Train kills man painting graffiti on boxcar

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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[quote]
He DIED for a crime that didn’t really hurt anybody. Visual garbage sometimes, but some people have houses, yards, maybe their own body that’s just as bad on the eyes.

It’s a free country, he was trying to express his opinion. [\quote]

Tbatt55,

Can I exercise my right to an opinion in this free country and spray paint some stuff on your car and house? That’s the difference . … those with ugly houses or cars own the property they use to express their opinion. This young man didn’t. Free expression does not give anyone the right to trespass onto another’s property nor to deface/damage/destroy another’s property.

Of course this does not mean that I don’t feel for this person’s friends and family. Perhaps some good will come of it and some other young person will decide not to be a tagger.

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I wonder what each of us would say, if we were all standing by the tracks looking at his broken, lifeless body, and God came into our midst, and we recognised Him. Would we still say the very same things in His presence? Be honest with yourselves, really stop and think, what would you say in His presence? He is always looking over us all, remember that always ladies and gentlemen, let that be your guide, and you will never be ashamed at what you say later in life. Please believe someone who is older than all of you.

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[quot]He DIED for a crime that didn’t really hurt anybody. Visual garbage sometimes, but some people have houses, yards, maybe their own body that’s just as bad on the eyes.[/quot]

No, he died because he was stupid. A railfan who gets killed because he’s standing on the railroad tracks and too focused on taking a photo to notice an oncoming train would be just as stupid. The fact that I have less objection to his hobby than to the “tagger” is a moot point.

No, I don’t think that vandalism warrants the death penalty. Maybe a tit-for-tat punishment–take the vandal home, and randomly destroy a fiscally equivalent amount of their own property. If they don’t own enough to make it worth it, then hey, here’s a fine–equal to the repair/replacement cost of the item.

A bit of my personal history here, folks: I HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND FOUND GUILTY OF VANDALISM. I broke someone’s window when I was 19. It was a stupid thing to do. I felt pretty dumb about it afterwards, and when the judge ordered me to repay the replacement cost of the window I was perfectly willing to take responsibility for my actions. And that, my friends, was the end of my career in petty crime.

But I still don’t feel sorry for the vandal.

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See ==> Crime never pays!

If only he could have taught his english (graffitti) friends where to stand when committing their crimes, perhaps we could halve the number of taggers’ on London Underground!

Ian

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Jetrock,

Thanks for sharing your story. It’s not easy to announce “stupid” things one did in the past. The key (and I tell my own son this) is that you have to take responsibility and learn from the incident.

When I was growing up I was more concerned about what my parents would do and think if I did something stupid. That was worse than anything a judge could do to me. To this day I continually thank them for being what I considered at the time “uncool, way to harsh parents.” It kinda reminds me of the one commercial where all the kids are complaining to their parents (into the camera) for catching them, punishing them etc and at the end the one kid says “Thanks.” So - in front of everyone I’ll say it. “Thanks Mom and Dad for raising me right.”

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Davekelly:
Your statement to your parents reminded me of the thanks my wife got from my daughter after she went off to college. Both girls complained to my wife about how she kept missing clothes to launder that weren’t in the hamper. They did not appreciate how difficult it was for my wife to carry the laundry down two flights of stairs and get the baskets past my train layout on the way to the utility room. In desperation, my wife taught the girls how to do their own laundry. My daughter was the only person in the girls’ freshmen dorm who knew how to use the laundramat.

47

This reminds me of an accident several years ago, where a truck driver killed a man in a frontal collition, because the man was DUI and speeding and tried to pass another truck. A reporter asked the truck driver how was going to deal with the idea of him killing a man. The truck driver responded: “I didn’t kill him, beer did.”

I think the young man found what he was looking for. The issue is not that he paid with his life for vandalism, but rather for stupidity and irresponsability. If a man decides to start walking on the railings of a bridge, he’s not hurting anyone, he’s just being plain stupid by not meassuring the risks and dangers of walking on the railings of a bridge. If he falls and die, is not a fair punishment for improper use of city property, but it is a fair punishment for risking his life in doing something stupid and senceless.

