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Outspoken Senator learns about rail safety first-hand
Senator Blumenthal is the man standing on the yellow anti-skid material closest to the passing Amtrak train. http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/biography
“Your attention please, the next train will be an Acela Express train and will not stop, please stand behind the yellow line for your safety” I hear an automated message similar to that when I take the Metra when I’m in Chicago. Maybe it would be a good idea on the Acela line, if they don’t have it already, just sayin.
Priceless
The above article doesn’t mention it but should be noted that Blumenthal was actually behind the yellow safety area so techinically he was in the clear. The aide behind him was straddling the yellow safety area/clear zone but the easel and poster were entire in the yellow area. The poster and easel were in more danger than either Blumenthal or his aide. Of course the amazing part of the whole incident was that the Amtrak HHP-8 that sped by was actually pulling a Corridor train and not sidelined with mechanical/computer problems.
What delicious irony that one of our Washington windbags was self-promoting about safety as he violated a basic rule of station safety, to wit, do not stand on the yellow line and he almost paid the price for it. I laughed as he worried more about his precious poster than his own safety. Sure hope the Amtrak crew was not disciplined because of this. As Bugs Bunny would say, “What a maroon!”
Two simple safety rules - [1] Don’t be near the tracks if you don’t have to, and [2] Never turn your back on the train traffic. He broke them both.
It’s Blumenthal on the yellow line who almost got hit, not his aide. He’s a bright guy who’s had quite an impressive career. See http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal. Granted, he looks foolish here, but he doesn’t deserve some of the snarky comments above. And shouldn’t the engineer have blown his horn?
Another one of those “don’t do as I do, do as I say” moments.
Story makes it out to be worse than it actually was.
I quickly noticed the Senator’s aid was standing on the yellow “do not stand here” stripe…MORONS!!!
It’s what Dennis said “What a maroon !”. He need to see it and thank the Train God someone was looking.
Congrats Senator, your now the proud owner of a “Dukakis in the Tank” moment.
He’s probably the kind of person that likes to hear himself speak than listen to anyone or anything else, so any spoken warnings would almost literally pass through one ear and out the other.
@Dennis Jeffries: Yes he was a maroon! But, it could have been woise. It could have been an Acela Express!!
How about a rewrite? Change “speeding train” to “fast-moving train.”
Thank goodness he’s alive. Now his constituents can deal with him in the humane way – and vote him out of office.
I think some of you guys have it turned around. Blumenthal is the one standing in the yellow throughout.
I am glad no one got hurt, but I cant stop laughing at the total inattention and disrespect for the safety strip.
Can you imagine if that engineer had let his horn rip just prior to the pass?
Obviously the politician needs (not deserves) an escort. Maybe he did not know that this is a active railroad and safe actions are necessary for railroads. Oh wait, those rules don’t apply to elected officials…
It’s actually his aide that is standing on the yellow strip, and gets a good scare. The rearview mirror misses his head by no more than six inches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ircHCzcg3WY
I don’t know who Blumenthal is, but I wasn’t particularly impressed by his inability to express himself. “Gets a very, very lot of use”…? Then he can’t figure out how to set up the tripod again and gives up, probably because he knows how sad he looks in front of the rolling cameras.
Pretty judgemental for a 31sec clip, I know… But, really? This guy is who CT sent to the Senate?