Train Surfing in-between DART carriages - How frequent is it in Dublin?

dublinman1990 · 05-09-2017 8:34pm #1

I came across this article about 2 youths taking part in train surfing on the DART while photographed at Killester.

https://www.sundayworld.com/news/pic-teenagers-spotted-train-surfing-on-dart

Unfortunately I have seen this activity at Seapoint once before earlier in the year. I was waiting there to go on a southbound DART for a short run to Dun Laoghaire. The young men were an older set of teenagers of about 4 of them in total. They were standing in-between the coupled end points of the boxed 4 car set of the 8500/8600 DART class carriages. Once the northbound 8 carriage DART stopped at Seapoint; either a passenger or the DART driver had spotted them in time doing this dangerous activity on the DART once they stepped onto the platform once they tried they get into a DART carriage. They eventually ran off from the station and the train was delayed for a short time afterwards. Not only does this type of activity is stupid and ignorant; it could eventually injure or kill someone on our railway network. This form of activity does eventually delay rail services in Dublin more often than not by something that is preventable; therefore it is unacceptable behaviour from the people who are frequently known to cause it.

We would definitely need an Irish Transport police or some other forms of Gardai in a situation like this one to stop this behaviour from happening again from our own rail network. What could we do as a society to punish the individuals that do this behaviour?

coylemj · 05-09-2017 9:27pm

Let them get killed, who gives a sh1t?

devnull · 05-09-2017 9:35pm

Unfortunately it will probably only be a serious accident or people getting killed for those kids to realise.

coylemj · 05-09-2017 10:00pm

devnull wrote: »

Unfortunately it will probably only be a serious accident or people getting killed for those kids to realise.

Like the way young car drivers realise the risks associated with driving too fast when they hear about other young drivers getting killed?

Or how young people realise the risks involved with taking drugs when they see people with gaunt faces and stoned out of their heads begging on the streets?

Nope, didn't think so.

Atlantic Dawn · 05-09-2017 10:01pm

About 20 years ago there was lots of it, some people got really badly injured with limbs severed.

Pkiernan · 05-09-2017 10:03pm

Replace unfortunately with hopefully

goingnowhere · 05-09-2017 10:07pm

Not uncommon in the past

The LHB Darts when refurbished had the fronts changed in part to minimise the ability to do this.

There will be an incident and of course since the driver can't see this it will be the driver of the next train. It only ends one way and thats death and a painful death

Losty Dublin · 05-09-2017 10:10pm

coylemj wrote: »

Let them get killed, who gives a sh1t?

I do.

They get killed and their families may well sue Irish Rail for compensation for their reckless carry on or that there wasn't bilingual signs to ward them of the dangers of their actions. Knowing the way of so many lawsuits, they'll probably kop a wab out of it, a wad which is paid for by you and I as taxpayers. And that's scant relief for their emotional loss.

An investigation by the railway accident investigation guys will invariably blame Irish Rail for not having walls or barriers in the gaps or staff to stop them from hanging in there; whatever fix that has to be done here will again be paid for by you. And that's not forgetting whatever delays that are incurred whenever an incident occurs on the railways.

Lose lose as far as I can see.

Stephen15 · 05-09-2017 10:21pm

Ah come on what ejits they should least have a can of spraypaint to leave their mark. At the end of the day you might aswell if you're going to put your life on line.

Jamie2k9 · 05-09-2017 10:22pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I do.

They get killed and their families may well sue Irish Rail for compensation for their reckless carry on or that there wasn't bilingual signs to ward them of the dangers of their actions. Knowing the way of so many lawsuits, they'll probably kop a wab out of it, a wad which paid for by you and I as taxpayers. And that's scant relief for their emotional loss.

An investigation by the railway accident investigation guys will invariably blame Irish Rail for not having walls or barriers in the gaps or staff to stop them from hanging in there; whatever fix that has to be done here will again be paid for by you. And that's not forgetting whatever delays that are incurred whenever an incident occurs on the railways.

Lose lose as far as I can see.

Transdev put a few stickers up, not even the RSC could blame them or IE if an accidents occurs.

punisher5112 · 05-09-2017 10:26pm

Any fool knows it ain't safe that's why anyone normal wouldn't do such a thing.

F##k them and their bull about sueing go do something constructive and help out in the community or a family member such as helping out grandparents or parents with help around their house such as maintaining them.

05-09-2017 10:29pm

goingnowhere wrote: »

Not uncommon in the past

The LHB Darts when refurbished had the fronts changed in part to minimise the ability to do this.

I'd presume that this is also why the 201s had their steps (above the buffers) welded up fairly early on?

coylemj · 05-09-2017 11:20pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

They get killed and their families may well sue Irish Rail for compensation for their reckless carry on ......

Their families will sue Irish Rail for 'their reckless carry on'. To whom is the ''their' in that sentence referring?

Losty Dublin wrote: »

..... or that there wasn't bilingual signs to ward them of the dangers of their actions. Knowing the way of so many lawsuits, they'll probably kop a wab out of it, a wad which paid for by you and I as taxpayers. And that's scant relief for their emotional loss.

They won't, there are statutory limits on what you can claim in those circumstances. No economic dependants means they will get sod all and that's even if IR are found to bear any liability which I seriously doubt - riding between two carriages is reckless in the extreme and not remotely in line with normal behaviour.

XPS_Zero · 05-09-2017 11:41pm

It's time we ended our compo laws to stop them doing that ^ so many issues in this country, CIE inefficiency and incompetence being another we just accept even though we know they are wrong.

The statement the transport minister or CIE should make if one of these utter morons gets killed should not be "this is a terrible accident our thoughts and prayers..." it should be:

"It's tragic to see anyone die before their time, especially when young. This should serve as an example to all young people to exercise some common sense, and to all parents to teach it to their kids. There are thousands of children laying dying in hospitals as we speak from serious medical conditions, and to have these kids throwing their lives away for a cheap thrill or to save less than €5 on a fare is an insult to those who actually value their life and realize how precious it is. Anyone with the slightest grasp of common sense would know that hanging on to the outside of a high speed train is courting disaster.

The excuse of "their just kids" just does not wash, kids know enough not to run onto a motorway and get hit by a car, they are perfectly capable of calculating risk, they just think in this case it won't happen to them, and even more tragically some of them even think they're clever for doing it. It's no surprise to any of us in Irish Rail that this happened, we knew it was inevitable the second we heard of this practice. We encourage the others doing this to consider that yes, it will happen to you, and it won't be an easy death."

If it does happen, no, I'm not gonna feel any sympathy. There are bounds of reason and this crosses them, anyone that PAINFULLY stupid being prevented from passing their genes on and creating more stupid people is a good thing. I've sympathy for people who take calculated risks that don't pay off, or who get injured or killed because of a poor decision that could have seemed to make sense at the time, but when you willfully put your life in obvious catastrophic danger like this...no just no. Plus lets know who were talking about here, bad as I feel saying it: were not talking about future doctors or sports stars or constructive members of society, were talking about people who will have their own kids before they hit their 20s and will spend a lifetime of sponging sponging sponging

coylemj · 05-09-2017 11:52pm

XPS_Zero wrote: »

.... anyone that PAINFULLY stupid being prevented from passing their genes on and creating more stupid people is a good thing.

+1 http://www.darwinawards.com/

Train Surfing in-between DART carriages - How frequent is it in Dublin?

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