CHICAGO TRAIN CRASH!

WBBM-AM Radio | 04-23-02 | GRRRRR

[GRRRRR]

Just reported on radio that an AMTRACK PASSENGER TRAIN has slammed into a track repair/support truck on the tracks at the Dundee Road (RTE 68) crossing.

Unknown injuries etc. at this time...monitoring...

GRRRRRRRRR

[conservative cat]

There is at least one case of: Female - Fee'-Molly, from the tag on the girl, that I was able to verify.

Did she ever live in Tacoma, WA? I had a co-worker who had a classmate named Female (same pronunciation.)

[toddst]

Our entire country would be safer if everyone over a certain age who has not been convicted of a violent felony were allowed to carry a concealed firearm.

10-4 on everyone who's law-abiding and wants to should be able to carry a gun concealed. An armed society is a safe society. If we must have licensed concealed carry (we do in KY) then let that license be accepted nationally - like a drivers' license - regardless of what state you're in.

[Goldi-Lox]

There have BEEN 3:

1. North of Orlando this weekend/Amtrack Derailed
2. California Freight Train/Passenger train collide
3. Chicago Passenger train wreck

[scholar]

Research is fun and helping real people for free ...

So true! I just love whipping out that legalese. It gives the adversary a whole other perspective. Too bad they can't treat the average Joe with a little dignity and respect.

[texlok]

That 15-year old had a note in his pocket praising the 9/11 hijackers and their goals, but proclaiming that he did not belong to any group, came from a broken home, and whose father was from Syria. He intentially stole an airplane and purposefully flew it into a bank building leaving behind a note. Copycat terrorism, if you will.

I consider him an idiot. Terrorist? Who did he terrorize? Perhaps a weekend janitor???

I could give him a little credit if he say did it on a weekday morning when the building actually had people. This was some screwed up kid who didn't get enough attention when he was younger.

[floriduh voter]

First a complete analysis of the problem, then quick action by holding the other party accountable and you tell them what you expect of them. It's like arm wrestling and they lose because like Dubya always says "we will not tire." I do not tire if they are wrong and I am on the side of right. Working as a paralegal gave me more resolve than should be allowed by law. I do not let people I can help get taken advantage of - it is like a personal mission statement.

Back to the trust issue, aren't we? I am a Christian too, and I don't think we are supposed to be naive but instead be should be prepared for whatever comes our way with eyes open.

[_Jim]

There have BEEN 3:

Get over it.

Systems built by man will eventually fail - AVIATION and RAILROAD history is litered with HUNDREDS unto THOUSANDS of accidents due to various un-correlated factors that came together to cause these accidents ... DESPITE the efforts of the BEST MINDS man has employed to design and engineer these systems ...

[ladyinred]

This gets stranger and stranger.

[pgkdan]

3 major train wrecks in one week???

[Salvation]

In threes

Ditto

I believe they are attacking our rail system. Where's the Cabinet guy and Tom Ridge?

Good question!

[Salvation]

NO WAY is this all just coincidence. No way. There's something going on here.

BTTT!

[Salvation]

locusts

This is one of the tribulations. See the Book of Revelation.

[GrandMoM]

Revelation,which number please. LOOKING!!!!!

[twigs]

In fact, accidents do tend to happen in clumps. I've noticed it over the years and have always found the phenomenon interesting. My personal view is that the book of Daniel in the Bible addresses the issue. It indicates that the unseen, supernatural world is highly organized. The angel trying to get to Daniel couldn't get through to him because the principalities prevented his progress. I personally believe Satan gets temporary power over a system and uses it destructively. I know others will also have explanations. I do not believe this is terrorism because it happens too often to necessarily attribute it to that.

[Alberta's Child]

If I remember correctly, the Arizona crash was not believed to be the work of a "terrorist" but of a disgruntled railroad employee or someone of that sort -- the ingenuity that was required to cause that crash led the authorities to believe it was someone who had a good working knowledge of how to override railroad safety measures.

[Mixer]

So a 15 year old with bad acne (and bad medicine) hits a building with nobody in it, in a very small aircraft and that's terrorism?

He wrote a note stating that he was doing it for OBLs cause. If that isn't terrorism tell me...what is?

[floriduh voter]

Of course I meant the Transportation Secretary but last night, I couldn't think of his name or title. I hope that they are checking out all railroad personnel for aliases and illegals. Thank you, x-42 for giving us all of your and Algor's illegal immigrant voters from 96 that we have to keep an eye on.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Thanks for the correction about the grandfather/father situation. I hadn't heard much about the story since it happened. Your summary of the situation makes the most sense.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Haven't of that British emergency set up before, sounds like a trip wire?

There has been various types of cab signals and automatic train stop for the last century that would bring a train to a stop if the crew didn't acknowledge the proper signal(activating the brake at a yellow signal, etc.), but it is very expensive and was generally only installed in areas with heavy passenger traffic many years ago. Because of technology improvements, increased competition, and excess regulations, the railroads went into decline from the 50's to the 80's, and though bouncing back somewhat, are still not very healthy(by some measures most railroads fail to cover their cost of capital). And since the government took over passenger operations in the 70's, there really was no incentive for the railroads to invest in such expensive features for freight traffic. In most instances gov't funding hasn't been there for safety improvements because of limited budgets and other pressing needs(not to mention abysmal mismanagement by many of these gov't agencies, money that could have been used for safety improvements went for union pay raises, featherbedding, or running empty trains in West Virginia). So the political will to fund these changes just aren't there.

There is a form of automated train monitoring and/or control utilizing GPS that is on the drawing board, but its so expensive that the freight railroads have been unable to justify upgrading to it, other than in limited testing. It all comes down to money, and who is going to pay for it.