CHILDREN ON TRAINS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 17

CHILDREN ON TRAINS

Sir, —As a daily passenger by the south suburban train which carries most of the secondary school children who live in that direction, 1 wish to draw attention to the misbehaviour of at least, some of those children, annoying as it is to the passengers, but worse still endangering precious young lives.

Some of the worst features are:— Horse play and noise in the carriages, so much so that it is often impossible to carry on a conversation; at times windows are broken; jostling one another on the carriage platforms while the train is in motion, often when the gates on both sides are open; standing on the lowest step as the train approaches the station platform and then sliding one foot along the platform as the train slows to a stop; jumping off while the train is in motion; jostling each other on the platform dangerously close to the train as it moves off. Prefects are detailed to take charge, but, as they pay, to report a boy for wrongdoing incurs not only the illfavour of the boy who has been reported, but of all the boys. I would suggest that a plain-clothes railway or other official travel, just now and again, on this train, with instructions to take the names of a few of the worst delinquents in view of salutary punishment being meted out to them, which would no doubt act as an excellent deterrent to all concerned. The children should be restrained for their own safety* but as the matter now stands some child will be badly injured of killed before anything is done. S.K. i