Rail Crossing Accidents Decline Nationwide, but Less So in New York Region, Marquel, TPVs NYTimes Suicidal Tendencies Section correspondent read carefully. It’s an interesting statistic.
All over the country, a traditional risk is decreasing. Except in the fair state of New York. People have died at rail crossings since the first crossing was built. For two centuries we’ve fought this trend, and have made great success. Except New York. What is it about New York that makes us line up like lemmings to cross the tracks just at the moment when the train is coming? Marquel didn’t know but he was determined to find out.
Marquel first went to the MTA.
“How do we hire engineers?” Marquel asked, “what if they’d had an accident elsewhere, would it make a difference?”
The MTA man answered, “that would depend. If they fell asleep, or didn’t watch, or didn’t know where the brake was located, we might not hire them. But if the accident was at a crossing, and occurred because the engineer was keeping to the schedule, we’d snap him up.We want engineers who are schedule driven.”
“Perhaps, but we’re on time.” MTA said.
Marquel left, scratching his head. He went upstate to Westchester. Technically Westchester isn’t upstate, but to Marquel it is, and he was on the alert for possible groups of native Americans on the rampage. Marquel thought it would be good to get back to Manhattan and civilization.
So I went to the nearest crossing. Trains aren’t like cars, they don’t pass by all day. So if I was going to spot a problem it might take several days. This was a sleepy crossing and nothing was happening. Two trains passed, but no cars, no pedestrians. I started to leave when a compact car drove up and stopped on the tracks. I heard a whistle. I heard a train. The car remained in the crossing. The train whistled again. BUT DIDN’T STOP. At the last moment, the car moved, the train passed, and I saw the engineer give the driver a high five. She honked her car, the train whistled one last time.
I went to another crossing. It was even sleepier. No trains at all. Just before sunset, a motorcyclist passed over the crossing. And stayed there. A train whistled. I could hear its wheels. No sign of braking. It continued its approach. The cyclist smiled, got off the bike, and walked around it until he was standing in back of it. The train bore down, even accelerated, it’s horn blasting. The cyclist ran towards his bike, leapt and landed in the seat, and raced away. He turned back and they high fived each other.
So that’s why New Yorkers are not participating in the increasing safety performance at crossings. We have MTA engineers who have been hired for a tight schedule, and risk prone New Yorkers who depend on the accuracy of the schedule to play chicken with trains. And vice versa.
I’m sort of proud of my state. It seems to be full of boring bankers. But, obviously, we have other, more interesting idiots as well. New York. It’s a helluva town.
By MARQUEL: Stop. Look. Speed
Funny
Crazy funny a la Marquel
too unsettling…
Seriously. Funny
I am still trying to understand its sadness
there is nothing to understand. Fucking accident. We are lucky Marquel made it comprehensible…