Posted on 03/03/2009 2:54:11 PM PST by SmithL
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The engineer of a commuter train that crashed and killed 25 people in California last year planned to let a teenage railroad fan operate the locomotive on the night of the collision, text messaging days earlier — "I'm gonna do all the radio talkin' ... ur gonna run the locomotive."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Teenager might have done a better job.
Train man was trying to do the little boy from what I’ve heard.
When I first read about this grown man texting boys while working, the first thing I thought was “chickenhawk” (older gay guy cruising for boys). I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
We have teens driving tanks in Iraq and teens launching aircraft from carriers. I am sure a teen could do a decent job of driving a modern train.
And they have been trained to drive a tank and operate the catapult. Operating a locomotive is not like driving a car, unless your car weighs at least 500 tons (the estimated mass of a commuter consist).
He was a homosexual.
It was creepy to me then and is more so now in light of this story.
Many funny comments at the link:
“Dirty, dirty Sanchez”
“Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?”
“ZOMG, UR A KEWL ENG1N33R D00D? U ROX!”
“What’s with all of the hate? Mr. Sanchez simply wanted to show the teen his ‘locomotive.’”
“Texting promotes the poor use of English and may lead to death.”
I’ll show you my locomotive if you show me your caboose.
Selected excerpts from a transcript of text messages between Metrolink train engineer Robert Sanchez and an unidentified teenage train buff. The excerpts detail the two arranging plans for the youth to drive the train between four stations on Sept. 12, the day of the crash. Excerpts have not been edited for spelling or grammar.
Sept. 8:
Sanchez: I'm REALLY looking forward to getting you in the cab and showing you how to run a locomotive
Teen: (Oh my god) dude me too. Running a locomotive. Having all of that in the palms of my hands. Its a great feeling. And ill do it so good from all my practice on the simulator.
Sanchez: heh heh heh ...
. . .
Sept. 12
Teen: So today is the big day
Teen: I just cant believe that its today. Ive been waitin' and now its here. So happy
My oldest boy is an engineer and took me on a ride through some remote area. He let me "run" the train for about five minutes and in that short time I got a Helluva education.
When I saw the engineers looking out the cab I thought they were taking in the scenery. Wrong. About ever hundred yards or so there was some kind of symbol warning about a curve, setting a speed limit or other such things - very intense and you couldn't day dream for a second. At a crossing I was allowed to blow the horn and then found out it had to be for so many seconds and so many blasts. Railroading is one regulated environment.
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