From KABC-7 Los Angeles:
https://abc7.com/officials-engineer-tried-to-smash-train-into-usns-mercy/6069395/
Weirdest train story in a long time. What the heck? Fortunate that is was unsuccessful.
Looking at the story, it sounds like the engineer could had been of the ilk that believed in the “white boxcars with shackles” story.
Just sayin’.
I am VERY suprised that they did not charge him with domestic terrorism. He deserves to be locked up in ADX Florence for the rest of his life.
Gee, what’s the date today? [D)]
The charges are probably going to be escalated especially since 1st we are in a national emergency. 2 nd the port is a vital component of commerce and lastly he was trying to damage a freaking hospital ship ordered there by the President. This guy will be lucky to see daylight again as a free man.
The fact he thought he coudl get close to it with his engine? Really, these things don’t do well once you leave the rails.
Maybe he was smoking those big complimentary cigars the railroad supplied in the red box in the cab?
What Next???
Thank You.
Cigars? Are you sure they are not dynamite? That’s what a little boy who looked in the flagman’s supply that was fastened to the gate at the rear of a passenger car thought he saw.
Years ago, we had to watch a cheesy company safety video about “terrorism and YOU!” or some such…
Every scene was of a pile of fusees taped together.
And yes, there have been people that have called the police because some poor conductor left a pile of fusees on a car after switching an industry or similar.
[tup][(-D]
I believe that the event actually happened, it’s featured at the LA Times’ website as well.
I just don’t believe that the engineer is being sincere about his motives.
The article states that an “engineer” did this. Now if the operator was just some whack job off the street, who seized control of an unattended engine then I might accept the story at face value. But I can’t imagine an experienced engineer believing he could make the entire distance.
There are some stories in nature where a virus actually takes control of the hosts mind to make the host behave in ways conducive to the virus’ life cycle…so MAYBE the virus didn’t know that the engine couldn’t travel that far. But until we test the engineer for the virus (as well as other well known compounds) I really think we are not going to get the whole story here.
All this happened yesterday. Getting weirder by the minute.
My first thought was April Fools. But if it’s a joke, they sure fooled the news people!
It is quite a distance!
End of Steel.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.750144,-118.2806645,324m/data=!3m1!1e3
Overview.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7488416,-118.2788299,1297m/data=!3m1!1e3
More.
So, does an engineer lose his license for something like this? You know- not being in control of his train or some such?
Wouldn’t that be a clincher? If spontaneous dementia ended up being a symptom of the Covid-19 disease?
Maybe this whack job thought “The Flying Diesel Corps” was still recruiting?
Passion is a funny thing…
C-O : That was in California…[%-)]
I would suppose that “The Engineer” was more like, under the influence… Sounds like his 'recreational pharmacuiticals had ganged up on him and then run amok. [:-,]
I’d like to be ‘a fly on the wall’ when that engineer has a meeting with his supervisor…How will his ‘Business Agent’ explain that one away? [:-^]