Trakasserier på tunnelbana, tåg och buss och plattformssäkerhet¶
Nödnummer skiljer sig åt mellan olika länder. Den här sidan använder 911, numret för USA och Kanada. Många andra länder använder 112, 999 eller ett annat nummer. Hitta numret för ditt land.
Kollektiva kollektivtrafiksystem, inklusive tunnelbanor, pendeltåg, spårvagnar och kommunala bussar, flyttar miljarder passagerare varje dag, men deras fysiska arkitektur innebär unika personliga säkerhetsutmaningar under en nödsituation. Vänteplattformar placerar fotgängare nära högspänningsräls och 300-tons tåg som rör sig i 50 till 80 kilometer i timmen (30 till 50 miles per timme). Väl inne i en tågvagn eller stadsbuss i rörelse är passagerarna tillfälligt instängda i en smal metallhytt utan extern utgång till nästa planerade stationsstopp, ofta i underjordiska tunnlar där cellulära signaler sjunker och åskådare fryser på grund av spridning av ansvar.
Oavsett om du konfronterar en oberäknelig passagerare i en stängd tunnelbanevagn, försvarar dig mot oönskad beröring eller verbala trakasserier i en fullsatt rusningsvagn, eller väntar ensam på en tunnelbanestation sent på natten, beror överlevnaden på rumslig positionering och att veta hur kommunikationshårdvaran för transit fungerar. Att förstå varför du aldrig får dra i ett tågs mekaniska nödbromshandtag när du är inne i en tunnel, hur du använder stålpelare för att skydda din rygg mot plattformsattacker och hur du bryter åskådareffekten genom att tilldela specifika uppgifter till enskilda passagerare förvandlar dig till en beslutsam pendlare.
Gör det här nu¶
Om du konfronteras av en aggressiv, oberäknelig eller trakasserande person på en tunnelbaneperrong, inuti en tågvagn i rörelse eller ombord på en offentlig buss, utför dessa sex steg omedelbart:
- Stig tillbaka från plattformskanten och placera ryggen mot en solid vägg eller pelare: På någon järnvägs- eller tunnelbaneplattform, stå aldrig nära den gula taktila varningsremsan medan du väntar. Stå så långt tillbaka från spårbädden som plattformen tillåter, helst med ryggraden platt pressad mot den bakre kakelväggen eller direkt bakom en tjock stålpelare så att ingen kan närma sig bakifrån eller knuffa dig mot spåren.
- Skapa fysiskt avstånd genom att flytta till nästa tågvagn eller till bussförarhytten: Inuti ett tåg, gå lugnt och omedelbart bort från en upprörd eller trakasserande passagerare mot den ockuperade änden av vagnen, eller passera genom ändportsdörren (på system där dörrarna mellan vagnarna är olåsta) eller gå ut på perrongen för att gå ombord på nästa hållplats, helst vid nästa hållplats. konduktör eller operatör**. På en buss, flytta omedelbart till första raden direkt bredvid föraren.
- Tryck på knappen Passenger Emergency Intercom (PEI), dra INTE i nödbromsen i en tunnel: Leta upp panelen för push-to-talk Passager Emergency Intercom nära tågdörrarna för att tala direkt med tågoperatören och larma transitpolisen vid nästa station. Dra aldrig i det mekaniska nödbromshandtaget när ett tåg rör sig inne i en tunnel, på en bro eller under en brand eller överfall ombord, eftersom att stoppa tåget mellan stationerna fångar alla inuti med hotet och hindrar polis och ambulanspersonal från att nå bilen.
- ** Bryt åskådareffekten genom att peka på en specifik person och ge ett direkt kommando**: Att skrika en allmän vädjan som "Någon hjälp" i en fullsatt bil utlöser sällan åtgärder eftersom varje passagerare väntar på att någon annan ska ingripa. Titta direkt på en specifik åskådare, beskriv vad de har på sig, peka på dem och tilldela en konkret uppgift: "Du i den blå jackan, tryck på den röda intercomknappen just nu" eller "Du i den grå rocken, stå mellan mig och den här personen."
