http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=826979&catid=391#
The same thing happened about a month or two back(also in MN) with someone walking along the tracks listening to music.
Kind of a “there outa be a law” thing - can we get them to make those players so they don’t play quite so loud?
Seems there have been similar problems out side the railroad interface, too.
“Seems there have been similar problems out side the railroad interface, too”
Larry;
I think this becomes more of a generational issue rather than an unimpaired adult issue.
In the South there seems to be a situation wthin certain population segments that when impaired, imbibers need to lay down and rest.
In the Summer, in the South, particularly, after a long , hot summer’s day, asphalt pavement presents a particulary warm comfy surface for reclining and rest.
That said; I recall a story related to me, by a Doroughty County (Georgia) as we were riding back to the Albany (“Al-Benny”) Court House, so I could pay a fine for forgetting my Driver’s Log Book (for a week,plus) [%-)][#dots]. His story was about his responding, along with another Deputy; to a report of a couple of drunks laying down in the middle of the road. So approximately one mile from their last reported location, while responding at something over the speed limit; both Deputies experienced a double Bump, Bump. They then had to report to dispatch they had found their drunks.
So I would make the point that impaired, is definitely dangerous. Ear Buds or Bud is not necessarily wiser, or even Jack Black…[:-^]
Anyone who has stood within 100 ft of the tracks when a train was approaching knows that there isn’t an IPOD on the planet that could drown that out or mask the vibrations under your feet.
There must be more to this incident than was reported in the paper.
You may have a point there.
But, if the engineer was floating, and not in a “notch” if he or she had the muisic up loud enough I bet he or she was less aware than one might think.
Good point though.
I know what it’s like to have a music player up that loud. Just the other day I was on the bus cumming home, and with all that extra noise I still heard one of my friends with his music up loud I could evan make out the words. That isn’t good on your ears.
It’s worth noting that the prior incident that I referenced(which happened in Wabasha, I believe), the girl that was hit was wearing earphones designed to eliminate outside noise from interfering with the listener’s experience. Ultimately, tragic.
It’s also worth noting that people can “tune out” their surroundings. That’s one reason cell phones are so dangerous in moving vehicles (at least when the operator is the one on the phone). Loud music, concentrating on whatever - the world around you does not exist, and distractions get automatically tuned even further out.
That is a neat cartoon! Thanks for sharing.
True, if standing. But when walking you won’t normally notice them at all. The headphones have been claiming victims in this manner for at least 30 years.
John
I’ve been to a stock car track at Grove City, Minnesota that was built right up against the ROW of that line, and the trains went by about 1 per hour and they were going fast. If the man was local, he was a fool. Litchfield is not THAT large of a town where he wouldn’t know how fast and how often the trains ran.