RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
 ·Comcast
4 edits | reply to Shadow01
said by Shadow01  :Not to excuse the stupid drivers out there, but any RR company that can't afford to put gates at all their crossings, should not be in business. Hard to imagine multi-million dollar corps not being able to afford gates. It would cost BILLIONS, and many times the railroads will offer to help close or put a crossing above or below grade, but communities often don't want to help out at all. They have closed many crossings, and put still more above or below grade, but there's simply no way for them to do it by themselves, it takes funding from the public sector as well.
Operation Lifesaver is one group working to make crossings safer, and to educate the public-
»www.oli.org/
They released some good tips for winter crossing safety-
"Rail Safety Tips for Winter Travel
1. Slow down. Winter weather hampers vision for pedestrians and drivers. Snow-covered roads, tracks and parking lots can spell disaster.
2. Focus your attention. Keep your eyes on the road. Hang up your phone, remove earphones, turn down your personal music, and don’t text message while driving or walking near tracks.
3. Look and listen for the train. Move your head to see around mirrors, windshields, pillars, despite wearing heavy clothing. Snow can muffle the sound of an approaching train. Crack the window, lower the sound of the radio and heater.
4. Take braking precautions. Wear non-slip footwear when crossing tracks. If you have anti-lock brakes on your car, don’t pump them, use firm pressure. In older vehicles, pump the brake going into a slide to help regain control.
5. Stop 15 feet from crossing. If you see or hear a train, stop 15 feet from the crossing (one car length), whether on foot or in a vehicle.
6. Mind lights and controls at the railroad crossing. If the signals appear to be malfunctioning, call the railroad at the 1-800 number listed at or near the crossing. Don’t cross until you’ve checked for a second train or the gate is in an upright position.
7. If stuck, get out! If your vehicle gets stuck on the tracks, quickly exit the vehicle and move away from the track. Notify law enforcement or the railroad of your vehicle’s location. Report the DOT number at the crossing and street names"
Sad story about talking on the phone, a man was recently killed in the Bay Area by an Amtrak train while...you guessed it, talking on his phone and not paying any attention to where he was.
"(12-05) 17:02 PST SAN LEANDRO - A pedestrian apparently absorbed in a cell phone call was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in San Leandro today after he walked around a lowered crossing gate and onto the tracks, authorities said.
The victim, a man who was not immediately identified, was struck at 12:30 p.m. by a northbound Capitol Corridor train at the Alvarado Street crossing, about 8 miles south of the Oakland station, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.
None of the 20 passengers or crew aboard the train was injured. That train and two others were delayed and another Capitol Corridor train was cancelled, Graham said.
Crew members aboard the Sacramento-bound train told authorities they saw the victim talking on the cell phone before he was struck, Graham said. The warning lights and gates at the crossing were functioning properly, she added.
E-mail Steve Rubenstein at srubenstein@sfchronicle.com. "
»www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c···OVO7.DTL
The sad thing is, in accidents like that there are more than just the public victim/s, that train crew has to live with that scene for the rest of their lives, they know it's not their fault, but it still hurts to know somebody died needlessly. It is extremely traumatic, and there are support groups to help crews that have gone through those situations. So, if you don't care about your own life, at least think about the crews, and their families.
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»www.gorail.org
See MAJOR freight&passenger action@ the Galesburg, IL RailCam! »205.245.189.161:1100/
My soon to be employer,as an Asst.Conductor-
»www.amtrak.com
»www.modocrailroadacademy.com -Grad,Class of 2-07,woohoo! |
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