- Släpp till det djupa spårtråget eller rulla under plattformens överhäng om du trycker på spåren: Om du ramlar eller trycks in på tunnelbanespår och inte kan klättra upp igen omedelbart, vidrör aldrig den elektrifierade tredje skenan (den upphöjda skenan med en skyddsbräda eller metallkontaktyta, vanligtvis på sidan längst från plattformen). Om inget tåg närmar sig, kör nerför spåren mot mottagande tågs infartsände av stationen medan du viftar med en ficklampa eller ljusa kläder så att föraren har maximal bromssträcka. Om ett tåg redan kör in på stationen, lägg dig helt plant i djupa dräneringstråget mellan löpskenorna eller rulla in i det underskurna säkerhetsurtaget under perrongläppen om det finns.
- Ring eller sms:a räddningstjänsten med det specifika 4-till-5-siffriga numret för järnvägsvagnen eller bussflottan: Så fort du har mobil- eller stations Wi-Fi-mottagning, ring eller sms:a din lokala nödnummer (911 i USA och Kanada, 112 i hela Europeiska unionen, 999 i Storbritannien, eller dedikerade transitpolisens SMS-linjer som 61016 för British Transport Police i Storbritannien). Läs det exakta 4-till-5-siffriga bilnumret som är tryckt ovanför de inre änddörrarna på tågvagnen eller ovanför bussens främre vindruta, linjefärgen/numret, färdriktningen och nästa stationsnamn.
Dra aldrig i nödbromsen inne i en tunnel under ett brott eller brand
Genom att dra i nödbromslinan eller det röda handtaget släpps lufttrycket från tågets bromssystem och låser hjulen på plats tills föraren går längs tåget för att återställa ventilen manuellt. Om en våldsam passagerare attackerar människor eller rök fyller en bil, dra i bromsen i en underjordisk tunnel eller på en förhöjd bock fångar passagerarna i mörkret i 15 till 30 minuter utom räckhåll för polis och brandmän. Använd istället nödintercom så att operatören kan köra direkt till nästa starkt upplysta stationsplattform där dörrar öppnas och polisen kan gå ombord.
Taktiskt beslutsträd för hot om masstransport¶
Använd detta operativa beslutsträd för att välja den säkraste fysiska positioneringen och kommunikationsåtgärden beroende på om hotet inträffar på en stationsplattform, inuti en rörlig järnvägsvagn eller ombord på en transitbuss.
flowchart TD
Start["Aggressiv, oberäknelig eller trakasserande person som påträffas vid masstransport"] --> Location{"1. Var befinner du dig just nu?"}
Location -->|"A. Tunnelbana eller tågstationsplattform"| PlatPos["Steg tillbaka mot bakvägg eller stålpelare; Stå aldrig nära Yellow Edge"]
Location -->|"B. Inuti rörlig tunnelbana eller tågvagn"| CarMove["Bryt ögonkontakt; Gå lugnt till motsatta änden av bilen eller intilliggande bil"]
Location -->|"C. Inuti flytta kommunal- eller bussbuss"| BusMove["Gå omedelbart till främre raden bredvid föraren; Säg till föraren att stanna vid väl upplyst hållplats"]
PlatPos --> PlatThreat{"2. Närmar eller hotar personen dig på plattformen?"}
PlatThreat -->|"Ja: Närmar sig"|DesignatedArea["Flytta till det utsedda vänteområdet (CCTV/hjälppunkt) eller gå ut vändkors till gatan"]
PlatThreat -->|"Knuffade eller föll på spårbädd"| TrackAction{"Kommer ett tågstrålkastare/vrål redan in på stationen?"}
TrackAction -->|"Nej: Spår ren"| ClimbOrRun["Undvik Third Rail; Klättra på ändstege eller spring mot inkommande tågriktning. Viftande ljus"]
TrackAction -->|"Ja: Tåg några sekunder bort"| Trough["Ligg platt i djupt mitttråg eller rulla under plattformens överhäng; Täckhuvud"]
CarMove --> Intercom["3. Tryck på Passenger Emergency Intercom (PEI)-knappen; Statligt bilnummer och nästa station"]
Intercom --> BrakeRule["4. Dra INTE i nödbromsen i tunneln; Låt tåget nå nästa stationsplattform"]
BrakeRule --> StationOpen["5. Lämna dörrarna omedelbart vid nästa station; Flytta till Conductor Window eller Station Booth"]
BusMove --> CallDispatch["6. Ring eller sms:a 911 / 112 / 999 / Transitpolis med 4-siffrigt flottnummer och rutt"]
DesignatedArea --> CallDispatch
StationOpen --> CallDispatch
Jämförelse av hårdvara för transitsäkerhet: Emergency Intercom vs. Emergency Brake vs. Platform Help Point¶
Ett av de vanligaste och farligaste misstagen som pendlare gör under en transitkris är att förväxla kommunikationsintercomen med den mekaniska nödbromsen eller dörröppningen. Granska hur varje enhet fungerar i moderna järnvägs- och busssystem innan en nödsituation inträffar.
