This guy really needs anger management counseling.
http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/local/article_53a59dd3-6d5c-5353-a3f4-3e1d53c83398.html
Could not agree more with Greyhounds assessment of Mr. Brux… I would guess by the time he digs himself out of his legal entanglements resulting from this little escapade; he will possibly be greyheaded and much wiser, not to mention somewhat the poorer.
Here are some details from the linked story;
FTA: "…The total cost of the damages is not known. One switch is valued at about $50,000. The cost of the two BNSF, and one Union Pacific locomotive was not available, nor was the cost of the other switch, rail line or the mine scales damaged during his joyride, affidavit says.
Reckless endangering is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to one year, a fine up to $750 or both. Felony destruction of property is punishable by imprisonment of not more than 10 years, a fine of up to $10,000 or both. Destruction, obstruction or removal of railroad track or fixtures is a felony punishable by a imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than 20 years, a fine of up to $10,000 or both.
Brux could also face additional federal charges from the Federal Railroad Administration…"
From the information given, Brux seems to be suffering from a rather serious psychological disturbance and possibly a substance abuse disorder. Employees who operate locomotives should probably have a screening evaluation intially and periodic re-evauations annually.
A line from an old John Wayne movie springs to mind:
“A year in jail’ll do ya good, son!”
Seriously, I don’t think it’s an anger management problem as much as this turkey probably has the same problem a lot of young dimwitted people have nowadays. They’ve grown up with too much TV, too many dopey movies, and so many video games they can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Happens a lot. I mean really, the stunt this guy pulled sounds like a video game gone berserk, doesn’t it?
If what you say were true, our society would be doomed. Not being able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality is the definition of psychosis. There is insufficient information to determine what is wrong with Brux, but it is more than being young, dimwitted or having an anger mangement problem (which is only a symtom, not a disorder/cause). If the rails are hiring young folks who are actually running locomotives or have easy access to them wihout effective screening, trouble is brewing.
So how do you explain the thousands of other railroaders (and hundreds of thousands of other professionals in all lines of work) that have grown up on too much TV, movies and video games that are quite capable and safe at their jobs? No, this guy has something seriously messed up in his head to do what he did.
Sorry… I get tired of hearing the “video games must be behind this” stuff.
Precisely, Professor Zugmann! Research shows that in Japan, where young people view far more violent video games than here, the levels of violence in society are far lower.
Since we have abandoned our mental health system, you can expect this type of outbursts often. Folks with even moderate health problems have no where to go except to jail. We had a fellow released from jail on Thursday morning. He went to the St. Paul Zoo and climbed on top of the Cheetah cage. Arrested and back to three hots and a cot. Where else would he turn?
Hold on folks, I’m not saying ALL young people growing up can’t tell fantasy from reality, far from it. I’m saying SOME can’t tell fantasy from reality, and that’s where the problems come from.
Does this guy need psychological evaluation? Possibly. It’s just as likely what he needs is a good kick in the butt.
Oh, and don’t bring up Japan as an example. Different society, different culture. The last thing any typical Japanese wants to do is ANYTHING that will bring dishonor to the family, that’s hammered into them from childhood.
Stealing a locomotive and ramming other trains? I’m sorry… but that is a bit more than needing a kick in the butt. Especially for someone who works on this stuff. I think this kid* has some serious problems. If he can’t tell fantasy from reality, then it really isn’t the fault of the fantasy (games, books, comics, etc).
*granted, at 22, he really isn’t a kid. But if they are younger than me - then they are kids!
The artice states, “Brux, a utility coal operation for Rail Link…” What is that job? I understood Brux was the the “driver” of the “stolen train.” Was he employed as a locomotive engineer?
Does she wanna play chicken…and he runs at speed on tracks over which he knows not what is coming at him.
Translation: “I’m gonna hold my breath until you let me.” (…draws deep breath and glares at smirking mommy…)
Doesn’t sound like a rational adult’s mind to me, so I’d bet he needs some careful and lengthy intervention.
I witnessed the decline of the mental health system firsthand as a newly-minted PH.D. The folks who work community mental health try, but unlike the criminal justice system, it has been increasingly underfunded since 1981 and it is getting worse and worse. The severely/persistently mentally ill know it. Hence incidents like you describe will occur more and more.
Well, that is an improvement from saying “same problem a lot of young dimwitted people have nowadays.”
Thank you!! Prisons and jails have become this country’s de facto mental health system . . . . only without the funding or staff or facilities to properly cope with them or treat them. Some prison systems have entire facilities for inmates with serious psychological disorders, but those facilities only have bedspace for the most serious cases, leaving the rest in general population for underpaid and understaffed correctional staff to deal with.
As Selector indirectly points out, I’d opine that the problem isn’t video games, et al, it’s the “entitlement” generation - so many are used to getting whatever they want, whenever they want it, that if someone actually says “no” to them, they have no clue how to deal with it.
Recently read of a young lady who got back a paper with a “C+” grade. She had a meltdown. Reminds me of the USAF airman rating system, at least when I was in. On a scale of 1 (lowest rating) to 9 (highest), anything less than a 7 was might have well been a 1. The average GI Joe got at least an 8…
When I first saw the thread, I was thinking it was an outsider who stole the equipment, which would probably lead to another round of “secure your equipment” warnings. Instead it was someone with authorized access to the equipment - hard to defend against that sort of action.
Gillette, oof-duh! I used to live there. A little before I moved there in 1982, someone had come home from a bar drunk and angry. He got on a bulldozer and went on a rampage, squashing cars, hitting buildings, ripping up pavement.
I read this as the man working for a company that contracts out to the mines or railroads for rail employee services at the mines. As such, he’s not an employee of BNSF or UP. He’s probably non-union. He’s probably paid a lot less than a class 1 railorad employee. He’s probably not as thoroughly tested or trained, and is much more likely to be able to hide drug, alcohol or mental issues from his employer.
There are many movies produced with characters that take outrageous revenge on everything in their path. He might have been watching those movies repeatedly for years then acted it out in real life.
Bubba in the pen will show him the way!
Larry, most universities in Ontario keep a list of high schools that are known to inflate their graduates’ scores.
A high school teacher in Alberta was fired for refusing to award a passing grade to several students in his class who had failed to turn in requisite work for assessment. His logic is that if you do not submit the work, you get zero credit, and if enough of that takes place, you fail the course. Nope, said the wizards on the school board, no zeros may be given out to any learners. He said he wasn’t going to budge, and they suspended him. He was reinstated this past September, but the rule is still in place…and so is his determin