Normaly when I hear or read about some thing like this I just think, idiot, and move on but this one is really blatant. Check out the photos this person took for their ebay listing. I stumbled upon it while looking for parts for my motorcycle. The decent quality mat on the crossing tells me that thats am active line.
Check it out at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80647&item=4547200740&rd=1
if my link doesn’t work it is item #4547200740
Jesse
It would be somewhat humorous to see someone pose such a photograph and then watch in horror as the local freight barrels around the corner and smashes their precious motorbike! That, I think, would not be a mistake they would make twice…
Darwin Award Recipient in the making? I’d say! Though the bike would make an interesting Cow Catcher. Though back lighting from a freight train might add to the dramatic quality of the picture.[:D]
I’m becoming more convinced as each day passes “This is not worth loosing sleep over” for the simple fact there will always be a component of society that will do stupid things no matter how much you educate or regulate. The rest of us will have to pay the price tag regardless.
Fergie
Looks like a candidate for the commercials where “people do the dumbest things”. Technically, though, the bike appears to be parked on a highway crossing, so it may not be trespassing.
I support Fergmiester comment about a certain segment of society. The people who are spaced out probably delude themselvesinto believing they are space scientist.
I just reported the illegal photos on this Ebay listing to Ebay customer support. Let’s see if it does any good…
The highway crossing argument won’t hold because the one shot is from much further back meaning the photographer had to stand between the rails some distance back, that would also mean that this person left an unattended vehicle blocking traffic. I wonder if this person took video too that would be great for those vonage commercials as someone else already mentioned.
Jesse
I can’t see the photo because the link is blocked on the school computer (A reocurring problem) But I have a story, and maybe a photo. near my house, there is a large mud puddle which people like to go 4X4ing in. I was railfanning along the CPR mainline 75’ above them, when I see them drive up the hill. across the private, chain link fenced crossing, and when they couldn’t get across because of the fence, they took the mainline for about 20’ before they got stuck on a rock that was there to stop people from doing that very same thing, although from another direction. They were stuck for about 5 min before they got loose, 2 min before a 100 car intermodal barreled by at 45 MPH!
I got them on film, but it was on my REALLY cheap Crayola camera, and the film jammed. Too bad, the intermodal that I also got on film had 3 SD40-2s on the head end, and I also got some GP38-2s. Oh, well. Someday.
Matthew Hicks
that is pretty dumb…a motorcycle can get in a lot of trouble at RR tracks…those little tires have been known to catch the flangeway of the inside of the tracks and send the rider barreling into outer space…and that’s on a moving bike…now what would have happened if he did have to make a fast get away if a train was coming and the wheels caught the track…not a pretty sight at all!..chuck
Dumb? Yes.
The last time we’ll see something like this? NOT A CHANCE.
if people are dumb enough to trepass on railroad property knowingly and get injured or worse it serves them right, the idiots
I notice at the bottom of his listing he mentioned if you would like to email with questions please do so I wonder if he would still feel that way if one of us would email him and ask him does he know how stupid and illeagle that was taking pitcures of his motorcycle on train tracks? LOL I also notice that in the second pic there a gate to a dirt road bet it was a rr rightaway road with no tresspassing warning on it can’t read the sign but just a hunch
A `71 “big pig” --if it needed boring out to 836 c.c. then the rest of the motor is most likely rattling like a bag of bones…insurance claim most likely option,regards,nick
I would be LMAO if I heard that while he was taking pics of his bike,he saw a rapidly approaching freight in the viewfinder and watched his bike get pulverized[:D]!
Guys,
The truth is the rest of the world isn’t as “tuned in” to the world of railroading as we are. People often think they can hear trains coming miles away, etc. I thought that myself before I had a close encounter.
I personally prefer to see people get into legal trouble rather than killed, etc.
Just last weekend my wife and I were tailgated for miles on a two lane strech of highway with no shoulder, winding through a hilly area, where the entire highway was moving FAST. There was nowhere for this girl to go if she was in front of me - but she tailgated me for a couple miles.
It was nice to see her get pulled over when she finally got around me and was doing the same to someone else. I’d much rather see that than an accident of any kind.