| Transitenhet | Visuellt utseende och plats | Vad händer när den aktiveras | När du ska använda den | När man ALDRIG ska använda den |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passager Emergency Intercom (PEI)/Talk-Back-knapp | Fyrkantig metallplatta med en tryckknapp (ofta gul, blå eller röd med högtalargaller och punktskrift) monterad i brösthöjd bredvid passagerardörrar | Öppnar en tvåvägs röstkanal direkt till tågoperatörens hytt och utlöser en interiör CCTV-kamerainspelning av den specifika vagnen; stoppar inte tåget | Use for any onboard emergency: active assault, medical collapse, smoke/fire, suspicious package, or severe harassment while the train is moving | Never hesitate to press it during a genuine safety threat; you do not need to speak loudly if hiding, an open mic alerts the operator to view the car's camera |
| Emergency Brake Handle / Cord (Passcomm) | Red pull-handle, lever behind a break-glass cover, or ceiling cord mounted near the end doors or vestibule of a rail car | Vents pneumatic brake pipe pressure or triggers full service/emergency braking, bringing the entire train to a dead stop wherever it is located | Only when the train is still partially in the station and a person, child, wheelchair, dog leash, or coat is dragged outside the closed doors as the train starts moving | Never pull while moving between stations for an onboard crime, medical emergency, or fire; stopping in a tunnel delays rescue by 15 to 30 minutes |
| Emergency Door Release Lever (Egress Release) | Red lever or T-handle behind a clear plastic cover directly above or beside a sliding passenger door | Mechanically disengages the pneumatic or electric door lock after the train has come to a complete stop, allowing doors to be pushed open by hand | Only when the train is completely stopped, the operator is incapacitated or instructs evacuation, and immediate life safety (such as active fire) requires exiting | Never pull while the train is in motion or to step out onto an energized third-rail track bed without confirmation that traction power is off |
| Platform Help Point / Blue-Light SOS Kiosk | Tall vertical stanchion or wall box on the station platform with a bright blue or white beacon light and two buttons ("Information" and red "Emergency / SOS") | Connects immediately to the Station Control Room or Transit Police dispatch desk and automatically pans the nearest high-definition platform CCTV camera onto your exact spot | Whenever you feel stalked, cornered, threatened, or witness a medical crisis or track fall on a station platform | Do not use the red SOS button for routine schedule questions (use the green/blue Info button instead) |
| Platform Emergency Trip Station (Track Power Cut) | Blue light box mounted at the ends of underground subway platforms or along tunnel walls (marked "Emergency Third Rail Power Off" or used by staff/first responders) | Cuts 600V to 750V DC traction power to the third rail in that track zone and turns track signals red | Used by transit staff, firefighters, or trained personnel when someone is trapped on the tracks in front of an oncoming train | Never enter the track bed assuming power is off unless transit officials confirm a full traction power shutdown |
Platform survival: defending against track shoves and surviving a fall onto the tracks¶
Slumpmässiga och riktade "plattformskuff"-angrepp, där en känslomässigt störd eller våldsam individ knuffar en intet ont anande pendlare från plattformskanten precis när ett tåg kommer in på stationen, är bland de mest dödliga farorna i stadstrafik. Eftersom en passagerare som står 30 centimeter (1 fot) från plattformskanten tar mindre än 0,8 sekunder att välta in i ett tåg efter ett plötsligt knuff bakifrån, är överlevnad helt beroende av rumspositionering före ankomst.
