RRWife

Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Train fatally hits man in Naperville

Anybody who walks on the tracks has a death wish...or they're just stupid. While I feel badly for anybody who loses a loved one...I have absolutely no pity for any individual who is stupid enough to play on or near railroad tracks. The title of this article should have been titled " Man wearing headphones, walking on tracks hit and killed." To put "train fatally" first, immediately implies that the media is blaming the railroad. AS IF! If the train could have stopped, it would have.  (Nov 15, 2007 | post #43)

Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Alone onthetracks

Don't forget about this aspect of "rest": You 'tie up' in the yard at 6pm (after working 12 hours), and you've booked 12 hours rest (which too is rare). You have an hours drive home. You get in around 7:30, visit with your family, eat and go to bed. By the governed "rest" period, it means you can't be shown on duty until 6am..12 hours later...but you have a 2 hour call...so you go to bed at 9pm, after only an hour and a half at home...toss and turn until 11pm, because of all the coffee you had to keep you up to work...and at 4am you get that expected call. How many hours of actual sleep is that? It's even worse if you can't book 12 hours rest. Most RR's only get to book 8-10...so you can shave 2-4 hours off of your "at home, resting" cycle. And don't even think about taking a day off, due to fatigue, or a PL day...90% of the time, they deny it, or if you take more than 2 in a month, they threaten investigation. The crappy thing is, on a day when you only get 8 hours of rest booked...and you only have 5 hours to get home, and sleep before you get called again...if your train is involved in an accident...it's the employee who is screwed...and fired for 30 days, pending investigation! Where's the protection? And don't say "union" because that too, in my experience is bs. We pay $96 a month for a union rep, that doesn't work. Where's our new contract? It's been a few years in the making. ((and for those of you who wonder why I am refering to all of this in a 'we' standpoint, even though I'm not an employee...my husband is, my brother is, and my father was...it's in my blood.))  (Nov 15, 2007 | post #23)

Railroads

Train noise troubles residents

If we didn't sound the horn, we would be fired. If you want sleep, write your local government to establish quiet zones. We don't just blow the horn cause it makes us excited. People, you must remember, you have jobs that require you to to work at 7-8 am and get home at 4-5pm. We, that are engineers and conductor HAVE NO SCHEDULE. We work 11-17 hours EVERYDAY. Then 8-10 "rest" before we are back on duty. Sound like along time? Eight hours starts when we "tie up" or punch out (as you would call it). Amen! My husband is a conductor. He works an out of town board. He got home yesterday morning around 10, and got his 2 hour call at 8. This is a typical day home for him. Barely enough time to eat dinner with the kids and I, let alone get much sleep. It drives me nuts to hear people complaining about the horns, or crossings being blocked. Good grief. Do these same people also complain about the loud jet engines that fly overhead? Or how about the sound of sirens a 2 am when someone's house is on fire? How about the garbage trucks rumbling through your neighborhood at 4am? Come on. Try some earplugs! This is just how life is. Our railroad tracks were layed in my city LONG before any of these houses were built. GET OVER IT! If you don't like it, sell your house and move to the country. And may I remind you...the MINUTE your child or someone you care about is hit by a train, at a blind crossing, because my husband didn't blare his horn, to protect your "quiet zone", you will certainly sue the railroad! These trains take miles to come to a complete stop, even going only 30 mph. So if someone is on the tracks, and doesn't move...by the time the crew sees them, it's too damn late. And don't tell us to get brighter lights on the pumpkins, because that will just piss you off when it looks like daylight at 1am in your bedroom. The law is the law. It's set the way it is to protect you. Ear plugs are cheap. Buy some.  (Nov 15, 2007 | post #128)

Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Christmas?

I love making homemade things for gifts. This year, the kids and I are making hand painted, wood ornaments. Not only is it cheap, but it's a great sentimental item to give. I also have to agree with the feeling of being rushed, with the retailers starting Christmas immediately after Halloween. But truth be told, the reason I agree, is only because I prefer to hit the clearance items, and when the next holiday's items are already up, the pickings are slim. Christmas has always been my favorite time of year...the family gatherings, beautiful music, snow etc. But I put a lot of detail into decorating, so it takes more than just 2 days. Christmas puts me in a great mood, so I like to keep it going for as long as possible. I think many people are becoming scrooges, and part of this may be because of retailing. There has been so much pressure put on this holiday, with high priced items and them stating "an affordable gift". Right. How many of us can afford to spend $60 on a gift for one person of our extended family, when there are at least 6 of them to buy for? Not I. So the fear of not having enough money, or buying something they wont like is so high, it causes tension and aprehension. I wish we could all remember, "it's the thought that counts". Just remembering your loved ones on the holiday should be enough...but unfortunately, our society has raised a bunch of spoiled brats...boo hoo  (Nov 15, 2007 | post #8)

Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Christmas?

Personally, I love decorating for Christmas, so I usually start putting up the deco within a couple days after Halloween. The holiday is so short, that I like to enjoy the spirit longer than just a few days. But we also take the deco down the day after Christmas.  (Nov 5, 2007 | post #2)

Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Train Horns

The horns are there for a reason. To alert you that a train is coming. Without the horns, anybody not paying attention wont know there is a train approaching. Especially at unmarked crossings.  (Nov 5, 2007 | post #2)