Rail safety / mental health advert

[earlydoors42]

Has anyone else seen the advert about how making small talk might save someone's life? It has a man looking stressed / upset (?) on a train platform, and a woman asks him if he's ok (or similar - I only saw it once) and this presumably stops him throwing himself under the train.

I keep thinking about this... I would be unlikely to make small talk with a strange man on the platform in a lot of situations, in case he took it that I was interested in him and followed me or something. I have been on a deserted platform before in the middle of the daytime, and been terrified in case someone threatening came onto the platform too (there was only one entrance, only tracks and a drop at the other edges). Having said that, obviously at times I do make small talk with men, I don't avoid all chat with them.

Sorry if this doesn't fully make sense. I just wish they had had a man asking the man if he was ok. I feel like a man created the advert as it wouldn't occur to them that it's not always wise for women to strike up conversation with troubled looking men.

Not seen the advert, but no, making chitchat with obviously agitated men on train platforms isn’t at the top of my safe and sensible things to do list either. I’m rather keen to steer well clear of agitated men, especially where there are oncoming vehicles approaching at speed or few other people around.

Women expected to do emotional labour yet again. Plus ça change!

Nope but I did see this the other night in the female bathroom. Make of it what you will???!

In lots of ways I wish we could all reach out to the vulnerable. But having on 2 occasions stopped to help someone - once a man lying in the middle of the road, pouring with blood. I stopped my car, got out and went to help him but he stood up and took a swing at me.(he was drunk so missed) The 2nd time I went outside at 2.00 am because I could hear a woman calling 'help me, help me'. When I got to her curled up on the ground and asked if I could help her, she also stood up and took a swing at me, telling me to fuck off. She was also drunk.

I'm now very reluctant to go and help a stranger which feels awful because if we don't reach out to the vulnerable, who do they turn to? But my experiences have made me cautious.

I saw the advert the other day.

www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/small-talk-saves-lives/

In a broader sense it's a great message, but I did think the woman in the station looks really vulnerable when she approaches the distressed man

Yeah. Women, don’t drink so you can be safe on the railways when you’re going home. Oh and women, be sure to help out distressed blokes on the railways when you’re on the way home. Basically, women, constrain yourselves so you can deal with it in case anyone has a pop at you on the railways, and also be available to sort out any blokes who are beside themselves and want your attention at the same time.

The Samaritans have volunteers at the stations on the platforms at certain times of the year. I'm not sure how often though but definitely around christmas time.
Probably helps that they are wearing something to indicate they are Samaritans volunteers.

I would not approach a visibly distressed male on a railway platform, sorry. I would probably alert staff.

I saw the ad and thought - is he going to grab her and throw her onto the track? A friend saw it too and mentioned the same thought.

I absolutely agree with you. It's another clear example of how men just don't get that women are continually risk-assessing.

Not seen the ad, but why can't it be a man asking another man if he's okay? No chance would I go up to a man or any random stranger and start chitchat.
Re the police ad, I read it as don't get so plastered you lose your balance and fall into the tracks? Wasn't the a very sad case a few years ago when a young lad was drunk and fell onto the tracks and died?

I watched the clip posted above by MrsWednesdayteatime: www.samaritans.org/wales/support-us/campaign/small-talk-saves-lives/

The women talking to women bits were alright.

But the one with a woman approaching an agitated man, no.

I commuted by train for many years. No way would I have approached that bloke. Because I am a woman, and would have no idea of how this man would react.

It would be better, and a lot more realistically possible, if the video showed another man, approaching the agitated man.

OP I’ve seen the advert too and thought the same.

If I saw a bloke on the platform looking agitated I’d stay well away, and possibly inform a member of staff if I could find one.

This was my reaction too! If I were in that situation, I would be casting around for other people and suggesting we approach him together; I absolutely wouldn't think it a good idea to do on my own.

I think most people would alert station staff rather make direct contact.

And yet the video clip tells us that lone women should be doing this. Approaching and comforting an agitated man on an otherwise deserted railway station platform.

No.

Just No.

No, women should not.

In such a situation, women should be spotting the exits.

I trained (and worked) as a therapist - I would be wary of approaching that man.

He looked as if he was desperate and unpredictable. I would find a (big male) member of staff to come with me and keep a good arms length.

men just don't get that women are continually risk-assessing

Precisely.

It's like that male shoe designer who said a woman should walk like there's a man behind her, thinking that means "sexily" but it actually means "run".