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.

This happens a lot. You can get in fine through one set of doors but the one on the other side doesn't open.

For everyone saying he could have gone to another carriage, this would be fine once the train has left the station but normally would be impossible to do in the time when the train is at the station. you just dont get time to run there in time. sometimes you can't even get to the other set of doors if the carriage is busy.

happened to me a few times (and in the summer) and is bloody annoying!!

This happened to me and my mum about a decade ago. Very cold weather with a bit of snow - a lot like today in our area actually. We ended up getting off at the next station and waiting in the cold for a train back.

I doubt we could have got to another door to try it before the train moved off again.

My husband nearly got stuck last weekend. He had been reading the sign on how to open the door in an emergency (it was an old open window and open from the outside). Thankfully another passenger opened it for him just in time but DH did say he might not have had long enough arms to reach - the other man was much taller and had to stretch. I think we do get used to automatic doors now 😀

Happened to someone I know the other day and the passengers had to make their way down the carriages and get out of the drivers door

Yes, happened to me pulling into one station, no time to run to next carriage.

There is one short platform there and although we were in the right carriage, we wondered if there had been a mix up with the automatic locking system.

Went to next station then got the next train back again. Very annoying. There were about three of us stuck. If it had just been me, I'm sure I would have thought I was an incompetent idiot!

Hope your husband gets back ok and soon. 🌺

once saw a lady who pressed the button a couple of times and the door didn’t open. We was on the train, she had to phone her husband to pick her up from the next stop.

This happened to me too! By the time I realised it wasn't going to open despite repeatedly pressing button, they were blowing the whistle and leaving!
The guard denied it could happen, but the ticket office at the next station said they'd had several people that week who had been unable to get out, and ended up there....one way to keep a village tidy I guess !

I used to work for a company who built trains and train parts. The doors have always been a major issue.

Must be in Exeter by now. Farewell, sweet prince!

What sort of train was it?

Good thing you're not married to my DH. Reasons why DH has failed to get off the train:

He's fallen asleep (this has happened multiple times, the worst involved a 2h trip to get back to where he was going. He was once woken by someone because he was sitting in their seat, if they hadn't woken him in time to get off the train in Newcastle he'd have ended up in Edinburgh)
His rucksack was caught in the door on the other side from the platform (they then had to change the platform that the train came in on at the next station. As he got off the train he saw lots of people running to catch it, they'd all been waiting at the correct platform. He did feel guilty about that).
He's lost his bike (he was looking in the wrong place).

It's a wonder he manages to hold down a responsible job TBH.

A man can always piss on it to unfreeze it. I am sure Colin Firth would, and that is a good example to follow. So yes, YANBU.

A woman cannot, or at least it would be more tricky.

It happened to my mum and it had nothing to do with frozen doors. Like everything, even train doors just malfunction. It just didn't happen and by the time she got to the other door, the train was preparing to depart (they don't let you linger too long on these trains). It happens. Shit happens. I wouldn't give it too much thought or judge your DH too harshly, OP.

A woman cannot, or at least it would be more tricky.

Careful. You’ll have someone call you a transphobe. Women can have dicks too. You know. 😉

😁

I'm with TheHodge

I'm on the East Coast line. I'd absolutely use the emergency alarm if I couldn't get off the train at a scheduled stop before it arrived in London. Why on earth should I have to stay on until London or wherever the doors open and then argue the toss with ticket inspectors about why I hadn't paid the full fare. And then travel back and having missed the meeting I was going to?

Perhaps train companies might ensure their doors opened at all stations if more people made a fuss?

Incompetence or distrusting him?

This happened to me, it wasn’t cold! Thankfully I was on a local scotrail service and not a limited stop mainline so I hopped off at the next stop and got back on one going in the opposite direction. The ticket inspector was fine when I explained. At the time another passenger noticed and said similar had happened to them before and to go to a different door as there were no staff about to notify.

I went to get on a train from London Bridge to Charing Cross yesterday morning, and the door had frozen shut. There was a large band of ice at the top of the door.passengers were having to get off from the next set of doors.

Ok so when I moved out of London I assumed all trains worked like tubes. So first day of my first commute I came home late, got to station and to my horror the doors didn’t open and the train moved on.

I hadn’t noticed the buttons to self open the door - so was half appalled half embarrassed.

Happened to me once on a Northern train, the doors where I was stood simply failed to open (wasn't even cold weather). I yelled down to the people getting off at the other doors of the carriage to hold them open for me whilst I legged it halfway down the carriage to get out.

My DH regularly misses his Station. Mainly because he falls asleep. But one time he caught an earlier train because we were going to a show in a town some miles away and a mini bus had been arranged for a group of us.

He’d failed to notice that this earlier train didn’t stop at our village and he sailed passed our station. He carried on to the end of the line, caught the coastal train to where the show was and got a taxi to the theatre. Arriving about 5 minutes after I’d got there with everyone else! He dined our on that tale for quite a few weeks.