Almost killed someone tonight... (caution rant ahead)

[JustaBill 0]

...with a 1200 ton train moving 50 mph. I was at work as a train engineer, going through town at the legal speedlimit of 50 mph with all of 15 cars and this idiot on a bicycle decides he can't wait the 20 seconds it's gonna take for me to go by. I only missed him by 30 or 40 feet. Do people not realize I can't swerve around them, and it takes over a mile to stop a train going that fast??? Is wherever people are going so important as to risk their lives over a few minutes?? Do they not realize that there are people up in the cab of the engine that will have to live with the sight and sound of us wiping them off the face of the earth? I would have turned this guy into a greasy spot. I know co workers that have hit people and everytime they tried to sleep for months they relived it. And I've known other people that have never been right since they hit someone. It really pisses me off that some people are so reckless as to risk it all for a few minutes. And what really pisses me off is this wasn't an isolated incident. Every trip I make there is someone that does this, not always as close as tonight, but there is always someone going around crossing gates. A few months ago I almost hit a minivan full of kids for Christ's sake. What was that driver thinking. Please think twice about going around crossing gates guys, if not for you, or for your family, do it for the guys that are gonna have to live with the fact that we hit you, and see your face everytime we close our eyes, and hear that god awful noise in our sleep. Sorry if this is a little rambling, but thanks for letting me vent. I'm gonna go get another beer.

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I've done so much, with so little, for so long
I'm now expected to do everything with nothing forever

[Layton 0]

i live about 100 ft. from train tracks.ive lived here for about 13 years and i have seen 2 fatal accidents.how the hell can someone try to outrun a train?you are right them things are big and heavy and take a long distance to stop.

[cocheese 0]

I hope you never have to experience that. o.k. everyone... be more careful damn it.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

There's only one thing that bothers me about the idea of such stupid schmucks getting themselves hit by trains, and you nailed it: it traumatizes the railroad employees. It's not fair to them. But apart from that, I practically cheer when some fuckin' moron is so dumb that he can't stay out of the way of a train. People around here stop on the tracks in traffic all the time! (I make sure not to because I'm aware of the danger of not being able to move forward as a train bears down!)

There is no excuse for that kind of stupidity. And I'm all for stupidity being removed from the population so that it can't endanger or hurt non-stupid people.

-

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[2fat2fly 0]

My father recently retired from Norfolk-Southern-he was a signal maintainer and had to go to these accidents to confirm that the signals were operating. As bad as it upset him, I can imagine what it does to the crews who have to see it happening. Do you guys have anything like Operation Lifesaver, where a cop rides the engine getting info from the cars and ticketing them?

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[JustaBill 0]

Occasionally they put police on a train, but not very often. And occasionally they put supervisors and police at certain crossings to hand out information etc, trying to raise awareness. My little 100 mile section of railroad averages about one crossing accident a month, that's an awful lot for a short a section of track as I run. I've been trying to get training for Operation Lifesaver so I can be a presenter at local schools etc, but so far my bosses haven't found anything out on how I go about it. Go figure.

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I've done so much, with so little, for so long
I'm now expected to do everything with nothing forever

[ScubaSteve 0]

That really shitty thing is if you hit him, the locals would blame you or the the company that operates the train.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

I called the police when I saw some idiot woman walking on the tracks with a toddler...and it was a frequently used track. The police's response? "We're sure she'll get off if she hears a train coming, but we'll go check it out. If she goes around the bend where we can't see her from our patrol car, there's nothing we can do."

STUPID WOMAN!!! That little girl's foot could fall through the ties and get caught...I can't believe how idiotic some people are. Walking on a blind corner on train tracks with a baby...woman should be beat.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[JustaBill 0]

Quote

That really shitty thing is if you hit him, the locals would blame you or the the company that operates the train.

Yeah no kidding, the first thing that happens is whoever is hit (or their next of kin) gets a lawyer and sues the railroad. And the shitty thing about that is the railroad usually just settles instead of taking it to court. They say it is cheaper to settle then to drag it through the courts. When/if I ever do hit someone I think I'm gonna sue the estate for mental anguish and lost wages, and the cost of counselor etc.

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I've done so much, with so little, for so long
I'm now expected to do everything with nothing forever

[EricTheRed 0]

Be carefull out there people.

This guy wasn't so lucky

http://www.katu.com/salem/story.asp?ID=69333

illegible usually

[mattjw916 2]

Regardless of the training, public service announcements and citations that are given out... you just can't save people from their own bad judgement.

Darwin pwnz them all!!!

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080