Apparently three engineers who knew about this have been suspended. Metra won't indentify anyone involved or even say what line it happened on (which has to make every passenger wonder who is driving). This kid is a known railfan from the western suburbs which kind of limits the lines that could be involved and has numerous cab videos posted on the internet. What was this idiot engineer thinking when he allowed him to operate the train on more than one occasion? The union has had no comment. There is an article in the Chicago Tribune this morning.
Here is the article in the 10/24/08 Chicago Tribune:
The careers of three Metra engineers are on the line after a west suburban teenager boasted on MySpace about being allowed to operate commuter trains carrying passengers, the Tribune has learned.A Metra engineer is under investigation for permitting the 18-year-old to drive trains, and he and two other two trainmen have been suspended for allegedly allowing the teen to enter locomotive cabs, according to a report filed recently with the Federal Railroad Administration.Metra officials are releasing few details about the suspensions, citing the engineers' right to a fair hearing. However, the incidents allegedly occurred on numerous occasions and on various lines, Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said.Permitting any unauthorized personnel in the locomotive is a violation of Metra policy and federal regulations because it can create a distraction. The operating cab is considered a sterile environment where cell phones, newspapers, music and all other non-essential activities are prohibited to ensure safety.An investigative hearing is scheduled for early next month. Pardonnet would not say what punishment the agency would seek if the men are found guilty."We are taking the allegations extremely serious," she said. "We have met with union officials and told them that we expect them to respond appropriately if these allegations are substantiated."The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the labor group that represents the three Metra employees, had no comment.Metra learned of the unauthorized rides about two weeks ago after someone called to report pictures of the teen's joy ride on his MySpace page, sources said.Pardonnet would not say when the incidents occurred, but said Metra suspended the three trainmen without pay after learning about the images.The teen still has several pictures of the engineer accused of letting him operate the train on Flickr, an image and video-hosting site. One photo, titled "Stupid Metra," shows the trainman posing happily in front of a Metra locomotive.The west suburban youth is a self-described "railfan," the nickname given to American train buffs. His YouTube and photography pages are filled with images of locomotives barreling through Illinois and Indiana as well as snapshots of people identified as Metra employees.Railfans were thrust into the national spotlight last month after a commuter train crash in Los Angeles that killed 25 people and injured 135 others. The train's engineer, Robert Sanchez, reportedly sent a text message to a group of teenage enthusiasts seconds before slamming head-on into a freight train.A Federal Railroad Administration spokesman said the agency will pay close attention to the upcoming Metra hearings and would consider its own disciplinary action if federal regulations were violated."It's a matter of great concern to us, and we are monitoring the situation," said spokesman Warren Flatau.The Tribune is not naming the engineer who allegedly allowed the teen to operate the train, because Metra would not identify the individuals involved. But several sources said he was fired after a fatal accident a few years ago. Investigators found him at fault, but he was reinstated after federal arbitrators determined he did not receive a fair hearing.Efforts to reach the veteran engineer by phone and at his home were unsuccessful.Tribune reporter Jeff Long contributed to this report.
The term "idiot" is tossed about on these pages fairly liberally, and sometimes without real justification. In this particular case, I think the term applies beautifully.
ndbprr This kid is a known railfan from the western suburbs which kind of limits the lines that could be involved and has numerous cab videos posted on the internet. What was this idiot engineer thinking when he allowed him to operate the train on more than one occasion?
This kid is a known railfan from the western suburbs which kind of limits the lines that could be involved and has numerous cab videos posted on the internet. What was this idiot engineer thinking when he allowed him to operate the train on more than one occasion?
More to the point, what was the idiot engineer thinking when the kid was videotaping this whole thing and gathering good evidence of this whole incident.
TomDiehl,
I don't see anything in this thread that says the kid videotaped this incident.
All I see in this thread is mention that the kid has
pictures of the joy ride on myspace,
pictures on flickr of the accused engineer but no mention if they are of this joyride,
one picture of the accused engineer posing in front of a locomotive,
snapshots of people identified as Metra employees but no mention if they actually are Metra employees or who identified them as Metra employees are on duty or even if they are posed or candid
several cab videos no mention if they are Metra cabs, no mention if they are operating cabs, no mention if they are locomotive cabs
again I don't see anything in this thread. If your evidence that the kid videotaped this whole thing is somewhere else please cite it
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Note further and detailed discussion above in Trains' General Discussion forum. Moderator Bergie might want to combine these discussions for cutting off repeats and to merge some interesting perspectives.
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Read the original post, the kid had "numerous cab videos posted on the internet." If they were from the cab of a METRA train, then someone had to allow him in the cab, a clear violation of local and probably federal rules. Engineers are also, most likely, prohibited from videotaping, or anything else that would distract them from their job, so it's unliely he/she would be doing it, let alone allowing the kid to post them on his page.
Where are people's brains are today, letting a kid drive a train? Today people don't think.
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