Community Chat

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

This is every straphanger's nightmare.   Last evening,  at rush hour (about 6 pm) a rider exiting a car at a Brooklyn station had his backpack caught in the closed doors as the train exited the station.  Horrified passengers witnessed it all.  As of now, the conductor is said to have no idea what occurred. 

He was dragged under the moving train and died.

Historically,  deaths have happened with clothing or personal items getting caught in the closing doors, but it's rare.

If you ride the subway or know someone who does, please, please, please remove your backpack.   I always ride with one, but remove it mostly to make room.  It's polite, but also crucial for safety reasons, as we now know.

[kaydee50]

I read that article.  It seems that is it not that unusual that people's stuff gets stuck in the doors and drag them to their death.  What a way to die!

[Cathyshopper]

@They CallMe MRWILKES It atually made me sick to my stomach to read this, but I immediately sent a warning email to my adult daughter who always uses a backpack and takes the train in a big City.  Thank you for sharing, but so terribly sad.

[Puppy Lips]

Those doors should have some sort of sensing mechanism like elevator or garage doors.  I know that would be expensive though.

That is horrible. I used to ride the subway to work for a short time when I was much younger.  These days, even if I were still young, no way would I ride the subway.

[haddon9]

How horrifying!  I thought that if there was an obstruction the doors automatically reopen?  Maybe the strap wasn't big enough to be considered an obstruction?

[Venezia]

No one could press the emergency stop button?  Is there more to this story?

I agree with the poster who said there should be sensors that stop the train from moving if an obstruction to the doors happens.  What price is someone's life?

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

Under normal operation,  the train can't move if the door isn't closed completely.   That's why people get angry when someone is deliberately holding a door open.  That happens everyday,  thousands of time a day.

In this case it was either a malfunction,  or a small piece of material was caught that the closing mechanism couldn't detect.

[Isobel Archer]

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@Puppy Lips wrote:

Those doors should have some sort of sensing mechanism like elevator or garage doors.  I know that would be expensive though.

That is horrible. I used to ride the subway to work for a short time when I was much younger.  These days, even if I were still young, no way would I ride the subway.

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Agree.  It's the same with DC Metro - the doors will NOT open once closed.  People are warned all the time, but still tragedies occur.

[Bookplate]

What happened to this poor man was ghastly, but it would have been prevented if he had been carrying his backpack instead of wearing it.

I wish backpack wearers would remove their backpacks before getting on trains.  They are often unaware of when these objects are striking other passengers and creating obstacles.  I have seen short passengers get smacked in the face by packs on tall passengers.

And the automatic door-opening-with-obstruction mechanism is far from fail-safe.  I have been on trains moving with doors not closed 100%.

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

Protocol requires the conductor to look out of her/his window prior to the train leaving the station.

A local news story just broadcast indicates that this conductor has been placed on leave pending investigation. 

It was also reported that the train was inspected after the incident and there were no mechanical issues.

Interviews with some school students who were on the train and witnessed it are horrifying; some would not take the train today.

The entire event has been captured on video, since cameras are on every platform. 

Some witnesses have said that his foot may have become caught between the car and the platform.