Crossing the tracks

[Scott Colmer]

So here's the story. ..

A friend of ours rides a motorcycle. He runs a GoPro camera while he rides. Last week his wife was watching the news and saw that someone got hit by a train. She said that was about the time her was on his way home using the same street. So he checked his footage. There it was.

This couple was waiting for the train on the far track to pass. The guy must have been in a hurry. His head is still turned looking at the end of the far train as it passes by and he steps out in front of the oncoming near train. The girlfriend looks astonished. There is one shot of the guy about 4 feet in the air at a 90 degree angle to the train. His head looks to be in contact with the face of the train. He did not live. He was a recent high school graduate and a good kid. My friends son went to school with him.

 

I guess the noise from the first train masks the sound of the oncoming train. This is the second time this has happen in about a year. The time before was a young girl walking home home from school. 

Maybe it's time for a pedestrian crossing bar.

[Harry P.]

Maybe it's time for people to pay attention to the crossing signals.

[Mark]

Maybe it's time for people to pay attention to the crossing signals.

Do they have an app for that?

[Scott Colmer]

I get your point, Harry. And the person would have been smart to stand behind the bars for the cars. He was in front of them off to the side. But...since we have bars for the cars, why not pedestrians? 

And  re: apps.  When the girl was hit everyone said she must be texting, including me. It was the same thing - she did not hear the second train coming for the first one. 

[Harry P.]

What if people got their heads out of their stupid phones for a change and actually paid attention to the world around them?

What a concept!

[MrBuick]

I'm a little confused...how was he able to catch the footage but wasn't aware the he had until his wife checked it? And, I thought if there were multiple tracks in an area, short of a train yard where they'd be running very slowly, trains generally ran in opposite directions , meaning if he was looking at the tail end of one he would have seen the other coming? Anyhow, that's how it is in my area, but we don't have many multi-track crossings. Is that not how it is everywhere? Either way, whether it was caused by stupidity or something else, that's very sad to hear, especially since he was so young. But I guess since he wasn't one of their precious celebrities killing themselves with drugs, people'd rather make jokes. 

[Harry P.]

Jokes?

I'm dead serious. Get your nose out of your damn smartphome and pay attention to what's happening around you. It could save your life.

[MrBuick]

Jokes?

I'm dead serious. Get your nose out of your BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH smartphome and pay attention to what's happening around you. It could save your life.

I guess I'm still missing the part where Scott said he walked in front of a train because he was glued to his smart phone. Not even the news articles mention a cell phone. http://www.pe.com/articles/corona-792449-mckinley-street.html

[Harry P.]

I was responding to the fourth post.

[Joe Handley]

Jokes?

I'm dead serious. Get your nose out of your BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH smartphome and pay attention to what's happening around you. It could save your life.

That problem proceeds portable phones (even the hardwired car type) by decades Harry, usually it's ignorance, alcohol, suicide, stupidity, impatience, ect than just smartphones, they're just a new thing to blame as well as to record the incident with.

 

[Scott Colmer]

Actually, neither person killed by the train was on the phone. I should have made that clear.  

But I do agree with Harry, people need to get OFF the phone. My wife got a nice lecture from me after I saved her from being backed over by and SUV in the Target parking lot. I was pretty pissed off at her. Drives me nuts.

I'll try to explain the train situation better.

The young man hit by the train was watching the train on the far set of tracks. That train was going right to left. When the last car went by, the person was still looking that that car, to the LEFT, -  away - from the train coming from the RIGHT in the near tracks. He steps out and get hit. The trains in Riverside travel at about 60mph through crossings. I think. It is not slow for sure.

The reason my friend did not know he recorded the accident is because his eyes were looking at the train, but the wide angle camera was picking up the actions on the perimeter. In fact, when he showed me the footage, I missed it too. He had to go frame by frame so I could see what happened.   All he knew was the trained stopped in front of the tracks so he turned his bike around and went down the road where there was an overpass. The train stayed stopped for at least 4 hours following the accident. 

FYI  - He gave the footage to the train company and the police. Its not on you tube.

 

[KeithJackson]

I was reading an online news article earlier today that mentioned that in Augsburg Germany they are putting traffic signals in the sidewalks so that people who are busy on their phones can see them.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/25/this-city-embedded-traffic-lights-in-the-sidewalks-so-that-smartphone-users-dont-have-to-look-up/

 

[Joe Handley]

If California is anything like Illinois in those respects, that train may have been held for 8 hours for a death investigation......then, of course the railroad will get sued for wrongful death next.

