Posted on 07/21/2004 7:48:23 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Man Gesturing at Trains Gets Too Close
2 hours, 56 minutes ago Add Strange News - AP to My Yahoo!
APPLETON, Wis. - A man in a wheelchair who makes obscene gestures to the crews of passing trains was injured when he got a little too close to one of them, police said.
A gas tank on a train engine clipped the wheelchair of Leland Laird, 54, Tuesday evening, causing him to fall out of the damaged chair and injure his arm, police said.
Laird told officers he has used a wheelchair since 1989 when a car he was driving was struck by a train near Fremont.
But that's not the reason he periodically "flips off" the trains, Lt. Pat Matuszewski said.
He told police he puts himself where train crews can see him — engineers and conductors consider him a regular — and makes obscene gestures because he is frustrated by their loud horns.
"He lives right near the intersection. That's his way of addressing the loud horns blowing," Matuszewski said.
Laird was treated at Appleton Medical Center for an abrasion to his left arm, ticketed as a pedestrian for violating traffic signals, and told to find less dangerous ways to express himself.
Sounds like he has a one track mind.
He'll probably sue,post traumatic stress and all that.
To be filed under Slow Learners.
Glad to see someone following my train of thought.
He only injured his arm, not his middle finger. Five gives you ten that he'll be back at it again after his arm heals.
He belongs in an institution.
Nah. He just requires additional training.
"He'll probably sue,post traumatic stress and all that."
Doubt there is any chance of this being railroaded through the courts.
He'll probably get railroaded for this. I'm suspect he wasn't properly trained as a child.
I do understand the train whistle complaints though. I'm almost a next door neighbor of the train tracks here.
That loud noise is the sound of lawyers falling over furniture and rear ending cars in a mad dash to get in touch with this guy.
Heh. Derailed by two previous posts!
Da-ad, Leland got knocked onto his caboose again.
Just like on the military planes they would stencil silhouettes of things hit (like enemy planes, tanks or whatever) so on the side of the engine that clipped him they should paint one symbol of wheelchair.
Damn! You both out-punned me by seconds. It wasn't even a "tie."
But Dan ... who was there first? The tracks or homes? That's the problem. I know the whistle is loud but...The train has to go through, right? Nothing can be done. The tracks are there. Most people love the sound of a train whistle...Brings back memories of the old days when kids would watch a train and dream. Yipes...well, I bet you can set your clock by them though, huh? Reminds me of Vinny in the movie "My Cousin Vinny" when he asks about the train at the front desk of where they were staying. It's sooo funny. Well, happy trails.. :)
Remember the old public service announcements against racing trains? Even in a tie, you lose! ;->
WOULD MR JOHN EDWARDS PLEASE PICK UP THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE ??
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