Dumb Driver I Got On Camera Around Crossing Gates While Train Coming

Interesting that there were no cars doublestacked. Is this a "Low Clearence" line?

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Interesting that there were no cars doublestacked. Is this a "Low Clearence" line?

No, there are no height restrictions in this section. There is a Q015 and Q016 that run double stacks through here. But the reason for Q137 and also 138 the eastbound are single stacked is because when this train arrives and departs Maryland, somewhere in Maryland or Virginia where this intermodal runs, has a height restriction with a tunnel. I believe it's Howard Street tunnel, unless that was raised for double stacks?

Yikes!!  And, just think, that same individual (and too many like them) are also driving on the roads with you and I, and our families.......

Jesse    TCA  12-68275

He was probably a local, and knew he had 30 seconds to spare. Was this a "freight only" line? If so, he knew the speed of the train, and how long he had to wait for it to go by.

Not saying he did a reasonable thing, but I've seen much worse...like drivers texting going 60 mph.

Yeah, with over 30 seconds before the train entered the crossing, not exactly a near miss. I'm not saying it was LEGAL or anything, but no where near earning himself a Darwin award, the only thing he risked there was a traffic ticket, and subsequent insurance rate increase. As a truck driver, I see motorists make much riskier moves multiple times a day, every day, no train required.

Doug

Before we go calling anybody "Stupid", let's look at the timeline. 
As our show begins, the gates are already down. The train is not in sight.
At 4 sec. the headlight comes into view.
At 17 sec. the car enters stage right.
AT 21 sec. the car stops.
At 23 sec. the car starts around the gates.
At 28 sec. the car clears the crossing and the train horn begins.
At 57 sec. the train occupies the crossing.

The FRA has guidelines governing the operation of crossing gates. I've seen many a signal maintainer beside the track timing crossing gate operation as I went by.
Only Tom knows how long the gates were down before the he started the making the video. However, even at 57 seconds before the train occupies the crossing at the speed it was travelling, indicates to me that the gates were malfunctioning and should they should have been reported.
I'll leave what defines a "stupid" act up to each of you. As a former engineer, I would not have been alarmed by the drivers actions that far away and before I even started blowing the horn. It would have had to of been a much nearer miss before I would have started to pucker.
Now, what if the train hadn't shown up for another 57 seconds or what if the train hadn't shown up at all and the driver just sat there waiting for the gates to go up? Who would have been stupid then?
I see this whole thing more on the side of sensationalism than anything really being classed as "stupid".

Jim, I know what you mean by the seconds. But for me, the gates are down, just don't go around even if the train is a distance. When the gates are down and the train is coming, it still means the train is coming. I put the driver stupid because to me, it still is for going around. Yes, most times this crossing the gates go down 1 minute before the train arrives. Something they have down. I'm thinking there was an accident here before and that's why they did that.

So yes Jim, I do understand what you mean, I just put it because like I said, if the gates are down and the train is coming, and the driver can see the train is moving he still should have waited. Also this day, each train had a 25MPH restriction about 2 to 3 miles east of this location and Q137 was coming out of the restricted speed zone as you can see later this video when he's speeding back up to track speed. Also, the track speed for intermodals is 55MPH through this section.

Whether the gates were malfunctioning or not, what the driver did was stupid and illegal. What would have happened if the car stalled on the tracks? Driver should have waited for the train to pass. Everyone is in too much of a hurry these days.

Had no crossing gates been present, it would have been clearly safe and reasonable to cross these tracks in the given timeframe, well in advance of the train’s warning signal and subsequent arrival at the crossing. So, it is not a safety issue. 

The issue is therefore only a technical violation, like making an illegal U-turn with 30 seconds to spare. 

The poster’s statement that the driver was dumb and stupid is doubtful.

But thanks for the “gotcha” video. Maybe we should start posting videos each time a dumb and stupid pedestrian crosses a street 30 seconds before a vehicle passes. Oh, wait everyone here has done that!

Big Jim - Keen observation !!

Maybe next time he won't be as lucky....Driving around gates is not the brightest idea especially when you can see the headlight of the engine coming towards you.  You can't tell if the engine is moving at 10 per or 70 per.    Yes he made with lots of time to spare but...

Never a cop around when you need one!