Have a plan if separated on metro
Dec 3rd, 2006, 11:25 PM
#1
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Have a plan if separated on metro
just reading a post on bus travel in rome, reminded me of an incident that would curl anyone´s hair.
two sisters (students of mine) were in paris for a few days and unfortunately during rush hour got spearated on the metro. one made it on, and the other one didn´t.
FORTUNATELY the sister on the train just got off at the next stop, praying big sis would be on next train, and FORTUNATELY the next train actually was going to and stopped at that next stop and was not a train going elsewhere ( as sometimes there are different destination trains on same tracks).
One travelling should always make a back up plan in case this would happen.
first idea would be to get off at next stop. however, sometimes this will not work as i said. the next train boarded at previous stop might be going somewhere else, or be an express train that doesn´t stop at every stop.
so you need ANOTHER plan in case that doesn´t work, which COULD be ( but please add your ideas) to always meet ASAP in some major place you all have preagreed upon.
everyone always needs to carry the hotel information whether they ever intend to go alone or not.
this also happened to a close friend and her many colleagues helping a school group of 23 kids in london. luckily, the kids had been instructed to go to a train personnel rep and they were notified exactly of where they had this child waiting for them.
happy travels to you all!
two sisters (students of mine) were in paris for a few days and unfortunately during rush hour got spearated on the metro. one made it on, and the other one didn´t.
FORTUNATELY the sister on the train just got off at the next stop, praying big sis would be on next train, and FORTUNATELY the next train actually was going to and stopped at that next stop and was not a train going elsewhere ( as sometimes there are different destination trains on same tracks).
One travelling should always make a back up plan in case this would happen.
first idea would be to get off at next stop. however, sometimes this will not work as i said. the next train boarded at previous stop might be going somewhere else, or be an express train that doesn´t stop at every stop.
so you need ANOTHER plan in case that doesn´t work, which COULD be ( but please add your ideas) to always meet ASAP in some major place you all have preagreed upon.
everyone always needs to carry the hotel information whether they ever intend to go alone or not.
this also happened to a close friend and her many colleagues helping a school group of 23 kids in london. luckily, the kids had been instructed to go to a train personnel rep and they were notified exactly of where they had this child waiting for them.
happy travels to you all!
Dec 3rd, 2006, 11:44 PM
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Well I think it would be quite nerve wracking for visitors to a city they are not familar with.
Even with children it is good if they have money on them and a business card of the hotel where the family is staying. I have always done this with my children and grandchildren "just in case". Most of my friends have said they never thought about it. I always told our children "if something happens and we get separated talk to a policeman, a storeclerk, an older woman. Take a taxi back to the hotel. Thank heavens it was never necessary but a good precaution I believe. Another thought, it is good if all youngsters have ID on them also.
Even with children it is good if they have money on them and a business card of the hotel where the family is staying. I have always done this with my children and grandchildren "just in case". Most of my friends have said they never thought about it. I always told our children "if something happens and we get separated talk to a policeman, a storeclerk, an older woman. Take a taxi back to the hotel. Thank heavens it was never necessary but a good precaution I believe. Another thought, it is good if all youngsters have ID on them also.
Dec 3rd, 2006, 11:52 PM
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Yes when my son was younger and we were in a big crowd we would pick a landmark and agree to meet there if we got separated. That was before mobiles though.
I agree it's a good idea to have a game plan for the underground as mobiles won't work there. I've never bothered making one though - we just make sure we don't get separated! I guess we'd have to do frantic hand signals and miming through the window as the train pulls away...
I did nearly get separated from my son when he was a baby though in an incident that still sends a shiver down my spine. I had baby plus bags plus buggy to get on a train (not underground, normal train). I was the only person getting on. It is not possible to get everything on at once. So I take my son out of buggy, jump on train (deserted) and sit him on a seat. Jump off train, collapse buggy..the guard looks right at me, clearly sees me, and then signals...and the train started pulling off with door open and unattended baby on board! Of course it was only going slowly so I was able to grab stuff and jump on board (I'd have abandoned the stuff of course if I'd needed to). But the thought of the train zooming off and baby crawling out of open door still occassionally pops into my nightmares.
At the next stop I made my way up to the guard and gave him a piece of my mind only for him to say 'oh I thought you'd just got off'. (yeah, because everyone collapses their buggy when they need to use it to walk along a platform. Not to mention that I was not actually holding a baby which meant that even if I had just got off, the buggies occupant clearly hadn't.).
I agree it's a good idea to have a game plan for the underground as mobiles won't work there. I've never bothered making one though - we just make sure we don't get separated! I guess we'd have to do frantic hand signals and miming through the window as the train pulls away...
