How does one become an advocate for railroad grade

[foamer4000]

MORON!

[Anonymous]

It seems to me that a lot of people have missed the point on these threads ignoring the profanity that some people have used. In most cases the railroad was built first but the local levels of government have the authority to permit crossings to be built at every landowner's or municipality's whim. If one drives down any 4 lane divided highway one notices that you must go to the next exit to get to where you want to go regardless of whether it is in an urban or rural area. We don't seem to apply the same logic to railroads because the local level of government would have to fund the grade separation. Somehow we can find money to make the traffic flow faster and safer but not to make rail traffic flow faster and safer. One of the main impediments to having high speed rail and reliable schedules is the number of crossings. When we give people access to roads so they can use their automobile we somehow think that we should have a more direct route than even a pedestrian. A double track railroad is like an expressway and there should be no level crossings. If you want to cross the tracks, you pay for the grade separation. I agree with those who have preceeded me and have said stop, look and listen. Here is a perfect example of how government expenditures could be modal neutral benefiting both rail and road traffic.

[BRAKIE]

Better still How does one become a advocate for safe drivers and getting drunks off the highways?? They kill more people in 24 hours then trains does in a years time..

[JoeKoh]

proof?well sir I had 10 little chocolate fingerprints on the wall until I washed it off.
sorry my bad
stAY SAFE

joe

[edblysard]

Jenny and Matt ate it, all of it.
And we all know the goverment has the jfk killers perserved at area 51, same hanger they have the flying saucer and the aliens locked up in.
You and I both know all he will come up with is a heavily edited cut and copy job, with great big holes where the info that dosent back up his garbage should be.
And he is a coward, just like mike, (thats a joke, and then, maby not) who will never put his real name here, he is too afraid.
Ed

[Anonymous]

Sorry Ed, laughable was for missouri's post. He's so good at conspiracies, maybe he can figure out who really killed JFK and WHO REALLY ATE ALL THE CHOCOLATE CAKE??

Em

[Anonymous]

Laughable, at best.

[edblysard]

Prove it, with a complete report, not one that has been cut and pasted. And be careful, you just accused federal officals of accepting bribes, so if you got a pair, show us the report, all f it, complete with all the names, yours included. Coward.
Ed

[Anonymous]

The state highway officials have like nose rings the railroads pull them around by. They tell the officials where they are going to put the crossing equipment. Right now its being used around switching areas for 10 mph remote controled trains to get out of paying roadguards a couple times a day.Slime bags.

[Anonymous]

NEW MESSAGE TO YOU---SEND YOUR STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIAL TO JAIL!!!THEY DECIDE WHAT KIND OF CROSSING PROTECTION TO PUT UP!!! You have obviously not read or simply ignored the facts presented on these threads. These are highway devices, not RR devices. When was the last time a trucking company official was called to put up a traffic signal? GOT SENSE???

[wabash1]

Oh i think i see the light now. i am so glad you pointed this out to me. i thinkk we should all cross over to mike and missouri side. See the railroad decided to make things safer and install crossing lights and gates at 3 other crossings. then the railroad had the gawl to use those lights and gates from this one crossing to protect the other crossings. and not properly close this crossing up. can you believe this. using parts for another crossing and closing up this crossing. and then not caring that this guy would not read the signs and use this crossing with out lights and gates. and not hear the horn blowing. and drive right thru a barricaded crossing. we should go to the places they are closing and make a human chain across these places and stop these people from doing this. until it is known ( about 2 years should do it) that these crossing are closeed. ( the first clue should have been that the rails was the only thing there no road) and make the railroads pay our wages to do this. well on second thought i think i like the killem formula better. that is cheaper. maybe missouri and mike would like to man manual gates go back to the system of someone there 24hrs a day they could do this build a little shack with a toilet and a heater and they never leave. and can lower gates and turn on lights every time a train comes.

[Anonymous]

Michael, did you get what Jen said?


read it over until maybe you memorize it, wspecually the last line

LOL @ bryan (KY). that was the best laugh i had all day.