De 4 reglerna för defensiv plattformspositionering¶
- Stå aldrig på eller nära den gula taktila varningsremsan förrän tåget har stannat helt: Den ojämna gula eller vita taktila remsan längs plattformskanten markerar tågspeglarnas och karossens dynamiska hölje, inte en säker väntezon. Vänta minst 2 till 3 meter (6,5 till 10 fot) bakåt från kanten tills tåget har dragit in hela vägen, stannat helt och öppnat sina dörrar.
- Förankra din ryggrad mot en solid vägg eller strukturell I-balkpelare: När du väntar på en plattform, placera din kropp så att din rygg fysiskt vidrör en solid kakelvägg, en trappvägg eller baksidan av en tjock stålpelare. Om en solid barriär är direkt bakom dina skulderblad är det fysiskt omöjligt för någon att gå upp bakom dig eller bygga upp fart för ett knuff.
- Inta en förskjuten "boxerhållning" viks vinkelrätt mot spåren: Om en fullsatt plattform tvingar dig att stå på ett öppet område utan en vägg bakom dig, vänd kroppen 45 till 90 grader i sidled (vänd nedåt perrongen mot den riktning tåget närmar sig istället för att stirra ut över de tomma spåren) med fötterna brett isär och den andra foten. Denna sidledsställning gör att ditt perifera seende kan se båda riktningarna längs plattformen och ger dig en stark sidostöd mot en stöt eller stöt.
- Vänta i det utsedda vänteområdet (väntezon utanför öppettider) nära konduktörens stoppmarkering: Leta efter den svartvita zebrarandiga Konduktörstavlan som hänger ovanför spåren nära mitten av plattformen (där konduktören öppnar sitt fönster vid varje hållplats) eller den starkt upplysta **Off-Hours Waiting Area-monitorer utrustade med CC-TV-skärmar och livesändare. Vänta aldrig vid de mörka, isolerade ändarna av en tunnelbaneperrong sent på natten.
Hur man överlever om man ramlar eller knuffas in på tunnelbanespåren¶
Om du ramlar ner på spårbädden på en underjordisk tunnelbana eller pendeltågsstation, räknas varje sekund. Utför denna exakta sekvens baserat på hur nära nästa tåg är:
Scenario A: Inget tåg är omedelbart synligt eller hörbart som kommer in på stationen¶
- Vet var den dödliga Third Rail ligger: De flesta tunga tunnelbanesystem (som New York City Transit, London Underground, Paris Métro, Chicago "L", Boston MBTA och Washington Metro) drivtåg via en 600 till 750 volt DC elektrifierad tredje järnväg som bär tusentals ampere ström.
- The two shiny steel rails that the train wheels roll on are the running rails (which act as the electrical ground return and will not electrocute you if stepped on).
- The third rail sits 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) higher than the running rails, usually mounted on ceramic insulators on the far side of the track away from the platform edge (though at crossover switches or center island platforms, examine both sides carefully). It is often topped by a wooden, fiberglass, or metal protective cover board. Never step on, brace your hand against, or touch the third rail or its cover board, as the cover board cannot support human weight and contacting the live rail causes instant fatal electrocution.
- Do not waste time trying to belly-press up a 1.3-meter (4.5-foot) vertical platform wall if you lack the upper-body strength: Standard high-level rail platforms sit at chest or shoulder height (1.1 to 1.4 meters / 3.5 to 4.5 feet above the track ties) and are often greasy or overhanging. Unless two strong bystanders are actively grabbing your wrists to haul you straight up, look to the far ends of the platform where metal egress ladders or steps are bolted to the platform wall.
- If you must run along the tracks, run TOWARD the oncoming train direction while waving a light: If you cannot climb out and hear a train approaching in the distance, run along the track bed toward the end of the platform where the train enters the station (against the direction of train travel) while waving your cell phone flashlight or a bright piece of clothing back and forth horizontally across your knees. Why? Because a train entering the station is already braking; running toward the entry tunnel portal maximizes the distance at which the operator sees your light around the tunnel curve, giving them critical extra meters to stop before reaching you.
