TOTALLY GEEKED!

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

7 dead after NYC commuter train hits SUV stuck on tracks

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

That's horrible. And I used to ride that train sometimes.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

It is horrible. I still worry about rail crossings. There are some around here that don't even have the drop rails but just an X. Most people don't slow down, look or anything but just barrel across the tracks. I have also seen people driving around them or ignoring red flashing lights.

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

That is horrible. Many years ago I crossed a railroad track but because of a red light ahead up the road my rear bumper was still in the path of the track. Then a train came. I had only two options. Floor it & hit the vehicle in front of me & hope I pushed them forward enough to get off the track or get hit by the train. Luckily the guy in front of me realized what was about to happen & he drove his truck sideways into the ditch so I could move forward. It was terrifying. Now I don't cross the tracks if I don't think there is enough clearance.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Wow Lexxy. That is scary!!

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

If the lights are flashing red, I stop and sit there. And, if people want to drive around me, have it. You cannot estimate the speed of a train as easily as you think you can. So if it is flashing and the gates haven't dropped, I still stop and wait. Why take any chances to save 5 minutes?

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
If the lights are flashing red, I stop and sit there. And, if people want to drive around me, have it. You cannot estimate the speed of a train as easily as you think you can. So if it is flashing and the gates haven't dropped, I still stop and wait. Why take any chances to save 5 minutes?

If the stop light is red even if the train lights aren't flashing I don't cross the track until the light turns green & I know I have room to clear the track. There is always some impatient jerk honking at me to cross. I am not going to move up just because they are honking & really where do they think they are going if the light is red?

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

I think I read that this woman had stopped on the tracks and when the gates went down, she was inside them. You should never stop over the tracks.

Southern_Belle · Nothing's Impossible

So sad!

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

A almost got hit by a train.

Unprotected crossing. Wayne was in the lead car, we had company.

And I was following, in my Jeep.

He went through, and so did I, without looking first.

I'm glad I didn't see the train, until after I was over the tracks. My Jeep was a 5-speed. I might have had a panic attack, and stalled the darn thing. cry

burns07 · Guru

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I just saw the news report on this. The evidence is pointing to her starting over the tracks and the cross bar came down on top of her car, just about where the lift gate on the SUV is.

Said she couldn't go on.

I don't know why she couldn't.

What a tragic and stupid decision that driver made.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error

Roger that.

Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.

And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks. cry

If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.

One less life could have been lost.

aergia · Regular

horrible incident

ed11563 · Guru

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error
Roger that.
Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.
And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks.
If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.
One less life could have been lost.

The only smart thing to do if the crossing arm is trapping your car on the tracks, is, HIT THE GAS .

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

lilyofcourse wrote:
I just saw the news report on this. The evidence is pointing to her starting over the tracks and the cross bar came down on top of her car, just about where the lift gate on the SUV is.

Said she couldn't go on.

I don't know why she couldn't.

What a tragic and stupid decision that driver made.

It' s hard to say. Maybe something prevented her car from moving. Or, she just thought she could quickly jump out of the car, lift off the gate and then proceed. Obviously, she was wrong.

ed11563 · Guru

Steam locomotives (remember them from the movies?) had a wedge-shaped structure (called a "cow catcher") on the front that would pick up any large object on the tracks (usually a "cow" ) so it wouldn't get under the wheels and derail the train.

Maybe all commuter trains should have the same thing, but call it a "SUV catcher"?

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
I just saw the news report on this. The evidence is pointing to her starting over the tracks and the cross bar came down on top of her car, just about where the lift gate on the SUV is.

Said she couldn't go on.

I don't know why she couldn't.

What a tragic and stupid decision that driver made.
It' s hard to say. Maybe something prevented her car from moving. Or, she just thought she could quickly jump out of the car, lift off the gate and then proceed. Obviously, she was wrong.

I think this is what happened and she panicked. Why she got back in her car we will never know.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

ed11563 wrote:
Fort Worth Mom wrote:
burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error
Roger that.
Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.
And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks.
If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.
One less life could have been lost.
The only smart thing to do if the crossing arm is trapping your car on the tracks, is, HIT THE GAS .

I disagree. The only smart thing to do is abandon ship.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
I just saw the news report on this. The evidence is pointing to her starting over the tracks and the cross bar came down on top of her car, just about where the lift gate on the SUV is.

Said she couldn't go on.

I don't know why she couldn't.

What a tragic and stupid decision that driver made.
It' s hard to say. Maybe something prevented her car from moving. Or, she just thought she could quickly jump out of the car, lift off the gate and then proceed. Obviously, she was wrong.

Today on the news they are saying the arm was probably broken because it's built to immediately raise up if it touches anything at all. Also, there was not enough time from when the arm went down to when the train came by. There is a certain number of seconds they are supposed to have so that cars can get out of the way. This crossing was only 20 seconds. Her family may have quite a case on their hands. The expert I heard talking said this was the most poorly designed crossing he has seen in years.

cadiver · Senior Member

Mellow Momma wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Fort Worth Mom wrote:
burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error
Roger that.
Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.
And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks.
If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.
One less life could have been lost.
The only smart thing to do if the crossing arm is trapping your car on the tracks, is, HIT THE GAS .

I disagree. The only smart thing to do is abandon ship.

I used to think this and wondered why people stayed in the car, until this article. Would you leave the car if you thought it could killed a number of people?

-- Edited by cadiver on Thursday 5th of February 2015 03:34:11 PM

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

cadiver wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Fort Worth Mom wrote:
burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error
Roger that.
Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.
And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks.
If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.
One less life could have been lost.
The only smart thing to do if the crossing arm is trapping your car on the tracks, is, HIT THE GAS .

I disagree. The only smart thing to do is abandon ship.
I used to think this and wondered why people stayed in the car, until this article. Would you leave the car if you thought it could killed a number of people?

-- Edited by cadiver on Thursday 5th of February 2015 03:34:11 PM

Its what we were taught to do in driver's training.

Southern_Belle · Nothing's Impossible

The families of the people who were killed on the train probably have grounds for a good lawsuit too since that third rail came up.

ed11563 · Guru

Mellow Momma wrote:
cadiver wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Fort Worth Mom wrote:
burns07 wrote:

at times difficult to judge distance at a locomotive crossing ( especially at night ) and the speed of an oncoming train--why risk it ?

she probably got caught inside the crossbar and panicked--regardless, will probably end-up being driver error not conductor error
Roger that.
Sadly, from what I read, she got out of the Jeep, to look for damage.
And, instead of walking away, she got back in. And tried to drive it off the tracks.
If she had just kept walking, she'd still be alive.
One less life could have been lost.
The only smart thing to do if the crossing arm is trapping your car on the tracks, is, HIT THE GAS .

I disagree. The only smart thing to do is abandon ship.
I used to think this and wondered why people stayed in the car, until this article. Would you leave the car if you thought it could killed a number of people?

-- Edited by cadiver on Thursday 5th of February 2015 03:34:11 PM
Its what we were taught to do in driver's training.

Yes, but if the engine is running, and the only thing keeping the car on the tracks is that wooden gate, just break the gate with the front of the car. Or break the one behind the car. They're not very strong.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

I agree, but that is a tough thing to do for some people . They dont' want to break the law or break something so they think they might have time to correct the situation without doing that. It is hard to educate people to even save themselves if they are stickler for the rules.