Moral dilemma. What would you do?

I'd have tried to stop A jumping off at the next stop, because that makes no sense at all. E presumably jumped off to be sick in a bin or on the platform (yes, this isn't great, that's not the point) rather than leaving the station, and even in her drunk state would have presumably got on the next tube in a couple of minutes. (I'd have also yelled at E "get the next train and we'll see you at the train station" as she got out in the hope that would percolate through.) A getting out at the next stop was a waste of time as by the time she'd got over to the opposite platform and managed to get a tube back one stop, E would be unlikely to still be there.

Once at the train station (or once I had signal) I'd have tried to contact E and would have waited for her... I suppose a lot would depend on whether I needed to catch the last train out, and whether E had a history of getting in a state but turning up fine. I'd probably assume E had got on to the next tube then fell asleep and missed her stop.

I don't think I would have just left the friend. I'd likely have hopped off with the second friend.

But it's also difficult to see what further action to take in this scenario, once she couldn't be found.

I agree with Birthday Girl.
At their age the women should know better and I wouldn’t want to ruin my birthday any further looking after pissed up adult women. Used to feel I had to be responsible for these eejits as I was never much of a drinker but not anymore.

I'd prefer to stay together, but as the friend who didn't drink, running after & cleaning up vomit for people who knew they'd need looking after & still did it, wore thin very fast.

Eventually I reached a point where I just couldn't do it anymore & had zero empathy. This might have been the birthday girl's moment.

I just stopped going to events where that situation would transpire. They still laughed about how drunk they were & who had to take them home etc. but it wasn't me!

In general I would say stick together (and have done so) - don’t abandon someone in a state as they are vulnerable. I have been all three of these friends at least once, so have all the members of my friend group! BUT if Friend E was always getting into such a bad nick I may be tempted to stay on the train and would seriously consider not going out with her again.

I agree with the people saying it depends how often this kind of thing happens. Unless you know the back story is difficult to judge.
I have a friend who gets in those states a lot. I spent many a time getting off trains (so missing the last trains home), spending hundreds on cabs to get us both home and paying for extra when she puked in them. The final time she done it I "left her" with another friend at a train station and I went home. I have never been out drinking with her since. I was also called lots of bad things by the other friend who had to look after her. I don't really care. I'd done my time babysitting her. I think she was just annoyed it was her this time that had to pay for the cab home. The actual friend wasn't annoyed in the slightest though. She found it funny. She'd happily carry on going out with me. But I won't anymore.

I had a friend for years who was constantly getting blind drunk and mardy. Many a night I’ve had to fight to get her in a cab. I’m the end I just stopped going out with her, bower to would never leave a women blind drunk alone. I have left several male friends though.

Just out of interest, why is this second friend E and not B?

Other than that, I’d either mind my own business or open it up to the whole carriage for discussion.

They should have stayed together. However if they were trying to get friend E to slow down her drinking etc and she ignored them. Woke up and had another drink and I needed to get back, I'd have done as she has. My DD (29) drinks too much, she can't drink much and I've warned her that her friends will get sick of babysitting her.

Listening to the detail of someone’s very identifiable conversation on the train then posting about it framing it as a “moral dilemma”, obviously. Maybe none of the women would have wanted it discussed on a populous internet forum (which is extremely different to a train). Plus it’s interesting that OP has allocated specific initials (rather than A and B) to the two friends and specifies what age bracket she ‘easily’ knew them to be when she only saw one of them.

I had a friend once who would pull this kind of shit regularly, it becomes utterly maddening to have every night out ruined by someone getting shitfaced and needing babysitting.

What could actually be done if the phone wasn’t being answered? Yes people technically should stay together but I can also completely see a scenario where I’d think fuck this and get the train home rather than be stranded as well.

Why should the sober person be the only one that has to have their night ruined, I’d bet this wasn’t the first time this kind of nonsense had happened.

I’d be worried sick and couldn’t go home. What a nightmare though - too old to be getting in that kind of state.

I would stop ear-wigging on other people's conversations and then judging them. You don't know them or any of the back story.

If you've ever been on a train then you'll know you cannot help but overhear conversations. I don't read any judgment in the OP, rather a pondering of what she would have done and asking us for input.

I agree we don't know the back story so that may well have changed the decisions they made.

That said, I don't think it's ever ok to abandon someone when they are that drunk, no matter what age they are.

ther e was a similar scenario when i was on the train recently, no alcohol AFAIK, just missing purse as far as i could gather.
very curious
i think someone got off but there was a lot of texting and chat about it all

I think it would depend on the train and how often it ran to be honest, also how easy it would be to get help.

I wouldn’t have abandoned them; if I had a friend who has a habit of doing those things I wouldn’t out myself in the position and if a friend accidentally got much drunker than they meant to I’d give them the help I’d want from them.

no idea
daft getting off at the next stop surely.

really? Are you friend E?

All 3 should have stuck together, especially with friend E who is impaired and can be taken advantage of, or end up in a dangerous situation.

OP posted about a stranger's situation in Mumsnet. As you have done. What's the weird part?

I wonder if this kind of scenario is used in ethics classes nowadays, replacing the old one of a train going down one of two tracks, one has a baby, the other a family, what do you do, or some such.

I would probably have gritted my teeth and stuck with friend but if that resulted in missing the last train home I’d be hopping mad.