Death by Train (was:- Someone killed in Melbourne Loop this morning?)

["John Regan" <reganjd@clear.net.nz>]

Paul Johnston wrote:-

>No they don't report these things for fear of copycat suicides
>Fine if you want to commit suicide then go to a secluded place and
>blow your brains out, but remember when you do it in front of a train
>someone has to live with your demise forever.
>Paul Johnston (a disgruntled driver)

Things are bad enough with all the dickheads who seem to see the front of a
train as a way to liberate themselves from a crap life.  Giving people the
idea of leaping infront of a train by publicising it does not go down well
as these people think they will get a moment of notoriety and a mention in
the local rag.

I have had to witness the final seconds of a persons life and be powerless
to do anything about it (even infact react) before he hit the locomotive
headstock.
It is something that I will NEVER ever forget.

I was the first person to find the person next to the track and I watched
him die moments before the Ambulance arrived.  It was not a glorious death.

I had to endure the report writing and interveiws from the police that
attended.
The worst part was the nightmares and stuffed up personal life that is apart
of the result.
One thing I hate is at a party or such like and you meet new people.  When
they find out you are a train driver one of the first questions seems to be
"have you killed anyone". I usually tell them no for the simple fact that if
I say yes  and choose to tell them then I am reliving it and it ruins the
night for me.
It is something that I can do without.

You won't get any sympathy out of me for people that want to top themselves
in this manner but I will stand 100% behind any crews that it occurs to.
They have my thoughts and sympathy - I know what it is like.

John Regan
Locomotive Engineer
New Zealand