Scenario B: A train is already entering the station seconds away¶
If the train's headlights and roar are already entering the station platform and you have less than 5 seconds before impact, do not try to climb up the platform wall where your torso will be crushed between the car body and the concrete edge. Use one of these three structural survival voids:
- The Center Track Drainage Trough ("The Suicide Pit"): In many older and deep-bore subway stations (such as the London Underground and newer metro stations globally), there is a recessed concrete drainage pit roughly 0.5 to 1 meter (1.5 to 3 feet) deep running right down the center between the two steel running rails. Lie completely flat on your stomach in this center trough with your hands clasped over the back of your neck, elbows tucked in tightly, and clothing pressed down so nothing snags on the train's underbody equipment. (Note: On systems without a deep trough where wooden ties sit flush on ballast gravel, clearance under the train's trip-cock and gearboxes is minimal, check for an undercut platform recess first).
- The Undercut Platform Overhang Recess: Many stations construct the passenger platform as a cantilevered concrete slab with a hollow recess 45 to 60 centimeters (18 to 24 inches) deep tucked underneath the platform edge along the wall beneath your feet. Roll tightly into this under-platform alcove, press your back flat against the vertical concrete wall, and pull your knees and feet completely clear of the near running rail.
- The Inter-Track Column Clearance Zone: If there is an open center trackway or wide column row between the local and express tracks, roll across the running rails (stepping high over the third rail without touching it) into the wide clearance space between the structural steel columns separating the two tracks.
Inside a moving subway car or train: managing erratic passengers and harassment¶
Once train doors slide shut, you are sharing a confined environment for the next 90 to 240 seconds until the next station. Criminologists and transit police divide onboard incidents into two categories: unfocused erratic behavior (an intoxicated or acutely psychotic passenger pacing, shouting at the air, or shadow-boxing) and focused predatory harassment (a passenger staring at you, blocking your seat exit, making explicit threats, or committing non-consensual sexual touching/groping).
How to avoid triggering an unfocused erratic passenger¶
When a passenger enters a car shouting, pacing agitatedly, or muttering violently to themselves, their threat radar is scanning the car for perceived disrespect or confrontation:
- Break direct eye contact immediately: In an acute psychiatric crisis or stimulant intoxication state, prolonged direct eye contact is interpreted as an aggressive challenge. Keep your head neutral, pretend to read a map or look down toward the floor at a 45-degree angle, while tracking their movement and hands using your peripheral vision.
- Never film them openly with your smartphone: Raising a phone at chest or eye level to record an agitated person inside a closed subway car is the number-one trigger that converts unfocused ranting into a violent physical assault against the person holding the phone.
- Wait for their back to turn, then walk calmly to the far end of the car: Do not bolt or run in panic, which triggers a predator-prey chase reflex. When the agitated person paces toward one end of the car with their back turned to you, stand up smoothly and walk calmly to the opposite end of the car, positioning a dense group of standing commuters or a center pole between you and the subject.
- Switch cars at the next station platform (not through locked moving doors unless life is in immediate danger):
- On many modern open-gangway trains (common in London, Paris, Toronto, and newer NYC R211 cars), cars are connected by wide accordion walkways that you can walk through anytime.
- On traditional separate subway cars, passing between bouncing exterior end doors while the train hurtles around tight curves at 60 km/h (37 mph) carries a high risk of being thrown onto the tracks. Unless the person has drawn a weapon or is actively attacking passengers inside your car, wait the 60 seconds until the train stops at the next platform, step rapidly out the doors, and walk two cars down to board the conductor's car.
Responding to predatory harassment, cornering, and groping in crowded cars¶
Predatory offenders exploit two things on public transit: physical crowding (using rush-hour density to disguise groping or "frotteurism") and social embarrassment (counting on the victim to stay silent out of shock or fear of making a scene).
- Guard the "aisle seat trap" before it closes: On buses and commuter trains with two-by-two transverse seating, sitting in the window seat lets a predator sit in the aisle seat and trap your legs. Whenever traveling alone on a half-empty bus or train, sit in the aisle seat (or stand near the doorway grab poles) so you always have an unobstructed 360-degree escape path. If someone asks to sit in the empty window seat beside you, stand up completely to let them pass to the window rather than pivoting your knees and letting them take the aisle.
- Use a loud, unambiguous "Command Voice" to expose covert groping: If someone presses against you inappropriately or touches you in a crowded car, first shift your position by one full step to rule out an accidental lurch of the train. If their hand or body follows you, destroy their anonymity immediately. Predators rely on silence. Turn toward them (keeping your hands up in a non-aggressive defensive frame at chest level) and state loudly enough for the entire half of the car to hear: "Take your hand off my body right now. Do not touch me." Ninety-five percent of transit gropers immediately recoil and retreat toward the doors when twenty commuters turn and stare at them.
