How Dumb Can Certain Drivers Be?, (Video Included)

Have you ever been to southeast Florida for a few days?? 

If not you don't know what I have seen as far as stupid at railroad crossings and other things on the interstate. Guys go around the crossing gates at least three times a day at each railroad crossing, people walking down the tracks, some peolpe even running on the tracks like on a sidewalk. People sleeping near the tracks, homeless people.

If you really want to see stupid in action then come to; West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale or Miami.

 

Lee Fritz

You have no idea. It wouldnt help either.

 

These are people that think laws are for everyone else. Road signals dont apply. Drive 55 in school zones, pass school buses while they're loading children, and carelessly waive their loaded handgun around in public like its a toy. Then manage to not get a ticket when they do get caught.

 

Stupidity should be painful.

That was incredible stupid but I have also witnessed much worse.  While the engineer it tourist service one time I had a winnebago pull out in front off me! Another while running a small steam engine with 4coaches in tow, I had a small blue hatchback run the crossing as I was coming through, whistle screaming. I swear the back of his car was in the area between my front coupler and the front beam of the engine. He actually was coming from the fireman's side and by the time the other people in the cab started to warn me I was about a half a car length from the crossing, doing about 15 mph with no chance of appreciably slower in the next 40 feet.

Yes I do understand what everyone means. Yes people are stupid going around the gates. I just put it because this the first time I seen it this close in a very long time. Yes I do know there are dumb drivers around gates, and that's why you never beat a train at a crossing. I like to live my life to enjoy trains and my new layout and family is more important then beating trains. That's why I shared this video to show we still have stupid drivers today and always will be.

Talk to any EMT. They will show you pics of the really stupid ones.

The ones they took to the Morgue.

They all have stories, but unless you know them well, they won't tell you the juicy ones.

We get 'em out here in So. Cal. too. The number of incidents seems to have slowed, but every few weeks there's a news story (usually a traffic advisory now) of someone competing for a Darwin Award between Metrolink and the two trolley systems in LA County.

Thanks Ron & Matt. And yes EMT do see this all the time. I feel bad for them seeing it.

To be perfectly frank:

They deserve exactly what they get.

This is probably the highest form of stupidity, if not, then it certainly is close. You're fighting something that weighs possibly hundreds or thousands of tons screaming down stips of steel at anywhere from 25 to 75 mph with your (maybe) 2 ton car. We all know what's going to happen but the new generation of mental midgets does not.

Take for example, Cochrane, Alberta where my parents live. The CP runs right through it on a double track. One track is normally used as a passing siding and has some stock on it in town but the other one is wide open. The town has asked the railway to not blow its whistle/horn before or at the three level crossings in less than a mile of trackwork. (I think that's all you're allowed to have per mile anyways up here as they closed one down to open another.) Every one of the crossings has a gate. Every one of the crossings sees vehicles move around the gate as its coming down. There were three incidents there this past summer, walking on the tracks with their earphones in (probably, there was nothing left of the bodies... hundreds of tons vs. 200 pounds of 70% water. Splat.)

The K5LA is blasting through that town again. The train crews aren't going to bother heeding the town's request at all on railroad property.

There's another thing. Railroad property. I like walking on the tracks down in Coleman where my grandpa lives (right outside his back gate) and I know it's tresspassing, am I going to get caught? Probably not, do I get off the tracks when a train is roaring by? No doubt. I've only had it happen once and the power, noise and vibration from beside the ditch was incredible.

It's sad that people don't realize it. That's what the look and listen campaigns up here have tried to do. I slow down almost to a crawl and look both ways, even if there is someone behind me. The gates are there for a reason.


Cool video btw.