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Train Engineers Texting and Antiquated Infrastructure

It is difficult for me to understand the media’s preoccupation with whether the train engineer was text messaging at the time of the tragic head on train crash in Southern California. Obviously, he should not have been and I have zero patience for those who would put others at risk by texting, whether responsible for a train, bus or car. But, so far as a train engineers texting is concerned, it misses the point as to why in an era of advanced technology, we have a train safety system that depends entirely on one man seeing one signal in order to avoid a collision between two trains. Hell, he could have bent over to pick up a piece of paper and missed the same signal. Obviously, we have the technical capability to electronically monitor and prevent such catastrophes. For me, the our greatest concern should be with those in governement that have allowed the nation’s infrastructure to decay while we watch bridges collapse and trains collide and blame text messaging.

 

Posted 05 / 28 / 2012

 

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