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Yes, I am a railroader, but not onboard. I don't have to put up with the fear of an accident on a daily basis, but it has happened to me, and especially to some of my friends. I believe that Americans have become sue crazy, only because a large part of our society has lost its moral compass and is not willing to take responsibility for their contibution to an incident - until a court forces them to. Everybody tries to duck out - it seems. But then cities, states, and big corporations are the worst at refusing responsibility. Even after a jury finds them culpable, they will wear you out in appeals court until you too are dead - or wished you were. Yes that moral judgement applies to ignorant people who try to beat the train or trespass and then sue, but it applies even more to those who put the public hazard there in the first place, who should have known better. And when did railroad management ever provide a the legal defense for their employees, or provide anything but a cup to pee in. Not in my lifetime! My point is that railroad managements are a big part off the problem. They just don't give a d@&% about anything but the bottom line. In my state, the grade crossing signals are paid for by the state. The railroads want the money. So sometimes, I am viewed as a loose cannon. I blab to much about public safety and not enough about the bottom line. Even so, I do hold the public officials who created this problem even more accountable. I have spent years in my profession advocating the needed changes. But to very little avail. Neither do public officals listen, nor do railroad managements do anything but try to shut me up when I advocate eliminating all grade crossings. But I do hold the highway designers most responsible. Yes the same ones that bleed the public dry subsidizing the competition also creat so many unnecessary public hazards (not just at grade crossing either) I don't understand how they get away with it. I know if any signal engineer did that, he risks changing his address to Leavenworth, Kansas for a few years. For more detail - see my posts in the threads "Sight Distances..." and the thread on low viaducts. RmC
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