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

The problem I have with some that use the Darwin Award is how they use it out of self righteousness and mockery rather than using it as a scientific statement.

You never hear the phrase, man or woman dies without bringing children into the world are Darwin Award Winners.
Or man or women with reproductive organ issues are Darwin Award Winners.

It is almost always used to mock other people.

I have also seen it incorrectly used when the deceased already have kids.

a reply to: mamabeth

Many of the original contributors that studied UFO's on ATS could hear them coming from miles away so they were able to get photos of them before the UFO went into cloaking mode and became invisible. It is very hard for a thinking person to imagine how this tragic event happened.

originally posted by: Raxoxane
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.

I was born and rasied on a farm and brought up by my mother too in the 1950's and 60's. The one thing she installed into us is self reliance and that has been part of me to this day. Self reliance says that one has to get oneself out the s***. The effect of that is is that one becomes naturally cautious and develops a low risk tendancy.

A low risk tendancy is bascilly a good thing but it also tends to cause one to life a mundane life.... but thats life, no regrets.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Damn that sounds really dangerous. I was always under the impression that railways were deliberately hard to get to

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Damn that sounds really dangerous. I was always under the impression that railways were deliberately hard to get to

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Oh I see, thank you or clearing that up for me.

originally posted by: CthulhuMythos
Damn that sounds really dangerous. I was always under the impression that railways were deliberately hard to get to

You can walk right on to most railroad rights of way without issue.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: CthulhuMythos
Damn that sounds really dangerous. I was always under the impression that railways were deliberately hard to get to

You can walk right on to most railroad rights of way without issue.

Yes, and if you are careful and have common sense, everyone is safe. If you are careless or act in a stupid manner without respect for your surroundings, you could die.

People have to learn that you cannot legislate away stupid. Natural selection should be the ultimate arbiter of that decision.

Otherwise, you risk propagating and increasing the size and impact of the stupid pool.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
Yes, and if you are careful and have common sense, everyone is safe.

Actually, you are trespassing and it can still be very unsafe. Trains can travel at high rates of speed and debris can be kicked up or come off the train as it passes you.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Krakatoa
Yes, and if you are careful and have common sense, everyone is safe.

Actually, you are trespassing and it can still be very unsafe. Trains can travel at high rates of speed and debris can be kicked up or come off the train as it passes you.

Yes, they can and I agree you would be trespassing and breaking the law. But laws rarely stop stupid people from making stupid decisions.

If you decide to trespass into a potentially hazardous area, the situational awareness is essential for you (and others) safety.

Personal responsibility seems to be dead these days, replaced with protecting stupid and punishing anyone with a brain.

a reply to: Krakatoa


I attribute it more to ignorance than stupidity.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Krakatoa


I attribute it more to ignorance than stupidity.

Willful ignorance IS stupidity. If a sign states "no trespassing" (or an equivalent phrase), and you willfully ignore it, that is stupid. And you have just taken responsibility for whatever happens.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
Willful ignorance IS stupidity. If a sign states "no trespassing" (or an equivalent phrase), and you willfully ignore it, that is stupid. And you have just taken responsibility for whatever happens.

That's if there was a sign there, many ROWs don't have them or fencing.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Krakatoa
Willful ignorance IS stupidity. If a sign states "no trespassing" (or an equivalent phrase), and you willfully ignore it, that is stupid. And you have just taken responsibility for whatever happens.

That's if there was a sign there, many ROWs don't have them or fencing.

But there are steel tracks atop a rail bed, right. Gee, a smart person would know that a very large train could be traversing that spot art some time. That could be dangerous.

Why do you defend stupidity? I am honestly curious.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
But there are steel tracks atop a rail bed, right. Gee, a smart person would know that a very large train could be traversing that spot art some time. That could be dangerous.

Why do you defend stupidity? I am honestly curious.

Because a child is not the same as an adult. Our brains are not fully developed until our mid-20's so the decision making processes are not the same. Children often do risky things, this is why 17-18 year olds are more expensive to insure than older drivers.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Krakatoa
But there are steel tracks atop a rail bed, right. Gee, a smart person would know that a very large train could be traversing that spot art some time. That could be dangerous.

Why do you defend stupidity? I am honestly curious.

Because a child is not the same as an adult. Our brains are not fully developed until our mid-20's so the decision making processes are not the same. Children often do risky things, this is why 17-18 year olds are more expensive to insure than older drivers.

And aren't the adult parents also responsible for their children until 18 years old? Aren't they responsible for teaching common sense and respect? And instilling on them a sense of situational awareness and action/consequence?

Again, willful ignorance is stupid...regardless of who it is and what age they are. The government should not be a surrogate parent, ever!

originally posted by: Krakatoa
And aren't the adult parents also responsible for their children until 18 years old? Aren't they responsible for teaching common sense and respect? And instilling on them a sense of situational awareness and action/consequence?

If the parents were with her I'd say they'd be the ones responsible but they weren't. She was a child and she did something that sadly got her killed.

This is a different era. Change is a constant. We will adapt. I expect more signs and fences to be put up, more alert apps for smart phones and so forth. Some people will just stay indoors more often if it's that uncomfortable. People expect more now too. We'll medically change our body and mind. The old will scream and have fits like htey always have. You can't stop change, but you can chagne how you feel about it.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Krakatoa
And aren't the adult parents also responsible for their children until 18 years old? Aren't they responsible for teaching common sense and respect? And instilling on them a sense of situational awareness and action/consequence?

If the parents were with her I'd say they'd be the ones responsible but they weren't. She was a child and she did something that sadly got her killed.

Who gave her the smart phone then? The item that so absorbed her attention she was made unaware of her surroundings? As a parent, shouldn't this be part of that responsibility? Ultimately, regardless of age, we are all responsible for our own decisions, good or bad.

Could this have been avoided? I think the answer is yes. Was this a senseless tragedy? Again, I say yes.

But I still cannot feel sadness or grief for people that put themselves into these situations, which result in things such as this incident.

I do feel for the engineer and his family. They will now suffer a lifetime of sadness and grief over something that was all too preventable.

That 's sad.

originally posted by: jonnywhite
This is a different era. Change is a constant. We will adapt. I expect more signs and fences to be put up, more alert apps for smart phones and so forth. Some people will just stay indoors more often if it's that uncomfortable. People expect more now too. We'll change our body and mind. The old will scream and have fits like htey always have. You can't stop change, but you can chagne how you feel about it.

So, you are accepting the job of natural selection? That IS a big bag of hubris you are trying to carry. I hope your shoulders are strong enough to bear the responsibility of the many deaths ahead...guaranteed.

Personally, I do not think humans have that much sense, and it gets less and less each passing year as we protect and coddle the stupid among us in life.

Telling me to "get out of the way" is another level of hubris and stupidity. Yeah, good luck with that.

SMH