why do conductors lean out the door when arriving/departing a station?

[MIrailfan]

Always been curious.

 

[TinCan782]

Looking up and down the platform for people in dangerous situations (like trying to get on/off the train).

 

[Willbridge]

Looking up and down the platform for people in dangerous situations (like trying to get on/off the train).

... and it looked cool when they picked up train orders, too.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

At some stations it’s to spot the train so the door is where it’s needed to be for detraining & boarding

 

[Steve4031]

There have been incidents where passengers who had just missed a train tried to jump and hang onto the side of the train.

Years ago, perhaps in the 1980s iirc, there was an incident on metra in Chicago where a passenger had an instrument case strap get caught in the door of the train. The instrument was rare and expensive, so the passenger did not let go. They ended up getting dragged by the train as it pulled out of the station. They were injured severely.