Re: level crossing near misses, was Re: problems at ringwood

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Les Brown)]

Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au> wrote in aus.rail:

>Dad did a u-turn to get out of the mess and (since he was on the western
>side of the line) drove up to the police station to report the situation.
>By the time he got home, it was reported that there was a fatality at
>that level crossing. A stupid bitch (and I will call anyone who runs a
>downed boom at a level crossing) had taken the same risk that many others
>had, and driven across the level crossing, only to be met by a train. 
>
I would not be so hasty to judge a person, even the poor unfortunate
soul who got killed running around a failed boom-gate.

Yes I feel sorry for the driver of the spark having to have to endure
the psychological torment of having killed an innocent person through
absolutely no fault of their own, but I also feel sorry for the
women's family, husband and children who are now without their wife
and mother. 

Perhaps the reason why she ran the lights was because she was in a
hurry to pick up her kids from swimming or footy-training or rushing
home to make supper for her family - who knows? Who knows also, that
given similar circumstances - or more pressing needs, you or I would
not act any different? I doubt if any driver of a train involved in a
fatality every really get over it - I once saw a women jump off
Princess Bridge 22 years ago, and I still can't drive across that
bridge without thinking of her - so it must be pretty bad for a
driver. But then there's the family the woman left behind - they will
never, ever, get over it either.

Take my advice sunshine, don't be so quick to judge anybody. Be
careful to only judge a person's actions, not the sum total of their
whole existence. Unless you're in their shoes and you know exactly the
reasons and circumstances behind every judgement they made, because
something really urgent may find you doing exactly the same thing -
then what will they call you? 

The poor woman paid for a terrrible mistake with her life, isn't that
enough?

Les Brown