Strange Accident

[NW Mailing List]

It's one thing to be sitting on the track, actively looking for a train. 
  By and large, railfans are not the problem, because we all know what 
to look for and that getting out of the way is a good idea.

The ones that really get to me are the people who use the railroad as 
their private walking path, bathroom, bedroom, or hunting/fishing 
grounds.  They seem to think that the railroad's private property is 
there for their own personal use, and no railroad should ever have the 
right to impede that use by putting a train in the way.  Similarly, 
those who drive around crossing gates, or ignore the flashing lights, 
bells, and oncoming train seem to think that it is their God-given right 
to not stop for something as low as a freight train.

Do I seem a tad bit irritated?  I am.  I see it daily.  I go home every 
night thankful that I didn't kill anybody that day.  The knowledge that 
I could be forced by some idiot to experience a human body being ripped 
to pieces, and that there's nothing I can do to prevent it, really gets 
my goat.  I offer my sincerest apologies to those on the list who would 
rather read about the history of a great railroad, than listen to some 
engineer rant and rave about how stupid the public is.  It's just so 
tempting to vent a little when I hear of things like this.

NW Mailing List wrote:

> Ken, My friend and I were about that age and would sit on the rail in 

> the 50s at Vinton while waiting for a mallet. Once a track walker came 

> by and advised us not to sit on the ggints (joints) and went right on 

> singing. Anyone know if the girls were  blonde?? Ron H

-- 
Kenneth Rickman - krickman1 at carolina.rr.com
Salisbury, NC

"You're a bubbling wealth of useless information!" - Holly Whitten