Kids(and adults) railroad bridges aren't crosswalks

[notfred]

Hmm, I've crossed a particular train bridge lots of times. I think it's wide enough that even if a train did come while I was on it, simply moving to the edge of the bridge would leave oyu plenty of room to clear the train.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: 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.

I'm sure it was the railroad. It was a liability issure more so than anything else. With the plank in place, any injuries on the bridge could be legally tied to the corporation - ie the plan was there for people to cross the bridge and hence they are liable for any damages or injuries.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: 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

The map pretty much tells the story. No other crossings for quite a ways.

I'm not saying the railroad needs to build a walkway. I'm just saying they should at least put up some damn sturdy fencing to keep 'em off the bridge. And if they don't then they need to expect that their trains will hit people crossing over the bridge from time to time. Regardless of how stupid those people may be. 😛

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: 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.

I'm sure it was the railroad. It was a liability issure more so than anything else. With the plank in place, any injuries on the bridge could be legally tied to the corporation - ie the plan was there for people to cross the bridge and hence they are liable for any damages or injuries.

See, now that's just wrong. Taking down something which will save lives -- albeit the lives of people playing chicken with trains -- because of liability issues... gahhh.

Equation:

Making sure we aren't liable > lives (of stupid people)


I don't like that math.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: yukichigai
sure it was the railroad. It was a liability issure more so than anything else. With the plank in place, any injuries on the bridge could be legally tied to the corporation - ie the plan was there for people to cross the bridge and hence they are liable for any damages or injuries.

See, now that's just wrong. Taking down something which will save lives -- albeit the lives of people playing chicken with trains -- because of liability issues... gahhh.

Equation:

Making sure we aren't liable > lives (of stupid people)


I don't like that math.[/quote]

* > Lives of stupid people...

 

[Demon-Xanth]

If lives were that important to the community, there'd be a public bridge.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: 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???

If it derails.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: 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.

"Plank" is the wrong word. It was 2 sheets of 4' x 8' plywood laid out on a make-shift scaffolding on the west side of the bridge a little past the halfway point closer to the northern side. If you were stuck on the bridge when a train came, that was pretty much the only "safe" place.
I don't know why it was removed (I was unaware that it had been even), but I do know that a high-school age kid died on the bridge about 5 years ago.

 

[MarklarMarklar]

Another news article from MSNBC. Includes a pic of the bridge.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Doesn't look THAT far to jump down, mang, and I can't even swim. Between falling and breaking something and possibly drowing, and getting creamed by a train is one of the easier decisions I could make in my life.

Just another piece of evidence that leads me to believe people are friggin idiots.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
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.

Originally posted by: notfred
Hmm, I've crossed a particular train bridge lots of times. I think it's wide enough that even if a train did come while I was on it, simply moving to the edge of the bridge would leave oyu plenty of room to clear the train.

Originally posted by: 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???

People say that a lot- the vast majority of the people who are hit by trains are clear of the tracks- it's the wind of the train that sucks you off your feet and kills you. Some trains are 3x wider than the tracks, too. This is why you don't nose the hood of your car under the gate at RR crossings.

The people are stupid for crossing.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: PsychoAndy
Doesn't look THAT far to jump down, mang, and I can't even swim. Between falling and breaking something and possibly drowing, and getting creamed by a train is one of the easier decisions I could make in my life.

Just another piece of evidence that leads me to believe people are friggin idiots.

The bridge roadway is about 30 feet above the water.

 

[Yossarian]

how deep is the water?

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: 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.

"Plank" is the wrong word. It was 2 sheets of 4' x 8' plywood laid out on a make-shift scaffolding on the west side of the bridge a little past the halfway point closer to the northern side. If you were stuck on the bridge when a train came, that was pretty much the only "safe" place.
I don't know why it was removed (I was unaware that it had been even), but I do know that a high-school age kid died on the bridge about 5 years ago.

Could have something to do with the kid, yeah. Or based on what you described it could have just fallen apart. Doesn't sound particularly sturdy.

I'm hoping the community builds their own bridge or something. I don't expect the RR to since they really don't have to. They just can't be surprised when their trains keep hitting stupid people.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: PsychoAndy
Doesn't look THAT far to jump down, mang, and I can't even swim. Between falling and breaking something and possibly drowing, and getting creamed by a train is one of the easier decisions I could make in my life.

Just another piece of evidence that leads me to believe people are friggin idiots.

The bridge roadway is about 30 feet above the water.

So?

I'd rather break a leg than break my freakin FACE between a train and raiload ties. Would you just stand there and get destroyed than taking a jump?

This is really irrelevant, considering these people are already friggin dead, but still.

 

[yhelothar]

I think people thinks the bridge is pretty wide and has enough distance on the side to walk over without getting killed. So they cross it thinking it's no big deal, and as phasmatisnox said, the wind turbulence from the train sucks you in and kills you.

 

[Chu]

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.

Couldn't you get on your side and straddle the edge? Almost all train bridges I've seen use iron I beams for supports.

 

[nageov3t]

Didn't they ever watch Stand By Me?

 

[PCTweaker5]

Them kids probably saw there dads face split open by the wheels while his body ripped on sharp edges of the trains underneath. Did this train stop or did it keep going to its destination? The guy in the front train must feel pretty suicidal right now.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: PCTweaker5
The guy in the front train must feel pretty suicidal right now.

Why? He didn't do anything wrong. If I was the engineer I would feel bad but definitely not suicidal. Suicidal more aptly describes the idoit who decided to explore the bridge. I do not feel sorry for stupid people, the world has far too many of them and weeding them out is a necessity.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: PCTweaker5
The guy in the front train must feel pretty suicidal right now.

Why? He didn't do anything wrong. If I was the engineer I would feel bad but definitely not suicidal. Suicidal more aptly describes the idoit who decided to explore the bridge. I do not feel sorry for stupid people, the world has far too many of them and weeding them out is a necessity.

it's not as if trains can stop on a dime either.

by the time the conductor saw the guy, it was probably too late to be able to stop in time.

 

[OokiiNeko]

The locomotive engineer (the guy driving the train) will be automatically put on paid leave of absence and receive professional counselling. Yes, it does mess some of them up pretty bad.
The fiancee said she pleaded with the boyfriend not to go, so someone knew it was wrong.