DH failed to get off the train because he couldn't open the door.

[stayathomegardener]

AIBU to think this is complete incompetence or can this actually happen?
Am thinking the train doors could be frozen shut?
Not quite sure how he is going to get off at the next stop if that's the case.

Two years ago DD and I had been into London, getting train back to Kent. Pressed button for door to open at our stop, nothing happened. Summers day so not frozen. Door just didn’t open. Had to stay on till Rochester and then get the train back so it does happen.

*our husband could have pressed the emergency alarm

KLAXON KLAXON KLAXON - stupid suggestion alert - stupid suggestion alert

The train door not opening is not an emergency.

Not incompetence at all. I have had this happen, as train doors can and do develop faults, including freezing shut.

Fortunately I did have time (just) to get to the next door along and get off, but it is perfectly possible that someone would have to travel on to the next stop.

Oh, and an absolute NO to pressing the emergency alarm. That is for real danger and life threatening emergencies. A door not opening at a station would be neither. You can also be heavily fined for wrongful use of it. Ridiculous advice.

would you really be fined if the doors not opening meant another 2 hours travel, as one pp described?

Do you mean that your husband is incompetent (since he didn't try the next door along) or the driver?

*for using the emergency button

Apologies - my advice about using the emergency alarm was not as clear as I meant it. I meant, if the OH in question had a true emergency scenario where he needed to leave the train then there was the emergency alarm. As others have said, it is not to be used in anything other than an emergency.

I got stuck on train once when the doors wouldn't open and the food cart wouldn't move out the way to access the next door.
We had to get off at the next stop and the train company paid a taxi to get us home.

But you sound really accusatory and blaming him for incompetence. Doesnt seem right.

Oh and the conductor asked why we hadn't hit the emergency button. I was like errrr it wasn't an emergency!

I'm struggling with the incompetence angle, unless you are referring to your dh?

Ridiculous advice Incorrect topseyt as per my above post.

KLAXON KLAXON KLAXON - stupid suggestion alert - stupid suggestion alert

KLAXON So why did my conductor tell me I SHOULD have pressed the emergency button then? Please tell me.

Can everyone stop being such arseholes?

"As others have said, it is not to be used in anything other than an emergency."

but if you're about to be dumped in another county miles from where you're going, is it really so bad to pull the cord?

I had a lady pull a cord on the Tube once because I had a very bad asthma attack but I've never pulled it myself. Anyway, by the time the driver came along I had settled but at the time the poor lady pulled it, I probably looked blue (I certainly felt it) and all the other passengers were saying "oh, we thought this lady needed an ambulance"....the driver just rolled his eyes and went off!

Either the doors had frozen shut or he didn’t want to go home to his twine of a wife
Maybe both

Ya. It's not as big a deal as some posters think...

Typical man. "Sorry hun I'll be home late because [excuse]"

Call 101, log it and LTB.

LTB

I mean, the driver went off as if people pull the cord all the time - certainly I've been on a few stopped trains for that and then driver says "okay, couldn't find an emergency" and that's that.

so if it was a choice between get off at York or Edinburgh because the doors wouldn't open, I think I'd rather pull the cord.

Or there was a technical error angel. Jesus Christ

Whisky, you rarely see a conductor on our trains, and there are warning signs up next to the alarm buttons advising that use of them without it being a real emergency (undefined) is an offence which can result in a fine and possibly prosecution.

Better not to chance it.

Well, no not really. You dont know, you have assumed. You can't tell people not to pull it. And I'm telling you the conductor told me it's ok.

on a train from peterborough to kings cross the doors of the whole train had to be defrosted so people could get off at the final destination. It took about 20 minutes.

Just to play devil's advocate here... isn't a set of doors not opening something that the driver/conductor should be aware of, so a legitimate use of the emergency alarm to alert them to a problem with the train?

Again....It's FINE to use the emergency button. I was told this by a conductor who worked on the train.

I rarely use trains but surely TheHodge is right? If a door won’t open and then there’s an ‘actual emergency’ people wouldn’t be able to get off! So a un opening door is akin to a blocked fire exit and I’d say that’s a emergency that needs to be sorted out.