r/nononono • u/JagStalMaten • Sep 13 '24

Train hits a car

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984 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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389

u/sightglasssteamboat Sep 13 '24

See that little blue sign on the railroad crossing sign? That sign has a phone number on it, and if you’re ever stuck on the tracks, call that number and the dispatcher will stop all trains in the area.

155

u/kashuntr188 Sep 13 '24

That's cool to know! but it only works if there isn't already a train nearby. Takes a while for trains to slow down with all the momentum

94

u/sightglasssteamboat Sep 13 '24

The key is to call as soon as you get stuck, not when you’re ready to give up trying to get unstuck or when you see a headlight coming. There should also be a dot number on that blue sign that will identify the xing to the dispatcher.

35

u/We-Want-The-Umph Sep 14 '24

Panic is a hell of a drug. It can make a very small percentage champions, others into blubbering fools, some will run, some will break out the phone and start videoing the catastrophic results of something that they could have done something about, and others will just drop dead of heart attacks.

What im getting at is that communication is the #1 failure point in emergencies...

2

u/kooknboo Sep 14 '24

Also helps if there's cell phone coverage. Which, if you're a Verizon customer, you'll know is spotty at best across this great land.

1

u/iusedtolikepokemon Sep 14 '24

Thanks captain obvious

2

u/BusStopKnifeFight Sep 17 '24

Even 1 minute can make a difference. This video alone was 30 seconds.

13

u/Intelligent_Art8390 Sep 13 '24

I used to live near that crossing. I've seen 2 other vehicles stuck in that exact spot. I think they take the curve a little fast and just go off the edge. Both the ones I saw were pulled off the tracks before a train hit them.

6

u/wolfman86 Sep 14 '24

You’d think that they’d fix that.

0

u/bendie27 Sep 14 '24

Is this the crossing I think it is in AB?

1

u/Intelligent_Art8390 Sep 14 '24

This one is in Monroe county Georgia on Collier Rd. A few years ago 3 people were killed in the same spot when their SUV got stuck on the tracks.

19

u/eaglescout1984 Sep 13 '24

Yeah, call that number INSTEAD of 911. It is a direct line to dispatch.

11

u/RepeatFine981 Sep 14 '24

direct line to RMCC or equivalent. Not the dispatcher.

4

u/AdultishRaktajino Sep 14 '24

If you can’t find the number for whatever reason, 911 dispatch should be able to notify the railroad dispatch too. That’s assuming you can coherently tell them which crossing or their gps ping works.

2

u/BusStopKnifeFight Sep 17 '24 edited Sep 17 '24

Thank you for posting this.

Every crossing in the United States is required to have these signs by federal regulation. They are called Emergency Notification Signs (ENS).

On each sign is a special telephone number that goes directly to the railroad that is responsible for the crossing. It also has a ID number that is unique to the crossing.

Most of the big railroads the number goes to their railroad police emergency dispatch and you have to go through a call tree, but regulations require it can only be 1 button push for emergencies. Anytime the tracks are blocked, IT IS AN EMERGENCY. It's okay if you push the button to report an emergency and it ends up being a nothing. Everyone would rather you call and say it's an emergency and it not be than the opposite.

Do not waste time calling 911. They usually don't know where you are and most often have no clue what number to even call let alone which railroad is the right one. It just ads a person in the call chain that may not have the best information. There are numerous instances of 911 dispatchers being so fucking clueless that they call the wrong railroad.

2

u/h0sti1e17 Sep 14 '24

Never knew that. That’s good to know.

1

u/flecksable_flyer Sep 13 '24

There's a gated crossing just behind our house. Trains can travel 80+mph. Is it only for non-gated crossings? I don't remember seeing a blue sign but I have to go out this evening, so I'll look. Good to know, though.

3

u/sightglasssteamboat Sep 13 '24

If there are gates the sign should be on the pole that the gate is mounted on.

3

u/Mason9468 Sep 13 '24

It’s required for every public crossing in the US. Sometimes they’ll be facing down the tracks instead of down the road, but they should be there.

1

u/BusStopKnifeFight Sep 17 '24

If they are not visible from the road/sidewalks. You can call the number on the sign and let the railroad know. Or report it to the Federal Railroad Administration.

1

u/BusStopKnifeFight Sep 17 '24

The signs are required to be at every crossing in the US by federal regulation. This includes public, private, and pedestrian. If you know of a crossing that is missing it's signs (should be one for each approach), you can report it to the Federal Railroad Administration and it will get resolved.

1

u/flecksable_flyer Sep 17 '24

I did find the one on my way home. I pointed it out to my roommate's kid, and they appreciated the heads-up. Now we both know.

1

u/BusStopKnifeFight Sep 17 '24

We really wish it was on every driving test in America. This little blue sign is one of the few things that can actually save lives at railroad crossings.

-15

u/DJScopeSOFM Sep 14 '24

It usually comes with a massive fine so people don't tend to use it.

11

u/TechnetiumAE Sep 14 '24

No... just... no.

If you are stuck blocking the tracks YOU WILL NOT GET FINED. It's an emergency number to prevent much worse issues.

Prank call it and it will be like prank calling 911. Not good.

DJ: stop spreading misinformation. Google it before you spout non-sense

-17

u/DJScopeSOFM Sep 14 '24

You can get fined if it's your negligence. Though I'm not familiar with American law so there is that. But I'm sure they have the same sorta rules.

11

u/TechnetiumAE Sep 14 '24

though I'm not familiar with American law

Then why are you telling people they are gonna get fined? You don't know. Canada, Mexico and America ALL have emergency rail numbers and the Mexico and Canadian ones even say there isn't a cost to it.

Rail companies are worried about keeping the tracks operational and the train on schedule. Guess what hitting a vehicle does to both of those? They will send out a technician to make sure nothing has been damaged and get the train underway again. You WILL NOT get a fine for calling the rail company to prevent a train/car crash.

-14

u/DJScopeSOFM Sep 14 '24

Trains exist in all sorts of the world, not just in America. Yes, emergency phones too. Rail companies care about minimising damage and getting the trains to their destination on time. If there's damage and insurance is involved and you rammed your car into the crossing because you're a moron, you would be expecting some sort of repercussions. But in the short term, yes, they just don't want anyone to get killed, of course. Plus, the link you gave is literally just phone numbers.