Death in Maryland

Sadly today a 14 year old girl was killed in Middle River by an Amtrak train.

Unfortunately, the response has been to suggest that "everyone knows the railroad is a short cut to school, and Amtrak should put up brick walls along the tracks.

Unfortunately it sounds to me like this attitude will result in more deaths in the future.

http://wjz.com/local/struck.amtrak.2.1405899.html

Well, at least one of the WJZ segments showed the "No Trespassing" sign. Surely in a state like Maryland it is illegal to walk on or near ROWs?
Nowadays, sadly, you can hardly expect parents to actually parent their kids effectively. I think if the high school had even an INKLING kids were crossing the tracks, which I bet they did given how close it is, they should have instituted a zero tolerance "we see you on the tracks and you're expelled" policy. If this had happened several times before as the interviewees claim, there's really no excuse at this point. Without digressing too much into the sad state of American education...in some ways these zero-tolerance policies are odious and unnecessary, but sometimes they are the only way to get a kid's attention. After all there might be a reasonable excuse to bring a Tylenol to school but there is a never a reason to be walking along a 120 mph section of track.

Fence or not, I doubt the girl would have been on the tracks if there were just a dirt walk path along the edge of the right-of-way. A sidewalk paralleling the tracks 25 to 50 feet away would have been better. It doesn't take much effort to find these well used paths because the grass is worn away.

A fence would have been nice, but really is unnecessary if there's a smooth path that's easier to walk upon than the tracks....

dt_rt40 wrote:Nowadays, sadly, you can hardly expect parents to actually parent their kids effectively...especially people who can charitably be called "Baltimorons". (writing "RIP Babii Gurl" on the makeshift "memorial"? wtf?) I think if the high school had even an INKLING kids were crossing the tracks, which I bet they did given how close it is, they should have instituted a zero tolerance "we see you on the tracks and you're expelled" policy. If this had happened several times before as the interviewees claim, there's really no excuse at this point. Without digressing too much into the sad state of American education...in some ways these zero-tolerance policies are odious and unnecessary, but sometimes they are the only way to get a kid's attention. After all there might be a reasonable excuse to bring a Tylenol to school but there is a never a reason to be walking along a 120 mph section of track.

Yeah, cause I'm sure no one ever walked on a railroad track when you were young. Clearly this girl died because society has gone to hell, and it's another sign of the failure of the educational system.

By the way, it's not like her friends don't know how to spell 'baby girl'. It's a nickname, and like many nicknames, they spell it differently as a way of emphasizing they aren't just calling her a baby girl. I won't bother to blame the fact that you didn't recognize that on a horrible educational system in the old America. I believe in personal responsibility. Show a little respect for a young girl who died, and for her friends. Sheesh.

This is all over the news today. It's amazing to read people's comments to these news stories. Thankfully, most find fault with the trespassers, but I am always dumbfounded at the people who blame the trains. One person went as far as saying that the trains should have to slow down when passing through towns. Lol, slow down for what? So people can safely tresspass on the railroad tracks? Another even said that they should have advanced satellite systems that will detect trespassers and warn trains so they can automatically slow down. Wow.

Heh, how about just teaching your kids to stay the heck away from the railroad tracks and why it is a good idea to stay away from them..

I edited my comments because it sounded like I was being too harsh on this particular family or girl. That wasn't quite my point. It was more to say that, if parents can't keep their kids off the tracks, and the police can't, then I suppose (this is meant to sound cynical) the school is the last savior of these kids.

Yeah, cause I'm sure no one ever walked on a railroad track when you were young.

I certainly did. I knew to look both ways before crossing, and to listen for trains and horns. And that was along slow moving NS or CSX freight lines. I'm sure if my relatives had lived instead along 125 mph NEC lines, my parents would have told me to stay off, since, you know, they were "old skool" parents who tried to instill common sense in their children.

By the way, it's not like her friends don't know how to spell 'baby girl'. It's a nickname, and like many nicknames, they spell it differently as a way of emphasizing they aren't just calling her a baby girl. I won't bother to blame the fact that you didn't recognize that on a horrible educational system in the old America. I believe in personal responsibility. Show a little respect for a young girl who died, and for her friends. Sheesh.

It's not the time or a place for a 1000 word essay on why there is a connection, but there is. The same culture that celebrates idiocy -- which has to some degree been exacerbated by clumsy and ineffective school administration policies -- connects the deliberate misspelling of simple words with the sort of attitude that would encourage someone to walk to school along extremely dangerous railroad tracks.

dt_rt40 wrote: It's not the time or a place for a 1000 word essay on why there is a connection, but there is. The same culture that celebrates idiocy -- which has to some degree been exacerbated by clumsy and ineffective school administration policies -- connects the deliberate misspelling of simple words with the sort of attitude that would encourage someone to walk to school along extremely dangerous railroad tracks.

Well, I held back before. But now I'll just come out and say it.

The educational system and the society you grew up in IS in fact partly responsible for what you've become:

1) someone who calls out children for writing the nickname of their dead friend on a memorial to her. I repeat, they spelled it correctly - because it's her NICKNAME! They weren't calling her a baby girl. To put this in terms you can understand, the segregationist Governor of Virginia was named Byrd. That's not a misspelling of the word bird. It's the way his family chose to spell the name. They changed the name, long ago, to distinguish it from the word bird. Precisely as this girl's friends have done.

2) someone rude enough to put the word memorial in quotes because he somehow disapproves of the manner of people's grieving. Very, very classy.

