On the train today, you get a better seat if you wait in the right spot on the platform, that is where the train doors will open. Some people think that it is purely luck. But it is not for the skilled everyday commuter.
First of all you need to know the station. Trains roughly stop in the same spot within a station. So you just need to remember where the doors usually open. It helps the memory to have a place mark like a pole, a sign or a bench along the platform.
The other main factor is the type of train/carriages. Doors are positioned differently on the various makes. So keep an eye on the train while it’s approaching and learn to recognise the type. While you’re looking, also note its speed. Slower approaching trains tend to stop a bit earlier. So the quicker you are at judging the type of train and its speed, the more time you have to adjust your position on the platform. Caution, please stand behind the yellow line!
Finally, keep an eye on your competitors. You can tell how skilled they are by their movements. If you are in an unfamiliar station, your best bet is to spot an expert and stand behind him.
The doors opening exactly in front of me
Once you have mastered these techniques, you will start enjoying that rewarding feeling of train doors opening exactly in front of you while other commuters scrum and scuffle enviously around you.
Sounds like game theory. Though you need some good math coupled with physics formulae to calculate speed and estimating distance required to stop
Guess this helps to start off the day in good mood when you find a better place on the train.
You forgot to add one crucial bit. If you get on the train in the far west say, before Parramatta), make sure to find the front doors of the carriage. That way, if you get a newer train, you’re sitting facing forward.