Luas crowding and concerts

tawnyowl

Last night I took the Luas from Tallaght, intending to get off at Busaras. It got a bit more crowded than usual, but it seemed possible - not as crowded as it sometimes gets when there's a concert at the Point.

At Abbey Street an unusually large number of people got on. At Busaras I could not get off - I was standing beside the door with a vertical bar between me and it, but the crowd was too dense to move. In the end, I couldn't get off till the Point.

One thing that disturbed me was that there was the sound of several people jumping from further back in the Luas and I could feel the floor going up and down a bit where I was. Given the limited space on the Luas, I'm worried that this could lead to injuries. (Does anybody have any stats for injuries caused to Luas passengers?)

I didn't see any Luas security on board, but couldn't see the platform clearly.

Does Luas security make any changes for concert nights at the Point or other events?

hfallada

Have you ever taken public transport outside of Ireland? Im not being sarcastic but I have taken the Subway in places like Beijing where literally hundreds of people push onto a train through a door while people are pushing to get off every single spot. There is no injuries as it just how people use public transport in Asia. Irish people have some notion that public transport should be a seat for everyone, while most undergrounds and trams around the world have a majority of people standing on them. There is no security as people use their common sense.

Jamie2k9

Have experienced not being able to get off before, as it's not common and there isn't a lot an operator can do about it. They are packed but there is no danger.

In future stand at the doors if getting off, only way it works.

Does Luas security make any changes for concert nights at the Point or other events?

Revenue and security are usually present and will board if they see fit, the guards generally monitor passengers in the final few stops leading up to the Point but don't think there presence was needed for this concert compared to others.

sdanseo

tawnyowl wrote: »

I didn't see any Luas security on board, but couldn't see the platform clearly.

Does Luas security make any changes for concert nights at the Point or other events?

SRT are very visible on the Red Line, especially at concerts. Moreso at the Point than along the line itself.

There are junkies, knackerish behaviour and a whole lot worse on pretty much every red line tram at this stage. I'm very rarely anywhere near it but any time I am I wish the security had tazers like the US, and used them liberally on the scrotums they call humans who cause trouble.

dobman88

sdeire wrote: »

There are junkies, knackerish behaviour and a whole lot worse on pretty much every red line tram at this stage. I'm very rarely anywhere near it .

Bit of a contradiction?

sdanseo

dobman88 wrote: »

Bit of a contradiction?

I don't need to be near it often to conclude that on just about 100% of my times on it, there's been unsavoury folk.

Add that to stories from friends, colleagues etc. who all share the same opinion and who do take it daily.

monument

tawnyowl wrote: »

Last night I took the Luas from Tallaght, intending to get off at Busaras. It got a bit more crowded than usual, but it seemed possible - not as crowded as it sometimes gets when there's a concert at the Point.

At Abbey Street an unusually large number of people got on. At Busaras I could not get off - I was standing beside the door with a vertical bar between me and it, but the crowd was too dense to move. In the end, I couldn't get off till the Point.

One thing that disturbed me was that there was the sound of several people jumping from further back in the Luas and I could feel the floor going up and down a bit where I was. Given the limited space on the Luas, I'm worried that this could lead to injuries. (Does anybody have any stats for injuries caused to Luas passengers?)

I didn't see any Luas security on board, but couldn't see the platform clearly.

Does Luas security make any changes for concert nights at the Point or other events?

Did you try to ask people to get out of your way when the tram was stopped at any stop between Abbey Street and the Point?

It's normal for people to have to leave a tram to let others out and asking people (often loudly but nicely) to move out of the way is nearly a requirement to using trams at busy times -- be that the highs of rush hour or when there's events on.

corktina

sdeire wrote: »

I don't need to be near it often to conclude that on just about 100% of my times on it, there's been unsavoury folk.

.

did you mean to say that? lol

carlmango11

tawnyowl wrote: »

At Busaras I could not get off - I was standing beside the door with a vertical bar between me and it, but the crowd was too dense to move. In the end, I couldn't get off till the Point.

I might be misinterpreting this but you literally couldn't get *off* the tram? From people getting on?

