on our recent trip on the legendary canadian our sca from winnipeg to toronto designated yarrow the "able bodied person" for our car. he showed him how to open the door and let down the steps, explained how to break out windows with the hammer and place clothing on the jagged glass left before exiting and other emergency procedures all with the caveat "don't do any of this unless i tell you to". we had the same sca toronto to winnipeg and as we boarded he said "good, i've got my able bodied person". i did see him training another fit young person in another car and he even let him operate the door and steps at one of our stops. is designating an able bodied person to help with evacuation standard procedure on via or the canadian as part of emergency preparedness?
able bodied person
Started by
yarrow
, Apr 21 2012 09:06 AM
8 replies to this topic
#3
Blackwolf
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 11:58 AM
I've been the "able-bodied person" aboard two VIA trains as well, including a corridor train between Montreal and Toronto. But I suspect it was due to me being a firefighter, something that the car attendant became aware of when he saw my badge inside my wallet as I was pulling out the tickets.
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#4
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 12:08 PM
Same thing on the airliners. The people sitting by the emergency exits.
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#5
yarrow
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 01:45 PM
Same thing on the airliners. The people sitting by the emergency exits.
i think it's a little different on via, at least in our experience. didn't seem to have anything to do with being near an exit but rather with being "able bodied". the orientation to emergency evacuation technique that yarrow got was quite thorough.
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#6
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 02:26 PM
This is standard practice on VIA, largely because unlike here in the US, the windows are not removable. They must be broken out in an emergency, whereas anyone on an Amtrak train can pull the red handle and remove the glass.
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#7
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 04:17 PM
When I traveled on the Canadian last December, I did not realize that there was an "able body person" designation. I am a bit insulted and disappointed that I was not asked. 
I consider myself able bodied, but my guess is that my sleeping car attendant would not assume that i could break a window with a hammer (since it would be a stretch for me to reach the window )
I consider myself able bodied, but my guess is that my sleeping car attendant would not assume that i could break a window with a hammer (since it would be a stretch for me to reach the window )
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#8
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Posted 21 April 2012 - 04:40 PM
As a side note, you can tell where the able bodied person is, as they put a special tag near the top corner of the door of the room that the able bodied person is in.
Alan,
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#9
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Posted 28 May 2012 - 01:53 PM
On my Via rail trip last year I had no information about exits or able bodied persons given to me at all, I guess they assumed from my interest in the free champaign that I would be anesthetised for most of the trip...
Ed
Ed
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