[charlie8575]

I was reading an online news article earlier today that mentioned that in Augsburg Germany they are putting traffic signals in the sidewalks so that people who are busy on their phones can see them.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/25/this-city-embedded-traffic-lights-in-the-sidewalks-so-that-smartphone-users-dont-have-to-look-up/

 

That's a sad commentary on life today.

Charlie Larkin

[Tom Geiger]

My wife's brother works for the railroad as a track fatality investigator.  Yea, there's enough work to keep an entire department busy.   When I hear on the radio that someone got killed on the tracks, I know where he's headed that day.   And yes, "Deep Pocket Syndrome" prevails.  The railroad gets sued regularly, sometimes even in suicides!

[Joe Handley]

You know Tom, by the time Dad retired, he had come to suspect that some (if not many) of the alcohol related train deaths he worked as a Maintenence of Way Supervisor were also suicides, but alcohol was being used as a form of liquid courage to make the deed easier while the railroad was being used as additional insurance policy for the family for the reason we both mentioned. 

[Harry P.]

It seems to me that if the signals were working properly, and you walk in front of an oncoming train, there should be no legal basis to sue the railroad. What we need are smarter judges that will throw out these baseless lawsuits.

[Dave Van]

For many people trains are a unknown concept........

Many think a train is just a long truck......hit the brake pedal and it will screech to a stop.  TOTALLY unaware they can be the largest heaviest things that move on land.  Stopping distance is in miles not feet.   I don't fly but travel a lot.....so I ride trains.....talk to an engineer about horror stories about folks driving in front of them....or worst walking......you just hold on as there is NO way to stop. I know for the most part I am preaching to the chior........but it always amazes me how LITTLE people know about their surroundings. 

[High octane]

It seems to me that if the signals were working properly, and you walk in front of an oncoming train, there should be no legal basis to sue the railroad. What we need are smarter judges that will throw out these baseless lawsuits.

I agree with you Harry, and the same goes for cars stuck on the tracks. If a driver doesn't have enough space after he/she crosses the tracks, why even attempt it???

[MrBuick]

It seems to me that if the signals were working properly, and you walk in front of an oncoming train, there should be no legal basis to sue the railroad. What we need are smarter judges that will throw out these baseless lawsuits.

I don't even know if I'd agree that someone should have legal basis to sue the railroad if the signals weren't working properly. I'm not really sure if the railroad is legally required to have signals at every crossing or not, but either way, it seems that the driver should still be held at least 70% responsible for not looking/listening/etc for a train...it'd be pretty hard to argue that you were paying attention no matter the case. Tragic? Yes. Lawsuit worthy? Not in my opinion...at least not for more than monitory damages sustained to property.

[MrBuick]

For many people trains are a unknown concept........

Many think a train is just a long truck......hit the brake pedal and it will screech to a stop.  TOTALLY unaware they can be the largest heaviest things that move on land.  Stopping distance is in miles not feet.   I don't fly but travel a lot.....so I ride trains.....talk to an engineer about horror stories about folks driving in front of them....or worst walking......you just hold on as there is NO way to stop. I know for the most part I am preaching to the chior........but it always amazes me how LITTLE people know about their surroundings. 

It amazes me too...it seems like common sense. I wonder if they mention that in Drivers Ed? I can't remember if when I took it they said anything about it or not.

[dieseldawg142]

..........

Edited May 10, 2018 by dieseldawg142

[Ace-Garageguy]

This sign used to be pretty common at RR crossings. Stop. Look. Listen. The theory was that by actually USING your senses of vision and hearing, you might be able to avoid getting hit by something as big and noisy as a train.

Apparently that's just a silly, obsolete notion.

[chris02719]

This sign used to be pretty common at RR crossings. Stop. Look. Listen. The theory was that by actually USING your senses of vision and hearing, you might be able to avoid getting hit by something as big and noisy as a train.

Apparently that's just a silly, obsolete notion.

some sensory deprived person probably took offense and sued causing the signs to be amended to not include using your senses...

[mikemodeler]

It seems to me that if the signals were working properly, and you walk in front of an oncoming train, there should be no legal basis to sue the railroad. What we need are smarter judges that will throw out these baseless lawsuits.

Harry, I doubt anyone on here would disagree with your statement; however, there are enough attorneys out there that will argue otherwise. And, unfortunately, the railroads will settle with the families instead of fighting it in court, despite probably finding at least one sensible juror who shares your sentiment.

For the same reason McDonalds had to put warning labels on their coffee cups, you can't assume EVERYONE has common sense!