Poor decisions around the RR

[E.M. Bell]

Last weekend while Carmon and myself where down in the Birmingham Alabama area, we saw lots and lots of trains, and lots and lots of (in my opinion) poor decisions by the public.

While hanging out around Irondale AL on Saturday morning, 03/19/11, we observed a group of folks walking back and forth across the tracks with blind folds on, using canes to feel the way across. No one in our group could figure out if these folks where being trained on techniques used by the blind to get around, or exactly what was going on. In any case, it really seemed like a bad place to do what ever they where doing..across 5 sets of tracks, which included a busy mainline, and the yard leads where the moves by remotes where almost constant.

To make matters worse, a little later in the afternoon, a young lady(not part of this group)  was struck by a NS train while walking on the tracks.





Later on in the afternoon, we caught this fellow crossing over a train stopped on the mainline (held up because of the lady being hit by the train ahead of this one).. I guess he was smart enough to at least go over and not under..



It always amazes me to see how stupid people can be, yet they will be first in line to file a lawsuit when something happens.

[NSMoWandS]

My home town has a college with CSX Philly Sub going right through the middle of it. Every year at the beginning of the year...CSX and Operation Lifesaver comes to campus and tells of the hazards of trespassing and trying to beat the train... yet every year there is always one kid who is killed walking down the tracks with an IPOD on... I thought you had to be smart to get into college... but I guess now a days... they will take anybody.