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.

Was he stood on the right side of the train?

I pressed the button twice and jammed the door once, and I couldn't get to the next carriage in time so it is possible!

I'm more interested in the accusation her husband is incompetent.

Yes, i have been on trains where the push button doesn’t work and also once where the doors opened but wouldn’t close automatically. The guard had to come round to each door and close it manually at every station! He was cross!

If you pull the emergency cord between stations it causes all manner of problems along the line, which is why all train operating companies say to wait until you get to a station to alert a member of staff or if the train has an emergency intercom to alert the driver.

If a conductor told you it's ok to pull the emergency cord he's an idiot and needs retraining.

Well no. I'll listen to the train conductor over you thanks

Had this a few timeswith alot of people running throughthe carriage to the next door.

Sally. It is in the station. On one wants to get off in between stops...

I’ve been stuck on a train where all the doors malfunctioned and no one could get them open (they where the automatic type that open at every station rather than the push button kind).

Also my bedroom window was frozen shut yesterday so I believe it’s plausible the train door froze shut. Also if the trains are anything like my local service, your DH wouldn’t have had time to walk to another carriage and try that door. Most only stop at the station for about 60 seconds before moving off. The train would have already left the station by the time he walked to the next carriage.

As I said the train conductor is an idiot but hey if you want to cause hours of delays for your fellow passengers because of a so called emergency go ahead.

I used to catch the train home from college. The station I got off at was 1.5 mile outside the viallge and I used to walk that.
The train stopped, the light to operate the doors didn't light. The guard pressed the 'let's go' buzzer, I pulled the emergency stop. Doors opened then
Guard was furious with me.
What was I supposed to do? The next station was 8 miles on, another in the middle of nowhere. I would have had no way to get home, no phone, no phone box and certainly no way to get a taxi.

This happened to me. They put on a 10 carriage train instead of usual 8 carriage. I was sitting in the very last coach and I was supposed to magically know that the doors of that carriage wouldn’t open on the short platform. Couldn’t get through the crowded train before it set off again. (No announcement and wasn’t just me that was stuck) My complaint never got an answer.

How Is he an idiot? The train is in the station. It doesnt cause problems you just think it does. Someone is an idiot here but it's not me or the conductor.

What @Whisky2014 said

It happen to me once when I was with adult DS it was a late train and no time to run to next carriage so we had to get off at next stop 15 miles down line and DH had to pick us up to collect car from other station.

What a pain in the neck but I really don’t think it’s his fault op.

It has happened to me once, I was in the front carriage and the door wouldn't open at all. It was a main station on a very busy train down from London after several cancelled trains so no chance of all of us getting through to the next door. A guy in Southeastern uniform but who had finished work pressed the emergency button, conductor appeared, guy explained and the conductor opened the door. train left a minute or two later while I was waiting for my connecting train.

Emergency alarms only cause delays if the driver/conductor has to check everything to find out why they went off.

Whether it's in a station or not when you pull the emergency cord, this activates the emergency brake, which in turn means that even if there is a delay of 5 minutes while the cause is investigated has a massive knock on effect on other services.

The emergency cord is there if say a door opens during transit and places other passengers at significant risk.

I can see why you felt you had no other option bit I'm just surprised the conductor said it was ok when most TOCs advise the complete opposite.

OK, so the doors were frozen shut and you refer to him "failing" to get off. Not exactly a failure if he couldn't get off. And "complete incompetence"?

Christ almighty, the doors got stuck and you're making out he's deliberately opting out of family life. Poor fucker.

I didn't press it. He was angry that I didn't press it.

Well it does seem to be a common fault so clearly I was too harsh.
I did get up at the unearthly hour of 6 to drop him at the station and a chain of events was dependent on him arriving at the destination on time.
Plus I don't think he has been on a UK train for 20 years. .

In my defence he is utterly brilliant at some things and completely klutzy at others @insancerre suggestion of him trying to open the doors on the wrong side made me smile as a definitely maybe possibility.

On the main east coast line once I couldn’t open the door, it was a lean out the window one and open from the outside.....I’m very short and couldn’t reach the handle. Was panicking as next stop was 200 miles away. Nobody else was getting off and it was in a sort of foyer so no other passengers noticed. Luckily just then a man came out the loo and I kind of screamed in panic at him and he opened the door!

Well I wondered if they were frozen shut @SpitefulMidLifeAnimal all I knew is that he had failed to get off the train, surely to guess that they were frozen was a generous thought...

It seems from this thread it's far more common than I imagined.

To buy you seem to want to prepare yourself to shout and argue with him. If it was his incompetence it's not your issue, it's his.