Mrt,bts Exit Turnstyles - Health Threat/risk?

[phormio]

You know those turnstyles you go through upon exiting the BTS/MRT ? The passage gate opens up when you put your ticket/token(BTS/MRT) into the slot and close when you've gone through. They "know" you have gone through because there are detectors that determine that a person has walked through the exit gate.

A pregnant woman, due in about a month, told us that her doctor told her that those detectors pose a health risk to her unborn child.

We asked a security guard at the MRT station who also said that pregnant women should not go through the exit gates (almost all of the stations have a way to exit/enter through a bypass gate without going through one of the detector turnstyles) .

Is this true?

Do those exit turnstyles pose a health threat/risk to the unborn?

[daleyboy]

You know those turnstyles you go through upon exiting the BTS/MRT ? The passage gate opens up when you put your ticket/token(BTS/MRT) into the slot and close when you've gone through. They "know" you have gone through because there are detectors that determine that a person has walked through the exit gate.

A pregnant woman, due in about a month, told us that her doctor told  her that those detectors pose a health risk to her unborn child.

We asked a security guard at the MRT station who also said that pregnant women should not go through the exit gates (almost all of the stations have a way to exit/enter through a bypass gate without going through one of the detector turnstyles) .

Is this true?

Do those exit turnstyles pose a health threat/risk to the unborn?

Thats sounds like rubbish to me matey, its on a timer not a beam. I have been caught a couple of times when i havent gone through quick enough. If you ask the guard they will open the gate for you, this is purely to stop the gate closing while said pregnant lady is trying to squeeze through

[CarlBkk]

They're definitely on a beam not a timer. The beam senses the first movement through and then the timer kicks in. Take any bag through in front of you and the electronic gate will close on your hip. My wife is 8 months pregnant and is (rightly) scared stiff of the gates - her tummy passes through about 3 seconds before the rest of her, therefore guaranted to get "clamped"

The guards normally seem to look out for pregnant women and direct them through the manual gates. I can see some Americans suing the BTS for serious bucks soon ;-)

[RDN]

...I can see some Americans suing the BTS for serious bucks soon ;-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, they can try, I suppose.

[IMA_FARANG]

They're definitely on a beam not a timer.  The beam senses the first movement through and then the timer kicks in.  Take any bag through in front of you and the electronic gate will close on your hip.  My wife is 8 months pregnant and is (rightly) scared stiff of the gates - her tummy passes through about 3 seconds before the rest of her, therefore guaranted to get "clamped" 

The guards normally seem to look out for pregnant women and direct them through the manual gates.  I can see some Americans suing the BTS for serious bucks soon ;-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Take any bag through in front of you and the electronic gate will close on your hip.

Unfortunately, it wasn't my "hip" it closed on. More in a "masculine" area.

[penzman]

It's backpacker safe then.

[OxfordWill]

My gf literally got caught between them, with a small squeal. I looked back to find her stuck and looking a little helpless...frequently tease her about it.

Guards will be more than happy to let your wife through the gate, Im sure.

[Neeranam]

They're definitely on a beam not a timer. The beam senses the first movement through and then the timer kicks in. Take any bag through in front of you and the electronic gate will close on your hip. My wife is 8 months pregnant and is (rightly) scared stiff of the gates - her tummy passes through about 3 seconds before the rest of her, therefore guaranted to get "clamped" 

The guards normally seem to look out for pregnant women and direct them through the manual gates. I can see some Americans suing the BTS for serious bucks soon ;-)

Tell your wife to go through the gate the guard opens for all pregnant women. My wife used to use this even when she was about 3 months pregnant. Then again she was weraing those silly maternity suits even when I could hardly see a bump.

I don't know if this is only a Thai thing, probably not, that pregant women love to show off the fact.

[OxfordWill]

And why not, it's pretty amazing what they do after all!

[CarlBkk]

I know exactly what you mean by those maternity dresses. They make a woman look like an outpatient. Thankfully my wife agrees with me and wears decent clothes when pregnant, but it does mean that no-one offers her their seat on the BTS as she obviously doesn't look "pregnant enough"

[Neeranam]

I know exactly what you mean by those maternity dresses. They make a woman look like an outpatient. Thankfully my wife agrees with me and wears decent clothes when pregnant, but it does mean that no-one offers her their seat on the BTS as she obviously doesn't look "pregnant enough" 

Ah, so that was her plan, pretty smart and cunning really.

I have my own plan, I take my toddler everywhere in Bangkok with me and always get a seat.

[The_Other_Mac]

They're definitely on a beam not a timer.  The beam senses the first movement through and then the timer kicks in.  Take any bag through in front of you and the electronic gate will close on your hip. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It will close after the bag because the beam detects a gap between the rear of the bag and the leading edge of your body. Trying to hurry through won't help, just as a fare-dodger attempting to sneak in inches behind you, would also get caught.

