Things You Shouldn’t Do When You’re Deaf #127
That’s why the railroads don’t want people walking the tracks. The back line of our property abuts an active main line, with about 100 acres of abandoned Girl Scout camp on the other side, which has been a popular locale for teen beer and pot parties. Believe it or not, it was an occasional practice for kids who couldn’t navigate home in their stoned/drunk condition to lie down and sleep it off near the train tracks. The theory was that the noise and vibration of the 6:00 a.m. freight would wake them in time to sneak home before their parents woke up. One kid was so disoriented that instead of lying down along side the tracks, he lay down between them. The train shredded him, the parents sued and lost. That dampened the parties for a while.
It’s a damn shame when kids never get to realize their potential through a moment of utter stupidity.
What an awful thing, just like dick said, and stupid too. Makes you feel sad & pissed off at the same time. I had a deaf friend & learned some sign language. Deaf people, are incredibly alert when they do things like drive—the live ones. Deaf kids are taught better.
I had an alcoholic at the VA who lost his legs below the knee.
His ‘friends’ thought it would be hilarious to lay them across the tracks after he passed out.
Couldn’t prove it.
Posted by Oink
03/15/2006 at 06:31 PM
There’s something really fishy here. If I was in law enforcement I’d investigate. There is NO WAY this girl could not have felt the tremendous vibration of an oncoming train, especially being deaf.
Damn, she was cute. Too bad… The deaf school is in Austin.
Jester and OCM, allow me to ‘third’ that motion. This story keeps popping up with little bits of info here and there...just doesn’t feel right.
<looks around for my tinfoil hat>
I’m the wife of a railroader(UP)and:
1. I second the vibration theory. There’s a UP holding area-double track-5 BLOCKS from here. I always know when a train goes by. Yes I can hear it. Even if I couldn’t I’d still know because the house rattles.
2. Some of the blame belongs...with the young lady. Growing up in a “train town"-the chicago area is LOADED with tracks -I learned pretty quickly that you NEVER walk along side an active spur. If you can’t hear you should be nowhere NEAR a track accept at a proper crossing, and then you need to look. both ways.
And full disclosure: I do on occassion cross the local tracks in the wrong spot-a short cut. When I do I turn off my walkman, look both ways down the tracks and listen!
I do that at ALL tracks actually.
I can just see the headline if I were to get “maimed” because I wasn’t careful:
“Railroader’s wife killed by train due to own stupidity”.Btw-The girls death IS tragic-and a lesson that railroad safety needs to be taught starting when a kid is young ESPECIALLY if that child has an impairment!
Posted by Annoying Little Twerp
03/16/2006 at 01:02 AM
"Our” tracks are on a long, slight grade, and when a long freight is coming uphill, the diesels roar as the traction motors call for power to maintain speed, and there is enough vibration to require us to sraighten our pictures every month or so. On the other hand, the downhill trains are coasting, and I never feel them and seldom hear them until they are almost even with the house. It’s spooky when three or four enormous black engines, and 100+ cars come at you at about 40 mph, and it’s almost on you before you realize it’s there.
A single engine with a couple of maintenance cars doesn’t shake anything either.
Clorine in the gene pool.
Don’t walk on train tracks, double so if you are deaf damnit.
Posted by gdonovan
03/16/2006 at 06:12 PM
Barb-
I was wondering when you were going to comment…RR switiching yard right behind our house. Ground shakes whenever they move stuff through. That being said, as a kid I was told to stay away from all RR tracks, and equipment. She was tresspassing on RR property so bears much of the responsibility for the accident.
