Kids(and adults) railroad bridges aren't crosswalks

[NeoPTLD]

An adult and a child killed while walking on a railroad bridge

What is wrong with these people?

"Local residents, however, say the bridge has long been the only way to walk between the two towns and blame the railroad for failing to make it safer. The land route via Interstate 5 is approximately 15 miles long."

"After two locals died in accidents on the bridge, Natterstad said he asked that the railroad build a walkway.

" "People will cross that bridge regardless," he said. "It's the railroad's fault. They're like a brick wall."

The railroad bridge was built by a freight company for their use and it is a private property. "It's the only way" short of 15mile drive isn't a justification for entitlement to safe crossing of private property.

 

[Kelemvor]

So because people are too damn lazy to walk around or climb down the hill it's the RR's fault? Yeah, whatever. Even so, they should have been able to hear the thing coming and get out of the way.

 

[kranky]

The railroad ought to build a walkway? That's nuts. It's private property, period, end of story.

Why don't all these people demand that the town build another bridge instead?

Railroads do not do anything that would entice people to be on their property. That would undermine their entire stand that it's private property and they aren't liable for people getting hurt. I feel badly for these people, but to blame the railroad is ludicrous.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

In a related story, the adult had just poured McDonald's coffee all over his crotch area.

 

[rh71]

Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: rh71
Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

Apparently, they die.

 

[SagaLore]

Local residents, however, say the bridge has long been the only way to walk between the two towns and blame the railroad for failing to make it safer.

"People will cross that bridge regardless," he said. "It's the railroad's fault. They're like a brick wall."

Idiots! It is private property! If the towns need a bridge that bad, their town councils should raise property taxes and fund one!

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: rh71
Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

Apparently, they die.

lol

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: rh71
Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

Well, you can stand there and hope that somehow the train will stop before hitting you. Not terribly likely, considering the distance it takes for one to stop.

You could jump, and hope to either learn how to fly before you hit the ground, or that the Earth's gravitational field will fail in the next few seconds.

You could also dangle over the edge and hope you can hang on despite the shaking as the train passes overhead. Not bloody likely.

 

If I'm walking on a city street with no sidewalks and I'm hit by a car and paralyzed, should I be able to sue the city for punitive and medical damages? Of course not!

Just like I'd assume risk by walking in the street, those people assumed the risk of walking on a railroad trestle. Hell, the street is public property - the train tracks are PRIVATE!

 

[EMPshockwave82]

The railroad ought to build a walkway? That's nuts. It's private property, period, end of story.

Why don't all these people demand that the town build another bridge instead?

Railroads do not do anything that would entice people to be on their property. That would undermine their entire stand that it's private property and they aren't liable for people getting hurt. I feel badly for these people, but to blame the railroad is ludicrous.

this guy is absolutely right....why is it the railroad's responsability to build a sidewalk / roadway between these two towns that isnt 15 miles?.... why dont the towns get together and each pay for half of it

dont people know how f'd up you can make a railroad engineer by making them kill you?????? yes that's right... making them kill you.. they dont have much of a choice in the matter.... it can take a train over a mile to stop, these things arent cars, hell they arent even semi's... a loaded train that is at maximum number of cars at FULL BRAKE (that means all breaking power the train is equpped with) can take up to a mile and a half to stop

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82

The railroad ought to build a walkway? That's nuts. It's private property, period, end of story.

Why don't all these people demand that the town build another bridge instead?

Railroads do not do anything that would entice people to be on their property. That would undermine their entire stand that it's private property and they aren't liable for people getting hurt. I feel badly for these people, but to blame the railroad is ludicrous.

this guy is absolutely right....why is it the railroad's responsability to build a sidewalk / roadway between these two towns that isnt 15 miles?.... why dont the towns get together and each pay for half of it

dont people know how f'd up you can make a railroad engineer by making them kill you?????? yes that's right... making them kill you.. they dont have much of a choice in the matter.... it can take a train over a mile to stop, these things arent cars, hell they arent even semi's... a loaded train that is at maximum number of cars at FULL BRAKE (that means all breaking power the train is equpped with) can take up to a mile and a half to stop

I can guarantee that the last thing on their minds as they crossed the bridge was how F'd up the train dude would be if they got hit.

