Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Did I mention school buses?

Travel and Transportation safety are common topics on the old blog here. Let's just say the topic interests me, and the media does such a bad job covering the intricacies.

Much of the time I like to poke fun at news stories about various accidents and the hyperbola associated with a train or plane crash. As I always say, DRIVING to the airport is hundreds of times more dangerous that flying on a commercial airliner.

Our government, in their infinite wisdom, with the assistance of various and sundry “advocates,” loves to pass laws and spend our money under of guise of making our daily commuting less dangerous. Things like helmet laws and seat belt laws provide a warm fuzzy feeling for the politicians and “advocates” and a false sense of security for people that otherwise operate their vehicles like complete and total idiots. If you are wearing a helmet when you drive your scooter under a dump truck, they still probably can't put you back together good enough to stage an open casket funeral.

What is really stupid is that I can get a $50 ticket for not wearing my seat belt in my 6000 pound Chevy Surburban, but 35 ten year old kids can jump on a school bus with a driver full of wild turkey bourbon (who also happens to be safely buckled in his or her seat) and ride ten miles sliding from seat to seat without a seat belt or shoulder harness in sight.

What’s up with that?

That said, the Metra commuter train crash in Chicago hits a little close to home for Pat and I this morning. We are planning a trip next month to Elgin, Illinois relating to Pat’s business, including a Metra ride round trip into downtown Chicago for dinner and sight seeing.

Like most forms of public transportation, during peak times the double-decker Metra trains can be cattle cars full of commuters whiling away the time until they get to their destination.

Instead of turning the train around at the end of a run in each direction, most of the seats have reversible backs which the conductor simply “flips” to face forward as he walks through the cars collecting fares and selling tickets. You have a choice of facing forward, backwards, or sideways.

Today’s Metra crash killed two and injured 83, but it could have been much worse if the train had been packed with weekday rush hour commuters.

I think that the next time I ride a train into downtown Chicago, I’m going to leave my seat facing toward the rear.

It’s a lot safer in the event something unexpected happens.

And besides, facing to the rear--instead of seeing where you're going, you can see where you're coming from...