# Don't plan a parade route to cross railroad tracks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192 "2012-11-16T15:09:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/41 "2012-11-17T02:09:05Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Suppose the parade organizer gets bad info from the dispatcher, or just writes it down wrong, and the truck driver is informed that no train is expected during the parade. Truck driver parks on tracks, gets hit by train. > > Even in those circumstances, I’m still blaming the driver. There’s no reason at all for him to have parked on the tracks. > > And in the actual circumstances - in which the driver was given no information regarding the possible passage of trains - he definitely gets the blame. All good points, and I’d just add that, when _I_ see train tracks, I always regard the possible passage of trains. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > The first rule of the Train Club is: Don’t Talk About the Train! Sheee-it. The First Rule of Train Club is Don’t Get In The Train’s Way. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/42 "2012-11-17T03:04:11Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > It was an 18-wheeler flatbed, big semi-cab towing, so not a typical driver as if it was just some pickup or something. The guy driving would have been a commercial driver with all the extra education about not stopping on RR tracks. :mad:☹ Well, that makes it worse. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sodalite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Sodalite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sodalite)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/43 "2012-11-17T05:18:56Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > If the gates were working, how did he get past them? > > I’m guessing there’s more to this story than some dipshit who is too stupid for life. Then again, who knows? > [@silenus](#): > > One story I read said the gates came down on top of the truck bed, so he was half-way across when they triggered. **From Linked Article** > [@](#): > > “I saw the truck crossing the tracks. About halfway across the gates started coming down. The truck tried to blow his horn to get the other people in front of him out of the way. The gates actually hit the first people on the trailer,” witness Michael Briggs said. > [@runner pat](#): > > It’s a clear view in each direction for over two miles.(Checked in Google Earth and Streetview) How can you not see a train if you look first? **From Linked Article** > [@](#): > > Sirens from the police cars in the parade may have drowned out the sound of the approaching train, Vatankhah said. Still doesn’t explain how nobody saw it coming. My only guess would be that the driver was so preoccupied with not rear ending the float in front of him that he didn’t look side to side. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/44 "2012-11-17T10:45:29Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > The vehicle in front of him is tooling along. He is following closely. All of a sudden the vehcile ahead stops. Well, now he is fucked. > > Now obviously he was breaking the law regarding not stopping before crossing in the first place. And if it went like I described above he still made a deadly assumption that vehicle ahead would keep going (though 99.9999 percent of the time thats not a horribly unreasonable assumption and due to human nature its something you come to expect). > > What gets me is those gates usually drop a fair time before the train goes barreling through. Between the warning of the gates dropping AND the blaring train horn you’d think most folks would have had enough time to get out of dodge. Actually, I haul a large trailer and would never move onto a track that I couldn’t move the entire way across. Even if it was a slow moving parade, no one would fault the drive for waiting until he could clear the track. I’ve wondered if the gates coming down prevented him from pulling off. There were people on the trailer and pulling forward could have caused the gates to just sweep all the people off the bed of the trailer. That would have been close to a 4 foot fall for a bunch of senior citizens. So it’s possible that when the gates came down, the driver really was screwed for what to do. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/45 "2012-11-17T11:00:21Z")
> [@Sodalite](#): > > Still doesn’t explain how nobody saw it coming. My only guess would be that the driver was so preoccupied with not rear ending the float in front of him that he didn’t look side to side. Thanks for all the quotes… so the arms did prevent the driver from moving forward. The train was going 62mph (so traveled 2 miles in 2 minutes). Not a lot of time to get seniors and handicapped people from the top of the trailer. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/46 "2012-11-17T12:31:44Z")
> [@Sodalite](#): > > Still doesn’t explain how nobody saw it coming. My only guess would be that the driver was so preoccupied with not rear ending the float in front of him that he didn’t look side to side. Then he was too damn close. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/47 "2012-11-17T14:53:18Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Thanks for all the quotes… so the arms did prevent the driver from moving forward. Only because the driver parked the goddam trailer across the train tracks while the gate came down. When a gated crossing activates, the lights flash and the bells sound for several seconds before the gate even _begins_ moving down - and then it moves down pretty slowly. From the moment the bells/lights are activated, there is plenty of time for a standard 53-foot trailer to get completely from one side of the track to the other (unless there’s not enough room to get all the way across - which is why you don’t even _start_ crossing unless there’s room on the far side for you). Every way you look at this, the driver bears full responsibility for what happened. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/48 "2012-11-17T22:11:08Z")
What I’m wondering – and no one else seems to be asking this – is why, if there was no way to go forward, didn’t the driver reverse off the tracks? If he was indeed the last float in the parade, why couldn’t he have done that? ---
