I see they’re once again trying to push for cameras to watch train crews the whole time. Huge invasion of privacy, and probably not any more effective. If somebody insists on using their phone, they’ll just step out of the cab, beyond view of the camera to avoid being caught. Who wants to bet that they’ll keep pushing for it anyhow? Is there anyone who doubts they’ll succeed in doing so?
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Use of cell phones by operating crews isn’t the only thing Management is looking for. Sleeping on duty, signs of drinking or drunk on duty, etc.
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Could also be a great CYA in the event of an accident. It can show the crew properly doing (or not doing) their job.
Invasion of privacy? Pretty lame claim when Management in all industries has been keeping an eye on the employees for ages. Like saying your boss can’t look around the corner into your office/cubicle without making an appointment.
Well, any alcohol should be prohibited, period. And any crewman who values his job at all knows not to rbing that stuff around on the job. I doubt there’d be much to catch there. But as for the looking around the corner, there’s nothing wrong with a boss doing so (and they do that essentially on the railroad just the same…your train rounds a curve, and there he is). Remember, they’d be watching everything you’re doing, listening on all conversations you have with your partner, etc. Anything at all that they don’t like is grounds for dismissal, even if you’ve actually done nothing wrong. And I thought the outside cameras were for catching incidents…it should already be obvious who’s at fault just from watching the outside camera in such an incident.
They have been recording all conversation on the flight deck of airliners for a very long time. It is an established practice.
Pretty sure that employees don’t have any right to privacy at work, so there’s nothing to “invade”, though I think this whole idea is a waste of money.
Did I miss something here? I understand that it is GOVERNMENT that wants this, and it is a result of the Chatsworth, CA incident.
Yes,and yes. It is the NTSB that is recommending the FRA require it.
You have established the very precedent for this. Since there are already a large number of locomotives with cameras installed, there could be another precedent to be considered.
About ten or so years ago, while working in the Atlanta area; I was acquainted with several employees of NS and CSX as well as an area shortline. NS and CSX were just on the leading edge of the adoption of cameras in locomotives. At that point there had only been installation as experimentation by both companies.
The major discussion at that time was how and what capabilities would the installed cameras have in the cab. The Union and its operating employees were stired like a disturbed nest of hornets. There was adamant oposition to cameras with a sound recording capability of recording in-cab conversations or picturing those same operating employees in ther cab on film. At that time when the installations went forward the camera was locked in a forward looking mount, and sound capacity was not enabled. I am not sure how the issue of the horn’s sounding was ever resolved to satisfy the company.
Having ridden on a couple of ‘Operation Lifesaver’ trains, along with contingents of law enforcement officer types, we were all amazed by the pictures from the cab shown back in the train. Of the near misses and stupid chances taken by motorists in front of those trains we were stunned. After seeing only a small number of those incidents, my hat is off to the engine crews who witness multiple incidents on each trip; it is a wonder they have any nerves left to take home.
Actually, the way it is done on aircraft, the recordings are a continuous loop recording of the last (X) amount of time and is designed to stop in the event of an impact. It is never reviewed by management unless there is an incident, and it is never kept on file unless there is an incident.
It gives an accident or incident investigator the ability to review the last (X) amount of time leading up to the incident. It is never released to the public, though edited transcripts of relevant activity may be.
I’m sure a similar compromise could be worked out for railroads.
Hopefully this won’t come to pass… Much better to hire good people…train them properly…and then TRUST them to do their jobs properly. I have a relative who works in a large book store…and the end of her shift all employees line up…and one by one…managers check their bags to ensure that nothing gets stolen. Cameras and these types of checks are degrading (I find) and demoralize good people. If you want professionals then you have to treat them as such…if you want mindless drones then…well…bring on the cameras.
Are railroad management afraid there’s going to be another Ricky Gates in the cab of a loco?
I agree that it is degrading, and I would not work in a store that had that policy, but there is another side to that coin. Retail stores lose more money and inventory to employee theft than they do to shoplifters.
Not the railroads, the NTSB in view of the evidence from the Chatsworth incident.
Yes, and the cure for that (I believe) is to do a better job of hiring and training…Employees who steal have no integrity and those type of individuals can be spotted and weeded out. I too hire and have to trust people as they are for the most part unsupervised. Thus for me it is very important that I get it right the first time…Stores can do the same by really be selective about who they hire…they might have to pay a little bit more…but in the long run they save because people with integrity do not steal.
I know from experience what a distraction cell phones can be at work. I wouldn’t want to be in the cab with an engineer on a cell phone, except as provided for in the rules.
The privacy issue might be reduced if sound was not recorded. There are event recorders that can determine whether the horn and bell were sounded, in the event of an accident.
Considering how many people died because some moron HAD to play with his cell phone, I’d say it was a valid concern. And also a concern for the passengers that could be the next victims of the next idiot.
Your SUV has a black box now, although it doesn’t record any “cockpit” information. I would submit that you may see a short term loop recorder, as already mentioned, start in the cabs of passenger/transit locomotives, then branch out to locomotives used in “high risk” areas (lots of crossings, etc).
It’s one of those things that will simply require a catalyst, like did PTC, to suddenly become mandatory…
I really don’t relish anyone watching me eat my lunch. On the other hand, if you aren’t doing any thing against the rules, what do you have to worry about?
Unfortunately, “against the rules” can be a subjective thing. You may feel the topic being discussed is innocent enough, but there’s bound to be someone who feels that talk of your kid’s Little League game was distracting from your duties…
Based on unrelated discussions on other threads, I’d think that you’d see a lot more “work to rules” type stuff. Nature calls? The conductor can’t just slide into the seat to blow the horn and tweak the alerter while the engineer attends to ‘business.’ In fact, that might be true even if he’s a qualified engineer. He’s not being paid to be an engineer, he shouldn’t be doing the work…
On the one hand, it seems like a no-brainer. On the other, there is the potential for abuse. The weed weasels are now in the cab with you, 24/7…
While no one likes being watched, and the camera can be utilized for various purposes, the argument to “hire good people, and trust them” ran aground years ago when goverment started blocking sound judgement in making background checks. Add to this, the fact that while older employees wouldn’t think of using a cellphone at work, younger ones seemingly cannot live without constant utilization of these “technical toys”…
When these camers do evidence improper use of cellphones, the employees “business agent” will defend him to the hilt…in their customary foolish manner.
I’m glad I retired when I did, and havn’t had to deal with this nonsensical on the job usage of cellphones!.. the CB-Radio was bad enough!