Crossing Crackdown Nails Dozens

[WhoozOn1st]

Ventura County - my area - is not exactly a hotbed of rail activity, but there are quite a few grade crossings. The sweep areas noted in this article include part of the straight-shot speedway along 5th Street between Oxnard and Camarillo, and a fairly fast-running stretch along Oxnard Blvd. in Oxnard, with OXN between the two. In addition to these chronic grade crossing problem areas, hardly a year passes without a fatal collision in the agricultural expanse between Camarillo and Moorpark. Usually these mishaps involve farm vehicles at private, poorly marked dirt road crossings (some lacking even crossbucks) connecting fields to Highway 118, the main thoroughfare.

Oxnard sting targets railroad crossing violators

Four reader comments so far (for the record, none by me):

"let the morons cross the tracks, there will be less of them to deal with later on down the track, I mean road."

"Those that walk on the rail tracks and think it's a safe pastime deserve what they get coming to them. Idiots!"

"Please, can we stop babysitting the stupid and irresponsible people of this world."

"Why can’t they be more productive with their time and arrest the many immigrants that have broken the law by coming into this country illegally."

 

[Hanno]

"let the morons cross the tracks, there will be less of them to deal with later on down the track, I mean road."

"Those that walk on the rail tracks and think it's a safe pastime deserve what they get coming to them. Idiots!"

"Please, can we stop babysitting the stupid and irresponsible people of this world."

While it is easy to agree with the above sentiments too often it is the innocent that become victims. IMHO this is a good idea to bring awaremenss to a critical issue.

 

[birdy]

A very worthwhile activity for the local PD. $500 fines are the way to impress drivers that this is not just another minor traffic infraction. Also, nice post, Alan.

A local TV station in my area had just a great story on this. RR invited camera crew to the cab as train moved across town. They filmed kids cutting in front of the train on their bikes, and cars running the crossing, with an elapsed time counter in the frame showing how many seconds from impact the car or pedestrian was when he crossed the track. It was absolutely harrowing, and really terrific television. Wonderful public education.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

On a related topic, an L.A. Times letter to the editor poses a question that I would guess many of us have asked in similar form at one time or another. Copy/paste to preclude having to slog through the other 12 letters published this date.

Lethal inattention

Re "Metro Blue train kills man near downtown L.A.," May 21

Why is the headline about the pedestrian/Blue Line collision "Metro Blue Line train kills man near downtown L.A." rather than "Man crossing in front of train dies"?

Whatever happened to "look both ways before crossing"?

It's not like any of our light-rail lines go at lightning speeds. Enough blaming Metro for people's inattention.

_________

The writer is from Los Angeles.