Re: Fatality at Sydenham Station (Vic)

["MattyQ" <matticue@corplink.com.au>]

This is just typical of the media and public attitude towards the railways.
Last year, two elderly women totally ignored the flashing lights at Wacol
and proceeded to drive across the line. A light engine collided with the
car, killing the driver. The media swooped on the incident and blindly
accused QR for the incident.

Even though the level crossing had been upgraded with pedestrian mazes and
sonnalerts just months before, QR was forced to waste man-hours and
equipment for a whole week testing the system and, shock, horror, it worked
perfectly. This did not make an ounce of difference to the media or the
public.

Despite QR's best efforts to make every pedestrian and level crossing safe
as possible, people still walk/drive through them and QR cops the blame if
something goes wrong. Why should any railway company be held responsible for
the wellbeing of a person who ignores or misuses safety equipment put there
to protect them?

Regards

Matt Smith
Brisbane, Queensland
Reply to matticue@hotmail.com

I never seem to finish anyth

Steve Dalton wrote in message <370BFAC8.E5AAF058@smart.net.au>...
>The 3 youths ran behind a Down Keyneton Train before waiting for the
>bells and booms  stop, as they ran, two made it accross and unfourtanlly
>the thrid did not, it is true that the parenst are Blaming the the
>Railways, which in my book is wrong beacuse there was adequte protection
>at the crossing. The persons who I feel sorry for are the driver who no
>doubt did every he could to stop but at 130K/mh you got no hope. and the
>Signaler who was on duty at the time who happens to be a good friend of
>my wife and I.
>As for the Station being Trashed it is quite obiouvis that it is revenge
>or frustration on what has happened I was the Controller on duty when
>the Station was Trashed on the Friday night.
>Steve Dalton
>
>David Johnson wrote:
>>
>> James Koretsky wrote:
>>
>> > Does that mean if I step out on the road  with out looking
>> > and get hit  and killed by a car, it is the roads corporations fault,
>> > because they should have had a Padestrian Crossing there? I don't think
so.
>> >
>> > Unfortunately, this 16 year old boy lost his life because he didn't
look,
>> > and thats the unfortunate truth.
>>
>> My train this evening nearly creamed two teenager f***wits tonight who
thought
>> it would be intelligent to run up the middle of the four-foot towards an
>> oncoming train.  They missed being hit by a tangara at 75 km/h by only
metres.
>>
>> --
>> David Johnson
>> CityRail Guard
>> trainman@ozemail.com.au
>> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/