I don’t how to say this.
The STAY OFF THE TRACKS http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=5&TOPIC_ID=6562 thread I started didn’t go exactly the way I had hoped. I feel the discussion got off track (no pun intended) and I feel the point was missed, not completely by all of those who contributed, but, mostly it got away from what I intended. Now that I look back at it I feel I wrote too much in the initial post. I want to take the opportunity here to reaffirm my intentions since that topic has once again reached the front page of the forum after a long absence from view.
THE SITUATION:
August 2003: I ride down to the railroad tracks by the cememtery on my bicycle. A train is coming. Trains regularly come through town at 45-50mph+. 3 teenagers are down there on the tracks. 2 sit on this small bridge watching the 3rd one sitting on the mainline on the tracks between the rails of the oncoming train. Arms crossed, legs folded, sitting, facing the train. I pull up, they see me, they leave, seconds later the train zooms by. 2 kids walk, 1 rides his bike. They try to hide in the hedgerow but I got the kid riding the bike when he came into the clearing. He was the one sitting between the rails. I tell him, with insults or humilitation, what could happen, why it’s illegal, and why he shouldn’t do that ever again. Then I went on my way.
When I saw this event unfolding my heart stopped. I couldn’t believe my eyes. As they ran away I decided right there I HAD to do something. I told them how I felt.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY:
INTERVENTION leads to PREVENTION (sometimes). What if I had done nothing? What if I just let them go? NO! Somehow I had to step in. Getting seen is not embarassing enough. I had to confront them