I was reading RS daughter's blog and read that she and her friend were separated when her friend got on the train but the doors shut before she could get on.
My daughter has cerebral palsy and doesn't move quickly. Has this ever been a problem for anyone, getting on or off before the doors close?
Does anyone know what the metro doors/train go on..I mean, it is a number of seconds or minutes that it will allow people on and off, or is it pushing on the doors like an elevator that will allow more time to get on or off? Does that make sense?
Not as long as you are ready to go when the train stops.
They do close pretty quickly but if you will be ready to get on as soon as everyone gets off you will be okay. There were many times we were having to throw our carry on bags on and off (not easy when the bus or train is much higher than the platform) but we had time to get it done.
I have a friend who got separated from her travel mate because some pick pockets were blocking the subway train doors and one of them didn't make it on.
We made an agreement that if for any reason we got separated we would head straight to the hotel to meet up again. Make sure your daughter has a little money and knows how to buy tickets or has tickets or a pass just in case.
I would suggest your daughter always carry a copy of your travel itinerary at all times. Have someone hold the doors for you.
I suspect it happens on the metros (subways) more than actual trains that go city-to-city. The biggest challenge is getting ON the metro with the crowds pushing around you, especially during rush hour. Our group got separated in Rome when 2 of us made it on and 2 didn't.
The metros run on the same lines however, so we just got off at the agreed-upon stop we were traveling to and waited until the rest of our party arrived.
Getting off the metros is easier--just make your way to the doors well in advance of your stop. Often there will be a crowd of people getting off that will just sort of 'carry' your along. If not, push your way through politely, but firmly (for Rome at least!).
For your daughter, as other the poster suggested, make sure she has some money and/or a travel pass, and the name/address of where you are staying. If everything goes completely wrong, she can get a taxi back 'home'. Also, if the metro looks crowded and you're concerned about not making it on, just hang back and wait for the next one.
I assume you will be with her during your travels. For metro systems, it depends on how busy it is....the operator keeps an eye on a mirror and will close the doors when the crowds thin. But even then, he/she has only a limited time before the train must resume its journey, usually signalled by beeping or a loud tone. If one of you heads for the nearest door, you can throw yourself in front of it and it will reopen...the driver won't be too happy, but that's OK. For trains, one of you should head to a door where you see a conductor step out....he/she will make sure you all get aboard.
I suppose we will have either my husband or myself ahead and one behind her so she will end up with one of us just in case we were separated. She walks fairly well, just a bit slow. I just want to be ready and understand the system to do what we can to stay together and successfully get off and on. I'm glad to hear that someone is watching so they don't just close the door on people. I also think my husband will handle her bag while getting off and on, that will probably be the most difficult for her.
Thanks for the help and ideas!
On some trains the schedule they give you with your ticket tells you the number of minutes the train will stop - i.e. 3 minutes. Be aware that some of the modern train cars have push buttons on the side wall to open the doors, no door knobs or handles and they do not open automatically. It is advisable to be standing at the door with your luggage a few minutes before the estimated arrival time.
I suspect too that if you find a friendly station staff person, they will assist you in your boarding or alighting from the train. Mind the gap.
The worst I've ever experienced was gettng off a local German train. I let my wife lead the way with the kids while I brought up the rear with our stuff. It was her first time on a train and she couldn't get the door to open (I think she was trying to open the door on the wrong side) so we missed our stop. We should have all gone to the door a little earlier so I could have helped when she had trouble. We got off at the next stop and bought picnic stuff at a grocery store while waiting for the next train to get back.
If you move slow, the best thing to do is get there early, stand close to the door and be ready to board or exit before the door opens. You will have plenty of time. Avoid having to rush to make a train.
For subways (shorter stops and more acceleration/decelerations than trains), stand close to the door before boarding or exiting. When you board stand just to the side of the door so people can get off. As soon as it's clear, walk on immediately and find either a seat or a good place to hold on. If your daughter has cerebral palsy, a quick start won't be easy if she's not ready. Also get close to the door but hold on while it breaks at your stop.
Be sure to have a plan on what to do if someone does miss a stop. As an example, the plan may be to get off at the following stop and wait for us to find you at that stop, then we'll worry about getting to our destination.
Susan & Monte,
there's a way to get around quick doors. If you know the trains you're taking in advance, simply look up the route online and find out the stop before the one you need. Then wait for it and use it as a cue to get to the door. On train runs where the stops are 15 minutes apart you have some time, of course; on a subway where they're a minute or two apart then as soon as you see the stop before the one you need, then go to the door. BTW I do this when I'm traveling with luggage just to be sure I'm ready for my stop.
