From: nick+mtr@nicksandru.com   
      
   On 02/13/2015 10:20 AM, John W Gintell wrote:   
   > On 2/13/15 9:28 AM, Clark F Morris wrote:   
   >> On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 07:37:38 -0600, Robert Heller   
   >>  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> At Thu, 12 Feb 2015 21:34:37 -0500 Michael Finfer   
   >>>  wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> much snipped   
   >>>>   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
   > The real problem is drivers making bad judgement calls. Drivers are   
   > often in hurry and impatient and take risks all the time: running   
   > orange-turning-to-red lights, passing with limited visibility, driving   
   > too fast for the road conditions, and ignoring railroad crossing gates.   
   >   
   > The other day I was driving on a street in Cambridge, MA and gate went   
   > down just as I got there and of course I stopped and waited.  I listened   
   > and heard no train. And in fact it was 20-30 seconds before the train   
   > came; it was going pretty fast.  You can imagine how in situations like   
   > this some people would decide to drive around the gate since it doesn't   
   > cover the whole path.   
   >   
   > In this women's case her car got hit by the descending gate - so it was   
   > similar to the situation where someone tries to beat the orange light   
   > before it turns red.   
   >   
      
   A few years ago I was driving on the Flatbush Avenue in Hartford, CT,   
   near the crossing with the Springfield - New Haven line. At that time it   
   was a level crossing and it was replaced by an overpass a few years ago.   
   The traffic ahead of me was stopped by a traffic light about 200 yards   
   away. There was no room for me between the car ahead of me and the   
   tracks, so I stopped at the white stop line in front of the crossing   
   gates, leaving a gap of some 30 - 40 ft between me and the other car.   
   Soon another car stopped behind me and the driver began to honk his horn   
   and flash his headlights to entice me to move ahead. I just stayed put.   
   He backed a few feet and began to pass me on the left, when the crossing   
   lights began to flash and, a few seconds later, the gates came down.   
   Then Amtrak's shuttle from Springfield to New Haven - to coaches with a   
   Genesis at the rear - passed through the crossing at about 70 mph.   
   During all this time the traffic ahead of me didn't move. I might have   
   saved that idiot's life (and those of the people on the train) by   
   refusing to move ahead when he tried to goad me into it...   
      
   --   
   Nick Sandru   
   Somerville, NJ   
      
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