The news reports have stated that a plank was missing, leaving a 6-foot-long hole presumably as wide as the plank. I still would not call the bridge in general a deathtrap. Pe
…I agree with Bucyrus as he related the potential dangers one would face every foot he advances across that bridge walkway {at night}…and it seems to me there is only one protection of one’s life regarding that situation…Stay off that property…!!!
Now, how the RR accomplishes that task seems to be a real problem…
But some group of management should sit down and figure how it can be accomplished. This task is not unsolvable…but it would be difficult to design I suppose. More difficult tasks are no doubt solved each day in Corp. structures.
No matter what measures the railroad takes to keep folks off the bridge, someone will try to circumvent said measures, be injured, and blame the railroad. Of that we can be sure.
…Due to recent death, perhaps it’s worth a try.
Well, some genius on the St Paul pioneer Press forum on this story had a BRILLIANT idea! “Fence off the bridge”.
I kid you not.
I’d like to hope whoever wrote that post was one of the pink-haired fruit-cakes up here to protest the RNC convention, but alas it probably wasn’t.
Even if you fence-off the bridge [:P] there’ll be an increase, not decrease, in injuries/deaths on that structure since the idiots will be trying to climb the fence.
…Anyone have any positive ideas…?
How about if they get permission from the girl’s family to post her picture with a thoughtful and well-worded description of how she died (nothing graffic or insensitive) at both ends of the bridge? Have it lit during evening/night-time hours (and adequately protected from vandalism).
Maybe this would give someone time to get their brains in gear before they trespass.
…Not bad. Who knows, might be more effective than other approaches.
Well, installing and electrifying a third rail would probably help, Modelcar. [:-^]
Maybe a placard listing the names of those know to have died on the bridge, with dates and the cause of death.
Latest entry (with full sobriety and respect to this lady):
August 10, 2008 - Laura MacDonald, aged 20, in darkness, fell to her death through the decking.
If everyone has to have an adventure on the bridge then why not make a job out of it by having people in shacks at each end renting, maintaining, and selling safety clothes, harnesses, and tethers. The tethers from the harnesses would clip into newly installed tracks on each side of the bridge. That is the only way to put it in perspective for everybody who must see everything.
Andrew
…After a generous quanity of posts have been displayed, perhaps it would make sense if someone could ID an address to the bridge owners and supply a copy of all our suggestions how one might prevent another terrible accident from happening again.
Folks:
About ten years ago this bridge was part of my supervisory territory when I was Trainmaster for the Wisconsin Central. As a WC supervisor I also was a/am a locomotive engineer /conductor and made many trips over the “High Bridge” and always was very happy to be on either side of it but not on it, due the extreme length and hight. I am very familiar with the problem of tresspassers on the bridge.
After reading these posts let me first say that there is no reasonable way to physically keep people off of it. If you put up fencing and a gate they would just walk around them and walk directly between the rails to gain access to the catwalk or worse yet and more usual, just walk down the center of the track. Also, the idea of having other folks on the bridge to supervise and run a businees there would just invite the public to visit the site and place an " approval" rating at the site which would encourage more liabiliites. This is a dangerous area which only freight trains pass over and not a public park.
Folks now days feel they have a “right” to go anywhere they please and often don’t or won’t stop to think of the consequences of failing to obey rules or the law. The general public has no clue as to how long it takes to stop a train of any length and feels everyone and particularly big companies like railroads need to provide protection from hazards rather than folks knowing, and complying with all rules and regulations to keep themselves safe.
This is one reason that I became “soured” about having railfans and passenger/steam excursions on the properties I managed due to the increasing problems of unsafe behavior and extreme libilities to the company because of the public being around the rrailroad. It becomes very exhausting hosting excursions and public gatherings on the rails due to most folks not understanding the risks they take when for example, standing in the middle of the track to get a photo just before a
How about an “electrified” fence around it. It can be put up with an electrified swing gate also or a gate controlled just like a crossing gate. On a farm an electric fence works good for the dumb animals and just might work for the dumb people.
How about teaching today’s kids another four letter word: O-B-E-Y.
If we still had nuns teaching in schools a lot more kids would heed warning signs and not believe they’re put there for others to heed, but not them.
News reports on matters like these are about as reliable as the average lawyer, in my experience.
Yes, I would.
Then most people would probably fall off eventually.
You’re 180’ above the ground on a live railroad bridge with a narrow wooden walkway - how much more treacherous do you think it could get?
The obvious reason is that you’re 180’ above the ground on a live railroad bridge with a narrow wooden walkway.
But now I’m beginning to understand what sort of person US liability laws were intended to benefit when they were framed. Idiots with a death wish…
You’d find it very hard to do both - you’d probably either get struck by a train, or fall off and get killed.
Really - torn up how, exactly?
Mark.
(I know I wrote earlier that continuing this exchange was a waste of time,but I admit to being fascinated by the sheer bone-headedness of the OP’s attitude to personal safety and responsibility.)
Safty First!
If it were me walking across that bridge I would have a white knuckle death grip on that railing!
IMO they should track down this guy who was with her, arrest him and charge him with Tresspassing and Criminally Negligent Manslaughter [:-^]
…Unless there is possitive proof of wrong doing to the young lady by said fellow…how could he be prosecuted for such…?
The young lady was an adult and presumedly could make her own decisions.
The authorities did question the guy who was with her. They were considering charging the guy with trespass, but were leaning against it because he was already in enough grief, and they were reluctant to pile on more. As far as charging manslaughter, the authorities are apparently convinced that she accidentally fell. I am sure they consider all of the circumstances before reaching such a conclusion.