Your child came close to instant death today

[BMW6]

If you live in Southampton and have a boy aged around 10 with a friend (male) aged around 12, who would have had to cross the train level crossing at Mount Pleasant at around 4.30 today, they came within half a second of a terribly messy but instant death.

The barriers were down but these two boys vaulted the barriers and ran in front of the train. It missed by a heartbeat.

I never want to have to see anything like that again. I cannot repeat what I said to them.

How shocking. Why do kids take these risks?

I would contact every single primary, secondary and private school in the area and beg them to do a safety assembly.

Jesus. I briefly worked in occupational health for a train company. Near misses like that can totally traumatise a driver. Needless to say the near misses are a blessed relief compared to the more common outcome😔

So sorry you had to witness that. Just thinking about it is making me feel queezy. Doesn’t bare thinking about

Please report this to BTP, you can even text it in. They take this very seriously.

What bookmum said. Hopefully the kids will replay it too - for a long time & knock some sense into them.

That must have been terrible op. Please report it. Those kids need saving from themselves!

I know that crossing. Barrier stays down for bloody ages! OP, I would think that for those 2 the shock of the near miss plus the hopefully severe dressing-down they got from you will have put them off, but really would second PP's suggestion of doing what you can to highlight the importance of WAITING no matter how long it takes, Southampton City Council will be able to contact all schools in the area, might be a good pace to make a phone call.

My Great-Grandad was a steam train engine driver. A little girl playing illegally on a steep embankment fell in front of his engine. He couldn't get over the trauma and hung himself a few months later.

These things have such a far-reaching effect on everyone involved.

Dear god. So sorry @cantfindname

When you spoke to them did it seem like they'd learnt their lesson? Hopefully the shock of the near miss will mean they won't do it again.

Horrendous, @cantfindname.

I'd contact the train authority (?) and ask them to check their CCTV ... perhaps the clip should be sent to all the local schools where they could discuss the insanity of the behaviour and perhaps identify the two children.

Oh @cantfindname what a terrible thing to happen

The really incredible mind fuck is that there is a footbridge over the track. So although OhHelpNoo is right that CARS can spend ages waiting to cross, pedestrians do not have to wait at all.

I will ring BTP tomorrow. I am pretty sure cctv will be able to track them.

Go to the echo maybe too.? Or a fb post made public to share. Hopefully the parents see it.

So glad they were ok, but silly boys for taking that risk.

In case anyone hasn’t seen it, this is brilliant to show kids about train safety (168,000,000 views can’t be wrong!):

m.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw

crazycatgal they looked a bit shaken I think. Grinning inanely but in a rather "I think I;m going to be sick" kind of way IYKWIM. The fact that they didn't tell me to fuck off after my tirade may be more telling.
Thinking back I dont know if they were laughing or screaming as they ran in front of the train. Maybe started as one and ended as the other.

BMW You're absolutely right, I forgot about the footbridge. In any case I hope you don't think I was suggesting the wait as justification for what they did. Rather a very near miss leads to some targeted prevention effort than something more tragic. CCTV will definitely be available, and maybe could be used as education material in future. Whatever happened to public safety commercials. Even though they used to frighten the crap out of me, they did the job re level crossings, pylons, drinking out of unmarked bottles, crossing roads etc etc etc.

Well someone up there must have been watching over them.
There could have been some very very distraught parents tonight.
I agree about reporting it to your local press and the BTP. These boys need at the absolute least a very stErn talking to and to be told how they would have died. What would have happened to their bodies and shown injuries of train accidents and fatalities. Yes it May seem OTT but they need a terrifying shock to make them think.
Also to be told How inconsolable their loved ones would have been. How traumatised the driver would have been
. He may never have been able to work again.

Cantfind. I'm so sorry.

Some boys think they are invincible, it must be very scary being a mum of sons.