I'm always astounded that people manage to get hit by trains. It's still a sad story and we're missing a lot of info but..
Any chance it was suicide?
[QUOTE=leach139;47116040]It was a pedestrian struck by a train, not a car. If it were a car it would have caused absolute chaos and destruction, especially on that section of line.[/QUOTE]
Ok so why is half this thread about how hard it is to drive off of some train tracks?
[QUOTE=Rubs10;47115555]What's the point of closing the exit too? Isn't that dangerous?[/QUOTE]
Because with the half barriers (entrance only closes) utter morons zig zag around it..
[QUOTE=Mitsudigi;47116330]I'm always astounded that people manage to get hit by trains[/QUOTE]
trains are very difficult to gauge the speed and distance of
for one you tend to be viewing them straight from the front in the direction they're heading toward you which makes them difficult to judge. secondly, they're really fucking big which makes the speed at which they're approaching you seem slower. thirdly, they're surprisingly quiet until they're right on top of you
one slip up, one misjudgment. it happens
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;47116449]trains are very difficult to gauge the speed and distance of
for one you tend to be viewing them straight from the front in the direction they're heading toward you which makes them difficult to judge. secondly, they're really fucking big which makes the speed at which they're approaching you seem slower. thirdly, they're surprisingly quiet until they're right on top of you
one slip up, one misjudgment. it happens[/QUOTE]
Then you don't cross if you see a train, simple. Don't try and judge speed or distance, if you see a train, wait.
[QUOTE=Leestons;47116512]Then you don't cross if you see a train, simple. Don't try and judge speed or distance, if you see a train, wait.[/QUOTE]
Yes, but "they're surprisingly quiet until they're right on top of you" also means that if you don't see one and decide to cross, it's possible you won't see or hear them until it's too late
aka if a crossing's lights come on, DO NOT FUCKING CROSS
Sorry to hear. I'm still surprised people actually risk their lives just to save a few seconds waiting for the train. Don't the gate close like a minute before the train actually passes?
I was in Spain a few years back, in small town just south of Barcelona called Salou. Some girl had recently been killed a train crossing like that one above, the only thing was that it only had lights flashing, but no actual gates. People where just driving across that shit like nothing while the lights where blinking, until the train stormed by in 75 mph INSIDE THE TOWN.
Oh and their train system in general is weird, at least in that town. The train would just leave after a few seconds, no matter if everyone on the station had gotten on or not.
Nobody checked, half the people could still be outside the train, and it would just start beeping, shut the doors and fucking leave as fast as it could.
Wierd fucking country.
Subways in Toronto are potentially dangerous places. It's not at all uncommon for people to fall onto the tracks or commit suicide that way. In other, rare cases, there have been a few psychopaths that push random people into the path of the oncoming train.
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;47116449]they're surprisingly quiet until they're right on top of you[/QUOTE]
I don't know about your trains and tracks, but here you can hear a train that is 2 minutes away because the tracks make a loud, kind of metallic echoing sound
[QUOTE=Zovox;47116823]I don't know about your trains and tracks, but here you can hear a train that is 2 minutes away because the tracks make a loud, kind of metallic echoing sound[/QUOTE]
Some fast trains can be on you before you hear anything. That still doesn't change the basic fact that you can only be run over by a train if you are [i]on the tracks[/i]. The easiest thing in the world is avoiding getting hit by a train. The train can't sneak up on you no matter how quiet it is and how fast it's going. It's like jumping in the lion pen at the zoo, then saying the reason the lion mauled you was because you didn't realize he was so fast, so he got you before you could escape.
With train tracks it's simple. Don't get close enough to the tracks to get hit by a passing train until after you've verified there is no train. Then cross non stop until you are far enough away again that a passing train can't hit you. Before and after those two points, you can do whatever you want but while you're in that space you are in the lion's pen.
[QUOTE=leach139;47115773]Oh, [i]that[/i] level crossing. The main problem with it, and the reason it closes so quickly, is because most trains don't stop at Totton station, so you have trains going full line speed either side of it. It's also pretty much a blind corner on either side of the crossing on the rail side, so the driver would have absolutely no chance even if he was coming in to stop. (The one at Brockenhurst is also very similar, but that has a lot of grace time)
For those who aren't local, [url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.9170049,-1.486232,192m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en]here's the crossing in question[/url][/QUOTE]
Looking at the google street of the location, there seem to be really thick vegetation blocking the view of both sides of the tracks.
Train crossings should be clear of obstructions. It'll really help pedestrians and drivers to see where its coming from.
[QUOTE=Zovox;47116606]Sorry to hear. I'm still surprised people actually risk their lives just to save a few seconds waiting for the train. Don't the gate close like a minute before the train actually passes?
I was in Spain a few years back, in small town just south of Barcelona called Salou. Some girl had recently been killed a train crossing like that one above, the only thing was that it only had lights flashing, but no actual gates. People where just driving across that shit like nothing while the lights where blinking, until the train stormed by in 75 mph INSIDE THE TOWN.
Oh and their train system in general is weird, at least in that town. The train would just leave after a few seconds, no matter if everyone on the station had gotten on or not.
Nobody checked, half the people could still be outside the train, and it would just start beeping, shut the doors and fucking leave as fast as it could.
Wierd fucking country.[/QUOTE]
probably because they try to keep to schedules, plus Spain is a big country. They've been experiencing some of the shittiest economic conditions since the fall of Franco (generalissimo of spain until his death). Shittier economic conditions = lesser taxes = even less of a budget for public infrastructure (like time limits for drivers, to hire guards / attendants to check if everyone's boarded). It's only the high-speed rail network and metropolitan rail that really checks if everyone's on board before departure.
You could say the same for Sweden, in that I've heard that trains rarely run on time, the public sector is in shambles. Last but not least, at least everyone's closer together (as the population is mainly concentrated in the south of the country near Copenhagen.)
Back to the topic though, seriously don't try and outrun (or play chicken) with a train. They average a few hundred tons in weight and are made out of steel designed to withstand head-on collisions. Plus, most of time they're at speed so the force of the train hitting something is amplified.
[QUOTE=Mitsudigi;47116330]I'm always astounded that people manage to get hit by trains. It's still a sad story and we're missing a lot of info but..
Any chance it was suicide?[/QUOTE]
From what I know of Will, it doesn't seem likely- he was about to enter a career as a Challenger 2 driver, I think he had a partner, he seemed happy and energetic- but he always had. At school he was often getting quite seriously ill, but he only ever took time off if he had to (once he had glandular fever). He was the kind of guy who'd never let anything stop him, but I don't know if it got too much or if it was just an accident. I just miss him.
[QUOTE=loopoo;47115526]But if the lights are flashing, it means stop straight away, not "look both ways to see if a train is coming then cross". So yeah, Bradyns, I dunno why you'd be checking for oncoming trains. If the lights are flashing, it means there is one coming so you stay back and wait.
The lights go off a few minutes before the gates close, though, right?[/QUOTE]
Usually, yeah, and all the ones up here close several minutes before the trains actually go by, which can be somewhat annoying, but I guess is a case of better safe than sorry.
Oh weird, I live very close. Driven over that crossing a few times. Very sorry to hear about your friend :c
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