And yes, Virginia, it's a meritless lawsuit. Probable judgment: For plaintiff in the amount of money requested because trains are evil and so are corporations.
At any rate, I found this story on yet another pirate-themed blog---did I miss something here?---which I'd stumbled across somehow: Caution: Do Not Walk on Tracks.
According to the article, plaintiff is suing because a train operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway struck her while she was walking along trackage near her home in Jeanette, Pennsylvania. (That's near Pittsburgh, so it must be former PRR trackage acquired from Conrail. --Ed.) Plaintiff's injuries consisted of "a broken finger, cuts, and pain", according to the complaint.
Now, if you'll allow me to mount my soapbox: Woman, not only are you an idiot, but it's readily evident that God has spared you, because playing chicken with a train is generally a guaranteed way to die in a splattered mist of bone, blood, and other viscera. People who duel with a D9-40CW (one of the most populous locomotives on the NSR) are usually minus a limb or two if (and I stress the conditional nature of this) they live. Many bleed to death, because of the considerable damage a locomotive can do to a mere human body.
As Don Imus puts it, "Jesus God Almighty!" How stupid do you get? I understand that occasionally, trains aren't the loudest things in the world, and one doesn't always process the information of "ground rumbling, bell ringing, horn blaring" as an approaching train. And I'm told that the Union Pacific has trouble keeping its grade crossings in operation. But come on! This was the woman's hometown, and she somehow doesn't know that trains run on railroad tracks?
Plaintiff's suit says of the NSR that, "Defendant's failure to warn plaintiff of the potential dangers negligently provided plaintiff with the belief she was safe in walking near the train tracks," and that the NSR should have posted signs warning passersby trespassers "of the dangers of walking near train tracks and that the tracks were actively in use."
As an old television program I used to watch said, "Gimme a break!" I suppose that this woman will want Robin Chapman, the NSR public relations guy, to walk with her everywhere and say, "Ma'am, these continuous welded rails indicate that at any point in time, a train operated by our crews may be coming by. Please be advised that...."
I am, of course, disgusted with this woman. I doubt that the operating practices of the NSR, or anything else connected to the company had anything to do with her injury. At any rate, let me take this opportunity to point any and all interested parties to Operation Lifesaver, the group founded to promote railroad safety amongst the general public. Their work is vital and worthwhile in the modern era, especially since the general public at large no longer interact with trains regularly enough to know basic safety habits.
Tip of the company-mandated safety helmet to Pirates! Man Your Women!
Posted by Country Pundit at November 18, 2004 10:27 AM