I was reading an article in the Post Dispatch, Sunday, 9 December2012, that was discussing the rights of trains versus people. The overall tone of the article was that the railroad industry was lacking in safety of pedestrians while they were on the tracks. I noticed that the article did not cover that the local community refuses to allow the railroads to put up fences similar to prison fences. The general opinion of the locals is not in my town. I also noticed in the photos the placement of no trespassing signs that are being ignored. If people are so ignorant of the signs and continue to trespass on private property then what happens to them is all their own fault.
Personally I feel that if the railroad industry is cleaning out the idiots of the town then by all means let them. If you cannot read nor follow the law then you are responsible for your own death. This amounts to you committing suicide by walking on the tracks. Most engines of railroad cars weigh around 200 tons with cars following at 100 tons each and this will stop in approximately 1 1/4 miles. A tractor trailer fully loaded only weighs in at a light 80 tons and it takes a football field just to stop the tractor trailer. Who is at fault here? There are reasons why the railroads are private property and that has to do with safety. Ignore the signs at the risk of your own safety.
People today seem to think that everyone else is to blame for the deaths of so and so or my kid because......... In the end it all falls down to safety. Ignore safety and you will pay the price. Follow safety and you will be alive at the end of the day. Railroads are just that roads on rails. They follow speed limits just like regular roads do. Is crossing a Highway in the middle with no cross walk around safe? What about getting hit by a tractor trailer while crossing, illegally, a highway? Is the driver at fault or is it the pedestrian?
I do not blame the railroad industry for the deaths of anyone run over on train tracks. Train tracks are private property of the railroad industry and private property is just that private. If I list my house as private property and someone crosses my yard I can either do one of three things. One let the person go and hope it is a one time deal or two have the person arrested for trespassing or three shoot the idiot on sight. In any of the above solutions I am not responsible for the person in any way. I also cannot be charged with murder for protecting my property if it is so posted. Private property means just that Private. There are laws on the books dealing with this issue. I am appling the private property laws to the railroad industry.
Yes I am being cruel to the people trespassing on private property. Trains just run you over and that is the end of it. As a matter of fact they don't even have to blow their horns prior to running you over. This is private property and trains have the right-of-way not you nor your children nor anyother item in the way.
The problem with people versus trains will always exist as long as there are trains. Trains weigh much more than a person does and will always win in any physical argument over who has physical rights. Today's society is producing more idiots despite education.