Lift bags above the level of the barriers as you walk through. That way they won't break the beam at all, and you can walk slowly. I think there's even signage to show this. Or you can try hugging the bag against your body if it's soft enough (either you or the bag ). With heavier bags, walk up to the guard at the side gate, he'll know why.

Pregnant women aren't generally detachable, so in theory they should be safe, but why not avoid the pushing crowd anyway.

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

My gf literally got caught between them, with a small squeal. I looked back to find her stuck and looking a little helpless...frequently tease her about it.

Guards will be more than happy to let your wife through the gate, Im sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true OxfordWill,

Every time my wife and I went on the BTS the guards led her through the other gate off to the side and passed her ticket through the turnstile for her. They always seem to be on the lookout for pregnant woman or people in wheel chairs etc. A pregnant woman shouldn't have to go through the turnstile at all.

[phormio]

My gf literally got caught between them, with a small squeal. I looked back to find her stuck and looking a little helpless...frequently tease her about it.

Guards will be more than happy to let your wife through the gate, Im sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true OxfordWill,

Every time my wife and I went on the BTS the guards led her through the other gate off to the side and passed her ticket through the turnstile for her. They always seem to be on the lookout for pregnant woman or people in wheel chairs etc. A pregnant woman shouldn't have to go through the turnstile at all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What brought up the question in the first place, was running into a (very) pregnant thai lady on the MRT. We got off at the same place, the Saladaeng/Silom MRT station. The guard was really not very nice, he wanted her to go around to the other side, put the token in the exit turnstyle and then walk back to the non-turnstyle gate next to the ticket booth/kiosk to be let through.

She seemed to think(according to her doctor) and the guard seemed to think that the problem was the detectors/beam rather than the physical squeezing of a pregnant lady between the orange turnstyle stops. I tend to agree with the first reply above that that is rubbish, but not being sure I thought I'd put it out here.

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

My gf literally got caught between them, with a small squeal. I looked back to find her stuck and looking a little helpless...frequently tease her about it.

Guards will be more than happy to let your wife through the gate, Im sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true OxfordWill,

Every time my wife and I went on the BTS the guards led her through the other gate off to the side and passed her ticket through the turnstile for her. They always seem to be on the lookout for pregnant woman or people in wheel chairs etc. A pregnant woman shouldn't have to go through the turnstile at all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What brought up the question in the first place, was running into a (very) pregnant thai lady on the MRT. We got off at the same place, the Saladaeng/Silom MRT station. The guard was really not very nice, he wanted her to go around to the other side, put the token in the exit turnstyle and then walk back to the non-turnstyle gate next to the ticket booth/kiosk to be let through.

She seemed to think(according to her doctor) and the guard seemed to think that the problem was the detectors/beam rather than the physical squeezing of a pregnant lady between the orange turnstyle stops. I tend to agree with the first reply above that that is rubbish, but not being sure I thought I'd put it out here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The guard could do with a good kick in the ##se. I must admit however that the guards I came across were generally more than helpfull. It just wasn't her lucky day obviously.

I thought you were referring to the gates actually closing on her Phormio not the beam/detector so I have misunderstood your original post there mate. Sorry

[The_Other_Mac]

You mean the beam itself is dangerous? I wonder how much it would cost Siemens to settle a class action for sterilizing 50% of the world's urban population?

[naka]

I was walking through, carrying a shopping bag, the paddles smacked me right on the

hips, hurt for about five days and I am 6' 2" 105 kg male. Pregnant women ...

No Way should they go through these things.

I wonder why they have to be so powerfull anyway ?.

Naka.

[Crossy]

OK People.

AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) equipment is my game, it's what I do for a living.

Both the BTS equipment (made by CUBIC) and the MRT equipment (made by Thales) use low power infra-red sensors to detect passengers going through the gate.

This is as likely to injure you or an unborn child as your TV remote control!!

As to the paddles closing on you, yes they do sometimes close too soon particularly if you have a bag, the software sees your bag as a second person tailgating and attempting to ride for free. That is why there is a sign (on BTS at least) asking you to keep your bag above the machine.

You should not be hurt by the paddles, most people who get 'bitten' are actually a victim of their own inertia bashing into the closing gate rather than the power of the motors, although the motors are quite powerful, they have to be to move the paddle qucikly enough to stop a fraudulent passenger getting through.

The secret is just to present your card, wait for the gate to open and walk through, try to rush and you confuse the poor thing.

I do agree 100% that pregnant ladies should not pass through the aisle and should use the service gate, why take even the small risk of getting nudged in the stomach by an over enthusiastic machine.

Edited July 27, 2005 by Crossy