Tokyo Metro driver punished for texting on duty

[bikkuri bahn]

Seems the object of his desire got sick of all the attention:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9O1DN400&show_article=1

[linkey]

That is a lot of texting to someone who you only met up so a short time. And what worries me is that the train operations that he was driving, still ran on time!

[bikkuri bahn]

train operations that he was driving, still ran on time

 

Obviously he was a multitasker of some repute.  But seriously, just plain dangerous, unprofessional behavior.  Maybe it's the 24/7 nature of media these days, but it seems these incidents of driver misbehavior are becoming more common.  Of course, in the past there were drunks, such as the driver of an EF65 on a Blue Train which derailed at Nishi Akashi Station in 1984. (old skool, I guess...)

[westfalen]

I wonder what his punishment will be? On Queensland Rail we can be facing dismissal for even having our mobile phones switched on, a rule brought in after the Metrolink Chatsworth crash in 2008.

[bikkuri bahn]

I dunno, but apparently drivers are allowed to bring their cellphones with them on JR West trains, as their are stickers on the windows behind the driver stating that drivers may use cellphones while in the cab in the case of emergencies.

[westfalen]

I dunno, but apparently drivers are allowed to bring their cellphones with them on JR West trains, as their are stickers on the windows behind the driver stating that drivers may use cellphones while in the cab in the case of emergencies.

We can use ours in emergencies but only as a last resort, the crew or anyone in the cab with them must otherwise have their phones switched off.

 

When I was in Germany in 2008 I was sitting behind the driver of an ICE3 as we were coming through the complex approaches and into the dead end station at Munich and watching him drive with one hand and talking on his mobile with the other. Every railway has drivers who think they are invincible.

[keitaro]

human nature.

 

Same as douche bags driving on the m4 driving 60km/h in a 110 zone  in the middle lane see it all the time. Wish there was a law allowing me to slap bull bars on the front ansd smash'em off the road for others safety....

 

texting is so dangerous and what shits me the most the one texting when in a crash always lives and the poor victim always ends up getting the short stick.

 

I always loved though how disciplined most train drivers are in japan. I.e. pointing at every signal etc and tapping on the schedule to make sure they are on time keeps them focused on the task at hand.

[linkey]

human nature.

 

Same as douche bags driving on the m4 driving 60km/h in a 110 zone  in the middle lane see it all the time. Wish there was a law allowing me to slap bull bars on the front ansd smash'em off the road for others safety....

 

texting is so dangerous and what shits me the most the one texting when in a crash always lives and the poor victim always ends up getting the short stick.

 

I always loved though how disciplined most train drivers are in japan. I.e. pointing at every signal etc and tapping on the schedule to make sure they are on time keeps them focused on the task at hand.

 

I'm a State Emergency Service Volunteer in my town who gets to be called out to Road Accidents, and I have seen my fair share of death on the roads. If it's not texting it driving with the phone to the ear and them chatting away.

 

As I haven't been to Japan as yet (planning to do so next year), I watch the Aizu Wakamatsu live webcam and it just makes me look in amazement how effective the JR system is. Sadly I can't say the same for Metro (Melbourne) nor CityRail (Sydney) lol

[keitaro]

yeah nah no one in aus is disciplined in their job like in jpn. Cultural thing and a few other things i won't note for fear of a flame war.

 

I am though still amazed how tv's are still legal in cars in jpn and how seat belts just don't get enforce in jpn.

 

My wifes parents think i'm crazy cause i always put the seat belt on....

[bill937ca]

After much negative publicity Toronto doesn't allow transit operators to use cell phones once they are in uniform. A quote from the following Toronto Star column:

 

“Somebody I know, a car hit her bus. She took pictures with her phone. She was relieved of duty. We all got a notice after that: at no time — even if we’re off duty — if we’re in uniform we can’t use our cell.”

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1011374--fiorito-a-public-servant-is-not-a-slave

[marknewton]

yeah nah no one in aus is disciplined in their job like in jpn. Cultural thing and a few other things i won't note for fear of a flame war.

 

The best way to avoid a flame war is not making assertions about matters you know nothing about. CityRail drivers are prohibited from having their personal mobile phones switched on when in the cab, whether they're driving or travelling pass. It's a rule that's enforced, and those who break the rule ARE disciplined, in some cases quite severely.

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

As I haven't been to Japan as yet (planning to do so next year), I watch the Aizu Wakamatsu live webcam and it just makes me look in amazement how effective the JR system is. Sadly I can't say the same for Metro (Melbourne) nor CityRail (Sydney) lol

 

Even on our worst days we're still streets ahead of Metro, or whatever they call themselves this week. But you can't expect anything better from a bunch of second-rate franchisees, aided and abetted by successive governments of mad-eyed idealogues...

 

Mark.

[gmat]

Was it using the cell phone or taking photos that really caused the woman bus driver to be disciplined, I wonder.

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Even on our worst days we're still streets ahead of Metro, or whatever they call themselves this week. But you can't expect anything better from a bunch of second-rate franchisees, aided and abetted by successive governments of mad-eyed idealogues...

 

Metro on the front page of their website display a punctuality rate of 88% (and that seems to be a good number).  Numbers like that for a Tokyo area operator would cause management heads to roll...

[keitaro]

yeah nah no one in aus is disciplined in their job like in jpn. Cultural thing and a few other things i won't note for fear of a flame war.

