Racing train

[moosmom]

Crow Noir,

When I lived in Michigan, I DREADED the trains. You'd sit at a crossing for 10-15 minutes while they SLOWLY went by. The first time I encountered a train, I actually counted the cars. The most I had ever seen was 75 cars!!

Lady's Human is right. It happens all too often and it's sad.

That woman wasn't hit by the train she was avoiding, it was the train on the OTHER side that hit her. What in the world was she thinking???

[lady_zana]

I don't drive so I typically take a cab home. Yesterday we had to wait for a train but we missed the beginning of it....my driver told me if he had seen the beginning and had been able to count the engines he could have told me how long it was going to be....three engines meant it could be around a mile and a half long!

I understand no one wants to wait for a train, especially if it's going to be 1 1/2 miles long and I get frustrated too waiting but I would rather be annoyed or ten minutes (or even more) late for work or class than try to beat a train. And yet, the people on here saying how often it happens are right: every day people try to beat the train coming through.....very sad and yet very stupid too, risking your life because of impatiance.

[G535]

They're not only risking their own lives but also the lives of their passengers, the train crew and the train passengers. We had one bad "accident" down here in June where eleven people lost their lives when a truck ran into a passenger train at a level crossing, one a very good friend of mine. I take photos of trains for a rail magazine and I have seen some really stupid behaviour around crossings and rail lines. One photo can't be published because of legal issues but it is of a young woman who just ducked her head and ran across the line in front of a moving train, she didn't want to be late for work!

[mike001]

I didn't follow the story because it disgusted me so much. I didn't realize the mother had died. Sheer lunacy to try to beat a train, what are those people thinking? If they don't value their lives they shouldn't kill or endanger others along with themselves. Still boggles my mind that someone would be so stupid.

[Catty1]

G535

she didn't want to be late for work!

Literally....better late than NEVER. I tell myself that when I am in too much of a hurry.

But I never have - and would never try to - race a train.

[mike001]

I would rather be late for an appt. than try to beat a train. What's another 5 minutes wait in exchange for living.

[critter crazy]

Where I live I am surrounded by train tracks. No matter what Direction I drive, you have a great chance of being stopped at a Railroad crossing. One afternoon, on the way to my aunts, I was stopped at a RR Crossing for over 40 minutes! My aunt and I talked on the phone the whole time just laughing!! I had shut off the car, and just sat on the phone the whole time. I was only 2 miles from my aunts house, I could have walked there, in the time I waited for the train.

But there is no way in hell, that I would try to Beat a train!!! No matter what! I have been late to work because of the train, and my boss could care less. she knows the deal. It isnt something that one should get upset about, nor risk their life or others lives over.

[IRescue452]

Train accidents aren't common here either, and since we live in and around paper mill heaven, we have tons of trains and tracks. Almost all have the train track crossbar things that come down. We have rules that trains can't block the road for more than 10 minutes, and the train stations are always getting calls from the city to get out of the way because they sit for so long.

These people must not have had seatbelts. Another stupid thing, especially with kids.

[mike001]

I would rather be late for an appt. than try to beat a train. What's another 5 minutes wait in exchange for living.