- Enlist active bystander intervention using the 5D / Direct Delegation method:
- Look at a nearby commuter who appears calm and attentive.
- Point directly at them and say: "Excuse me, in the green hat, I do not know this man and he will not stop following me. Can you stand right here with me until the next stop?"
- If you are a bystander witnessing someone being harassed or cornered on a train, you do not need to fight the aggressor to save the victim. Use Distraction: walk right between the harasser and the target and ask the target an unrelated, mundane question ("Excuse me, does this train stop at Central Station?" or "Hey, didn't we go to school together?") while physically turning your back to the harasser to create a human shield and invite the victim to walk to the doors with you.
Bus safety and night-time stop survival¶
Municipal buses differ from trains in one critical way: the vehicle operator is sitting in the same open cabin with you and has complete control to pull over to the curb and open the doors at any moment.
Inside a transit bus¶
- Sit within the driver's direct sightline: When riding a bus late at night or on an unfamiliar route, sit in the first three rows directly behind or across from the driver, never in the elevated rear bench ("the back of the bus") where engine noise drowns out your voice and only a single exit path exists forward down the narrow aisle.
- Alert the driver quietly or overtly: If a passenger boards the bus and begins harassing or threatening you, walk right up to the white or yellow standee line beside the driver's cab and say clearly: "Driver, this passenger is threatening me. Please call transit police dispatch and hold at the next well-lit intersection."
- Know where the exterior and window emergency exits are: Every transit bus has a red emergency door-release valve above the front and rear pneumatic doors, plus red latching handles along the bottoms of oversized passenger windows that allow the entire window frame to swing outward if the aisle is blocked.
Exiting at a bus stop or subway station at night¶
Many transit-related robberies and assaults occur not inside the vehicle, but during the first 100 meters (330 feet) after a victim steps off a bus or exits a subway stairwell onto a quiet street while distracted by their phone.
- Perform a "Rear-View Mirror Check" before the doors close behind you: If you suspect someone on the train or bus has been watching you, wait until the very last second before the doors close to step off, or step toward the door as if you are getting off, and if they stand up to follow you out, step back inside the car just before the doors shut.
- Request a "Courtesy Night Stop" (Request-a-Stop): Most major municipal bus networks across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe operate an official Between-Stops / Night Stop Request program (typically between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM). Tell the bus driver a few blocks ahead of time that you wish to be let off directly in front of your building entrance or a brightly lit 24-hour convenience store rather than walking three dark blocks from the fixed bus stop pole.
- Keep your phone in your pocket and one ear completely uncovered: Never walk up a subway staircase or away from a bus stop with both noise-canceling earbuds inserted and your eyes glued to a glowing smartphone screen, which ruins your night vision and advertises a high-value device in an unlocked state.
How to report a transit crime so police can actually intercept the suspect¶
When you call or text emergency dispatch from a moving train or bus, saying "I'm on the subway heading downtown" is almost useless to dispatchers who oversee 30 trains simultaneously on the same line. Give dispatchers these four exact pieces of transit telemetry in the first 15 seconds:
| Telemetry Item | Where to Find It Quickly | Why Dispatchers Need It |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The 4-to-5-Digit Rail Car or Bus Fleet Number | Printed in large bold numerals on the interior bulkheads above the end doors at both ends of every subway/train car, or above the front windshield inside a bus | Allows transit police to know the exact car out of a 10-car train (180 meters / 600 feet long) they need to surround when the train pulls into the next station, and lets control rooms pull up the live interior CCTV feed |
| 2. Line Name, Route Number, and Direction of Travel | On digital interior strip maps or route signs (e.g., "Northbound Red Line toward Finch" or "Eastbound Central Line toward Epping") | Tells dispatchers which track platform the train will arrive on at the upcoming station |
| 3. Last Station Passed or Next Station Approaching | Listen to automated station announcements or look out the window as the train passes station wall tiles | Enables police officers already stationed at the next stop to stand at the exact platform position where your car doors will open in 60 seconds |
| 4. Suspect Clothing & Distinguishing Features (Top-to-Bottom) | Note headwear, jacket color/logos, pants, shoes, backpacks, and whether a weapon was seen or threatened | Prevents officers from losing the suspect in the crowd if the suspect bolts out the doors as soon as the train stops |
Save your transit system's silent SMS text number in your phone contacts
Speaking aloud on a phone call inside a silent train car can escalate an aggressive passenger sitting 3 meters (10 feet) away. Almost all major emergency services support silent text messaging: Text-to-911 across the United States and Canada, British Transport Police Text 61016 över det brittiska järnvägsnätet och 3117 (eller SMS 31177) över SNCF och RATP transit i Frankrike.