3) someone who can't recognize the devastating sarcasm of "I'm sure no one walked on tracks when you were a kid" and replies with a simple "I did, but I looked both ways". Someone not thoughtful enough to pursue the idea and realize "holy crap, that guy is right -- way more kids got hit by trains when I was a kid, so clearly, the fact that one kid got hit by a train is either not reflective of parenting skills nor of the education system, or else it's reflective of parenting skills and an education system that are vastly improved today over the norms when I was a kid."

But hey, logic ain't for everyone. Go right on posting whatever you like about a girl's death, now that we've determined that neither logic nor politeness can restrain you.

electricron wrote:Fence or not, I doubt the girl would have been on the tracks if there were just a dirt walk path along the edge of the right-of-way. A sidewalk paralleling the tracks 25 to 50 feet away would have been better. It doesn't take much effort to find these well used paths because the grass is worn away.

A fence would have been nice, but really is unnecessary if there's a smooth path that's easier to walk upon than the tracks....

And what, pray tell,, would that "smooth path" look like in January? How does one see if the grass is worn away when there isn't any?

I have nothing against the locals building a path on adjoining land, perhaps with a fence to keep little feet from wandering where they shouldn't be. But there are enough incidents nationwide where trespassers are killed on rail sections that could not be considered a shortcut to anywhere but the morgue. Often those involved want to be in the path of a train. No amount of fencing or signage can end that problem.

BTW: Kids are pretty stupid. It is surprising that so many survive.

justalurker66 wrote:

electricron wrote: BTW: Kids are pretty stupid. It is surprising that so many survive.

This is the most sensible comment of all on here at least to this point.
As always my sympathy goes to the crew on this train who were just minding their own business and doing their job.
What they have to go through over something like this is beyond terrible.
Noel Weaver

As much as my heart goes out to the 14 year old girl, family and friends, I have to agree with Noel Weaver too. It's unfair that the crew would have to go through what they are dealing with now when they've done nothing wrong.

When I was in elementary school (3rd Grade, circa 1992), Metro-North's PR program had a Mascot Robot that came to the school and taught us about safety around railroad tracks. I remember it as if it were clear as day. They would tell us things from "Do not touch the 3rd Rail" to (of course and is most relevant) "Do not cross railroad tracks; and if crossing at a grade crossing, stop, look and listen and never cross when the lights are flashing and the gates are down".

Now the above is not to suggest that Amtrak take on that responsibility in the wake of this situation. Such common sense doesn't take a railroad operator to teach (although it may be seen as a PR benefit). A more sensible solution (than "trains should slow down") is to mandate the education of pedestrian safety in schools that are close to highly active rail lines. Something like this (at least in my old school district) was instituted for school bus safety in which a fictional video was shown. Of course, one child is hit by the bus at the end because she didn't follow the proper safety precautions.

im also sorry to hear what happen. I really feel for the crew, my fellow engineer pal. The spot the young lady what hit at is known for heavy volume of people walking across the track. There were many times i come by there at 110mph and see someone crossing. Im kinda surprise she was hit by a southbound train then a northbound being that its coming around a curve. Whats the point in putting up a brick wall or a fence. Its just going to be a matter of time when someone finds another way to get across or someone destory the wall or fence. Its funny when something like this happens people have all the of the right answers. Im pretty sure these kids know that this is a high speed line but they take chances. Like i feel sorry for the young lady but they know what they were doing.

Hate to be crass, but the rumor is that "she died with her headphones on." Another case for the Darwin awards? My sympathy to the crew. Whatever happened to "Operation Lifesaver", by the way, which used to be sponsored by the Association of American Railroads, I believe?

dt_rt40 wrote:Well, at least one of the WJZ segments showed the "No Trespassing" sign. Surely in a state like Maryland it is illegal to walk on or near ROWs?
Nowadays, sadly, you can hardly expect parents to actually parent their kids effectively. I think if the high school had even an INKLING kids were crossing the tracks, which I bet they did given how close it is, they should have instituted a zero tolerance "we see you on the tracks and you're expelled" policy. If this had happened several times before as the interviewees claim, there's really no excuse at this point. Without digressing too much into the sad state of American education...in some ways these zero-tolerance policies are odious and unnecessary, but sometimes they are the only way to get a kid's attention. After all there might be a reasonable excuse to bring a Tylenol to school but there is a never a reason to be walking along a 120 mph section of track.

Bad things happen in this world. Unfortunately, there's this trend to blame someone for each and every instance of such. If you're going to blame the school, parents, our educational system (who have I left out... surely there must be others?) then how do you account for some of the things that seem to go right? In other words, who's "fault" is it that highway traffic deaths have been falling for decades, just to name one possible example? This is a very tragic event that will leave an enduring scar on many people including her family, friends, and the train crew who though didn't suffer a personal loss will none the less never forget this.

Unless it's your job to fix the problem, and one may exist at this location... I wouldn't know first hand, then isn't the better reaction one of sympathy than blame?

Another sad, sad story first my heart goes out to the crew of train #181 that i know all to well. And second my heart goes out to the family of that little girl. This won't be the first or the last time we see this type of situation happen. It's just a matter of time. People don't respect the property, the don't respect the trains, and they don't truly understand the speed at which we travel. One of the shots i saw of the accident shows a white sheet covering the girl at a point where the train would have been coming around a curve. With that picture alone it's clear too see why she didn't make it. Her friend said she had a split second to react, so she's lucky she made it. This is one of the hardest things to have happen as a T&E employee. You know you might have a fatality, But when it's a kid it's kinda tough to swallow. Even though she wasn't suppose to be there, she was just a child.

If kids are taught not to play in the street, why can they play on the tracks? The trains can't steer away and can't stop fast so there's really no safety advantage to playing on the tracks.