Stop, look, listen, and live
Detour kev.

[Mookie]

Ok Michael - you mentioned me - so here goes!

I lost an uncle and 3 of his friends because they weren't paying attention. They stopped for one train going east and the lights didn't stop flashing. They had the radio turned up LOUD and went on thru, ignoring the warning lights. None
made it past their early 20's.

My Dad was the engineer on a train that ran over, right, ran over a 3 year old baby's legs. Cut them both off. The baby crawled thru a fence the railroad had put up to stop tresspassers. Vandals had cut a hole in the fence. The baby crawled thru the hole following his dog. His dad was asleep instead of babysitting - Mom was at her day job. My Dad lives with that nightmare every day. Now don't give me any guff about crossing safety. I lived thru it twice - indirectly and don't want to hear anyone's nonsense about safety being everyone else's fault/responsibility but your own.

Jen

[louisnash]

Hey Kev,
Just thought you would like to know but I got my dictionary out and looked up the word "butthead".

Butthead-Any person on the trains forums that don't know crap about crossing safety and try to blame everyone else for errors that they made in their judgement. See also:Mike, Missouri

Brian (KY)

[Anonymous]

NEW MESSAGE

RAILROAD OFFICIALS HAVE PROPER CROSSINGS OR GO TO JAIL

[JoeKoh]

Hi kev
The message Stop look listen and live is also painted on the caboose the guys use while working the yard inside and outside the gm plant here in defiance.More people need to get the message.
stay safe
joe

[Anonymous]

This summer, VIA rail is repainting most of their locomotives to display STOP, LOOk, LISTEN, and LIVE.

contrary to michaels original thoughts, THIS does save lives.. AND COULD SAVE A LOT MORE! so that statemnt about this being "inneficient" is trash.. if you abided by it... IT WOULD'NT BE SO INOFICIENT.

Stop look listen and live,
Detour Kev.

[JoeKoh]

Hi Michael
I'm Joe
I am not a railroader just a guy who takes train pictures.I am like the others because I have seen too many people driving around gates or trying to drive their semis under a viaduct.I enjoy learning about brake applications,engine types and etc from the people that are on here.The point is simple Stop look listen and Live.We have a crossing here locally that people complain about.Guess what there is an overpass1/2
mile down the road.The railroad guys and gals wi***he crossing wasn't there either.As Ed tried to explain to both of the M&M twins it is up to elected officials which crossings get upgraded and which do not.With the budgets being tight and the overpass 1/2 mile down the road the gov't is saying no.These guys and gals can help with information just don't be like the M&M twins please.
Stop look listen and live
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Hi michael, i'm Kev

I would like to thank yuo for defining froum.. i belive this is what i'm typing in right now. i could be wrong.

Also, i am merely not getting angry at you becasuye you diagree with me, in fact i welcome it. But it is how you Type your disagreeing statement that gets me angry. you decided to do it the moronic way and use sarcasim to an overwhelming extent, which is enough to get anyone eangry

If you diagree with me, just state so. don't put it in sarcastic terms like you did.. golly gee that was stupid of you.

Next issue, OFCOURSE i'm assosiating you wityh Mike and Missouri. what you post is as about as helpful as their posts! I.e NOT HELPFUL, the go on abouth the FRA or whatever.. Thats great.. they try to convince people that Elephants fly, and monkeys speak English, And a gravitational force will be shut of in about 6 minutes. Thsi si the kind of stuff they say --- things we know aren't going to happen, arent true, or just a load of trash.

KINDA LIKE YOU DID!

so, as a smart human being i assosiate you with the 2 chimps, because your behavior WAS NOTHING MORE then stupid, extremely immature.. and that falls in the M&M category

Detour Kev.