I did nearly get separated from my son when he was a baby though in an incident that still sends a shiver down my spine. I had baby plus bags plus buggy to get on a train (not underground, normal train). I was the only person getting on. It is not possible to get everything on at once. So I take my son out of buggy, jump on train (deserted) and sit him on a seat. Jump off train, collapse buggy..the guard looks right at me, clearly sees me, and then signals...and the train started pulling off with door open and unattended baby on board! Of course it was only going slowly so I was able to grab stuff and jump on board (I'd have abandoned the stuff of course if I'd needed to). But the thought of the train zooming off and baby crawling out of open door still occassionally pops into my nightmares.
At the next stop I made my way up to the guard and gave him a piece of my mind only for him to say 'oh I thought you'd just got off'. (yeah, because everyone collapses their buggy when they need to use it to walk along a platform. Not to mention that I was not actually holding a baby which meant that even if I had just got off, the buggies occupant clearly hadn't.).
Dec 4th, 2006, 12:18 AM
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Good heavens nona, it is a wonder you didn't have a heart attack! What a terrible experience. A parents nightmare. Thankfully you somehow managed to get you and all your possessions on the train but I can't imagine how.
Dec 4th, 2006, 12:39 AM
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With our son, anytime we're in a situation where we may become separated, I put a piece of paper or card in his pocket with both my and my husband's cell phone numbers. He knows that if we are separated he is to approach an older lady or a lady with children and tell them he is lost and give them my number. Even in another language, I think most people would understand what he needed.
Also, I love the idea of using a business card from the hotel. When we checked into our hotel in Berlin last weekend the first thing the clerk did was give John a card and told him to keep it with him. He was impressed with the idea that someone else was giving him that responsiblilty and he took it very seriously.
Also, I love the idea of using a business card from the hotel. When we checked into our hotel in Berlin last weekend the first thing the clerk did was give John a card and told him to keep it with him. He was impressed with the idea that someone else was giving him that responsiblilty and he took it very seriously.
Dec 4th, 2006, 02:10 AM
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well maybe their hair didn´t curl, and they just went prematurely gray, who knows.. maybe an exageration?.. !!LOL
but i can tell you that the ones involved were quite panicked in both situations for a few minutes until it all got worked out. especially the teachers!
one of the two students told me she didn´t even know the name of the hotel....
it is good to know that most people DO have a plan in case they get separated, but some people who never usually take public transport may not even imagine it could happen at a crowded time.
also, the fact that different trains share the same track does complicate the issue in some places.
and nona! what a story. so glad you can tell a happy ending.
but i can tell you that the ones involved were quite panicked in both situations for a few minutes until it all got worked out. especially the teachers!
one of the two students told me she didn´t even know the name of the hotel....
it is good to know that most people DO have a plan in case they get separated, but some people who never usually take public transport may not even imagine it could happen at a crowded time.
also, the fact that different trains share the same track does complicate the issue in some places.
and nona! what a story. so glad you can tell a happy ending.
Dec 4th, 2006, 08:52 AM
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<<< Yes, it is standard practice in Paris -- if anybody gets split up, you just get off at the first stop and wait for the next train. I don't think it really curls anybody's hair when this happens. >>>
Note that this would not work on parts of the London Underground where the "next train" could be going a different route
eg you are at Gloucester Road intending to go to Kew Gardens. The "next train" could take you to High Street Kensington rather than Earls Court
Note that this would not work on parts of the London Underground where the "next train" could be going a different route
eg you are at Gloucester Road intending to go to Kew Gardens. The "next train" could take you to High Street Kensington rather than Earls Court
Dec 4th, 2006, 08:58 AM
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I think it would be a good idea for people to have rules about this, if they are really confused about such things. But wouldn't the most logical thing be to just go to wherever you intended to go, anyway? It would waste time for each to get off at the next stop and wait. I guess this can only happen at the first stop, if someone gets on the train and someone doesn't because it's too crowded or something. I think you may need other rules for children, of course, who shouldn't be alone.
Dec 4th, 2006, 09:11 AM
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There was a local case about a couple years ago of a boy and his uncle who had gone to London. The boy was about 13. Apparently the uncle and the boy were separated near or at a tube stop, and the boy decided to go hang out in a park (it was in central London, but I can't remember which) for 24 hours before he was found, apparently because he couldn't figure out what to do in this instance. (The boy was quite unstreetwise, and he was from a farm, not a city.)
Dec 4th, 2006, 09:16 AM
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It's a good idea to have a plan no matter where you are.
When I think of all the time we spend looking for each other when my husband and I go somewhere and one of us wanders off. If it's a museum we meet at the gift shop.
When I think of all the time we spend looking for each other when my husband and I go somewhere and one of us wanders off. If it's a museum we meet at the gift shop.
Dec 4th, 2006, 09:24 AM
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Having a good plan to meet if separated is a great idea, but doesn’t always solve a separation problem. A couple of years ago my wife and I were in London when we got separated. We were at the train station headed to our platform ... on our way to the airport to head home! I had told my wife we needed to turn right at the next corridor about 15 feet ahead of us. I then stopped briefly to put down my shoulder bag and re-arrange it to my other shoulder. Ten seconds later when I looked up my wife was gone. When I walked the 15 feet to the hall where we were to go ... no wife in sight.
