Woman "found under BART train"
From SFGate just now:
BART trains were delayed this afternoon after a passenger was found under a train at the Montgomery Street station in San Francisco, transit officials said.
An adult woman was found beneath a train, but she did not appear to have suffered serious injuries and it is unclear whether she was struck by the train, said BART spokeswoman Luna Salaver.
"I can't comment on her state of mind," Salaver said. "We're very grateful that she didn't have major injuries."
Train service was interrupted for about 40 minutes at the station while employees shut off power and stopped service on one of the tracks, which caused 15-minute delays for riders.
On-time service is expected to be restored by 4 p.m., she said.
Anyone hear anything more about how she got there? It's not like someone just shows up under a train.....
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Here's what I know - Not sure
Here's what I know -
Not sure how she got there. But around 2ish a call went out initially as a jumper at Montgomery. There were two BART Police Officers who happened to be in the station at that time, and when they went down to the platform the woman was (obviously) very distressed and yelling for help. They requested EMS unsure of the nature of her injuries. Power was tripped to the third rail on the East Bay side as BPD and SFFD tried to figure out what exactly to do.
Eventually she was met halfway (I think I remember hearing that she was under the 3rd car) and managed to come out from under the train. She was taken by SFFD to the hospital with just a few bumps and bruises.
Not sure how she got there, but my bet is that it wasn't an attempted suicide. Suicides tend to be swan dives. If one survives a 4 1/2 foot swan dive into metal and concrete, I doubt the injuries would be limited to bumps and bruises.
Also, the Train Operator was able to stop the train soon enough that she was only 3 cars into the train... a 10-car train, I believe. Generally in suicides, the jumper tends to jump at the very edge of the platform where the train enters, and the train can't decelerate until the jumper is at least in the middle to end of the train.
So the three possibilities right now appear to be:
-Suicide (seeming more and more unlikely as details emerge)
-Fell on to trackway
-Pushed onto trackway
Certainly bizarre to say the least. Will keep you guys updated as I know more.
I interpret this as a message
I interpret this as a message to continue staying in the middle of the platform (like where benches are installed) when a train is arriving in the station. That way if for whatever reason I am pushed near the wayside, I'll have time to react. I never did understand why some passengers stand right behind the designated saftey point of the tiles while the train is coming in. The train isn't going anywhere, and it takes pretty much a second to get to the train doors from the middle of the platform.
I got to the Montgomery
I got to the Montgomery station at 4. I missed the whole thing. Come to think of it - the platform was quite empty for 4pm.
Thanks Shrapnel--did you ever
Thanks Shrapnel--did you ever hear anything more?
The lady actually climbed
The lady actually climbed down into the trackway
what a dumbass. let me guess
what a dumbass. let me guess - trying to steal copper wiring? or even bigger dumbass: trying to steal gas?
she wanted the gas
she wanted the gas
Traditionally, trains were
Traditionally, trains were designed so that there was room between the rails for someone to safely lie down and have the train pass over them. Likewise, there was usually room between two parallel tracks for someone to stand and be clear of a train on each (though wisdom said that if you were unsure of your balance, it'd be better to lie down between the two tracks until the trains had passed). I've seen explicit warnings in places where there wasn't room between tracks.
I've often wondered if BART trains were designed the same way .. it does look like there's room between the tracks, but it's hard to tell how low the cars might hang. And somehow, I didn't think this would be a question a station agent would be happy answering..
I noticed the area underneath
I noticed the area underneath the platform in the SFO station is marked as a safe area. Are the under-platform areas in all the stations "safe"?
Yes. Just roll as far away
Yes. Just roll as far away from the tracks as possible, under the yellow safety strip, if you should ever end up on the tracks and a train is approaching.
I always thought that space
I always thought that space was placed there to accommodate the train's electric paddles . . . wouldn't want to get electrocuted whilst ducking for cover.
How about just stay off the
How about just stay off the trackways.
well, yeah... but i've
well, yeah... but i've always wondered (especially when i am standing at the front of a line waiting for a train) what if someone pushes me over the edge? can i roll underneath the yellow tiles and not get killed? when i am in the front of the line, i stand back a few extra feet so worst case i could probably just dive ON the yellow tiles rather than over them and into the abyss. but if someone is intent on pushing me over the edge, they could probably succeed even if i am 4th or 5th in line if they had a running start and/or an accomplice.
and to fmgr: i thought the whole "lay between the tracks and let the train pass over you" was a total old wives tale. anyone care to confirm/deny this? i know there are some people on here that work in the maintenance yards at bart. i am sure they know.
Trains have to pass over
Trains have to pass over grade crossings (not open to the public, but at maintenance points. So, as long as you are below the tops of the rails, you are safe. For the most part, there is an additional six inches of clearance, above the rail height. No major hard object (like a compressor or control box) hangs any lower than six inches above rail head. An occasional hose or cable may hang down an inch or two, but that will only whack a person, not kill them.
There is no "standard" - such as Plate C (on mainline railroads), but effort is made to keep things from hanging down.
I was looking at that today
I was looking at that today as the train was pulling to the station and I'm still amazed someone was able to fit underneath the train.
This technique that she used
This technique that she used does not work at all stations. Any station with concrete rail ties = hamburger meat.