Very bad accident involving C-Train downtown

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by nemanja2306

Like I said in my previous post, fair enough. I see your point, and definately agree with your. Kids can be a handful, especially between the ages 3-5 where they're really curious... But, again, I'm not a fan, I think my child would be safest with me holding his/her hand.

well then congrats. you would have the most obidient 3 year old to ever walk on this earth.

I wasn't a fan of the harness until he booted on me in the market mall parking lot.

It's not even a real cutesy harness. just a plain blue strapped thing, but i get alot of people stopping and commenting on how cute it is. I even had 3 sets of people stop and take his picture. Maybe they are reporting me to child services. haha

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by puckluck

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber.../14477531.html



Am I the only one who had onions for lunch?

Yikes!

That sounds gruesome. It's a good thing I didn't eat yet

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by puckluck

Justanotherguy PM'd me and told me to stop making jokes

I guess he took my comment of "anyone else have onions for lunch" the wrong way.

I think JustAnotherGuy does more pm'ing than posting on CP. And for the record, there was nothing wrong with that comment, I'm not sure how anyone in their right mind could take that comment to be a joke, or making light of the situation. You would have to almost be looking to get offended to get mad about that comment and pm someone.

[Jetsfan]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

You sound like a resonably aware parent. Unfortunately some children do require a leash.

Exactly.

Leashes work.

Keep your kids safe.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by nemanja2306

Ok fair enough. I would never judge or call someone a bad parent because they're using a leash. I'm just saying I personally would not use it, and if I was a kid, I also wouldn't want on me.

If you were 2 or 3, I don't think you would care. If anything, I think a kid would love it since it allows them the freedom to run around without being restrained all the time. I'm not a parent either, but from my observations, little kids are usually more miserable holding the parent's hand all the time when all they want to do is walk on their own.

Really, the only people who think they're demeaning are other adults. The kid would not know nor would they care what people think as long as they can run around.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

You're thinking of something like this:

(GIant picture)

Unfortunately difficult and/or impossible to implement in Calgary given the designs and locations of the stations, and the nature of operations.

Terrible and tragic accident.

I'm not that knowlegable with how these are built, but why wouldnt this work in Calgary?

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Horrible. Personally I don't think the C trains system is all that safe, they operate way to close to pedestrians, traffic, etc. Having a train system mixed in at the same level as everything else is a bad idea...but I guess its the way it was put in from the beginning. Hear about quite a few incidents with the c-train in Calgary.

Really tragic, condolences to the family.

I feel like you have no idea of how many "accidents" there are on subway lines.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I think JustAnotherGuy does more pm'ing than posting on CP. And for the record, there was nothing wrong with that comment, I'm not sure how anyone in their right mind could take that comment to be a joke, or making light of the situation. You would have to almost be looking to get offended to get mad about that comment and pm someone.

I have sent 4 pms in the last 6 months. Including a second one today to PuckLuck apologizing for my mistake about his post.

[Jimmy Stang]

I have taken my niece (she's 3) on the train a couple of times, and I always squeeze her hand a little tighter and lift her up over the gap. Having said that, I can't second-guess what happened today because I (thankfully) wasn't there to witness it for myself.

Actually, even if I'm on my own, I tend to stay pretty far back from the platform until I'm ready to get on. Subway/train platforms kind of freak me out like that. It is a totally irrational fear, and I'll be the first to admit that.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by puckluck

I'm not that knowlegable with how these are built, but why wouldnt this work in Calgary?

Variable train lengths and car types could make it so that it would be difficult or impossible for some trains to have the train doors stop at the platform doors.

At-grade operation of the system could make for some even more precarious situations for pedestrians and/or vehicles on the cross streets. The platforms are now integrated into the sidewalks themselves (the sidewalks ramp up on the new and soon-to-be-finished 7th Avenue platforms). The barrier kind of goes against the design concept of the new stations. Also, the platform doors could see frequent technical problems arising from being exposed to the elements at-grade, as opposed to being underground at a subway station.

Buses and emergency vehicles also use the 7th Avenue corridor, which would make operation of the platform barrier doors need to be operated by the LRT operator. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's how it currently works in other places, but if it isn't, that could pose a problem.

With the introduction of low-floor trains and platforms on the future Southeast and possibly north central lines, it makes no sense at all for those stations.

