A really wacky "Numb3rs" last night. It started with an announcement that the episode was filmed BEFORE the recent tragedy in LA, and might be disturbing to some. It then presented a scenario of a freight barreling along, a dispatcher who forgot to throw a switch causing the freight to derail. Those cars fouled another track, which caused the passenger train to derail.
Somehow cars from the previously derailed freight wound up on TOP of the passenger train, with a tank car leaking Methyl Isocyanate. Somehow the NTSB was on scene within a hour, the FBI took charge of rescuing people, the mother of a kid trapped in the wreckage was in the command post shrieking on a cell phone to her kid for hours, within a couple hours of the wreck the FBI had pictures of those still trapped posted on a bulletin board.....and there was more.
Part of the cause was the "owner of the railroad" - a "greedy businessman" type - altered the weight reports to show less tonnage than they actually had, so the CONDUCTOR mis-estimated how much distance they needed for braking. Really comical was one of the FBI guys talking to the "owner" as they wandered around the wreckage, with the agent wearing an FBI T-shirt - this while the chemical was still leaking.
I know - it's supposed to be entertainment. Unfortunately, there were enough far-fetched actions and damning statements that an uninformed John Q. Public probably came away with a stronger dread of those dangerous trains and the hazards they pose to all of us.
Wish I had kept track of how many times I hollered "WHAT? THAT'S not right!!!"
Somehow cars from the previously derailed freight wound up on TOP of the passenger train, with a tank car leaking Methyl Isocyanate. Somehow the NTSB was on scene within a hour, the FBI took charge of rescuing people, the mother of a kid trapped in the wreckage was in the command post shrieking on a cell phone to her kid for hours, within a couple hours of the wreck the FBI had pictures of those still trapped posted on a bulletin board.....and there was more.
Part of the cause was the "owner of the railroad" - a "greedy businessman" type - altered the weight reports to show less tonnage than they actually had, so the CONDUCTOR mis-estimated how much distance they needed for braking. Really comical was one of the FBI guys talking to the "owner" as they wandered around the wreckage, with the agent wearing an FBI T-shirt - this while the chemical was still leaking.
I know - it's supposed to be entertainment. Unfortunately, there were enough far-fetched actions and damning statements that an uninformed John Q. Public probably came away with a stronger dread of those dangerous trains and the hazards they pose to all of us.
Wish I had kept track of how many times I hollered "WHAT? THAT'S not right!!!"
