In addition, what kind of impression does that give to a child to see a father get into fisticuffs with someone instead of try to sort out the immediate problem? Makes dad feel better to have laid someone out but the train is still hurtling towards the next station.

Child is then double traumatised that dad is now facing the legal consequences of an unprovoked attack on a railway employee. Classy.

You haven't read the whole thread - the OP later stated that his actually carrying out a beating was questionable ...

I think the guy on the platform is there also for the safety of the train/passengers. If the 9 year old was hanging out of the window/trapped in the doorway in plain sight and mum is going nuts on the platform, he can probably signal the train to stop.

Like others have said, though, I agree he probably though mum was just some individual trying to hop on the train at the last second.

The OP never mentioned anything about beating anyone up.

EDIT: ah, I see you meant Rolando, not the OP.

I understand that but the door is either open or closed, nothing inbetween. If it's open, one gets on, if it's closing, the supervisor was right to prevent people getting trapped into a closing door. He only gives the signal, when the mechanism is closing, one can not stop it like a house door.
The only situation where the OP would be more than right to complain is if the door was open, and the guy was standing in front of it preventing her to get it even though it was not closing yet. Did THAT happen?

A bit off topic, but still about the rules. I have really taken to the pleasures of Jay Walking. The Swiss will happily stand forever waiting for the pedestrian crossing lights to go green, even when there isn't a car insight on long straight roads, I think thats a bit to keen.

Hi,

I'm sure I would be shocked / annoyed in the same situation as the OP and thankfully no harm came to the child. However thumping the supervisor as one person suggested isn't going to help matters - as tempting as that might be.

No doubt the supervisor was within his rights to prevent the OP going to retrieve her child; nonetheless I would write a letter to the SBB complaints office - English will be sufficient - setting out the facts of the situation and if possible giving the name and personnel number of the supervisor in question.

Cheers,
Nick

1. How comes that people make such a fuzz about nothing. Either you wait or you don't, nothing revolutionary about that.
2. Speaking about child safety: this behaviour in front of little children can lead them to think that a red light is nothing to worry about....

Yes, I think some of the older train conductors are known for their rigid "Beamten Mentalität".

I boarded a train once without a ticket because the station at which I got onto the train had no-one selling tickets and only an automatic ticket machine. The machine only accepted coins or a 20 Fr. note but I only had a 50 Fr. note with me so couldn't use it. The conductor refused to accept my explanation and took the 50Fr. off me (for a 3.80 Fr. fare) and refused to give me any change keeping the remainder as part of the fine. Needless to say I was SO angry that I did actually knock his hat off. Had I been male it would have been his head not just his hat.

Wrote to the SBB after the event but they just said that he was within his rights.

So the "line" is somewhere between stoning canines and punching SBB staff?

Well that makes it a little complicated, doesn't it...

Why does everyone come here with some horrid tale and then ask my opinion about it?

They are keen, but they still can understand the parents feelings. I guess U were just unlucky that day. But money is always a priority compared to the rest of the feelings...unfortunately here!!!

I got caught in the doors of the S4... I don't recommend the experience...problem was that I was on one side of the door with my husband and three kids on the other side, trying to lift a pram up the steps ..the driver did open the door, but I wouldn't want to see a kid stuck in it..those doors are really heavy, and they don't automatically return when you stick your body in between them like the trams do...

Maybe you can write the SBB in English, but I'll bet they will pay more attention if a correct German translation is included.

I know, it's a dilemma to decide.

Cheers,
Nick

They have an English language option for most of their services so I would be surprised if they don't treat correspondence in English in the same way as they would in German, French or Italian.