So thick / oblivious you had to be taught the lesson twice?

[draggar]

First, I'm glad to report that I am not posting this in the roadkill section.

Today I decided to go to BK for lunch and the route I take (well, any route I can take) I have to go over a set of tri-rail tracks (two sets of commuter RR tracks).

As I was coming to them I noticed the gates were down and the lights were on, it took me about 20 seconds to get to them and come to a complete stop.

I noticed someone on the other side of the road walking with a cell phone plastered to his head. Of course, he decides to walk around the gates and starts to cross the tracks only to quickly turn around and run back. A second later a train going north speeds by.

I shake my head at the potential Darwin award recipient.

He again goes around the gate and starts to cross the tracks - cell phone on his eat. Then I hear HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK

The guy looks to the left (north) and again, turns around and dives off the track just as a southbound train goes speeding by.

Seriously? You didn't learn the first time???

[Salted Grump]

The sad part is that if Darwin was looking the trains would be stopped for a while due to having to clean moron chunks from the cowcatcher. I'd pity the engineer due to the trauma.

(I can't remember the exact time, but a while back I was told that most engineers in accidents like that tend to suffer from PTSD due to, well, turning a human into a bloody squeegie mark)

[draggar]

No cow catchers on these trains - flat fronts and the engineers are usually on the front or back, so it was a 50-50% chance of PTSD.

BTW - why do they call them cow catchers when that's the last thing you want it to do??

[MoonCat]

In this area, we just had a truck driver decide to go around a RR barrier. Apparently he thought he could beat the oncoming train.

He didn't.

[zombiequeen]

I believe it was to prevent the cow from going under the wheels, it does a lot of damage that way and can cause the train to go off the tracks.
At least that's what they told us in school.

[Frantic Freddie]

I believe it was to prevent the cow from going under the wheels, it does a lot of damage that way and can cause the train to go off the tracks.
At least that's what they told us in school.

That's correct ZQ

[draggar]

I understand the cow part of it, I don't understand the catcher part - it doesn't catch them and you don't want it to! it deflects them, it moves them, it saves them, it plows them...

[zombiequeen]

Hooray! I knew growing up with my school by the train tracks would teach me something!

I think it's called that to catch the cow before it hits the wheels maybe? It was back in old-timey days where things were named differently.

[mikoyan29]

I have a healthy respect for trains. Anything that can squash me in my car without too much damage to itself deserves that much. Last year, we had a pretty nasty accident as a carload of kids not only goes by the gate but around the cars stopped before the gate.

[iradney]

I understand the cow part of it, I don't understand the catcher part - it doesn't catch them and you don't want it to! it deflects them, it moves them, it saves them, it plows them...

Cow Saver sounds like a bank, Cow Mover sounds like a moving company and Cow Plower...well I don't even want to think about it!!

[Mytical]

I have a healthy respect for trains. Anything that can squash me in my car without too much damage to itself deserves that much. <snip>

QFE, QFT. Which also applies to semis, but people don't seem to grasp that either. Trains are MUCH bigger (usually), and have a much less chance of being damaged (unless it goes off track). See the mass? Respect the mass.

[kpzra]

QFE, QFT. Which also applies to semis, but people don't seem to grasp that either. Trains are MUCH bigger (usually), and have a much less chance of being damaged (unless it goes off track). See the mass? Respect the mass.

As my husband says "Yield to tonnage"

[Mytical]

I tell you, to me it doesn't matter if that semi has the right of way. I WILL let it pass, turn, whatever. Yeah, it might not be right, but I've been behind the wheel of a semi. So..they get the right of way from me. I don't bumper ride them, I don't ride in the blind spot, and I will get the heck out of their way.

[chainedbarista]

one of the first things we were taught in germany was to never EVER cross the train tracks, even with looking. they were called 'silent death' for a reason.

[blas]

It's pretty rare for the train to go by my parents' house.....I just saw/heard one yesterday morning around 9 am............god that thing shook the entire freaking house.