Boy, parents die when they go around railroad crossing gate [SUV Alert]

AP via TBO ^ | Nov. 14, 2005

[HairOfTheDog]

Woman Drives Station Wagon Into Bookstore
Yahoo News ^ | Today | Unspecified

Posted on 11/14/2005 5:01:47 PM PST by day10

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A woman drove a station wagon through a wall of the Barnes & Noble bookstore, sending glass, wood and books flying. Three people suffered leg injuries. Two were taken to a hospital.

The store was filled with shoppers at about 2 p.m. Sunday when the Subaru station wagon plowed backward through picture windows in a reading area in the store's northwest corner. The car took out the travel section and barreled about 40 feet through the bookstore before coming to rest in nonfiction.

Uh oh... looks like reporters hate station wagons too.

[Fawn]

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Tall_Texan]

Like many other things in life, crossing train tracks should be a personal choice. Obviously, this driver was "pro-choice".

I've done it myself a few times but not without *carefully* assessing the situation and asking myself if I am DANG sure I am going to get all the way across with plenty of room to spare. If I have any doubt at all, I wait. Nothing is so important you can't arrive ten minutes later.

[Right Wing Assault]

Uh oh... looks like reporters hate station wagons too.

No. The article clearly says in the FIRST line: "A woman drove a station wagon through a wall..." It does not say, "A station wagon drove through a wall..." LATER in the story it says, as you point out, "The car plowed... The car took out the travel section..." Obviously, since the car was DRIVEN to do this by the woman, it was caused to do so BY HER. It did not (as all reporters know SUVs DO) "plow" and "take out the travel section" of its own accord. Hence, the law does not apply to station wagons. Reporters don't hate SUVs, they just think they have free will, which allows them to be evil. Station wagons don't.

[HairOfTheDog]

I just think that's really paranoid. You can call it poor writing, but I bet this reporter would have written this article the same way no matter what kind of vehicle was involved. It's a matter of trying to describe what happened, nothing more.

[Ditter]

Tragic, people in a hurry can be so stupid. I include myself in that statement but I haven't gone around the crossing gate in front of a train yet.

[demkicker]

"It's just never a good idea to go around a rail road track"

You know, if the reporter & editor weren't so focused on the SUV they might have caught this error.

I'm gaining weight just reading the rich remarks on FR tonight. So far, I've gained the most reading yours!

[Right Wing Assault]

he and another driver tried to go around a gate

This clearly is a reporting error. Since the driver was in the car, the reporter forgot that it was really the SUV driving and mistakenly mentioned that the humans were driving. This was missed by an editor, too. I am sure heads rolled when this was seen in print by the editor-in-chief for implying that the SUV might NOT have been responsible for the accident. But most people never get to the third paragraph, so, no real harm done here.

[JABBERBONK]

Oh it is tragic, but some people die under humorous circumstances, including children. Like the occasional "up-si-daisy" into the ceiling fan.

[freedumb2003]

I stand corrected.


There are many situations that require a full-size SUV -- construction, living out in the country where the roads can be subject to the whims of nature, horse trailers, hauling motorcycles, etc. etc. etc.

In fact I intend to retire to a rather primitive clime and have every intention in the world of taking a Range Rover with me.

I just look a bit akance as some of the Urban Assault Vehicles with the Dubs and the chrome, etc. -- but I will defend to my death the right for anyone to own and enjoy an SUV of any size.

But I reserve the right to have some thoughts on the subject, even if groundless.

;)

[Right Wing Assault]

I bet this reporter would have written this article the same way no matter what kind of vehicle was involved

We can never know that, but there is evidence in your earlier post that station wagons are driven rather than drive themselves as SUVs do.

[HairOfTheDog]

Even the headline in this case indicates the SUV was driven.

But the over-eager won't let that stop them from finding offense and discrimination... they live for it ;~D

[Eddiehaskell7]

>>>Oh it is tragic, but some people die under humorous circumstances, including children. Like the occasional "up-si-daisy" into the ceiling fan.>>>

Well.....Ok. When I see the humor of a vehicle with people in it getting hit by a train and everyone dying....I guess I'll start cracking some jokes too.

By the way? Do you have kids? Just curious. thanks