I commute regularly on Boston’s commuter rail system, the T, and when seats are scarce on rush-hour inbound trains, I often walk all the way to the front to enjoy the view out the front window of the cab car, visible through the door from the passenger compartment. The cab cars being used right now have the engineer sitting in the vestibule off to the right (on top of the stair trap) on a drop-seat with the controls basically on the front windowsill. It’s heated and passengers aren’t allowed in there while it’s in the cab car position, but it’s still the vestibule so the engineer usually hangs his grip off one of the latches of the front door.
Oftentimes I’ll see the engineer leave his seat to grab something from his grip, wave to a passing train, or look out the other window while leaving a station. The train is always moving on track where there’s little danger of an obstruction or moving very slowly, and the controls are easy to get to quickly (no hulking control stand like in the middle of the cab like some locomotives) so I’m sure it’s perfectly safe, but I’m wondering out of sheer curiosity what the official rules say about it.
Thanks in advance for helping me satisfy my curiosity. [tup]