 

The best way to avoid a flame war is not making assertions about matters you know nothing about. CityRail drivers are prohibited from having their personal mobile phones switched on when in the cab, whether they're driving or travelling pass. It's a rule that's enforced, and those who break the rule ARE disciplined, in some cases quite severely.

 

Mark.

 

I wasn't reffering to cityrail drivers more just everyone in general in anyjob. work ethics are much different to that than in japan.

 

Quick example would be the difference in customer service in a store one would expect in japan to in australia.

 

i.e Go to a myer / david jones and unless your in the perfume / make up area there is a good chance no one will speak to you till you go to them.

 

My experience in Japanese equivalent stores they have people everywhere greeting you asking you if you want assistance.

 

like I said a cultural thing.

[keitaro]

Even on our worst days we're still streets ahead of Metro, or whatever they call themselves this week. But you can't expect anything better from a bunch of second-rate franchisees, aided and abetted by successive governments of mad-eyed idealogues...

 

Metro on the front page of their website display a punctuality rate of 88% (and that seems to be a good number).  Numbers like that for a Tokyo area operator would cause management heads to roll...

 

 

I question there figures as well not sure of metro but city rail. If there % is as high as it says then i must be catching the bulk of the late trains. I catch 3 trains to work and 3 trains back. Of this you can be sure at least 2 are late in excess of 2 - 3 mins everyday. while 2 - 3 minutes may not seem like much if the epping to strathfield is 3 minutes late theres a good chance my connecting train at strathfield has left or i have < 1 minute to get from platform 1 / 2 to platform 6.

 

http://www.cityrail.info/about/our_performance/

 

 

 

gmat i wonder this too, i'm sure if the photo was taken to protect ones job or salary due to another driver hitting the bus one would be allowed to provide proof.

 

I'm surprised this person didn't sue for unfair dismissal.

[marknewton]

Metro on the front page of their website display a punctuality rate of 88% (and that seems to be a good number).  Numbers like that for a Tokyo area operator would cause management heads to roll...

 

That's what should happen in Melbourne too. But in reality the operating staff get flogged for problems that are outside their control, while the Metro "management" busy themselves with corporate re-branding and other useless trivia.

 

If you ever want an object lesson in how to ruin a good public transport system by privatisation and franchising, look no further than Melbourne.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

Of course, in the past there were drunks, such as the driver of an EF65 on a Blue Train which derailed at Nishi Akashi Station in 1984. (old skool, I guess...)

 

We had our fair share of pissheads in the old days here, too. Thankfully, they're all gone now, and good riddance. I have no time whatsoever for people who can't make it through the working day without a drink.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

I question there figures as well not sure of metro but city rail. If there % is as high as it says then i must be catching the bulk of the late trains.

 

There's no doubt our on-time running figures are dodgy, but you can blame most of that on the political decision made by the previous state government to redefine late running to make the numbers look better. It's so much easier to move the goalposts than to improve your game.

 

But having said that, it's interesting to look at OTR figures for the individual sectors, and see just how many delays are caused by events outside our control. Delays on my line, sector 1, due to operational, mechanical or train crew issues are surprisingly few*. Our biggest dramas are usually caused by other operators trains failing, trespassers in the rail corridor, sick passengers, police operations, assaults, fatalities and vandalism.

 

I'll happily wear the abuse when we're responsible for the delays, but I'm not so sanguine when things go pear-shaped and it's out of my hands.

 

I'm surprised this person didn't sue for unfair dismissal

 

I'm guessing here, but I suspect the law in Canada relating to unfair dismissal probably differs greatly to ours.

 

(*To be fair, when we do f#ck up, it's usually in a big way. Some of our recent episodes have been nothing to be proud of.)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

I wasn't reffering to cityrail drivers more just everyone in general in anyjob. work ethics are much different to that than in japan.

 

Fair enough, I mistook the adjective for the verb. My apologies! 

 

I agree, our work ethics do differ, but we aren't living in Japan. As much as I like the place, I wouldn't neccessarily want to live like the Japanese do.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[westfalen]

It depends on the definition of late, by the time a train is late enough for the authorities in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane to include it in their late running statistics it would probably have rated a mention on the evening news in Tokyo.

[linkey]

If a Melbourne (Metro) Train is running 5 or more minutes late it is then counted as a part of the percentage that is running late, but if it is between 1 to 4 minutes late it is still classed as being on time by the Government.

[marknewton]

It depends on the definition of late, by the time a train is late enough for the authorities in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane to include it in their late running statistics it would probably have rated a mention on the evening news in Tokyo.

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

Sad, but true.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

If a Melbourne (Metro) Train is running 5 or more minutes late it is then counted as a part of the percentage that is running late, but if it is between 1 to 4 minutes late it is still classed as being on time by the Government.

 

Jeez, Metro's figures are THAT rubbery, and they still only manage 88% OTR? Woeful. I wonder who'll have the franchise this time next year?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[linkey]

If a Melbourne (Metro) Train is running 5 or more minutes late it is then counted as a part of the percentage that is running late, but if it is between 1 to 4 minutes late it is still classed as being on time by the Government.

 

Jeez, Metro's figures are THAT rubbery, and they still only manage 88% OTR? Woeful. I wonder who'll have the franchise this time next year?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

 

It's been like that since the Connex and National Express days! Hence I would like to see how well the JR train system runs and differences makes JR (in my option) better than Melbourne Train system.