Comment in response (one of many):A Red Line subway train attendant was fired and the train operator was suspended for 10 days without pay after an incident last month in which a woman's handbag got stuck in the door of a subway car and she was pulled along the platform at South Station, MBTA officials said.
"When I was appointed acting general manager four months ago, I made it very clear that matters of safety will be my top priority for as long as I serve. The behavior of the train crew in this incident was inexcusable, and won't be tolerated," Acting MBTA General Manager William Mitchell said in a statement.
The attendant's primary responsibility is to ensure that the doorways are clear of people or objects, Mitchell said. "By taking this swift and decisive disciplinary action, we make it abundantly clear that customer safety is paramount at the MBTA," he said.
Somehow, I don't think the fired "conductor" or "attendant" (depending on whether you agree with the story's terminology or some of the the other commenters') will get his or her job back. If this woman had died, there would have been a wrongful-death lawsuit, and possibly even manslaughter charges. I don't think even powerful labor unions can protect their members from those.Otis wrote:
From the vid (and story) couldn't tell whether passenger was attempting to jump a closing door by thrustin her arm and handbag in in an attempt to keep door open while she pulled in her carry-on luggage. In any case, an attentive operator should have noticed the woman was boarding with a large bag and kept the door open so she could. And that discourtious behavior by the door attendant as well as of course the safety issue (which could possibly be debated) is why I want him/her fired. Don't worry... the too powerful T union will get his/her job back and that of the suspended train operator with all back pay.
12/4/2009 6:28 PM EST
Thinking purely logically, a person probably would decide it wasn't worth it to hang on to her purse. However, anyone who might have house keys, credit cards, a cell phone, driver's license, and/or money in the bag is probably going to hang on to it for dear life (almost literally, in this case).watching this on tv even the passengers on board the train said she should have let go of the purse.
Agreed.Regardless, IMHO the only person here totally blamless, yet still being punished, is the motorman.
The trains would never move if that rule was enforced.obviously the train should not have been cleared to move if people were standing that close to it even.
Perhaps Boston needs to consider starters like they have in Japan! No signal, no leave the station! My first thought was that this could be a new sport, Subway skiing, if the person had roller blades or a skateboard it could become an extreme sport since lots of those daredevils will try anything!The trains would never move if that rule was enforced.obviously the train should not have been cleared to move if people were standing that close to it even.
I'd have to assume that. I don't think the French are into chopping off heads (or other body parts) . . . anymore. At least not since they got rid of la guillotine.Probably mechanisms like that which elevators, garage doors, and one-touch-express up/down automobile windows have.
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