Ov-personnel threatened daily: I'll rip your head off!

Violence and aggression aimed at public transport staff is unfortunately the order of day. Therefore, the Week of Respect now dominated by employees in train, bus, tram and metro. "Why did not you wake me ?, he shouted with fire in his eyes several times to me," Van der Neut continues. "He had fallen asleep in a corner for me dead."

ALONE

Van der Neut noticed that she began to apologize. Needless course. "I did not know what happened to me. Shortly before, I sat musing over the Easter long weekend was coming. It went from bad to worse. He threatened me. "I pull you out from behind your steering wheel and punch you in the mouth," he said. I felt so alone. Could not do anything against him. Yes, hard braking and hope he falls over. But no, you're not middle of the road. "

CRY

She pressed the emergency pedal so that the colleagues were able to listen in to the emergency room. "I decided to drive to a stop. There he got off lucky. I was so full of adrenaline that I spontaneously started to cry. You do get a workout with an actor recreating an aggressive passenger, but in reality it is different. "

A colleague directed her heart that she immediately had to go away again, otherwise she would not dare. After a few days off they went then back to work. "As I drove on that line, I sometimes thought, what if he gets back? I am now more wary, but not frightened. Then you better stop. "

'INHERENT' AT WORK

Yvonne phase (57) in the 15 years she worked as a conductor for NS necessary experienced. Cursing and shoving. She calls it 'inherent' to work, but unacceptable. That is why they get involved years ago in the education program Luisteris NS.

Operators say this in schools about the dangers of playing along the trail and head guards on aggression and violence in the train. They do this, inter alia, by talking about their own experiences and re-enacting situations.

EDUCATION

"These children from 9 to 17 years are influenced. If you tell your own story in uniform, you suddenly become a human being for them, "says Stage, now coordinator of Luisteris and the collegiate reception organization Guardrail with NS. "You could have been my mother, said a student once. So close you can thus come. "

Each year about 50 000 pupils are achieved in a thousand schools. Similarly, a school from home for youngsters who sometimes themselves were aggressive in the ov. "I was on duty in the train from Utrecht to Arnhem," says Stage. "It got a couple of those guys and they came to me. One of them grabbed my arm and said a few of you "have visited us. If there's something you'll only get us. That was just a magical moment. "

OWN BEHAVIOR

By assertiveness training teaches railway staff to deal with aggressive passengers and also to look at their own behavior. "Not immediately call 'feet from the bank, but just to sit down and talk," Phase gives as an example. "Often you find out that playing a lot of different things. It is also an interaction with the staff. "

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

By colleagues talk about bad experiences, you become more resilient, says phase. In addition, NS is increasingly taking extra security measures. "Society is hardening, also on the train. You always have excesses in other professions. You can sit in a hut on the heath, but you'll eventually establish something against it. "

by Anne-Fleur Pel/  metronieuws © Reuters