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I can tell you exactly what I would be thinking and would say if I was staring at this kids body…

“Dude, what were you thinking?..”

It wouldnt change if the Big Guy was standing next to me…

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Tisk, tisk, tisk… That’s one way to deal with graffiti painters. But there’s always going to be someone out there that thinks it’s okay for people to “express themselves” with a can of spray paint, and feel sorry for them if they get hurt or killed while doing so-never mind that they’re doing it on private property…

Personally, it makes me sick to see graffiti painted on anything, especially rail cars!.
Out in L. A., gang members have been known to kill people for painting over their street art as they call it. I read one time several years ago that they’ve even challenged rail yard personnel and security and dared them to interfer when they’re painting on box cars.

Trainluver1

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No regret or sorrow except for the engineer. Sounds like Darwin at work to me. No softy judge is going to give him a pass, the family is not going to call some lawyer to come down and get the kid off without a fine or charges and sneer at the legal system for having the audacity to arrest their kid. This is the hot stove principle at work, be stupid and pay a price.

51

Alright,

Time to tell my story.

I’m a mechanical engineer. I’m a good citizen. I’ve never attempted any kind of vandalism.

I did cross a train bridge on my bike once. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.

I can do calculus. I own property. I pay taxes. I open the door for old ladies. I’m not a menace to society. But I crossed that stupid bridge like a moron.

As I was crossing, I was beginning to realize how stupid it was. My legs started shaking. Then I heard the worst sound in the world. The horn from a Diesel Engine.

I looked back in disbelief - a gigantic Yellow & Grey (company’s name not included to protect the innocent) engine was on my tail.

There was no time to think - I was walking my bike, but I then jumped on it and peddled like never before.

Thank God, I made it to the end of the bridge in time. The truth is, I have no idea how close behind me it was. I don’t know if I was 5 feet from death, or 50, or 500 for that matter. I have no idea.

As I rode my bike from there, I was in disbelief at how stupid I was.

I revisited the site a few days later, only to see others crossing the bridge. I even tried to talk one guy out of it, but he thought I was a nut or something. I’ve since seen kids crossing it with a woman. I go there occasionally (it’s near a pretty trail along the beach) and see others crossing the bridge. I watch in disbelief.

The worst thing about the whole tragedy would have been my legacy. I could not imagine my parents dealing with this… “our son went to college, had a good career going, etc., etc. then got hit by a train”.

It took me about 6 months before I could hear a train whistle and not be terrified. (and this is coming from a fan of trains!)

A year or two later, I was jogging with a co-worker - a very respectable man in his career, and a devout family ma

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I should add, my thinking at the time was along the lines of, “A train is very loud… I’ll hear it coming miles away”.

Wrong!!! They can be dead silent.

Another time (after the incident above), I was standing near (mind you, never very close to - never again, ever) the train tracks. An Amtrack train suddenly wizzed right in front of me.

I actually heard a vibration in the tracks before I even heard the train. Freaked me out. I was in no danger here, but it was still freaky how easily the train could sneak up on someone.

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I think that he got more than he deserved, and it would have been much better if he had just been ‘winged’ by the train.(not a seriuos injury) I hope that this shows other graffiti artists that trains are dangerous things to be around. “Any time is train time” as the CPR says.
I can’t help but think back to the “Graffiti, Art or vandalism” discussion.
Matthew

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This is a particularly true statement especially when its a push-pull train with the cab-car end leading…they are freaky silent.

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I totally agree, Jetrock. I have little sympathy for this idiot, to

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“The only capital crime in nature is stupidity. The punishment is always death, and the sentence is always carried out swiftly and without mercy” – Robert A. Heinlein

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Let us hear from the forgivers, when someone sprays graffitti on their house and car and local school and church, what would the response be then? sadness or no response at all???

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If i caught somebody spraypainting my house or car I think i would go toe to toe with them and ask questions later lol

59

Which novel is that from?

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“Train kills man painting graffiti on boxcar”

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