Several times I've seen a trio of rail pastors at Tilehurst Station and I confess to wondering how often they have cause to intervene. ...
"See it, Say it, Sorted". It's a horrid phrase but it's a reminder that we can all be the ears and eyes that look out for our fellow human beings across the railway network. And a reminder to get professional help where you know (or think with reasonable cause) it may be needed.
Staff are spread thinly - some argue too thinly. That applies to the specialists such as the
BTP▸ (British Transport Police) and services such as rail pastors - others who are around (rail staff, volunteers in station friends groups, professionals in the caring and emergency businesses even off duty, and Joe Public too) are valuable eyes and ears putting situations in touch with solvers or potential solvers.
Looking back up, this is an old "person hit by train" thread, with the person hit being taken to hospital by ambulance. But this "see it, say it, sorted" goes far wider. Look out for the person who's sitting in the corner having been taken ill, the young or otherwise vulnerable person who's stranded and needs help, the parcel or package that's a potential danger to others or need reuniting with its owner, the damaged infrastructure that's danger to people or trains.
Even where someone is not ill, is not vulnerable, and is not a danger to themselves or others, so much good can be done from as little as a friendly word or two from staff or from volunteers who are clearly identifiable; that applies so much at the smaller, unstaffed stations. A confirmation of train times, pointing out the
TVM▸ (or telling people to buy from the conductor if there isn't one or it doesn't take cash), directions to the town centre for first time visitors. And these are daily or hourly helpful elements - far, far more commonplace than the more dramatic examples in previous paragraphs.
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