Great Western Coffee Shop

From Network Rail, posted on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbfOEjGP_W4):

Was nearly involved in a pile up at the top of an escalator on the LU this week. The couple directly in front of me both had large suitcases and carry bags, and decided when they got to the top that it would be a good idea to stop and do some reorganising or swapping around of baggage. The problem was, when I say the top, I mean exactly that. I couldn't get round them or their baggage, nor could anyone else, and with the escalator heavily loaded, within seconds there was the potential for a very nasty incident.  Several people (including me) shouting at them soon did the trick though, but it shows how easily accidents can happen.

People increasing living in their own world with zero thought for the fellow human. Its very sad, frankly.

Here's a cyclist doing something stupid.... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0uyVCO0SM)

I once had to push a chap out of the way at Birmingham New St who stepped off the Up Escaltor and immediately stopped to look around for directions.

I nearly had an accident at St Pancras recently when a chap and his son stopped right at the bottom on the escalator, luckily I managed to jump round the side of them and they moved before anybody else came along.

On a recent medical declaration I had to cite an example for balance and stability. I wrote this:


Last time I was in London I saw someone drop a laptop bag at the top of a, thankfully, empty escalator going down. As the bag somersaulted end to end from top to bottom. By the time the bag got to the bottom it had picked up a tremendous rate of knots which was quite frightening... If it had been an up escalator and someone had been trying to send a tweet from a smartphone and/or not looking what they were doing, or worse a small child... That could have been a very, very nasty accident. Put it this way. The speed that thing was going down the escalator, I wouldn't have fancied my chances in getting out of the way quick enough!

Also I think the person who redesigned the layout in London Bridge Station should re-evaluate the escalators sightings and the entry/exit to the bogs. If you're going down the escalator it's not a problem and you can in essence do a 180 degree left turn. If you're in the walk of people trying to go up and want to deviate via the toilets on your right... You have to fight your way through those coming down also on your right... Not ideal.

Same with the traffic layout in Southgate Bath. Traffic Lights there cause no end of confusion, Cars want to do an almost 300 degree turn onto Dorchester Street from the Southgate Underground Car Park. They're not meant to and instead are supposed to do a round the block tour of Avon Street. There has already been one very bad accident there with a pedestrian and a bus... :( :-X :-\

Only last Saturday did I have some very irate stuck up woman in a 4x4 blast her horn at me and giving me the V's because I was in her way. Problem was, I had crossed Dorchester Street on foot on a Green Man so had 100% right of way. I wasn't able to move too quickly which seemed to be the crime of the century and angered her even more. Once I had got across the crossing she pulled up into the bus stop, got out of this ridiculous vehicle and began to attempt an argument; I think her passengers might have egged her on. I just said she might be more interested in that the Number 13 Bus had just blocked her in (it had).

I then received the question "Look at my face, what do you see, do you see how funny I think this?" However the answer: "I see someone who likes their makeup" was not an acceptable one... How I am still alive to tell this story... I know not...! :D :-X :o

Bogs ~ London Bridge Undergound - where? Never seen them!

You are VERY fortunate you never spotted the old ones... Let alone used them... :-X :o

The toilets I was referring to here are in "The Vaults" as shown in the bottom left of the map courtesy of Thameslink Program Website: http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/ (http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/)

The Vaults being a fairly narrow and enclosed shopping area with access to London Underground at one end; escalators up to the main terminus platforms at London Bridge Station the other. The loos are situated down a long(ish) walkway directly to the right of the escalators if you're heading up to the Terminus Platforms...

(http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/sites/all/files/London%20Bridge%20station%20May%202013%20changes.jpg)

I've only ever gone up/down those escalators & never noticed anything off to the side of them! Thanks!

It's not only humans that have problems with escalators:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBRpZMqifn0

 ;D

They are in a stupid place, not many people seem to find them. To be fair though they are pretty decent and clean, but with the standard 30p charge.

Guess everyone needs exercise!

What make was the 4 X 4 in Bath. 20-1 says it was a Range Rover or Evoque or whatever; 25-1 a Merc or BMW; 150-1 a Skoda.

Not railway related but approx 3 years ago I had attended a performance in St.David's Hall in Cardiff and on leaving a lady caught her shoe and jammed at the bottom resulting in several people falling on top of her.   A number of people required hospital treatment.    Following this "LESSONS WERE LEARNT"  and a member of staff was present at all future times.   What aggravated it was that the Emergency Stop Button was not in an obvious place where it could be seen.

A couple of years ago I got a shoelace caught in the tread of an up escalator, just as it reached to top. Again, not a railway one (it was at a French hypermarch^). Fortunately there was no-one right behind me, and I knelt down and pulled very hard and it came out. If it hadn't, no great harm would have occurred - to me at least - as the shoe was caught above the comb.

However, it makes me think "why doesn't that happen more often?". At the bottom of a crowded escalator it could be pretty nasty.