While this would not have been an issue if we were staying in London as we knew that if we got separated we headed back to the hotel ... we were on our way to the airport and I had all tickets and passports, which we don’t do anymore. Now when we leave for the airport we each carry our own paper just in case. However, at that time I knew that without her ticket and passport there was no way she was going to get into the airport or find me before the flight departed. To make a long story short, she had gone straight down a one-way walkway instead of turning with a lot of foot traffic. By the time she realized it was the wrong way she had to fight her way back against the traffic.
After about 5 minutes of staying in the immediate area looking for her I finally saw my red headed wife walking some distance from me ... going in the wrong direction of course. I can only say that there were few people within hundreds of feet that didn’t know her name as I yelled as loud as I could several times to get her attention.
My solution for the future ... the trip was over Thanksgiving and for a Christmas stocking stuffer that year my wife got a small handheld walkie-talkie with a five mile range. Of course I got one too.
While we haven’t had the occasion to use them in Europe we have used them on local travel and on cruises and they work like a charm. From now on we “don’t travel without them”.
While this would not have been an issue if we were staying in London as we knew that if we got separated we headed back to the hotel ... we were on our way to the airport and I had all tickets and passports, which we don’t do anymore. Now when we leave for the airport we each carry our own paper just in case. However, at that time I knew that without her ticket and passport there was no way she was going to get into the airport or find me before the flight departed. To make a long story short, she had gone straight down a one-way walkway instead of turning with a lot of foot traffic. By the time she realized it was the wrong way she had to fight her way back against the traffic.
After about 5 minutes of staying in the immediate area looking for her I finally saw my red headed wife walking some distance from me ... going in the wrong direction of course. I can only say that there were few people within hundreds of feet that didn’t know her name as I yelled as loud as I could several times to get her attention.
My solution for the future ... the trip was over Thanksgiving and for a Christmas stocking stuffer that year my wife got a small handheld walkie-talkie with a five mile range. Of course I got one too.
While we haven’t had the occasion to use them in Europe we have used them on local travel and on cruises and they work like a charm. From now on we “don’t travel without them”.
Dec 4th, 2006, 09:28 AM
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To my knowledge, there is only one métro line which goes to two different directions on the same track, and that is line 13 north of Place de Clichy, and one line, no. 16, where some trains might not go to the end. So the stations where separation might be a problem because of different directions are La Fourche (an unlikely station for tourists) and Michel-Ange Auteuil. The rule of getting off at the next stop is probably still better than waiting at the point of separation since it does not require changing platfomrs and navigating the corridors between platforms.
Dec 4th, 2006, 10:06 AM
#17
Actually, no, Michael. There is no line 16 in Paris. There are lines 1 through 14 and RER A through E. Lines 7 and 13 have branches at one end.
But this has no bearing to what I was saying. I was referring to normal people with a normal knowledge of the destination, who would know if there was a branch or if not all trains on the same platform went to the same place. However, I do realize that a lot of people play "follow the leader" and only one person in the group knows where the group is going. This is wrong, in my opinion. Everyone should take an active interest in the itinerary before the trip begins.
But this has no bearing to what I was saying. I was referring to normal people with a normal knowledge of the destination, who would know if there was a branch or if not all trains on the same platform went to the same place. However, I do realize that a lot of people play "follow the leader" and only one person in the group knows where the group is going. This is wrong, in my opinion. Everyone should take an active interest in the itinerary before the trip begins.
Dec 4th, 2006, 10:35 AM
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I think that agreeing on the next stop and having a contingency plan has fallen into disuse in the cell phones age. Now real coordination problems arise when someone loses the phone or doesnt have signal as will often happen in underground places.
Call me old fashion, but I always want at least a high-level plan when I set out for the day.
Call me old fashion, but I always want at least a high-level plan when I set out for the day.
Dec 4th, 2006, 10:57 AM
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Good news...
The Paris Metro is fully wired for mobile phone service so each of you should carry a mobile phone...if you have gsm service already then activate international roaming although I am a believer in getting prepaid service if one is going to be in a country for a while but that's another issue.
With a mobile phone, it's easy to text each other where you are (it's a great idea not only for the metro, but for everywhere you go; unfortunately some metro systems such as London and New York have not wired their systems for mobile phone use and still languish in the last century.
The Paris Metro is fully wired for mobile phone service so each of you should carry a mobile phone...if you have gsm service already then activate international roaming although I am a believer in getting prepaid service if one is going to be in a country for a while but that's another issue.
With a mobile phone, it's easy to text each other where you are (it's a great idea not only for the metro, but for everywhere you go; unfortunately some metro systems such as London and New York have not wired their systems for mobile phone use and still languish in the last century.
Dec 4th, 2006, 11:15 AM
#20
Oh please -- can you imagine a group of 4 or 6 or 10 or 15 people all bringing their cell phones and using them at international prices just to call each other in case they get separated? Is common sense insufficient in this day and age?
