# Who needs urban legends when stuff like this happens? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002 "2008-05-29T12:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/21 "2008-05-29T15:54:37Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t fight the hypothetical] Ding ding ding. [/QUOTE] Oh, cripes, another train. _EVERYONE OFF THE TRESTLE_! ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/22 "2008-05-29T16:45:34Z")
I was about to ask how anyone could be so unbelievably stupid, but then I remembered that one time as a teenager that I walked home from work on the railroad tracks with my Walkman on full blast. All of a sudden, I heard a sound that was even louder than my Queen Greatest Hits cassette, and I quickly turned around to see a massive Amtrak engine occupying my full field of vision and bearing down fast. I didn’t even think, just dove headfirst into some brush beside the tracks and somehow escaped death by a fraction of a second. So yeah, I guess I _can_ understand how they’d be so stupid. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/23 "2008-05-29T17:07:59Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Urban legends always have that little nasty twist at the start, the girls would have to be high on some otherwise ordinary household item like cat piss or the like. [/QUOTE] _Won’t you take a ride, ride, ride, ride on heeaaaavy metal…_ ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/24 "2008-05-29T17:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] I was about to ask how anyone could be so unbelievably stupid, but then I remembered that one time as a teenager that I walked home from work on the railroad tracks with my Walkman on full blast. [/QUOTE] Forget the Walkman. Forget full blast. Two people here have been killed recently because they were paying more attention to their cell phones than what might be speeding toward them on the tracks. I’ll never understand how people can be so casual about something that can ruin or snuff out your life in an instant like that. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/25 "2008-05-29T17:26:29Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] How does a freight train “come up” on you when you are lying on the track?! [/QUOTE] Cutting edge technology? ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/26 "2008-05-29T17:31:20Z")
[QUOTE=Tikki] Forget the Walkman. Forget full blast. Two people here have been killed recently because they were paying more attention to their cell phones than what might be speeding toward them on the tracks. I’ll never understand how people can be so casual about something that can ruin or snuff out your life in an instant like that. _sigh_ [/QUOTE] Teenagers are invincible. ---
**Author:** ![Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/27 "2008-05-29T17:53:20Z")
I didn’t expect to read this and find it hysterical! My boss just stuck his head in my office and asked what was so funny. I almost couldn’t speak. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/28 "2008-05-29T18:10:29Z")
Future headline: “Destiny and Rachel take First Place in the paralympic circular swimming 2 person relay…” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/29 "2008-05-29T18:19:26Z")
[QUOTE=Tikki] I’ll never understand how people can be so casual about something that can ruin or snuff out your life in an instant like that. [/QUOTE] I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/30 "2008-05-29T18:33:03Z")
[Destiny and Rachel] _“Who are those guys?”_ [Destiny and Rachel] ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/31 "2008-05-29T19:18:04Z")
I heard that they are going to have to change their names. Destiny will now be called Peg (leg). Rachel will now go by Eileen. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/32 "2008-05-29T19:22:43Z")
[QUOTE=butler1850] I heard that they are going to have to change their names. Destiny will now be called Peg (leg). Rachel will now go by Eileen. [/QUOTE] They can always get waitressing jobs at IHOP. I like to walk on railroad tracks, but I keep my eyes and ears open and jump off at the first sound I hear. I once asked a cop what the worst thing he ever saw was. He mentioned a car that “tried to outrun a train and missed.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/33 "2008-05-29T19:26:35Z")
They were just two footloose teens… ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/34 "2008-05-29T19:28:36Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] Teenagers are invincible. [/QUOTE] Indeed they are. Until they find out they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/35 "2008-05-29T19:59:34Z")
[QUOTE=Tikki] Indeed they are. Until they find out they aren’t. [/QUOTE] They got pretty vinced. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/36 "2008-05-29T20:14:31Z")
I read my mother this story: “Boy, I bet they’re kicking themselves.” Long pause. “Well, I guess maybe they aren’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/37 "2008-05-29T20:16:45Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] Teenagers are invincible. [/QUOTE] Yeah, they all think they’re undefeetable. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/38 "2008-05-29T20:18:40Z")
[QUOTE=Tikki] Forget the Walkman. Forget full blast. Two people here have been killed recently because they were paying more attention to their cell phones than what might be speeding toward them on the tracks. I’ll never understand how people can be so casual about something that can ruin or snuff out your life in an instant like that. _sigh_ [/QUOTE] in the days before cell phones, walkmans or ipods i nearly got my ticket punched by a train - and i wasn’t doing anything except driving. this happened in a nearby town to where i live now which has a downtown unguarded rr track that cuts right through the center of town. the buildings are so close to the tracks sound is heavily muffled or distorted. i never heard A TRAIN ENGINE on the approach, pulling god knows how many boxes. i’d pulled up to the stop sign, looked left, right, left, and then started to cross. i never looked right again. in the next instant, i was deafened by a train horn. i looked right and there was the train less than ten feet from my right front bumper. i was about a quarter of the way across. talk about adrenaline and instinct taking over… fortunately for me, my car, \*\*and \*\* my driving record there hadn’t been anyone behind me, because in the next instant i found myself almost in the middle of the intersection. i have no memory of shoving the little chevy monza i was driving then into reverse and getting the hell out of dodge, but obviously i did. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/39 "2008-05-29T20:19:19Z")
I hear they are going to get together on Halloween and go trick or treating dressed up as [Halvsie](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=51807) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002/40 "2008-05-29T20:27:33Z")
Hey, check out the caboose on that chick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-urban-legends-when-stuff-like-this-happens/451002.md?page=3)