Well, I guess he found out…
A 24-year-old man who died after reportedly leaning out of a train window may have been looking to see why the train was travelling slowly, a witness suggested.
The Gatwick Express passenger, from East Grinstead in Sussex, was on the high-speed service bound for London Victoria when the man was struck around 5.30pm on Sunday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been notified and is investigating.
I’m trying really hard to be sympathetic here and failing. This is, without doubt, such an obviously, staggeringly, stupid thing to do, that only one possible consequence could arise from it – getting struck by another train or line-side equipment. Still, I guess he won’t be doing it again.
If you want to know why a train is running slowly, asking a member of the traincrew might be an option. If the stock is driver only, await announcements, but sticking your head out is just asking to get it clobbered. An entirely foreseeable risk that is obvious to all but the cerebrally challenged.
And, because of his stupidity, someone has to clear up the mess and everyone else is inconvenienced.
Harsh? maybe, but fair, frankly. Idiot does stupid thing and pays the consequence of his idiocy….
British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed officers were called at around 5.30pm following a report a man had received a serious head injury.
Understatement, much?
From the Telegraph article; “At least one worker who witnessed the incident was signed off sick on Monday.”
Seeing someone get their head mashed into a pulp can have that effect on you. It’s not something you can get over with ease.
Well, at least the idiot who ignored all the ‘do not leaned out of the window’ signs won’t be doing it again.
Obviously never seen ‘The Young Ones’…
I think I can be a bit of a softer touch than you LR – though it IS a mind bogglingly stupid thing to do, had that been an aircraft rather than a train (yeah I know – but you see what I’m getting at), the opening casements of the windows would have been completely redesigned years ago, to be too small for Mr. Idiot to injure himself. I’m sure he isn’t the first and won’t be the last.
He definitely isn’t the first, and most modern rolling stock has indeed been designed with non-opening windows (which is immense fun when the air-con fails…).
Let’s just hope the poor ambulance staff managed to find all the pieces this time.
The guards use the windows to check the train as it moves off.
I feel sorry for the witnesses and the railway staff who have to clean up the consequences of this persons stupidity.
My grandfather was a railwayman all his life and loosely described how bad any incidents between people and rolling stock were, he understandably never went into any detail but you could tell how much it affected him.
And, because of his stupidity, someone has to clear up the mess and everyone else is inconvenienced. Harsh?
Not in the least.
I had a friend who was a fitter for BR in the 70s. The stories he told of what happens when a 10 stone human is hit by a 400 ton train was graphic to say the least.
That’s the bits the foxes don’t get.
In those day the front of BR trains were a canary yellow colour. One of the favourite spots for suiciders was the Woodlands Rd. tunnel, the last before Victoria Station, Manchester.
He told me of an incident when the train pulled into Victoria and people on the platform started screaming/fainting/throwing up.
The whole of the yellow was blood red with bits of body parts stuck on it. It took them all night to jet wash the guy off.
Seems he took his interest in trains just a little bit too far:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3731132/Pictured-Rail-passenger-24-decapitated-leaned-train-window-Gatwick-Express.html
He also has previous for hanging out windows.
Fuck me, being a railwayman, he should have known better.
But isn’t it the fault of the train operator for having carriages with windows that open and are large enough to stick your head out?
Sue! Prosecute!
Jusr out of curiosity, how far do you have to actually stick your head out of a train window to run the risk of having it removed.
Not very much. In some places, trains pass very close.
Back in the good old days (before 1960) it was not unusual to stick your head out the window to see what was going on.
Quite often you got an eyeful of soot.