Whatever Happened to Common Sense?
Remember when people didn’t do so many stupid things? I really can’t remember but maybe the people that you know are smarter than the ones I do. Perhaps even a bit quicker when trying to beat a speeding locomotive.
Since late December, there have been three completely avoidable accidents regarding Brightline. Each occurred because of stupid behavior. It baffles the mind why these incidents even happened.
On December 28th, a Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck went around a down railroad gate resulting in a crash that injured 15 people. It wasn’t as if the gate was broken or malfunctioned. It was probably a route the driver of the fire truck has taken many times.
On January 8th, a car drove around a closed gate as a train was coming through North Miami. Fortunately, the passengers in the auto did not suffer life threatening injuries. Yet what about the train passengers and engineer that witnessed it. It must be traumatic.
Then on January 9th in Indian River County, a man and a woman were walking on the tracks to a nearby homeless encampment. Both seemed intoxicated. And then along came a Brightline choo choo. Only the woman suffered injuries.
In none of the incidents I describe did the train ever leave the tracks in search of cars, trucks, or people to hit. (I say this with tongue in cheek.) Why would anyone want to try their luck against a speeding train? Have we lost all common sense?
One might say that if Brightline wasn’t there, none of this would happen. But that is not true. Freight trains that can take a long time to pass have been around for over a hundred years on these very tracks. On the other hand, Brightline takes a minute or two to go through an intersection. But why would people or fire trucks be bypassing downed gates or walking on active railroad tracks.
It is true that in most instances with other high-speed trains, there are what are known as sealed corridors. People do not have easy access to tracks. That system really works well if the tracks are either elevated or below grade. Once both roadways and tracks are at the same level, then people can gain access to the entire network.
The railroad owns the crossings. If they decide to revoke the right of way where the road crosses the track, then you can solve the problem of irresponsibility but that would result in a bifurcated town or county. It would almost make one think that the Berlin Wall was back.
How especially could a first responder ignore the down gate? It is fine that he wanted to get to the incident quickly, but by not following protocol, he put others at risk, caused damage to both the train and truck, and never made it to the incident at all. There is no wonder that it was reported his license had been suspended previously.
I bet many of us have witnessed drivers trying to beat the odds. Why they think they can do so is perplexing. What is even more perplexing is why they would even want to try.
