General Discussion

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-train12-2009jan12,0,6655806.story

When will people ever learn, DO NOT use tracks as short cuts or hiking trains, they are not, in special particular, bridges and TUNNELS!!

Shesh! what a waste...

A friend of mine suggested walking through an active tunnel once.  I told him No Waaaayyy!!!

You ever notice how they portray the train at fault in the headlines "Amtrak train kills woman"

 Maybe someone should suggest the headline "Stupidity Kills Woman".

This tunnel is on a very busy rail line not some one train per week branch. It is absolutely amazing that four adults could be so ignorant oblivious to the hazards of hiking through there.

Mark

Does anyone else find it ironic that this happened within the same area as the Metrolink crash back in September?!  What the heck are they putting in the water there in Chatsworth? Too bad the Darwin Awards no longer except stories/nominees based on train incidents. (on account of there being too many of them!)

vsmith:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-train12-2009jan12,0,6655806.story

When will people ever learn, DO NOT use tracks as short cuts or hiking trains, they are not, in special particular, bridges and TUNNELS!!

Shesh! what a waste... 

View is the same & the scenery is pretty dull in there, too. 

Why not stay above ground, esp. in a suburban area like that where there are streets, etc. (not like bushwhacking over a mountain)

Locomotive grab iron right to the head.  Whack!  Amazing she lived long enough for paramedics to get to her.

To steal a quote I heard from a movie the other day: "Do you know what would happen to this piece of machinery (bulldozer) if it were to run over you? Absolutely nothing!"

Sadly, her husband will likely sue the RR for not putting up "close clearance" signs at the tunnel entrance. (to say nothing of the half a dozen "no trespassing" signs that were likely there!

I do not condone anyone being in an active RR tunnel as these folks were.  I'm wondering though, if someone is caught in such a situation....could an individual take action and lay flat on the the tunnel edge floor and perhaps save themselves from what happened to the person mentioned in this post......

Apparently the 3 people she was with stood right up against the tunnel walls and were missed. I'm sure the clearance was extremely tight since she was hit. Laying flat against the bootm edge would probably work but I'm not going to try it!

Since this has happened and the head on collision was right near there, knowing people today, someone will probably start to complain about having railroads in the area citing them as too dangerous. Trains aren't really that dangerous though. Stupid people are.

Modelcar:

I do not condone anyone being in an active RR tunnel as these folks were.  I'm wondering though, if someone is caught in such a situation....could an individual take action and lay flat on the the tunnel edge floor and perhaps save themselves from what happened to the person mentioned in this post......

Yes, laying flat lenthwise againt the wall as far from the track as possible is the safest bet if one finds themselves in this predicament. Its been known to happen in the past with MOW crews and AFAIK this was how they were told to deal with it. Better getting a bit dirty than getting crushed between a car and the tunnel wall. Just hope a car isnt dragging debris or a chain or such. Tunnels are NO place for civilians.

vsmith:

Just hope a car isnt dragging debris or a chain or such. Tunnels are NO place for civilians

Yes, I thought about a dragging steel band or chain or any debris, but at that point one would have to gamble on the chance....

Chance is always preferable to certain death!