[edblysard]

Michael,
Hi, Im Ed.
First, let me congradulate you on having such a consending and arrogant attitude that you felt it was nesscary to explain the word forum to adults.
One of the most prevalent reasons we took umbrage to the M&M pair was for that fact alone, plus, neither one has ever worked for a railroad, and truly have any idea of how a train works, or why trains have the legal right of way.
Mike Ps claim to fame is that he sat in on a jury that deliberated a train/auto accident. He was swayed by the plaintiff's attorney. From his orginal post, it was apparent the other 11 jurist felt different. He has made claims of the judge, the jury, and the plaintiff's attorney being bought by whatever railroad was involved.
Both he and the person know as missouri repeatly have called us, (railroaders) muders, accused us of "lining your pockets with blood money", and in one, missouri has even gone so far as to accuse a railroad of stealing lights and crossing devices.
Per your definition of forum, the word "discussion" leaps to the forfront. No discussion is possible with either one. It you dont immeditatly agree with their viewpoint, and condemnation of railroaders and railroads, they both start insulting you, for no appearent purpose other than to start an argument.
The concept of discussing anything with these two is beyond funny.
Judging by the tone of your post, you too seem to have made up your mind that railroads have an obligation to protect people from themselves.
You pointed out that nearly 100 pedistrians have been injured at grade crossings in the last three years. Now, short of being under the influnce of booze or dope, (neither one is a excuse) how in the worlds does someone on foot not see, hear or feel a train comming? And to have been hit, they had to be on the tracks, last time I looked, trains cant swerve off the tracks to hit anyone.
Did or did not your parents teach you to not play on the tracks? I would bet so, your still alive, so the lesson must have sunk in.
Do you blindly drive through intersections, or do you slow and look both ways before proceeding?
So why should you not excersise the same caution at a railroad crossing?
By the way, I am one of the railroaders you made fun of in your first post.
Trust me, having HPD strip search you, destroy your car, empty your locker, and force you to stand around nude for thirty minutes while they decide to look in your rear end for the dope they want to find is not the experience you would wish for.
Yup, I sued the cop, and won, but note the driver of the car was never searched, nor was he made to take a breathalizer test, nor "pee in a cup".
Reason? The cop investigating the accident felt no one in their right mind would drive around a stopped car, and around downed gates to beat two locomotives draging three cars, so we, the railroaders, "must" have done something wrong.
Pity us, the railroaders?, no thank you, we have had quite enough of your type of concern. Pity the driver, yes, and I am stilled POed at him, not so much for causing me to go through all of that, but because he, not me, my engineer or my helper, killed his daughter because he was in a hurry to get to a movie. What a waste.
But dont let the fact that he had come to a complete stop, behind another car stopped at the gates, then pulled out and around both the car and gates bother you, after all, we somehow should have been able to know he was going to do that. Sight obstruction,? Nope, visability over one mile both ways, utterly flat roadbead, no trees, no brush or buildings.
Discuss this anymore with mike, missouri or you?
Never, had enough of theses two twisting statements to fit their sick program, and tired already of your condsending and arrogant attitude. Go play with your toys, model railroader and railfan, I have a real train to manage, with real people who put their life in harms way every day, who see and experience things you have zero knowledge of, or about. Where, when things do go wrong, you dont just pick up your toys and put them back on the track, you usually have to watch someone die.
Ed

[Anonymous]

Hi Kev,

Thanks for your response. Your response (and others) just helps emphasize my point. I've made only a handful of posts here, but you immediately associate me with two other individuals I don't know and start calling me names because I don't agree with you.

Let's start with the basics. This is a forum. I went to the dictionary and found this definition:

fo·rum n. 1 a square in ancient Rome where public business was conducted: The forums were busy places. 2 a place for the open exchange of ideas, opinions, and information: This radio talk show is a forum for political discussions.

I think we know that this is not ancient Rome, so the 2nd definition applies.

Kev, here is the way I think it works. I advance an idea or opinion. I support that idea with logic. I back up that logic with facts. Then, you reply in turn. Name calling is for little kids.

Here is an example.

Just to say "Stop Look Listen and Live" is not sufficient. Grade crossings can be made safer. If SLL&L is sufficient, then how do you explain that roughly 100 pedestrians have been injured at grade crossings in the last three years (FRA statistics)? They didn't have the radio cranked up, the windows rolled up, (probably weren't chatting on the cell phone). etc. What part of SLL&L didn't work for them (well, obviously the "Live" part).

