Re: Violence on Sydney trains

[David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>]

glillic@msn.com.au wrote:

> They can communicate with police just as
> easily as Chub can.

That is incorrect.  The Chubb Security personnel are equipped with a radio that
works, meaning they can call for Police back-up easily.  Train Guards are given
a 450.050 MHz radio which is hard pressed to transmit more than a kilometre, and
the likelihood of anyone listening to it is very slim.  Signal boxes rarely
answer them, and control can't hear them.  Guards were supposed to be given
handportable radios years ago capable of transmitting to the Security Control
Centre, but surprise, surprise, that has never eventuated.  I needed to contact
Police two nights ago between Oatley and Como.  My mobile phone refused to work
(even on an emergency call), the 450.050 MHz radio was unable to raise anyone,
the Intercom on the train didn't work.  It took until Loftus for me to get to
the driver's cab and use the train radio from there to contact Sutherland box.
Oh, and before you ask why I didn't talk to the Chubb Security Guards, they
never bothered turning up, so there were none on the train for over 4 hours.

> It seems to me that CityRail guards are no more anxious
> to intervene than the private security guards they are so anxious to
> criticise.

Please clarify your point.  Are you saying that ALL CityRail Guards are not
anxious to intervene?  I know of one CityRail Guard who has been told by
management that he is not to intervene in any situation, and he is not allowed
to defend himself if attacked.  (He is from Penrith).

--
David Johnson
CityRail Guard
trainman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/