further, I have a fear that I will suddenly swing my body, causing my bag to hit someone, thus sending them onto the tracks.

I do move when they announce a train is arriving.

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By Up at night on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 1:11am.

I noticed a T employee standing by at the time as bystanders were trying to get the woman up. Really dude!!!!

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By Nancy on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 9:08am.

Telling everyone that there's someone on the tracks and no one should enter the station until they get the all clear? I guess standing there with his hands in his pockets is as much as he wanted to do. Thank goodness business casual guy and young woman with big handbag were there to help her.

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By Nicole on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 10:26am.

I noticed the same.
Civilians were way more concerned. Smh

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By Allstonian on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 12:41pm.

Watch the video again, and pay close attention to when and how that T employee enters the frame - he comes down the stairs with a backpack in one hand. I suspect he is not actually on staff at that station, but is taking the T either to or from where he actually works.

When he gets close enough to see what's going on (if you read big-bag-woman's blog post she says that she couldn't see the fallen woman herself, but only heard her calling for help) he turns and waves to the opposite end of the platform, presumably to get the attention of station staff down there. If he's not on duty he may not even have a walkie-talkie or radio to call for help.

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By Elmer on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 2:26pm.

I suspect you are correct about him not being on duty at that time. Nonetheless, the T always says to wait for the professional rescue personnel rather than entering the pit. Even reaching down and frantically pulling someone up by their leg or whatever could further injure the fallen individual, or injure the rescuer too. The situation could get much worse if someone touches the third rail! Adrenaline is probably kicking in for some people, with the belief that a train will come barreling through any second.

If the trains are stopped, however, there's no hurry to extricate the person in the pit; better to take the time and do it safely. Here, the T employee is remaining calm, but he keeps looking and waving toward the far direction to make SURE any oncoming train knows to stop. It seems to me, this would be proper protocol. He did his job well, even if he was off duty!

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By Lecil on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 11:10pm.

I don't have a problem with the way the MBTA uniformed employee handled this situation. There were already several people at the edge assisting the woman. The man in the blue shirt who casually wandered off early after she fell, on the other hand...

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By anon on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 8:28am.

Looks like she was talking on her cellphone before she took the fall. Notice her left arm is raised when the video starts. If this doesn't teach her to pay attention, nothing will.

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By Markk02474 on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 4:22pm.

There is a growing need for gates at platforms to keep people from falling and trespassing on the rails. Its not just people being stupid when crossing streets, they do it everywhere.

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By Anonzo on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 10:33am.

http://theseversons.net/2013/10/brave/

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