Train victim identified as 16-year-old boy {talking on cell phone}

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/7/6 | Henry K. Lee

[SmithL]

I'm sorry for the kid, but there is a lesson here.

[purpleraine]

Maybe last Darwin nominee of the year.

[svcw]

Cell phone or not trains are really loud, how on earth could he have missed the train coming?

[NativeSon]

Cell phone or not trains are really loud, how on earth could he have missed the train coming?

They hide behind bushes and jump out at you

[oh8eleven]

while apparently absorbed in a cell phone call
So "absorbed" he couldn't hear a freakin' train bearing down on him?
Add in flashing lights, crossing gates coming down (probably w/ warning bells) and the train sounding its whistle?
Hard to believe.

[NativeSon]

Seriously though, trains quieter than you think and faster than you expect. My Grandfather was an engineer on the Pennsy and RR lines, we were taught very young about trains and what not to do...

[Wagonboy]

“Dude, what? Like, I can’t hear you! Dude, these bells and lights are like roasting me right now Dude! Dude, what? Like speak up Dude!”

Darwinism at it’s purest. -Wb

[Tijeras_Slim]

I saw a guy texting on a sportbike in traffic a couple days ago.

Followed him for about 3 miles waiting for the inevitable. He was lucky that day.

[NRA1995]

I see a warning label on cell phones in the future...”Not to be used while strolling near railroad tracks”

[Spruce]

Yeah, 16 is WAY too young to die.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the parents will be suing the phone manufacturer, the railroad, the phone carrier, or, more than likely, all of the above.

I bet the lawyers are already at their doorstep telling them how much money they are “entitled” to.

[bmwcyle]

How about slowing all trains to a 2 mph speed limit? /sarcasm

[Redcloak]

Cell phone or not trains are really loud, how on earth could he have missed the train coming?

Actually, trains can be surprisingly quiet. A group of us were out riding one night in Chatsworth, CA. We had to cross a railroad track to get to the trail we were going to use. As we were walking the horses across, there was this funny, humming noise coming from our left. I looked up and the train had just come around the bend, about 100 yards away from us. Lemme tell ya... Spurs save lives! It was spooky how quiet that train was.

[Deguello]

The Dopler Effect.

[Redcloak]

Actually, the sound we heard was coming from the tracks. There was almost no noise at all coming from the engine.

[NCC-1701]

My dad worked for the Illinois Central RR and he taught all of us NEVER, EVER mess with a train. They WILL ALWAYS WIN. He saw his share of these things. He also told us to, whenever at a crossing, to stay at least two or three carlenghts back. That was to allow an escape distance if, for some reason, the rail cars jumped the track or their doors fell off. I still live by that.

[ThomasThomas]

Trains have very load horns always blow before entering a crossing with gates witch were down. AmTrack trains can be much faster than a freight train.

[Publius6961]

I second the nomination, and am looking askance at those two words, “resident of”...

[B4Ranch]

Cleaning up the gene pool isn’t always a bad thing.

[andrew2527]

He also told us to, whenever at a crossing, to stay at least two or three carlenghts back. That was to allow an escape distance if, for some reason, the rail cars jumped the track or their doors fell off. I still live by that.

Also a good precaution for the situation where the idiot behind you, while on his cell phone, rear-ends you.

[JenB]

Obviously this kid was a moron and probably the train blew its horn but they do *not* always blow their horn before entering crossings. There are what are known as “quiet crossings” where at various times/days or all the time, the train is not to use the horn. These crossings are labelled as such on the timetables that the train engineers use.