Vanliga frågor¶
Why should I never pull the emergency brake inside a moving subway train during an assault or fire?
Pulling the emergency brake handle while a train is moving between stations vents air pressure from the braking system and locks the train inside an underground tunnel, on a bridge, or on an elevated track far away from emergency responders. If there is a violent attacker or smoke inside the car, stopping in a tunnel traps you inside the metal tube with the danger for 15 to 30 minutes while the operator walks the tracks to reset the brake. Always use the Passenger Emergency Intercom button instead so the operator can drive straight to the next station where the doors open and police or firefighters can board immediately.
When is the ONLY time you should pull the emergency brake on a passenger train?
You should only pull the mechanical emergency brake handle when the train is just starting to pull away from a station platform and a person, child, wheelchair, coat, or dog leash is trapped in the closed doors and being dragged along the platform edge. Stopping the train immediately in the first few meters prevents the person from being pulled under the wheels at the end of the platform.
What should I do if I fall or am pushed onto the subway tracks?
First, never touch the electrified third rail (usually located on the far side of the track away from the platform edge under a protective cover board), which carries 600 to 750 volts DC of lethal current. If no train is entering the station and you cannot be pulled straight up onto the platform, climb the metal egress ladder at the far end of the platform or run along the tracks toward the direction from which oncoming trains enter the station while waving a flashlight or bright clothing. If a train is already roaring into the station seconds away, lie completely flat in the deep drainage trough between the two running rails or roll tightly into the hollow undercut recess beneath the platform overhang.
Where is the safest place to stand on a subway platform to avoid being pushed?
Never stand near the yellow tactile edge strip while waiting for a train. Position yourself at least 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 10 feet) back from the track edge with your spine pressed flat against the rear station wall or directly behind a thick structural steel pillar so no one can walk up behind you or build momentum for a shove. Late at night, always wait in the brightly lit Designated Waiting Area near the center black-and-white zebra Conductor Board.
How can I get other passengers to help me if I am being harassed on a crowded train?
To overcome the psychological "bystander effect", where dozens of passengers freeze because each person assumes someone else will step in, never shout a vague plea like "Somebody help me." Instead, look directly at one specific calm passenger, point at them, identify them by their clothing, and give them a single concrete instruction, such as: "You in the blue coat, press the emergency intercom button right now," or "You in the glasses, please let me stand behind you."
What is the most important piece of information to give police when reporting a crime on a train or bus?
In addition to the transit line, direction of travel, and next station stop, always read the 4-to-5-digit rail car number (printed above the interior end doors at the front and back of your specific car) or the bus fleet number (printed above the front windshield). A subway train can be nearly 200 meters (650 feet) long; giving dispatchers the exact car number allows transit police to view that car's live security camera and wait on the platform at the exact spot where your car's doors will open.
Källor kontrollerade¶
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA New York City Transit, USA): Säkerhet för tunnelbana, nödbroms vs. Passenger Intercom-riktlinjer och kundsäkerhetsprotokoll.
- British Transport Police and Transport for London (TfL, Storbritannien): Se det, säg det, sorterat (Text 61016) järnvägssäkerhetsvägledning, plattformshjälppunkter och aktiv åskådaringripande.
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA / US Department of Transportation, USA): Public Transportation Passenger Security, Bus Operator Assault Prevention och Emergency Egress Standards.
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA, United States): Passenger Rail Car Emergency Communications and Platform Edge Safety Guidelines.
- Toronto Transit Commission (TTC, Kanada): Designated Waiting Areas (DWA), Request Stop Night Bus Program och Emergency Yellow Strip Protocols.
- Right To Be (formerly Hollaback., International): The 5Ds of Bystander Intervention in Public Transit Spaces (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct).