Stenson Lock ..............

[magpie patrick]

NO one should EVER beat themselves up for not doing something that can be dangerous. I know exactly how you feel and that is why I felt the need to apologise to the guy when I was lock wheeling their old historic boat for them.

 

Paradoxically feeling confident that I did not have to do it and I was not a wimp if I did not do it led to a boost in confidence which means that sometimes, if it feels right, I do it!

 

What she said

[cheshire~rose]

All this talk of stepping between the gates of narrow locks (or not) is fine, but that isn't what happened here. It's a wide lock, and the woman was apparently walking across the closed gates. In many cases it's the only way to get from one side of a wide lock to another,

 

I apologise if I am in part to blame for taking this thread off topic by talking about stepping across open narrow lock gates. I do feel that the conversation is partly relevant because the opening poster does state there was a bridge at the other end of the lock ( I am not familiar with this lock but there does appear to be one when you look at google)

 

It could be that the lady was very experienced in crossing wide locks and sadly yesterday was the day it went wrong for her and she slipped. It might be that she was inexperienced but had seen so many other people walking across that she felt it was the done thing even though she was quite scared to do it. It is also possible that she was a gongoozler who knew nothing about canals, locks, boating or the potential danger but had seen other people doing the same and followed suit We just don't know and might never find out.

 

If reading this thread means one person takes a moment to think about whether there is a safer alternative to their proposed action then it will have been worth it in my view

[Guest]

( I am not familiar with this lock but there does appear to be one when you look at google)

 

There is indeed a road bridge with a small foot bridge between it and the bottom lock gates. (You can just see the white hand rail in these images from GE)

 

As a consequence here is no walkway on the bottom gates suggesting the lady must have been crossing the top gates when she fell in.

 

 

 

Also for info. the road BTW is also pretty hazardous - the traffic flies down there and I'm surprised more people haven't been 'squished' coming from or returning to their boats.

Edited August 20, 2012 by The Dog House

[DaveC]

With regard to stepping from an open gate to a closed one (obviously on a narrow canal) or v.v. with long legs like mine no problem, BUT in wet weather I use a boat hook to either push a gate open or close one. Useful on the Bosley locks as well - when there are no volunteers about!

 

Dave

[bargiepat]

 

 

It could be that the lady was very experienced in crossing wide locks and sadly yesterday was the day it went wrong for her and she slipped.

 

Hi,

She was with her husband on a hire boat and was waiting to come down the lock............ One of the two people that climbed down the ladders was her husband.

I moor at the marina and never walk on those gates, you have to hold the handrail and lean into the lock to clear the greasy lock gear. Maybe she was doing just that and lost her grip.

 

Glad she is ok and has now been confirmed apart from some scrapes she has only suffered a broken wrist.

 

Regards,

Patrick.

[Zayna]

I'm sorry for taking it slightly off topic too, but glad I've aired my thoughts. When I walk across the beams of the closed gated I'm gripping on for grim death, but when you stride across, you do have to let go. Which I won't be doing any more.

 

The poor woman, I bet that will stay with her for a while, what a horrific experience.

[Sarah and Ian]

Ironically not taking the 4 extra steps to use the footbridge that was put their for that purpose nearly cost a life.

 

Well done to the quick and calm thinking.

[Guest]

Ironically not taking the 4 extra steps to use the footbridge that was put their for that purpose nearly cost a life.

 

Well done to the quick and calm thinking.

 

Hi Ian,

 

It's strange I always used to walk across the beams on the top gates and wouldn't walk for the bridge and despite the fact you do as already mentioned by the OP have to lean in towards the lock to avoid getting smeared in grease it never felt this was a particularly hazardous thing to do.....it has steps up to it and a handrail with a 'grippy' top surface from memory.

Edited August 20, 2012 by The Dog House

[Sarah and Ian]

Hi Ian,

 

It's strange I always used to walk across the walkway on the top gates and wouldn't walk for the bridge and despite the fact you do as already mentioned by the OP have to lean in towards the lock to avoid getting smeared in grease never felt this was a particularly hazardous thing to do.....

 

Walk across the top gates (small). Use the bridge for the big gates Probably as Im a wuss and would be scared of falling.

[cheshire~rose]

Also for info. the road BTW is also pretty hazardous - the traffic flies down there and I'm surprised more people haven't been 'squished' coming from or returning to their boats.

The really odd thing from my point of view is that while I do not have any real experience of the lock (I although I know I will have been through it once on a hire boat many moons ago) I am more familiar with the road at that point. When I was doing my motorcycle training I did it with a training school in that area and we regularly crossed that bridge on our way out or back ack again. I know how hazardous it can be because I can still remember my instructors words in my ear as we approached it saying to slow down and change down because there might be people stepping out onto the road from the towpath and cars fly across that bridge.

 

I am really pleased the lady has not sufferred any serious injuries. While it would be very scary for her I suspect it was probably much more scary for every one else who witnessed it, especially her poor husband. He is going to want to wrap her in cotton wool from now on!

[Guest]

Walk across the top gates (small). Use the bridge for the big gates Probably as Im a wuss and would be scared of falling.

 

What I had forgotten when I first posted was that there isn't actually a 'walkway' as such on those gates, it's actually just the top of the beams and a handrail.

 

As said above though nobody should feel pressured into doing something they are not comfortable with.

[mayalld]

I'm sorry for taking it slightly off topic too, but glad I've aired my thoughts. When I walk across the beams of the closed gated I'm gripping on for grim death, but when you stride across, you do have to let go. Which I won't be doing any more.

 

If I step across, the hand that is holding onto the gate I'm leaving doesn't release until I have a firm grip on the gate I'm stepping to.

 

Of course it does help if you have arms like an orangutan

[magpie patrick]

If I step across, the hand that is holding onto the gate I'm leaving doesn't release until I have a firm grip on the gate I'm stepping to.

 

Of course it does help if you have arms like an orangutan

 

I'm not always quite that careful, but reading this I have realised I do a subconscious risk assesment when I cross gates (and a very conscious one when I rescued a duckling from being sucked into a paddle at Widcombe locks, the conscious bit was screaming at someone to shut the paddle, and when they didn't respond, ripping the windlass out of their hands and doing it myself).

 

It is better to get greasy than to fall twelve or more feet to get very very wet

[LoneWolf]

If I step across, the hand that is holding onto the gate I'm leaving doesn't release until I have a firm grip on the gate I'm stepping to.

 

Of course it does help if you have arms like an orangutan

 

and my mental picture of you gets a bit more detail...

 

I mostly step across but not in the wet (but i try to avoid locks in the wet anyway) I do it very carefully though.. come to a dead stop first, look to see where my foot & hand are going etc. It makes a big difference if there is a rail. Coming up Stourbridge where there aren't any rails i stepped across the first one then decided I didn't feel comfortable doing it and walked around the rest

Wolverhampton doesn't have rails either but I was fine to step over that day, even when some passerby shouted 'CAREFUL' the exact time i made my step which did give me a bit of a heart-in-mouth moment though. The deepest ones towards the end have a bridge which i used.

 

no one should ever feel obliged to step over if they're not comfortable with it. it was said upthread but it's worth repeating

[jelunga]

Around a year ago I stepped across an open (narrow) lock gate for the first time. Dave does it as a matter of course but he is 6'3" with lonnnngggg legs so it is just a stride for him. I also have long legs and know I ought to be able to do it but I have no head for height and would get to the edge and freeze. I know for people who are shorter it is going to be much more of a challenge and would advise against even trying unless you are very sure footed and athletic

 

Some years ago a forum member who had grown up around boats told me never to apologise for not being able to do it. He said he used to "bounce around" the locks all the time then one day he realised that he only had to slip once and it would be a life changing experience. His words stuck with me and I hope they ring some truth with others. I know I can do it but I don't always do it. If it is windy or wet I will usually back away and walk around. I realised last weekend thether or not I feel comfortable doing it relies on much more than the weather conditions though. We have done The Wolverhampton 21 both ways in a week, I have stepped across a few of them but most did not "feel" right and I lost the confidence to do it and backed away. I was trying to work out what was different then realised that many of the locks I can do it on have a post or guard rail that I can steady myself on as I prepare to step out. There was none on those locks and so it was sufficient to dent my confidence. It was only as we got close to the end of the locks Dave realised that although they are "narrow" locks they are actually quite wide narrow locks and although I have not checked how wide they are we suspected they may be 6" to a foot wider than many of those I routinely step over.

It can be a pain having to walk around but I never beat myself up about not being confident to step across an open lock gate even if I did the previous lock without any problem. If I do not feel I can do it confidently then I don't do it at all

I agree. There is a saying "better late in this world than early in the next". I can foresee no reason why i would want to jump / step across from a closed gate to an open one. The consequences of failure in no way justify the risk. The extra time taken to walk around is of no significance. If you are in a hurry you have chosen the wrong life style and form if transport.

Anyone who dies it is showing off or needs their head examining. Well, almost.

The risk is not worth the minute saved.

[Ange]

I agree. There is a saying "better late in this world than early in the next". I can foresee no reason why i would want to jump / step across from a closed gate to an open one. The consequences of failure in no way justify the risk. The extra time taken to walk around is of no significance. If you are in a hurry you have chosen the wrong life style and form if transport.

Anyone who dies it is showing off or needs their head examining. Well, almost.

The risk is not worth the minute saved.

 

I'll pass that onto Dave

[magpie patrick]

I agree. There is a saying "better late in this world than early in the next".

 

The risk is not worth the minute saved.

 

I've heard, and this may be a myth, that this was printed on the front of the driver's handbooks for the LNWR.

 

One cricketer, opening bat for Yorkshire (but not Geoffrey Boycott, it may have been John Habgood)said that it was worth taking a one in one hundred risk to get a run, because on average he would score a century. He then added that it wasn't worth taking a one in one hundred risk with driving a car.

[mykaskin]

Well before the Health and Safety brigade get going on stepping across gates, its all about managing risk and ensuring you don't fall off. My arms aren't long enough to hold on to both gates at the same time, but a positive step and reach for the railings has never let me down (over 30 years). Some footboards are a little to be desired but are far better these days than in days of yore.

 

BTW - Have you ever timed the period it takes to walk calmly and slowly around the lock? Now times that by the number of locks you are likely to do - soon adds up. You are probably far more likely to get injured or fall in by walking past all them silly new posts Waterways put in not so long back anyway!

Edited August 21, 2012 by mykaskin

[Hairy-Neil]

I can foresee no reason why i would want to jump / step across from a closed gate to an open one.

 

I've been doing it for 30 years as for me it enhances the boating experience. However, like Patrick, every gate does get the mental risk assessment first....

[Zayna]

Each to their own. I shan't be risking it again.

[mayalld]

I agree. There is a saying "better late in this world than early in the next". I can foresee no reason why i would want to jump / step across from a closed gate to an open one. The consequences of failure in no way justify the risk. The extra time taken to walk around is of no significance. If you are in a hurry you have chosen the wrong life style and form if transport.

Anyone who dies it is showing off or needs their head examining. Well, almost.

The risk is not worth the minute saved.

 

 

You assume that stepping over is more dangerous.

 

I have never had an accident stepping over a gate. I have slipped and hurt myself twice walking round instead.

[Guest]

You assume that stepping over is more dangerous.

 

I have never had an accident stepping over a gate. I have slipped and hurt myself twice walking round instead.

 

It's the scale of the potential accident though - falling several (up to tens of feet) into a lock is different from slipping on the lock side (assuming of course you are not teetering on the lock side as you walk along).

[mykaskin]

It's the scale of the potential accident though - falling several (up to tens of feet) into a lock is different from slipping on the lock side (assuming of course you are not teetering on the lock side as you walk along).

 

Which is exactly why you are ultra careful at not making a mistake as it will hurt!!

 

Mike

[Guest]

Which is exactly why you are ultra careful at not making a mistake as it will hurt!!

 

Mike

 

I don't mind a little bit of pain as in a twisted ankle walking along a lock side, what I do object to is a serious head injury after I've missed the walkway on the other gate and plummeted head first into the lock.

 

What's the rush any way??

[Ange]

Each to their own I say. My Dave is confident and agile and routinely steps safely across the gates. I don't have his confidence so I walk round. No one should call Dave foolhardy or accuse him of showing off, just as no one should condemn me for being a bit too cautious.