The glorification of RR trespassers

[traingang]

[:(!][V][:(]
For those of you who have been banging your head [banghead] trying to get your community to understand that walking down the railroad is trespassing, here is a front page photo to look at (and lament) from my local newspaper:
go to: http://www.limanews.com/photos/archive/february%202005/26/

then slide your cursor to: delphos_fans_01kc.jpg

p.s.-- I have already sent a letter to the newspaper, expressing my thoughts about their poor choice of photography

[BaltACD]

There is a defination for tresspassers on the railroad....Road Kill!

[espeefoamer]

This picture explains why there is someone at the engine facility. He is the one who hoses the body parts off the front of the locomotive[xx(][:(!].

[traingang]

I am pleased to report that the local newspaper has just today (3-5-05) published my "letter to the editor," accepting my challenge to them to explain that walking down the railroad is trespassing.[^]
[tup]

[Anonymous]

It is a tough issue regarding the trespassing on railroad property. Where I live the BNSF puts up signs warning people about trespassing on their property. This is usually along the right of way where maintenance vehicles travel. As for other areas there are no signs.

One way to stop trespassing is have the local police issue citations for trespassing. Once the word gets around about the hefty fines then people will think twice about trespassing on railroad property. For the police the enforcement is difficult because of the isolated nature of the railroad tracks. Drive a patrol car along the tracks (in most cases it is next to impossible) and the trespassing suspects will run in the opposite direction or in a perpendicular direction to the tracks. The trespassers will be gone in no time. A foot race the police will, in most cases, lose.

The other step is to allow the train companies come into the schools and speak to students about train safety and the risk of being on railroad property. The fear of injury and the fear of a monetary fine will help curb trespassing. If those measures fail then the next step is incarceration in the local county jail for a few days.

Education is the key and done in the early years of a student’s education and then repeated several times.

[traingang]

I can also report that I copied the "letter to the editor" to the school principal, and also to Operation Lifesaver for Ohio. I have not heard back from either, but trust that OL may follow up on the matter as time permits. It turns out that this act is an annual tradition come basketball tournament time, and I let OL know that just today. I hope that before next year's tourney, OL will visit the school to point out the folly of this act. If the kids want to keep the walking, they have a parallel road they can follow. They just need to stay off the tracks.

[tree68]

There are several spots on the Adirondack Scenic where the remains of snowmobiles can be seen.

Snowmobiles love railroad ROWs, especially those that have an access road (sometimes the old second main) alongside. Level and fairly straight, and with bridges, too! They can fly. Of course, they can't hear a darned thing, either... Hence the wreckage.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

There are several spots on the Adirondack Scenic where the remains of snowmobiles can be seen.

Snowmobiles love railroad ROWs, especially those that have an access road (sometimes the old second main) alongside. Level and fairly straight, and with bridges, too! They can fly. Of course, they can't hear a darned thing, either... Hence the wreckage.

Larry,

Do you mean they were hit by trains? At my end of the adirondack Scenic RR, the ROW is a designated snowmobile trail. Of course, trains have stopped running long before the heavy snows begin.

Wayne

[underworld]

I think there is a problem with their site. Many of the pictures are just an x.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Find out who it was, and jail them. RR's dont need it.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid back in the 1970s, we use to walk along and play on the tracks and not think anything of it. Then one day "Mr. Krowl" the yard master showed up. He took our names and addresses and said if he caught us again it was going to cost our folks a fine. He told us that he realized that it was fun to play on the tracks and all, but told us how dangerous it was too. One thing I remember the most is him telling us that if we were to happen to stumble and hit our heads and knock ourselves out or get our foot stuck in the track some how, that the train couldn't stop in time before running over us. Glad he didn't catch us climbing up on and jumping from one box car roof to another or we would have been in trouble...

[Anonymous]

Like Trainluver1, I did the same back in the 60's. I never had any bad intentions, so I just couldn't figure why the B&OCT policeman kept bothering me.
Jimmy

[n2mopac]

In the town where I grew up the MoPac maid (that dates me, doesn't it) ran right behind the local Middle School and east through a major residential area. There were no streets that ran directly between the school and the housing area, so probably 50 kids a day walked along the tracks to and from school. What kept some from getting killed I will never know, although I never remember even an injury occuring in my lifetime there.

In the area where I live now (along the same, now UP main 45 miles to the east), we are a rural area and the big problem is hunters who think that the rabbits, squirrels, and quail taste better if their are shot from the railroad right of way. The crazy thing about this is that nearly a quarter of the households in this area have at least one UP employee in the family. These are railroad employees kids who are hunting from the right of way. They of all people should know better.

Recently a man in a nearby town (12 miles away from my home) a man was walking home at about 2:00 a.m. from a local bar alont the tracks. He got sideswiped by a UP train. Amazingly he lived. It broke I don't know how many bones, but his body was so full of alcohol that he was numb. He somehow managed to walk the rest of the way home, where his wife took him to the evergency roon. This is true brilliance at work.

Ron

[Anonymous]

It's not good when you hit a person at 60MPH laying in the middle of the tracks there was nothing left of that person except the torso and 1 arm and a hand 1 leg thats it.

[:(!]

[fievel]

The average non-railfan just doesn't seem to get it when it comes to understanding
the dangers around the tracks. I don't think the general public is too concerned
about deaths and maimings along the right of way. "It'll never happen to me. I'll
get out of the train's way !" Compared to yesteryear, todays trains are like Stealth
bombers. They can practically be right on top of you before you realise it. Scary !