http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Train_Fatal.html
The preceding is a story that happened this morning nary 5 miles from where I live. But reading the spin on it, it made me laugh...
First off, I don't think anyone laying out with his head on the tracks can be considered "a pedestrian" especially a good 700 feet from the nearest railroad crossing (that's what really happened). You would have to go out of your way to be that far onto the tracks from the hearest street--through some "backwoods" terrain, or have walked a good 700 feet down the track where the nearest crossing in that direction is about 3 miles.
That and considereing that i do ride the commuter rails to work, the delay was all of 2 minutes.
I hate sensationalist reporters...
Anyhow, yes, as my train passed the BNSF freight had half of its cars detached right around where the poor bastard got nailed (there are rumors that it was a suicide), and the police were canvassing with biohazard bags--so i think they got the majority of the cleanup.
So, yes, interesting morning. I can't wait to see how the "protect everyone from themselves" yuppies try to make the tracks safe from people so no one will run the risk of accidentally--or intentionally getting hit by a train...
Goodbye Callisto & Skaši, Hello Ishara:
2022 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD
The only thing every single person from every single walk of life on earth can truly say
they have in common is that their country is run by a bunch of fargin iceholes.
MORON !!!! If you want to off yourself fine but that guy just ruined the lives of the engineer and the brakeman who were working that train. I feel so sorry for those 2 guys who are gonna have to live with the knowledge their train killed a guy. True they NEVER could have stopped in time but it'll still eat them up inside, poor guys.
BTW, just so you all know, its impossible for a train to sneak up on you as they make a little bit of noise, then theres those bright ass headlights and ditch lights. So if this happened at night and even if the guy were deff he'd have seen the light.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
You forgot the AAAAOOOOGAAAA!!!! horn... those are important safety devices.
And Jack, I don't know about the staff on the train, but any that my great uncle introduced me to said that they either didn't notice or really feel bad about people that tried to kiss the train or tried to skirt the barriers... First one... okay, its rough.. after that you really begin to appreciate that there are quite a few morons out there.
Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.
Not true. I used to live no ,ore than 150 yards from a frieght line, in the country were they travel at about 70 mph. I used to walk the tracks all the time, it was the shortest way to get to a copuple of my friends houses. One day while walking to my buddy Steve's, I got the urge to look behind me. The train was about 100 feet away and hauling butt. I then heard the horn, which would have been sounded a couple time within the mile before they got to me. I literally lept off the tracks and was lucky to escape unhurt.
How did that happen? Wind. The wind was blowing into my face, a strong breeze and a storm (I'd never walk the tracks in a storm). There was likely a venturi effect on my ear canals, I can't be sure, but I DO know that I could not hear anything that was behind me.
Please never think that a train cannot sneak up on you, it certainly can. I have also had a friend killed by a train in a different location. There were 3 of them walking together. They saw the oncomming train in from of them, unfortunately they did not hear the train approaching from behind on a parallel track. One dead, one badly hurt (clipped) one unhurt (in the center between the two lines). Nobody there was eithe suicidal or murderous, I promise.
If you are going to walk rail lines please be careful. The fines are bad but the death part is way worse.
PAX
Oh ya.. They did spin it, but that's likely because they didn't want to get sued by the "victom's" family. If they went ahead and gave enough detail or outright said it was suicide I bet the estate would sue for deflamation. They'd win too because the dead cannot defend themselves and almost always garner sympathy.
PAX
Venturi? I don't know... unless your head is a vacuum
I think you mean doppler effect, Hahahaha.
Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.
No I meant that the air going across my ear canal was creating a vacuum. Lowing the density of the air and therefore reducing it's ability to carry sound.
The doppler effect would still allow me to hear it, just at the wrong pitch.
PAX
Yea, this story was a spin-fest. To quote George Carlin,
"What's next, calling a rape victim an involuntary sperm recipient?"
Why can't the media just tell it like it is?
.
John Wilken
2002 Cavalier
2.2 Vin code 4
Auto
i read the title and thought...
keeper in a spin class!!? i hope there is videos and LOTS of pics.
look at them, they are all so serious about riding nowhere,
Creative Draft Art Media Forums
HAHAHA, I live right near the north east corridor the Amtrack line that is the busiest and fastest in the country. Where I go watch the trains is within a few hundred yards of BWI airport and I have the sound of planes taking off and landing but when the Acela comes around the bend at around 100 mph you can hear it over anything! First the rails "sing" and you can't miss that! Then the engines sound, and even tho its an electric locomotive its still noisy as hell !
I also take photos of the Old Main Line along the Patapsco river and the Capital line along RT.1 these 2 are frieght lines. The Old Main line follows the same route that the very first railroad line in the country was laid over 175 years ago
and none of those trains sneak up on you either. They'll be traveling between
30 and 80 mph and I've never had one come near me. You must have been sleep walking if they almost got you.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
Knowing the area and the track, i can say either the guy was blitzed or had a death wish. the location was so that he would have had to *want* to go there. Further, from the details I gathered, if he would have jumped away, he would have gone into the ditch, not the other line.
Further, they could have said "a man was killed by a trail" rather than dumbing it down like they did and still not be defaming him--at least until the reasons were clear.
And yes, the engineer seemed a bit shaken up by the incident.
The only thing that REALLY gets me is that for the ease of commuters and freight trains alike, there was a recent law signed in that through the BNSF lines through Tukwilla, Kent, and Auburn, that the speed limit on the tracks rose from 45 to 70mph. Because of this, i'm waiting for some super-pussified people to try and make the speedlimit of the tracks 20mph "so no one gets hurt" rather than (gasp) teach the ommunity to not play on the railroad tracks.
Goodbye Callisto & Skaši, Hello Ishara:
2022 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD
The only thing every single person from every single walk of life on earth can truly say
they have in common is that their country is run by a bunch of fargin iceholes.