Now it would be your turn. Incidently, the number one question on the FRA website FAQ concerns grade crossing safety.

How about it Kev (or Ed or Jenny or Cabforward, etc.)? Are you game?

[csxns]

Schitt i didnt know that.Thanks for the warning.

[Anonymous]

What lights? The lights had been stolen by the railroad on the prior three crossings when BNSF added gates and they took the lights with them to make sure they weren't reinstalled somewhere else. Then they made sure to overpay $117,000 on a $4,000 dollar crossing closeure to make sure another set of gates wasn't installed somewhere else. Saves them 3 grand a year operation/maintenance costs that way. The cheaper to kill'em formula.

[Mookie]

Got a couple of websites you will find to your liking:

www.doomandgloom.com

www.crepehangers.com

www.annoyersanonymous.org

www.yourepathetic.org

[Anonymous]

Mr jackflash

Judgin by this 3rd clowns character

he ahs no intention of being serious whatsoever.



Detour kev.

[Jackflash]

This "attitude" is not what we would call normal
it is aimed at two idiots who post rediculous
suggestions ,such as the railroad murdered people
at grade crossings, ect, ect, at first it was
explained that the motoring public was required
to yield at RR crossings and just look and listen
before crossing but these "guys" just didnt want
to hear that, a lot of what you read is tounge in
cheek in response to these two, if someone wants
to be serious about the subject, then everyone
here will be serious too. jackflash

[Anonymous]

Uh oh...

Ladies and gentlemen

Arrived in his car... another Mike..

AKA richard Cranium #3

now we have the M&M&M trio! burger, the fries and a soft drink

all three of you are actually a few fries short of a happy meal.

Mike, Mike, and missouri ofr the millionth time

STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE

it cna't be any easier then that cna it..

Het newbie mike, i'll give you a quilt.. i'd love to tell you what it'll say on it but i must keep my references down to a PG-13 Level

Stop look listen and live or SLL & L if you have a hard time rememebring the sequental order of those 4 words

have a gread day Moe, Larry, And Curly... i mean Mike Mike and missouri

Detour Kev

[Anonymous]

I have to congratulate you members of the railroad community for your fierce response to this post and others concerning grade crossing accidents. I'd mention names, but I'm afraid I would miss someone.

I have never seen such a compassionate and caring community. You certainly represent yourselves and your employers well. You hit the nail right on the head - personal responsibility. If we can just get those killed by grade crossing accidents to accept personal responsibility for their actions this problem (well it's not really even a problem, is it) would just go away.

I particularly like the poignant post where someone described the impact on the train engineer. He had to face several hours of questioning and then had to pee in a cup! What for?? We certainly know who the true victim was here - NOT the fellows who got killed.

This could be so effective that I suggest this community put together a group of volunteers to go out and visit the parents/children/spouses of grade crossing victims and explain to them to them how they shouldn't feel bad because their loved one was a bonehead anyway for being such a careless driver. And if she/he wasn't driving then they were a bonehead for getting in the car with such a bonehead driver. If this doesn't work, sow a little quilt by suggesting if they had done a better job of looking after the recently departed one, the accident might never have happened. I'm sure this would make them feel ever so much better and significantly shorten the period of mourning. How hard could this be - there are only one or two deaths every day!

And I love the way you agressively assert your ownership of this forum. You've got me convinced you're paying for the server and the bandwidth. Certainly a little foul language and implied threats helps to keep these kooks off our forum. What right do they have? This is America isn't it!

Keep it up guys and girls! As a modeler and a railfan you certainly make me feel good about the railroad community.

[Anonymous]

I swear missouri's story has more twists and turns then a Winding road

Good point #1 he was 42 years old. shucks man, he should have known by that age to stop look listne and live

Good point #2 those things are fail safe, unless you bugged them up, and made them not work.. intenr i bet you did.

Good point #3 You need some serious help, missouri, Real fast too!

Detour Kev.