Bringing up the rear on the Broad Street Line

[BarryG]

Anyone notice the SEPTA employees stationed towards the back of the train at City Hall Station during peak hours? They watch passenger boarding/alighting and flash a flashlight at the driver when they can close the doors. Is this a new thing? What does the flashlight do exactly? Are these employees called "starters" like the ones that man the rear doors of buses and trolleys during peak hours? Is there a similar job on the El or is visibility better?

Related, I took a southbound local train from City Hall today around 12:15 and there were a ton of Phillies game riders. Many clustered at the back of the platform (proximity to Suburban Station I guess). People were still streaming onto the last car when the doors closed repeatedly on passengers, and a few people got left behind. Seems like SEPTA may need these flashlight people at other times of the day.

[mdmitchell]

The flashlight is a standard railroad lantern signal: up/down for "clear to go" and side to side for "wait." You see the same thing on the RRD at night during the winter as trains discharge passengers outside Center City.

And passengers congregate at the rear on trains back from the ballpark because that's where they are when they come down the stairs to the platform. Amazing how few people walk up to the front. My son and I can get seats in the front when nearly all the standing room in the back is gone.

[BarryG]

The flashlight is a standard railroad lantern signal: up/down for "clear to go" and side to side for "wait." You see the same thing on the RRD at night during the winter as trains discharge passengers outside Center City.

And passengers congregate at the rear on trains back from the ballpark because that's where they are when they come down the stairs to the platform. Amazing how few people walk up to the front. My son and I can get seats in the front when nearly all the standing room in the back is gone.

I wanted to walk to the front but with the crowd and narrow platform, it was almost impossible.