I could see the stores and businesses that now front onto the platforms themselves not liking it due to reduced visibility and perceived access/egress to their establishments.

Lastly, these types of platform barriers just aren't that common, even on busier metro systems in say Montreal or New York. I can't think of a single LRT system that has them.

[troutman]

There are no words.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

It is a totally irrational fear, and I'll be the first to admit that.

Nothing irrational about it IMO. You get hit by a train, you die. Pretty straight forward and people should be afraid and a little extra careful.

[Prototype]

Reading the witness account, I didn't see someone elses child... I saw my own two and a half year old in that situation, in my head. I don't know why I would do that, but I'm a little shaken up. I can't imagine what the parents are going through right now.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

I have taken my niece (she's 3) on the train a couple of times, and I always squeeze her hand a little tighter and lift her up over the gap. Having said that, I can't second-guess what happened today because I (thankfully) wasn't there to witness it for myself.

Actually, even if I'm on my own, I tend to stay pretty far back from the platform until I'm ready to get on. Subway/train platforms kind of freak me out like that. It is a totally irrational fear, and I'll be the first to admit that.

Is it? It's a massive thing of metal moving at about 70 km/h. One touch of that thing and you are dead. I stand back too.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Variable train lengths and car types could make it so that it would be difficult or impossible for some trains to have the train doors stop at the platform doors.

At-grade operation of the system could make for some even more precarious situations for pedestrians and/or vehicles on the cross streets. The platforms are now integrated into the sidewalks themselves (the sidewalks ramp up on the new and soon-to-be-finished 7th Avenue platforms). The barrier kind of goes against the design concept of the new stations. Also, the platform doors could see frequent technical problems arising from being exposed to the elements at-grade, as opposed to being underground at a subway station.

Buses and emergency vehicles also use the 7th Avenue corridor, which would make operation of the platform barrier doors need to be operated by the LRT operator. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's how it currently works in other places, but if it isn't, that could pose a problem.

With the introduction of low-floor trains and platforms on the future Southeast and possibly north central lines, it makes no sense at all for those stations.

I could see the stores and businesses that now front onto the platforms themselves not liking it due to reduced visibility and perceived access/egress to their establishments.

Lastly, these types of platform barriers just aren't that common, even on busier metro systems in say Montreal or New York. I can't think of a single LRT system that has them.

Plus the extra bit of time it would take operators to line up perfectly with the doors. Currently they have quite a bit of leeway for where the can stop and still have all doors accessing the platform.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by puckluck

I'm not that knowlegable with how these are built, but why wouldnt this work in Calgary?

They would potentially work, but would require massive overhaul of the current C-Train infastructure (new stations, new platforms, potentially all new cars) and add a ton of un-needed costs that would likely make the service even more expensive then it currently is.

The reality is that almost every major city has a subway and almost every station on every one of these subway lines world wide has an open platform (at least in sections). IMO, if parents are going to be bringing their young childern onto a C-Train platform they need to be full aware of the risks involved in doing so. It is no different then walking with a young child on a sidewalk a few feet off of a major roadway. There is only so much we, as a society can do to protect our childern. The rest has to come from the (supposed) responsible adults who should be caring for said childern on a daily basis.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Plus the extra bit of time it would take operators to line up perfectly with the doors. Currently they have quite a bit of leeway for where the can stop and still have all doors accessing the platform.

Yeah. Another thing I just thought of is the passenger-operation of the train doors and/or the tendency of people to hold doors. I don't see that meshing so well in conjunction with either passenger or operator-activated platform doors.

[Flabbibulin]

According to CBC, the child didnt wander off... He was running with an older man (presumably a family member) trying to catch a departing train. Maybe they were not aware that another train would be around in a few minutes... Although you think that would be common sense.

Edit- some more details fom cbc-

-There were some language barriers in communicating with the family
-they were trying to catch an east bound somerset train.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by peter12

Is it? It's a massive thing of metal moving at about 70 km/h. One touch of that thing and you are dead. I stand back too.

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

Nothing irrational about it IMO. You get hit by a train, you die. Pretty straight forward and people should be afraid and a little extra careful.

Fair enough. I'm glad that I'm not the only one. I just see so many people standing right on the yellow line as the train approaches. Gives me the chills.