The 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Military veterans press #1.
The Ozone House, a 24-hour hotline for youth, at 734-662-2222.
The 24-hour hotline at University of Michigan Psychiatric Emergency Services at 734-936-5900.
The Washtenaw County Community Mental Health crisis team at 734-544-3050
"Ann Arbor 2373 Calling... Milkshake. Over"
AllAboardAmtrak:Northbound, Southbound, and My Hometown
I wanted to point out there have been 3 incidents of people being killed by Amtrak trains in the state in the past SIX DAYS, this past year (for the first time) I’ve witnessed MANY close calls between trains vs cars or trains vs people.
It upsets me so much because some of my friends are people being idiots and pretend to know everything that they can’t stop quickly or whatever but yet they mock me and other railfans on social media saying that we are lying about the stopping distance needed.
I had to give them the brutal wake up call by showing them that video I shot back in October of Amtrak 355 nearly hitting a car, I told them had that train struck the car, it wouldn’t have stopped until at least the Long Lake and Kensington road overpass which is roughly a mile away from where I was standing, and the train was going 60 Miles an hour.
Please, remind your loved ones and friends they should NEVER take the risk, and if they do, they are pretty much on a suicide mission.
We can open this to further development, but it’s an idea of mine, we all should go to our local news stations (depending on where you live) and share this, because it would be a true wake-up call to the public, remember, the railroads don’t have the best image in the public eye and if members of the public said to others over local TV or radio that you should never take the risk and give them the potential consequences, they’ll for sure take that into consideration.
Rant over, just please tell people that you care about them, not to be stupid and actually be smart around trains.
Operation Life Saver isn't going to stop suicide by train.
As time goes by, railroads keep closing grade crossings.
It's fine for a car to detour as it usually is just a few seconds.
But for a pedestrian to take the detour?
They're forcing pedestrians to become trespassers at what used to be a legal crossing.
OLS is just a tool for railroads to help deflect bad publicity and liability as they make it difficult for pedestrians to legally cross a railroad track.
Even though I've been criticized for it, I feel the same way as DaveO about people who cross the tracks in front of Durand Station on the east side where the road was closed off. It's a 1/2 mile or more detour. If I were the railroad police, I'd give them a break for crossing there.
But for a pedestrian to take the detour? They're forcing pedestrians to become trespassers at what used to be a legal crossing. OLS is just a tool for railroads to help deflect bad publicity and liability as they make it difficult for pedestrians to legally cross a railroad track.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
But for a pedestrian to take the detour?
They're forcing pedestrians to become trespassers at what used to be a legal crossing.
If it “used” to be a legal crossing that means it’s no longer a legal crossing aka illegal and if you cross there you are trespassing.. there’s a reason crossings get closed, and people are punished for illegally crossing tracks. Just last weekend I saw a kid get talked to by the RR police for hopping across tracks after 1225 passed. The crossing was literally 20 yards east, he could use that instead of taking a short cut. From a liability standpoint railroads NEED to punish trespassing, because if you don’t you set a precedent that it is “ok” and that can cause issues in court. If a spot is a KNOWN trespassing location and the railroad doesn’t take action, lawyers can loophole their way into payouts for families of those who were breaking the law. Seeing people where they shouldn’t be or being cut in front of at 40mph is never a fun experience, and there is no legitimate excuse for breaking a law just because it is inconvenient.
"Ann Arbor 2373 Calling... Milkshake. Over"
AllAboardAmtrak:Northbound, Southbound, and My Hometown
Operation Life Saver isn't going to stop suicide by train.
Seatbelts don't save every life. Operation Lifesaver does have a plan to REDUCE suicide by train. It is on their website as part of their information for media. They focus on trying to get the media to write stories that do not encourage suicide.
As time goes by, railroads keep closing grade crossings.
It's fine for a car to detour as it usually is just a few seconds.
But for a pedestrian to take the detour?
They're forcing pedestrians to become trespassers at what used to be a legal crossing.
It is harder for a car to cross tracks where there is no crossing.
Crossing closures are often done as part of a plan that benefits cars. Put in an underpass or overpass and the cost is usually two or three crossings. Building "no horn" quiet zones often leads to closed crossings as the applicants are required to reduce the risk of crossing incidents.
I agree that often pedestrians are overlooked when an underpass or overpass is built. Even if the roadway has a sidewalk or separate path for pedestrians it is often not the most convenient path for pedestrians. Such places should probably be fenced and patrolled when crossings are removed.
People are not forced to trespass but the railroads could do better at encouraging them to take a safer path.
#1 issue with illegal trespassing paths is that the vast majority of the US was planned and built for people with cars, not pedestrians. See the ridiculous ordinances on over-sized parking lots, which make neighboring stores approximately 100 miles apart from each other.
IMHO, railroads, the FRA, et al take too dim a view on pedestrian-only crossings, considering them to be a higher risk than they are. I think with a basic level of crossing protection - even just passive, they can be just fine and reduce the number of errant trespassers who are just trying to go about their lives.
Most "trespasser" strikes are suicides, a large proportion of which are at active grade crossings. Few are failures at just trying to cross the tracks. Those people know what they're doing, more or less, and make it over safely, official crossing location or not.
The "close this one to upgrade that one" sounds good in theory, but it definitely has downsides in the form of walkability.
How sad. Just breaks my heart for all involved. From the crew who had to witness it, ro the family and friends of the young lady to the student herself that decided to take her own life. I hate reading about things like this
Prayers sent out to all those connected with this.
A coworker had a kid that jumped onto a freeway.
My job had me going past the spot several times each day.
I still occasionally go by the spot now that I'm retired.
I think about it and that's from someone that didn't have to see it in person.
A coworker had a kid that jumped onto a freeway.
My job had me going past the spot several times each day.
I still occasionally go by the spot now that I'm retired.
I think about it and that's from someone that didn't have to see it in person.
A about 10 years ago a guy intentionally got himself hit on I-696. A coworker and I were driving across town back to our home base and we saw what was left of the guy flying though the air. I'm still not really over that sight and the road was stained in that spot for years afterward. I still have flashbacks whenever I drive through there.
I agree with everything that has previously been said about the closing of road crossings and the lack of understanding that such an action can adversely affect pedestrians, and their movements, too.
Humans are lazy by nature, by and large. We take the shortest route from A to B. Sometimes, a crossing is closed, but mitigation is planned - a new overpass, underpass, etc. But the approach for such a facility, being primarily designed for vehicles, results in such a long safe path that the shorter, no illegal route is preferable for someone on foot.
One great improvement for safety in Ann Arbor was the construction of the new pedestrian tunnel under the Michigan Line near Argo Dam. This eliminated a popular self-constructed pedestrian "crossing" on a blind curve not in easy sight or sound of a public crossing. The construction of similar pedestrian underpasses, well lit and at common ped crossing points, should be pursued, especially in busy foot traffic areas like Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. Now that MDOT owns the trackage and ROW, that should eliminate one pointy puzzle piece involved with some of these projects: freight railroads.
I feel for the families and crews who were involved with this past week's incidents. The results will not be forgotten.
