Preventing passengers from obstructing doors

To be honest with you, there will allways be someone who obstructs the doors. Like one time i was on the Central line, and these two American blokes got on, and the both put there foot in the door. When they eventually got on, I hear them go, "my god I thought it was like an elevator where you put your foot in the door and it would reopen". I was so tempted to say, errr mate, if it was like that the train would never, leave the platform!! Because everybody would do it!!! The buzzer would be a good idea, however I do think knowbody would take any notice, and it would just get very annoying!!!!

On the 09ts the electronic door mechanism which 'freezes' the door open almost invites people to hold it open... Especially in front of the entrances... Because it makes no noise and doesn't seem to resist the person holding it open, people just keep piling in through the open door... Well occasionally they do anyway!

What about the whole door vibrating, like a mobile phone on vibrate...

A loud piercing obstruction alarm like this U.S. fire alarm.


and if the obstruction should continue, secondary alarms should sound on the platforms, like this.

How about speeding up the door closure speed?

Cover the rubber with foul smelling oil?

The flashing red idea sounds promising though. Wire up a few extra bright LEDs into the sensitive edge, make them pulse when the dor is about to close and closing. Could have a decent psychological effect.

Hop on hop off break neck....I like it.

There is no solution, this will always happen and it will remain the main cause of delays on the Tube even after they've got rid of all the TOps in the cabs.

Read Seneca, Marcus Aurelius or the other Stoics, learn to accept that which is beyond your control and not let it create destructive emotions within you.

They actually reduced the air pressure on the 73s during refurb I've been told! But I agree some sort of bell/alarm for doors obstructed, just to show passengers it's a naughty thing to do.
But as aslefshrugged has put it, it will always happen!

My original point was that in a trains costing several million pounds each (e.g. 09ts), with an age age-long and predictable problem, surely we can come up with something better then a yellow sticker?!

The door could vibrate, like a stick shaker on an aeroplane about to stall? Or some sort of buzzer as mentioned... Particularly on the 09ts...

A lovely photo and I like your comment about nothing new. Londoner's should have open platform trains again. A Boris Linemaster? ;D

Regarding, as you mention, that 1959 stock electric door motor experiment and unlike the restricted air pressure on normal LT door motors,I have heard from first hand experience, that this was not the case with the electric motors which would grind away until the door closed.

haha, that sounds like the right approach!!

We already have indications in the cab when doors are failing to close - it's called a door closed visual (or pilot light) and if it doesn't illuminate there must, by definition, be a door that hasn't fully closed. Additionally, we won't be able to motor (and on D stocks this is indeed accompanied by an audible alarm).

Most stocks now are also able to give an indication of the car concerned in the cab......and all stocks have outside door indicators on each car. Couple that with the CCTV/mirrors and it's not usually hard to work out what's going on & where along the train.

Educating passengers, sorry customers, is the only way forward.

on copehagen metro - there simllar problem - we was boarding with alot people through doors (one door failed) the man front of me fell from train as doors hit him which landed on PED doors that was closing - there was warning - loud warning alert and there was LED flasher above doors
but PEDS had no safety preventer eg holding doors till its was cleared fully so i had legs hurt because i was in wheelchair and doors hit my legs which i had formal complaint to Metro (who owns the metro system in copehagen) but if its happened in london then PEDS should have fitted a flashing lights and loud warning tones and extra safety features eg doors hold till area cleared and can be safety closed once area is cleared
good example of safety
but on airtrain (birmgham airport) there safety feature which prevents doors from closing on persons like elevator doors - i saw two people rush in before doors closed but doors reopened straightaway after detected them twice then after few minutes the area was clear and its closed properly - that way is safest way
and on mainline trains with electric doors - turbostars and newer class - those trains have safety devices which prevents doors from hitting person - i saw person walk in as doors close but they reopened quickly and waited for person to clear area and the doors closed properly

In real terms, what's happened it that common sense (education) has been totally replaced by elfin safety (other officials' thoughts) and we all know that elfins can go where they like and do what they want........

TfL byelaws do have that provision I believe...