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Scary/funny one here. I'm a contract cab driver (anyone who works for an RR knows what that means). Couple of months ago I was in Indianapolis, assisting a freight crew at 3:00 in the morning in a real bad neighborhood. Kind of place where we had written instructions to keep the doors locked at all times while stopped unless the crew was actually getting in or out, and where crews are fully alert all the time they're on the ground walking. The crew had finished their work and was just getting back to my van, the conductor had just opened the back to put his bag away, when suddenly he shrieks, jumps, turns around... and sees the cat that had just rubbed up against his leg from behind. Random stray cat, just trying to warm up in the cold, but it scared the hell out of him for a moment.
In my hometown, there's a tunnel made of trees, not a forest or tracks thru trees, the trees somehow got their beaches growing into each other making a near perfect, 3/4 mile tunnel of trees. You can see it from the outside, it looks nice, but grabbing/trying to climb the trees gives you a rush of panic and anxiety. For the past 50 years, someone hangs a wooden, features doll from it's waist IN THE TREE TUNNEL the day after there's a stillborn baby being born in the town. No one knows how, who, or why, but that's how news flies around town quick from the train workers about someone having a stillborn kid, and every hates how everyone learns about it
My dad knew a guy who told him that in the training to be a conductor you are told that you are are going to kill somebody and there is nothing you can do about it
My grandpa used to be an electrician for a railroad. One he remembers is a car just married sign. The car pulled over, and the bride got out in front of them and jumped in front of the train and the groom got out and cried. He later sped down the road and crash into a tree.
commenting a year late just to say WHAT. THE. FUCK. some people need to learn how to stop and breathe for a minute GOD DAYUM. what could have been said to make that even happen? how do you go from getting married to killing yourself in presumably the same day?
A friend worked as conductor on the Norfolk Franklin Danville line, on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. The roadbed was so rough that the train could not go over 25 mph. He spotted a drunk on the track and had time to go up the catwalk to the cowcatcher and kick the man off the track. A few weeks later, the drunk was back, and this time got run over. The engine had to be cleaned a number of times, only to stink of rotted flesh when started. The engine was out of commission for about two years.
My dad was a council clean up guy. His way of explaining large animals being hit by a trains was simple. Picture the train as a multi ton spear, being thrown with force at a fat steak. The spear will always win. In this instance it just makes a big mess of the beast, barring small miracles.
Not me but friend daddy operated a train in small town with switch yard that has three tracks crossing a main road. Anyhow one day I saw a train had pulled a 18 wheeler down the track about a 100 yards. A few months later , I asked his daddy about it. His daddy face just changed and this is what he said " yes I hit him. Guys I saw him about to cross the tracks, I blow the horn, put on the brakes but knew that there's no way I was going to stop in time. I could see the driver face but it took late and when I hit him, guys I just give it more gas and just push him a few more yards down the track, that the same time saying" that for all the paperwork I'm going to fill out because of you"
I saw a train hit a car that was immobilized. Brand new Chevy camaro. Driver was drunk. We had him in our car. When my partner that day was calling for a tow truck the train smashed this car. it when every where. Learned new respect for trains.
There are three responses to danger. Two most well known are fight or flight. The third is "freeze" which can act as a sort of camo because a predator might not see you if you don't move. The third one obviously doesn't work for a 210 tons of rolling steel.
To everyone who leaves their poor poor puppy who you "CaNt cAr3 FoR" when ever you say "train" you get cut off and get fit by a fucking train and you can never ever fucking die no mater what.
