Some years ago in Birmingham, AL an NS train severed the leg of a derelict who was on the tracks. As events unfolded, a few years later the same fool had his other leg severed in the same style. There's just no sense in some folk.
At the crossing near me a girl commuted suicide last year, in the middle of the day, I can't imagine what the crew had to go through.
His next move will be to put flanged wheels on his wheelchair so he can complete his goal, after his two previous failed attempts.
I live near a small town. Every year or two somebody gets killed walking on the tracks. I have a theory though. NO ONE makes a decent pizza around here. I think that an American without available decent pizza has no reason to live. It's a more serious problem to some people than others. I just make it a point to not go train spotting when I'm really hungry for pizza. So far I've managed to avoid ruining the lives of innocent engineers.
There is a bridge near Ridgefield Wa. on the BNSF Portland-Seattle mainline. The railroad has fenced off access to the bridge several times to keep people off. A few years ago a train struck and killed two out of a group of five walking on the bridge. On the TV news a reporter interviewed a woman who commented " I don't know why the train didn't swerve to miss the people" Swerve? They took the steering wheels out years ago. Some people just don't get it.
Would you like a retired mortician's point of view? I didn't think so. Ok, but just this once. The sadness and heartache on behalf of those left behind is never easy to watch. The time it took to recover the remains of someone's loved ones was never easy for me. The train crews...let's just say...I've seen grown men just break down and cry. Sometimes, I joined them. Alcohol was involved with most cases. Why? Is the unanswered question and most of us left such scenes shaking our heads. Why? Don't even think to blame the train crew. If I thought I'd be living with the memories I have of such scenes today...I'd of never chosen to go into that line of work. Well, that skims the surface. Oh, and something has happened to the link to the original page as I can get it to come up. That or my computer is on the fritz...AGAIN!
We have a really high trestle above the Chautauqua Gorge. I don't know how long it is but it may be 3/8 of a mile. There are two platforms on the way across for the lucky ones to reach safety if they get caught out. Of course there are "No Trespassing" signs, but teens disregard them. Anyway three brothers were walking the trestle. It's a 50 mph zone for trains, and the train had 45 cars, and 44 were loaded. Witnesses saw them trying desperately to reach the side plarforms, but all three were hit by the train. Two were killed, and the third brother had broken bones and head injuries. Kids just think that they're immortal.
Just try and slide into the security of being just BarstowRick. The service that You provided made everyone's life easier but Your own. You paid Your dues once when You carried out such difficult services. You shouldn't have to pay those dues again. Now that You're retired from that difficult life, You need to find peace with Your past duties and somehow put them out of Your memories. Remember the wonderful times in Your life growing with Your family, and stop living the sad times that took up so much of Your life consoling everyone else's family. It's certainly not something very many people could do. My Niece studied and completed her studies in Mortuary Sciences. She found that She just couldn't spend her life under such difficult circumstances. One she travels with a large carnival midway and keeps their books. Kind of going from one extreme to another.