If I'm getting off and people start trying to get on first I forcefully push my way through them to make a point. People who try get on before letting people off have to be a bit retarded. It's like trying to take someone's parking space before letting them reverse out of it.

tawnyowl

monument wrote: »

Did you try to ask people to get out of your way when the tram was stopped at any stop between Abbey Street and the Point?

Yes, I asked at Busaras, but the guy nearest me couldn't move far - he said so after trying and people were pushing on at that stage.

I didn't ask at subsequent stops as the doors that opened were on the opposite side, so it wouldn't have been possible to ask my way through given the much bigger crowd between there and where I was.

It's normal for people to have to leave a tram to let others out and asking people (often loudly but nicely) to move out of the way is nearly a requirement to using trams at busy times -- be that the highs of rush hour or when there's events on.

I've used the Red Line for some time and normally I can get through a crowd by asking politely, but this time the crowd was impossible to get through.

tawnyowl

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Have experienced not being able to get off before, as it's not common and there isn't a lot an operator can do about it. They are packed but there is no danger.

The jumping sound from the back and the rising and falling of the floor where I was makes me wonder if it's only a matter of time before there's an accident caused by rowdy passengers.

In future stand at the doors if getting off, only way it works.

There was only a vertical yellow bar between me and the doors. Still wasn't possible to disembark.

It would have been possible to disembark at stops before Abbey Street.

Revenue and security are usually present and will board if they see fit, the guards generally monitor passengers in the final few stops leading up to the Point but don't think there presence was needed for this concert compared to others.

tawnyowl

carlmango11 wrote: »

I might be misinterpreting this but you literally couldn't get *off* the tram? From people getting on?

Exactly.

If I'm getting off and people start trying to get on first I forcefully push my way through them to make a point. People who try get on before letting people off have to be a bit retarded. It's like trying to take someone's parking space before letting them reverse out of it.

I didn't try pushing my way through in case I caused an accident.

tawnyowl

hfallada wrote: »

Have you ever taken public transport outside of Ireland?

Yes, mainly in the UK.

Im not being sarcastic but I have taken the Subway in places like Beijing where literally hundreds of people push onto a train through a door while people are pushing to get off every single spot. There is no injuries as it just how people use public transport in Asia. Irish people have some notion that public transport should be a seat for everyone, while most undergrounds and trams around the world have a majority of people standing on them. There is no security as people use their common sense.

I didn't complain about lack of seats. The jumping, which worried me, might have caused injuries.

devnull

carlmango11 wrote: »

If I'm getting off and people start trying to get on first I forcefully push my way through them to make a point. People who try get on before letting people off have to be a bit retarded. It's like trying to take someone's parking space before letting them reverse out of it.

Welcome to the DART every night, get on a dart train soutbound and get off at Connolly in the evening and it's terrible. People are far enough from the train as it is almosot stop, but as it stops and the doors start to open there is a rush right to the very edge of the platform taking up almost all space where you get off, nobody waits, everyone tries to push past.

If you on on the front two carriages this is a safety risk since there is also a big gap between the train and the platform on platform 5 and several times I've seen people have to push to get off safely since there is little room and a huge gap. People really do need to be more considerate, but it happenes every night and I'm used to it by now.

hardCopy

tawnyowl wrote: »

I didn't try pushing my way through in case I caused an accident.

There's your problem. You don't ask, you push, shout "hold the door" if you don't think you'll make it.

LuckyLloyd

hfallada wrote: »

Have you ever taken public transport outside of Ireland? Im not being sarcastic but I have taken the Subway in places like Beijing where literally hundreds of people push onto a train through a door while people are pushing to get off every single spot. There is no injuries as it just how people use public transport in Asia. Irish people have some notion that public transport should be a seat for everyone, while most undergrounds and trams around the world have a majority of people standing on them. There is no security as people use their common sense.

Meh, while this may be true it doesn't detract from the reality that rushour LUAS / Underground / Subway sardine can experiences are misreable and hateful. I'm always personally amazed as far as the LUAS goes that people will push on at peak times to spend as much as a half hour standing in a deeply uncomfortable position rather than stand back and wait the few minutes to the next tram (as, unlike bigger cities we rarely have two in a row absolutely stuffed to the max). Yes your time is valuable, but only to a certain extent imo.