**Author:** ![dimmy\_derko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dimmy\_derko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimmy_derko)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/49 "2012-11-17T22:15:20Z")
Stick a large billboard photo of this incident beside every level crossing and this might be avoided in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/50 "2012-11-18T01:35:46Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What I’m wondering – and no one else seems to be asking this – is why, if there was no way to go forward, didn’t the driver reverse off the tracks? If he was indeed the last float in the parade, why couldn’t he have done that? Texans don’t retreat! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/51 "2012-11-18T01:54:16Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What I’m wondering – and no one else seems to be asking this – is why, if there was no way to go forward, didn’t the driver reverse off the tracks? If he was indeed the last float in the parade, why couldn’t he have done that? Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Do you know how much space was behind him, if any? How much time he had to react? The last float in a parade isn’t usually followed by empty space, but cars and people. It could have been much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/52 "2012-11-18T03:57:41Z")
This video is relevant: [Dumb Ways to Die - YouTube](http://youtu.be/IJNR2EpS0jw) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/53 "2012-11-18T04:06:09Z")
It just occurred to me that the truck driver might have thought that the trains had been stopped, and therefore even a flashing crossing light wasn’t relevant during a parade. The analogy would be a funeral procession, which is told to ignore traffic lights. He only had 20 seconds from whistle to impact to make a decision, and the first 10 were probably, “WTF do I do now?” Not a good excuse, but possibly an explanation. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/54 "2012-11-18T04:08:16Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It just occurred to me that the truck driver might have thought that the trains had been stopped, and therefore even a flashing crossing light wasn’t relevant during a parade. The analogy would be a funeral procession, which is told to ignore traffic lights. > > He only had 20 seconds from whistle to impact to make a decision, and the first 10 were probably, “WTF do I do now?” > > Not a good excuse, but possibly an explanation. Aren’t the lights and gates activated by an approaching train? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/55 "2012-11-18T04:21:44Z")
[Officials: Vets’ float crossed track after signals](http://news.yahoo.com/officials-vets-float-crossed-track-signals-001937014.html;_ylt=Ap.DnBcQYwJ.1GbTpyYucqIJVux_;_ylu=X3oDMTIxdmVnbWplBG1pdANBVFQgSG9tZSBXaWRnZXRyb24gVGVzdCAxBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNNZWRpYUF0dFdpZGdldHJvbkFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3) > [@](#): > > A parade float filled with wounded veterans that was struck by a freight train had crossed onto the railroad tracks after warning signals were going off, investigators said Saturday. > > The first was exiting the tracks when the warning bells and signals were activated, 20 seconds before the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.\*\* The second float didn’t enter the tracks until several seconds after the warning system went off,\*\* the NTSB said. By that time, the guardrail was lowering. > > The timeline was pieced together by combining information from a video camera mounted on the front of the train, another one on a sheriff’s car and a data recorder that acts like an airplane’s black box, activating when the train blared the horn, NTSB member Mark Rosekind said. > > **Nine seconds before the crash** , the train sounded its horn, a blaring that lasted four seconds, according to Rosekind. The guardrail hit the truck, then the engineer pulled the emergency brake, trying to bring the train that was traveling at 62 mph to a screeching halt. That driver is well and deservedly _fucked._ ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/56 "2012-11-18T05:16:39Z")
Whenever I hear about incidents like this, it always makes me feel so sad for the train driver. Imagine how how horrific it must have been for him to see the float moving onto the track in front of him, then sounding the horn and putting on the emergency brake but knowing damn well that the train won’t be able to stop in time and that people will most likely die. I don’t know how train drivers who’ve been part of accidents like this can cope with it. Even though they know it’s not their fault, it must be difficult to go on after that and keep working as a train driver. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/57 "2012-11-18T06:25:31Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Aren’t the lights and gates activated by an approaching train? The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is investigating. There are recordings of the operations they have downloaded and they will make this determination. The speed zone for the train was 70 miles per hour. It hit the float going 62. That’s pretty fast. Very large things, like trains, don’t look like they are going as fast as they are. It’s an optical illusion. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/58 "2012-11-18T13:31:00Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What I’m wondering – and no one else seems to be asking this – is why, if there was no way to go forward, didn’t the driver reverse off the tracks? If he was indeed the last float in the parade, why couldn’t he have done that? Imagine blindly backing up a trailer with a rig that has the power to actually push the trailer over a small car if it were in the way. You don’t backup semi trailers “quickly”, especially when you don’t know what you’re going to be running over. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/59 "2012-11-18T14:00:35Z")
Both the Today show and and Good Morning America are reporting that unnamed NTSB sources say the warning lights and bell came on 20 seconds before the truck drove onto the crossing. Basically the truck driver pulled directly in front of an approaching train in spite of all warning devices. ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192/60 "2012-11-18T14:13:43Z")
I would think in modern times, trains and tracks have something that can automatically warn trains that something is on the tracks so they can do everything they can to stop. I would think things like this wouldn’t happen if there were, but I suppose if the object isn’t on the track until 15-20 seconds before the train arrives, you can’t stop a train no matter what. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-plan-a-parade-route-to-cross-railroad-tracks/641192.md?page=4)