Slog - Comments on For Your Consideration

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:56:25 -0800

You know, trains are pretty predictable. They don't screw around. Highly focused -- driven, you might say. They run ON railroad tracks, not "anywhere near" them.

Comment by Clearlyhere

Clearlyhere — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:02:27 -0800

@1
Awesome

Comment by Catalina Vel-DuRay

Catalina Vel-DuRay — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:03:14 -0800

They always make a big deal out of these train vs human things, both because they are so preventible, and because they mess so much stuff up: Freight and passenger schedules, auto traffic in the area of the wreck, etc.

What's weird to me is the length of time it takes a coroner to come out, look at the body, and say "yup. He's dead all right. And that trains the one that did it." Somtimes it takes six or seven hours.

Comment by wisepunk

wisepunk — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:06:00 -0800

Jeez Dan, 5 posts before 10am? You are shot out of a cannon today. Perhaps you are excited for slog trivia this evening?

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:06:58 -0800

#1, talking on a cell phone "anywhere near" the tracks clearly leads to aimlessly wandering onto them.

Comment by Cato the Younger Younger

Cato the Younger Younger — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:09:23 -0800

@1, but if trains could run OFF their rails; then life would be much much fuller for all of us!

Comment by Peter F

Peter F — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:13:00 -0800

It seems like you'd have to work hard to be hit by a train in 2008 -- it seems so anachronistic, like being run down by a zeppelin...

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:16:23 -0800

Natural selection illustrated

Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale

Lloyd Clydesdale — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:23:22 -0800

In defense of the dailies, they aren't overlooking the real, albeit rogue-wavish, possibility of a Crazy Train.

Comment by Giffy

Giffy — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:26:29 -0800

One would think the road, with its much more randomly traveling vehicles, would pose the greater risk.

Comment by El Seven

El Seven — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:27:14 -0800

Why do they say "killed by a train"? Shouldn't it say, "killed by not paying attention"? Is there some kind of rule in journalism that mandates this kind of blame game?

I can almost understand the first one getting killed as she was just crossing. But the recent one, yikes.

Comment by Ozzy!

Ozzy! — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:31:11 -0800

@9 - All Aboard!

Aye aye aye aye ...

Comment by Little Red Ryan Hood

Little Red Ryan Hood — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:03:06 -0800

I think the cell phone part isn't the issue, walking on tracks is the issue. It's something easy to blame but really seems unrelated these people could have just as easily been listening to their Ipods or reading US weekly or chewing gum. It simply adds some shock/scare value and reminds people to never talk on a cell phone. it's just like the headline of a teen who was raped or killed reading "Murdered teen was an active Myspace.com user"

Comment by Sad Comment

Sad Comment — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:03:59 -0800

Can ya here me now? Technology racks up another one. Last year it was a car load of teens with the driver so busy texting that she didn't see the semi coming the other way. Now 2 people yakking on cell phones in front of speeding trains. If it could only be the idiot next to me at the movies, who spent half the movie texting. Your time will come texting boy! Your time will come. Bwaahhahaha!

Comment by Jen

Jen — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:17:14 -0800

Fnarf, you are on fire this week.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:44:04 -0800

On July 1, 2008, it will be illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving.

Heads up - you've been warned.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:03:32 -0800

Fun game:

Notice how when there is a motorcycle death, the headline usually says "Cyclist dies" or "Rider died after accident". While if it is a car or a train or a plane it is "Driver killed" or "Pedestrian killed by train".

To be killed is to die violently, unnaturally. Something that isn't expected or supposed to happen. When you simply die, it's like "die of natural causes" or "die of old age" (you never say "killed by old age").

The papers have decided that motorcyclist deaths are an ordinary, expected thing, as unsurprising as the falling of the rain. Cell phone talkers are "killed" though. Go figure.