I'm also glad police caught the b******, RH77. He needs his driver's license taken away for a long time. On another forum, a carload of collage-age punks were giving this driver a hard time. They pulled a gun on the driver. The driver had an unloaded pistol and pointed it at them. The car of punks drove off the highway into a ditch. I'm just picturing that these punks were bluffing and commically acted like the dog that meets more than his match when a gun was pulled on them. Of course both cars were bluffing and it's dangerous. In my mind, this is the primary driving problem today - too many people act as if the road is a battlefield. It could be joyriding or just an inconsiderate cell phone driver, but such things incite road rage. Then you have outright aggressive/reckless driving. It's a safety issue, but it's also a fuel economy issue. A lot of people won't drive fuel efficient vehicles because they feel it does not "protect" them enough. Anyone remember that car that tapped that Ford Explorer and flipped it 10x on a video? Size often does not protect against such reckless driving and it certainly does not help if a nutcase has a gun.
Tiger- The guy probably would have shot my tires out. My father's a retired railroad engineer, and it's inevitable that in a 35-year career, you're going to hit cars at a crossing with a mile-long train and its momentum. I grew up with eye-opening stories of his personal incedents. I turn off the radio and darn-near stop at a crossing -- especially if it's "unprotected" (no lights/gate/bell). Clearly they can't stop for up to a mile or more, drivers can stop in feet, and when it comes to the sheer mass and solidity of a locomotive -- there's NO hope in a collision. As a Paramedic in the past, I've seen car-car collisions and what's left of people -- I can only imagine grade crossings. Anyway, "Look, Listen and Live". I should call my Dad today, come to think about it... RH77
RH77, Quote: I should call my Dad today, come to think about it... No time like the present. Wish I still could. Miss that DAD. Terry (tiger)
Sorry Guys Sorry guys about your losses. After I moved from Ohio to KC, I honestly haven't called my folks as often as I should, and I don't hear from them much either. There's no hard feelings, it's just that I moved away for a better job. I really try to head back to visit a couple times a year. I really shouldn't take it for granted that I can just pick up the phone, but sometimes I never know what to say. I guess just "Hey how's it goin" is a start. When I visit, we can talk for hours. My folks had me late in life, so it's tough to see them age every time I see them. My Dad's retired and really misses riding the rails. He's active in speaking to groups about safety at the crossing (hence the prompt to call that I'm passing along the safety message). I didn't consider that there are some who lost their Pops -- I sympathize. RH77
