I know a railroad engineer who had the tragedy of hitting a car. On prom night four teenagers two guys & two girls were playing chicken with his train and they didn’t make it. The locomotive dragged the car 1000 yards before the train stopped, all four kids were killed and the car was crushed like a paper box. alcohol was involved, they were sitting on the tracks as the train got closer and closer until the last moment.
I agree wholeheartedly that human life is worth saving. At extraordinary expense. Just saw a great documentary about people who were saved on an Airbus that ran out of fuel 30 minutes from an airport. All the effort that was spent was a great testimony to the sanctity of the human spirit.
But we’re dealing with another, profound issue. Feeling grief and anger is human. Wanting to help…human, too. But this is not: spending money indiscriminately. Money isn’t well-spent unless the problem is resolved. Look. Machines making big noises on their horns can’t possibly be the best way to avoid accidents.
What about radar? Infrared cameras? Proximity detectors on crossings? Railroads are stuck in their ways. They don’t want to admit they pose an unacceptable hazard. And that blowing their big horns isn’t all that’s possible to avoid an accident. It’s not going to damage the profits of ANY railroad to modernize their ability to avoid collisions. Let’s tell them.
But in any case both “extraordinary expense” and “unlimited expense” become equally “pointless expense” if motor morons and oblivious pedestrians insist on disregarding safety measures.
Remember, the OP is about a clearly signalled and barriered crossing. Not one that just relies on “blowing horns”. And these ARE operated by sensors and detectors: when the train approaches, the light goes on and the barrier swings down. I for one would be 100% for having this at every single existing grade crossing (and avoiding the creation of new ones). And I would find it excellent if every train crew could know for a fact, in real-time, that the track IS clear for at least three stopping lengths ahead. However, eliminating every single last grade crossing may be prohibitive; and a system that made it physically impossible for any human on foot or vehicle to stumble, force, or finesse their way onto the tracks, or that would automatically shut down the rail line whenever there’s anything on the track – probably IS.
You know, it’s remarkably easy to avoid being hit by a train.
Step one: don’t ignore the warning signs
Step two: see step one
In fact, I have much less fear of trains than, say, cars. A car can swerve off and run me down at any time. A train has a set path that it follows. As long as I stay off that path when a train is coming (See steps one and two), there is functionally no chance of being hit by a train. So where is this unacceptable hazard?
Ya know, the rules of navigation sort of some the whole issue up rather neatly. That would be, if it is bigger than you, get the fuck out of the way.
Oh, and Partly_Warmer, what about the danger to the engineer from the fucknugget who drives in front of the engine? A lot of those engineers die because the car driver didn’t pay attention. If the car driver survived, would they not be guilty of vehicular homicide, or attempt vehocular homicide?
Bhudda
Myrr- agreed.
With today’s technology there’s no reason why we should have to guess whether the train standing immobile is the only train we have to worry about.
The crossings described above (with no warning or gate, just a sign saying keep off the tracks) sound incredibly stupid. Any grade crossing should be marked with lights and bells (at least). The “gate” is pointless IMO… its not going to physically stop anything bigger than a toddler on a tricycle, and if you don’t notice the flashing lights and bell, well you’re not observant enough to be behind the wheel. The only thing the gate achieves is making it take longer to cross the tracks against the light, thereby increasing the chance that you’ll be hit.
Hows this for a solution… flashing lights and an indicator telling seconds until the next train crosses the road. This seems to be a common system used on subways and should be easy to adapt to heavy RR. It seems to me that the impatient idiots would be a lot less likely to cross against the signal if they knew they weren’t waiting for nothing, and a lot less likely to get killed if they knew exactly how long they had.
Then there will be the suicidal yahoos who want to see how close they can cut it without being hit, but nobody’s really interested in saving them from themselves, right?
If trains aren’t a hazard, then why do they have the right to do what no other business can: make an astounding racket, regularly, or any time they choose, any hour of the night? Trucks can’t do it. Planes can’t do it. Ships can’t do it.
Are they or aren’t they hazardous? If they aren’t, then they can turn off the goddamn horns and bells.
If they are, then we should find something more effective to avoid accidents than a big omindirectional noise.
Railways should monitor graded crossings in heavily populated areas with cameras and motion detectors. Anything larger than a cat that doesn’t get out of the way of the tracks after the crossing gates fall causes an emergency stop.
(And yes, cars are more dangerous than trains, but then it’s a question of what’s most dangerously unregulated and unfair in our society. OT. (But I’d vote for cigarettes.))
You’ve obviously never lived near a military air base.
Look. No. Wrong.
I live in Silicon Valley.
I worked at Moffett Field, and I know the way it works.
Think planes are allowed to take off at any hour?
Maybe. In an emergency.
But every day? On a regular schedule, like the trains we’re talking about here? No way at all.
The military, they can get away with a few things. But civil airplanes have to meet stringent noise tolerances. Big cost to develop those quieter aircraft. Curtailed operating hours. And as a special favor, the residents agree not to put the airports under new management.
Personally, I 'd have them take out all the DO NOT STOP CARS ON RAILROAD TRACKS signs. Let them be the chlorine of the gene pool. We have the railroad running thru every 15 min in rush hour, whistles going, gates down, and people STILL DIE. I know I guy who lost a 16 y.o. daughter. She was walking along the tracks.
Also know of a guy who got killed in the subway, 2,3 years ago. It was 8th and B'way (think it is the 8th St Station) where there are two separate entrances and 2 separate platforms for uptown and downtown lines (most NYC subways share a concourse to the platforms accessible from multiple stairs). He was on the uptown platform. He leaned over the edge of the platform looking for the train. He looked to his right (uptown). The train was coming, naturally, from downtown. Hit him in the back of the head.