New Approach Aims to Scare Kids Away from Tracks
Engineers live with images of those killed on the tracks; share stories with teens to keep them away.
The last few years have been deadly ones on the train tracks. Last year alone 30 people died in New Jersey when they were struck by trains. While some of those were killed by accident, by bad decisions to be on the tracks, others were people who wanted to die. No matter how it happens, one person is left with the horror of the victim’s final seconds and the sound of the train hitting someone: The engineer. “It’s the only job where when you are trained you’re told if you’re in this job long enough, you will kill someone,” said engineer Tom Haas, who has twice hit people trespassing on the tracks. “There’s nothing at all that I can do but blow the horn and pray and watch it happen,” he said. Last week, NJ Transit released plans for making …
In this Article:
John Fonseca
10:43 am on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
If someone wants to get on the tracks, a fence isn't going to prevent them. Ever actually ride the train? Through most of Newark the trains run in a below surface concrete canal type of thing. It's fenced. There's not a square meter of wall that isn't covered with graffiti. Graffiti isn't done by remote control. People go down there. Ok, so let's have NJT fence with 20' tall prison fence topped … more ›