TIME: 11yo struck, killed by Amtrak train; Conductor observed girl looking down at cellphone

a reply to: projectvxn

I know,and it makes me sad and angry.I do not want this to happen to kids,and i bet nor does Krakatoa.He maybe phrased it harshly,but it boils down to what i am saying:To prevent this type of horrific tragedy teach your kids to be sensible and aware of their surroundings from the time they are toddlers.Or else they may well Die.This is not callousness or lack of empathy,well not from me anyway.This is abundance of caring and wanting to prevent your descendants dying unnecessarily.

originally posted by: Raxoxane
a reply to: Azureblue

I know you are not addressing me in your reply but i wish to just say: I cannot speak for Krakatoa but for ME a statement like that reflects a lived,and lived hard and longtime. Life often is just as simple as this- Do something seriously stupid and it could well mean your death.It really is That simple.We older ones have Seen this happen,not just read about it on the webz.We have Witnessed stupidity causing a person's death or grievous injuries and people maimed for life.

I can accept your remarks in relation to grown adults with some life expereince but I cannot accept the claim in relation to kids. Kids can be more developed mentally in some respects than in other things. Even mature adults have done things they deeply regret. Human being are long way from perfect.

Being very harshly judgemental is an example of that but never mind, time heals everything.

a reply to: Azureblue

I know i Sound harshly judgemental.I guess i often do,on many subjects discussed on this site.Please understand that is not now,or has ever been my intention.I am just a Very practical down to earth person.I have been raised to believe that while life can be enormously intricate and complicated,one can Make one's way through this life very simple.By INGRAINING in one's children and grandchildren basic common sense,most especially re personal safety.As i was raised.I mean i was a wild kid,a super tomboyish wayward type kid,but even at age 6/7 i realised that there were things i should not attempt,places i needed to tread Very warily etc because it could be the death of me.My mother,though horribly abusive,still taught me common sense,taught me to stop and think before i did a thing i was not sure was safe,etc.That was Ingrained in me as a child,and it stuck.And i passed it forward to my kids.Out of love and concern for them.

originally posted by: Montana

originally posted by: carewemust
The train engineer must be having nightmares.

We do. Frequently.

We have a peer to peer trauma counseling group as well.

It helps.

I was a signalman for 20 years and had 5 fatalities in that time, 3 suicides and 2 tresspassers.
Every single driver was an utter mess on the phone. Must be harrowing not being able to turn or stop, but just have to sit there watching the person get closer and closer.

One guy was on his third, and said to me he didn't think he could carry on much longer.

I guess I am a callous individual as well, my concern is for the conductor that watched it unfold and was powerless to change the outcome.
The childs pain is over, the family will eventually come to grips with the death, the guy on the train will see that in his head till death.

What I don't understand is if a train is getting near a crossing, why are there not barriers down with flashing lights and sound alarm going until the train passes?

originally posted by: CthulhuMythos
What I don't understand is if a train is getting near a crossing, why are there not barriers down with flashing lights and sound alarm going until the train passes?

money. Crossings with lights and barriers cost a bomb. The average cost of killing someone is about 800k if it's the fault of the company, a fair bit less if it isn't.

originally posted by: CthulhuMythos

What I don't understand is if a train is getting near a crossing, why are there not barriers down with flashing lights and sound alarm going until the train passes?

She wasn't at a grade grossing, she was walking on the right of way and not near a street when she was struck. Other articles have photos showing investigators in a grassy area which is apparently where she was hit.

Darwin wins again, one less in the gene pool.

if she had not been hit by a train likely something else would have got her.

hit by car while talking on phone.

killing her self while driving and talking on phone.

originally posted by: Planette
Hmm yea good point, my afterthoughts are why does an 11yo have to go to McDs alone(?); shouldn't parents have some level of supervision also as to what potential poisons the kids is buying with their allowance?

Are you serious?

originally posted by: Krakatoa

This might be a callous statement, but then, I lack empathy for the outrageously stupid.

Not so much callous as psychopathic.

originally posted by: ANNED
if she had not been hit by a train likely something else would have got her.

I did dumber s*** around trains when I was her age and Darwin didn't get me, that's not how it works.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: ANNED
if she had not been hit by a train likely something else would have got her.

I did dumber s*** around trains when I was her age and Darwin didn't get me, that's not how it works.

Umm, no, I'd say that's exactly how it works. If you did dumber # around trains and didn't die, that either means you were very lucky, or not as dumb as you make it sound. I've done some pretty dumb # that would've made me a darwin award, but I have what I like to call the "luck of Captain Jack Sparrow".

I once almost stabbed myself with a steak knife in the eye. I just moved into a place, was washing/drying silverware, and had some knives in my right hand pointing upwards. I dropped a knife, and since I wasn't wearing shoes, I hopped back to get my feet out of the way. The way I hopped my hands brought the knives upwards, and one stabbed me right in the forehead. Very clean and tiny cut. If it were half an inch lower, it would've went right through my eye. Stupid mistake on my part, could have easily been prevented if I put the knives I dried away.

Another time I was hiking a 14'er with some friends, and we were close to our truck, so I decided to run ahead and beat everyone there. Well, after a whole day of hiking, the incline we were on looked and felt more flat than I thought it was, hence why I was foolish enough to run. My friends yelled at me not to do that, but it was too late, my legs were moving and when I tried to stop, I couldn't. The momentum kept me going. After some fancy footwork, I was able to stop myself about 10ft before I ran headfirst into the car. That could've been easily prevented if I paid better attention to my surroundings.

The point being, I did plenty of really stupid stuff that should've gotten me killed, yet luck was on my side(maybe a dash of skill as well). If I were to become hurt, or worse, it all would have been my fault, and I would've been out of the gene pool. That's how natural selection works.

originally posted by: Planette
Hmm yea good point, my afterthoughts are why does an 11yo have to go to McDs alone(?); shouldn't parents have some level of supervision also as to what potential poisons the kids is buying with their allowance?

Parents too lazy to cook and taught children the same.
The parents were probably too busy on FB to address their child's hunger.

I have a friend that works for a railroad that's the biggest east of the Mississippi. He told me one day they kill someone every day 365 days a year somewhere their trains kill somebody. It's nearly never their fault but nothing like bringing in an engine to clean up after a suicide. Anything within 100 miles he has to go inspect the engine before it can move.

originally posted by: Necrobile
Umm, no, I'd say that's exactly how it works. If you did dumber # around trains and didn't die, that either means you were very lucky, or not as dumb as you make it sound.

We used to jump on moving freight trains so it would take us to the mall where we'd hop off and the when we were done we'd catch the return.

It only killed me twice but after that I kinda grew up and really haven't done much dumb stuff since* so I'm still here tormenting the world.


*Except those few times I made homemade explosives.

a reply to: SprocketUK

I have had 5 incidents so far in my career with 2 fatalities. None of them an obvious suicide, but who really knows? Plus I have stumbled across a few body parts with no idea where the rest is. That's pretty creepy, i don't mind saying.

Most happened early on, and with only a few years left to retirement, I pray every day that i don't have any more!

Before mobiles, we played 'chicken' and made killing yourself a game.

Doesn't seem fair to label the young as stupid, coz phones.

originally posted by: Montana
Plus I have stumbled across a few body parts with no idea where the rest is.

I may be able to help you with that.

a reply to: Montana

I understand that. One of my mates is a RIO (Rail Incident Officer)
He told me how sometimes, despite looking, there's bits no one can find and they usually pop up the next time some poor bloke walks the line on a track inspection.

He also told me that anyone standing when hit gets knocked right out of their shoes, pretty much always.