BuffettNews.com

I was coming up on a railroad crossing today when the crossing gates started coming down. I'll admit that my first thought was to gun it, but I was far enough away that even if I had gunned it, it would have been close as to whether I could have gotten across before the gates were fully lowered. So, I stopped. I was the first car in my lane. I noticed two cars in the opposite lane who were practically right at the tracks when the gates started coming down come on across--which I didn't really have a problem with.

But, then after the gates were fully lowered, I watched in shock as two cars in the opposite lane never even slowed down and came around the gates. Now, I think we all know that once they come down, you've still got time. And, neither car came close to getting hit; there was plenty of time (roughly 10-15 seconds) after they got through before the train got there.

I was just curious as to how many of you would take advantage of that time between the gates are lowered and when the train arrives and go around. I know that I certainly wouldn't. And, what about if you're right at the crossing when they start to come down? That's something I wouldn't really have a problem with since your'e right there and obviously have plenty of time.

Considering that I usually have a 1-year-old in the car...I WAIT.

I grew up in a "railroad town" I respect the gates and or lights.

I say it's Darwin at work for those who cross when the gates are down. 10-15 seconds isn't long enough if your car gets stuck or stalls. No one is that important or so busy that they can't stop for a frickin train.

I would NEVER go around. There is nothing I've got going on to make that worthwhile....

Can you imagine being an engineer on the train and watching these idiots cross knowing you can't stop if one of them has bad depth perception....

the only time I will go around is if the gates are stuck..

(one time for three days)

nutmeg wrote:I would NEVER go around. There is nothing I've got going on to make that worthwhile....

Can you imagine being an engineer on the train and watching these idiots cross knowing you can't stop if one of them has bad depth perception....

A good fried of mine's dad is an engineer (He's been doing it for roughly 30 years). He has hit several cars. I've tried to get him to tell me about it because I'm just curious, but it's something that he understandably does not want to talk about.

In the town that I use to live in, we had this one crossing where the gates were notorious for coming down when no train was coming. I mean, it happened regularly. It was common "water cooler' talk among the people in the town. Many times, we would have no choice but to go around.

Well, one time, I came up to the crossing, and the gates were down. I was the first car at the crossing. I approached the tracks, rolled down both my passenger and driver window listening for a horn, and I looked both ways. After sitting there for about ten seconds and seeing/hearing no sign of a train, I decided that the gates must have broken again. So, I started around. I got in the middle of the tracks when I heard the train horn blow!!

Needless to see, I floored it. There was a red light directly on the other side of the tracks. As I pulled up to stop at the red light, I looked in my rear view mirror to see the train arriving at the crossing. It took me a little while to calm down after that!

no crossing here. not even when I was young and wild.

I stop at ALL-ALL railroad crossings, and never EVER, as in no freaking way in HELL, I would ever EVER go around a lowered crossing gate.
And to any parent who would do that with a child in the car, I can't say God Damn you to hell enough times.

The 21-year old daughter of my wife's former boss was killed at a railroad crossing on Jan. 4, 1995. A bright, beautiful, young girl whose life hadn't even begun, and she was gone in a matter of seconds.

NEVER run them.

I have an unexplainable fear that I am going to get hit by a train...really no joke some nights I wake up in a cold sweat from a recurring dream I have. In my town we have quite a few tracks that don't even have gates you just have to look really carefully. There have been a lot of people hit and killed by unmarked RRs. So I always stop and look even if the lights are just flashing before the gates start to move.

It's a real shame how many people senselessly die from trying to beat the train... I've never been in that big of a hurry.

RR crossings are plentiful where I live (and have lived my whole life), and unfortunately, so are accidents - the most recent being a month ago.

I don't know if it was movies in Drivers Ed class, or accident scene photos that a police officer friend showed me, or a combination of both, but I have never even thought about crossing tracks from the instant the lights start flashing.

I always stop. Some Long Island Railroad crossings are elevated, some are street level. I've seen signs at some of the street level crossings that say DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS. If you have to be told not to stop your car on the railroad tracks, you shouldn't be allowed out in public without a leash.

LIPH wrote:I always stop. Some Long Island Railroad crossings are elevated, some are street level. I've seen signs at some of the street level crossings that say DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS. If you have to be told not to stop your car on the railroad tracks, you shouldn't be allowed out in public without a leash.

Agreed.

A while back (2 or 3 years ago) something very unusual happened a few miles from my place. A house was hit at a railroad crossing.

They were moving the damned thing and seems someone forgot to check the train schedules to see when they could safely cross. I would imagine that it would take a while to get a house over a railroad crossing and you would want to know that kind of thing.

I've done it a few times only when they are stuck but that has not happened for so long.

This tragedy occurred when the genius decided to race the train closest to her and didn't see the train coming the opposite direction.

She lost one of her children in this "accident".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzEH-5NeeU


Be sure to stop at crossings and for God's sake, don't race trains. If you win, you win a few seconds or minutes of your day, but if you lose, you lose much, much more.

I do my best Dukes of Hazzard imitation and gun it to see if I can get airborne and fly over them.

Well, I think about that and realize a Volvo station ain't the General Lee and there is no way in hell I'd get airborne. Plus, it would be damn stupid to do that. So, I just stop at the gates like any normal, sane human being.

I've told my son that "patience" is one of the most important things you can learn. It will help you navigate many situations in life safely.

This is one of those times.

I'm all in favor of Darwinism doing its work on people that ignore obvious dangerous situations. There are crossings that malfunction at times and yes, I have gone through one in my lifetime after stopping, turning off the radio and looking very carefully. I also reported the malfunction to the number that was posted at the crossing so it could be repaired. (within 48 hours of my report actually) I can't remember the last time I was in such a rush that it was worth risking my life to get somewhere.

Skibo wrote:I'm all in favor of Darwinism doing its work on people that ignore obvious dangerous situations. There are crossings that malfunction at times and yes, I have gone through one in my lifetime after stopping, turning off the radio and looking very carefully. I also reported the malfunction to the number that was posted at the crossing so it could be repaired. (within 48 hours of my report actually) I can't remember the last time I was in such a rush that it was worth risking my life to get somewhere.

Unfortunately, the Darwin thing doesn't always work such as the case I mentioned above where the "genius' " child was killed instead of her.