Be(a)ware or be roadkill Part II

Here we go again: train > cell phone moron


Train hits woman who was using cell phone while walking on tracks

Associated Press
March 20, 2008

Anderson, Calif. (AP) -- A 29-year-old woman who was walking on railroad tracks while talking on her cell phone is recovering after being struck by a freight train.

The conductor of the Union Pacific train told authorities that Melinda Champion was talking on her phone when the train hit her from behind on Wednesday.

The train was headed south near Anderson, a town in far north-central California. A police sergeant said the conductor applied the emergency brakes when he spotted the woman, who apparently did not hear the train's whistle or feel the vibrations on the tracks.

The train struck her at about 45 mph, bouncing her to the side of the tracks.

Police Sgt. Bob Curato told The Associated Press on Thursday that Champion was recovering at a local hospital, but her condition was not available.

(Source)

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Selected comments

youseeit wrote:
okay. i'm the first one to roll my eyes when people overuse this expression, but... this is truly one for the darwin awards.

trudat2 wrote:
how do you not notice a moving train? stevie wonder could dodge a moving train...

tigerclaw wrote:
while quavik has a point, and i'm on board with that, this particular case is more like universal stupidy. You see it everywhere. People talking on cell phones are a menace to society. Communication is easier but not better. Does anyone using a cell phone actually pay attention to anything around them? No. Do they get snitty when approached? Yes. Do they feel their conversation is the most important thing in the world at that time? Yes. Is there anything we can do to curb this rampant misuse? Yes. Slap it out of their hand. I have. Twice.

sf_sf wrote:
Oh my gawd Becky!! So like, there I was, like, just talking to my friend Bethany when, like this totally rude train knocked me on my stupid brainless a$$. -- Stupid twit.

homer wrote:
"SO I'm all, and he's like, and I'm like, he's all*splat*"

Truffaut wrote:
Can you hear me NOW?

ams123 wrote:
Totally effing clueless!!! Did not feel the vibration of the train OR hear the whistle! Deaf, dumb, and clueless! Definitely a finalist for the Darwin Award!

secretcervix007 wrote:
I wonder if she can hear it now? Sheesh. Come on people. We're so connected by cells and computers we can't stand to be away from them for a couple of minutes? To save your life? What the hell are we all saying to one another anyway. Lady on phone: "Hey do you think I'm too close to the tracks"? "No honey, it doesn't sound like it" KERPOW.

cvaldes1831 wrote:
"Paging Melissa Champion! Mr. Darwin on line one!"

Osafp wrote:
I don't think it's only women yakking on their cellphones, but yesterday, at around 5pm, northbound on I-280 around Daly City, a woman in a Volvo wagon, middle lane, veering right and left in her lane, nearly sideswiping several surrounding cars, all while traveling at the unsafe-low speed of around 40mph. People honking all around her. She could've killed people...Does she even notice? Well, you know the answer to that...And by the way, who the &^% are these people talking to that it takes precedence over operating a 2-ton moving vehicle? We need to ban all cellphone conversations while driving, hands-free included. And shut the &^%$ up on BART, too, please. No one cares about the Henderson Account, or Aunt Gertie's foot surgery, or whether you had a great time last night with whatshisname...

El4short wrote:
Typically a freight train can take up to a mile to stop after applying the brakes, even at 40-45 mph. It's tonnage and momentum, not "flat wheels." Y'know, trains don't have steering wheels . . . just stay off the tracks!! Thanks for the great laughs above -- these cell phone morons deserve it.

iwearfur wrote:
"bouncing her to the side of the tracks" you KNOW the writer had fun writing this one...

tothestarz wrote:
Like alot of people, they just don't think the "rules" apply to them. Like a freight train bearing down on you, blowing it's whistle -- couldn't possible have anything to do with *me*. It's probably going the other way on a different set of tracks. Just go around if I'm in the way.

malcolm2 wrote:
So, is the train ok?

tenbaum wrote:
Can you hear me ... OW!!!

wethepeople wrote:
"what? I can't hear you...yeah, there is all this noise around here....some obnoxious person is blowing a really freaking loud horn too...anyway, I like chocolate pudding" *KABAM* I'm glad she's ok and perhaps her stupid behavior will teach some other person to pay attention and help them avoid yet another avoidable accident.

terrybike wrote:
When is the last time you heard of a freight train sneeking up on someone??

sr71 wrote:
Yak, yak, yak and yak! Oh ya? Yak, yak... *SPLAT!* Hello? HELLO! Dang! Another dropped call!

billthecat wrote:
If the cancer doesn't get you, the train will.

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Here's Mr. Johnny Cash again :-P





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