 

[NeoPTLD]

All pedestrians killed by a train deserve a Darwin's Award. If you aren't being a dumbass, how can you get hit by a train as a pedestrian???

 

[NeoPTLD]

darn. I can't find pics of this bridge anywhere.

 

[Eli]

That's very tragic. I can't really imagine being hit by a train......

Is there really not enough space between the tracks and the rails on the edge? Or maybe there isn't any, although it says thats how some survived.

For the one that fell down on the tracks.. I wonder if they would've lived if they put themselves as flat as they could and just let the train pass over them...

 

[NeoPTLD]

Originally posted by: Eli
That's very tragic. I can't really imagine being hit by a train......

Is there really not enough space between the tracks and the rails on the edge? Or maybe there isn't any, although it says thats how some survived.

For the one that fell down on the tracks.. I wonder if they would've lived if they put themselves as flat as they could and just let the train pass over them...

Watch NWCN. they show some pics.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteve

Originally posted by: rh71
Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

Well, you can stand there and hope that somehow the train will stop before hitting you. Not terribly likely, considering the distance it takes for one to stop.

You could jump, and hope to either learn how to fly before you hit the ground, or that the Earth's gravitational field will fail in the next few seconds.

You could also dangle over the edge and hope you can hang on despite the shaking as the train passes overhead. Not bloody likely.

Psst... it was just a thought I had... what actually makes these people think they can get away with crossing a railroad bridge if things like trains could actually come at them while they were on it. No need to explain.

 

[Triumph]

actually if the railroad had built a walkway, they would probably be opening themselves up to even more lawsuits. by building a walkway, they would be encouraging people to walk across their bridge, and would thus be held responsible for any accidents that happen on it.

kinda like when i was a kid, we used to skateboard at the end of the sidewalk down by the grocery store. it was a great place to skate, but the store was always chasing us away because if any of us got hurt on its property, they could be sued.

i think it'd be fun to hang from a railroad bridge while a train went overhead.

 

[Vic]

I grew up not too far from there and I've walked on that bridge before. At night even. Many years ago. It's scary as hell, the UP mainline from Portland to Seattle with only room for the sets of tracks. I would not do it again.

Map

 

[Yossarian]

It isn't tragic, it's stupid.

"People will cross that bridge regardless," he said. "It's the railroad's fault. They're like a brick wall."

that quote kills me! who's being a brick wall? the dumb fvcks who know it's private property and have been told it's off limits yet risk their lives anyway.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: rh71
Don't tell me these are the highly elevated bridges ... what do the people do if a train is actually coming ?

Apparently, they die.

Good Answer. Ha ha.

Let the Weeding out of the Gene Pool commence.

 

[Thraxen]

From the article:

A local cattle rancher said he used to drive steers across the bridge.

That's a huge mess waiting to happen.

 

The only sad part to this story is the child getting killed. The child had no choice, and the parent made a decision that led to the death of that kid. That really pisses me off.

Yet another reason I believe mandatory sterilization should be put into place for alot of people.

 

[yukichigai]

An 8-by-8-foot plank jutting out from the tracks once provided a safe haven for those crossing the bridge if a train came, but it was removed about five years ago, Natterstad said.

I'm curious as to who removed said plank and why. If the railroad did it in an attempt to discourage using the bridge and reduce the liklihood of fatalities I'd say it hasn't worked.

 

[halik]

hah,

damn railroad and their damn bridge! Why cant they pay for a walkway on their bridge over their property! It's all their fault, they should've know that there will be people tresspassing on their propert, valunteering to become rail-kill. I'm tellin' you its all they's fault!

darwin awards and honorable mention for all the parties involved...