As much as I want to, I can't call this story a "tragedy."
To me, there has to be an element of misfortune, of fate, of unavoidable circumstances, for something to be called a "tragedy."
And this story -- while incredibly sad -- is all too predictable.
Two teenage girls skip school to sunbathe on a railroad trestle over a pond, fall asleep, and a train comes along. The only surprising thing is that the girls lost only a leg and a foot respectively, and are still alive.
It's a harsh truth: in this world, sometimes stupidity is a capital offense. These girls did nothing malicious or evil, but just incredibly, phenomenally, mind-bogglingly stupid. And they paid a price for it.
Luckily, they are alive to learn the lessons. And they will bear reminders of their mistake for the rest of their lives.
I can only hope that others can learn from their fate.
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Comments (6)
I am sure each of them had ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by WildWillie | May 30, 2008 2:53 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I am sure each of them had the ipods on full blast at the time. Sad story. Stupidity is shared at one time or another with all of us. ww
1. Posted by WildWillie | May 30, 2008 2:53 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2008 14:53
2. Posted by MichaelC | May 30, 2008 4:01 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Just kids who made a horrible, horrible mistake. The story seemed to indicate that the police come to the area often and I am assuming since it was mentioned that it its because there are young people in the RR right of way.
Sadly, I am left with the feeling that this event will, over time, fade away and unless access to the area is blocked, there will be other close and contact calls when occurrences such as this one, over time, slowly slip from the memory.
2. Posted by MichaelC | May 30, 2008 4:01 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2008 16:01
3. Posted by Bruce | May 30, 2008 4:30 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Stupid should hurt. It's how we, as a species, learn to become less stupid. It sucks that it hurts this much sometimes, but that's life.
3. Posted by Bruce | May 30, 2008 4:30 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2008 16:30
4. Posted by Joel | May 30, 2008 5:23 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Couple of years ago, a young teenage girl was walking home from school on the railroad tracks near our home with her iPod cranked, never hearing the train that hit her from behind. I think of her, and the engineer powerless to stop the train in time, each time I drive across those tracks. My kids hate to hear me tell that story, but I'm pretty sure the message has sunk in.
I'm also surprised that none of our city or state representatives sponsored a bill outlawing the use of iPods within 100 feet of a train track. I'm sure it's only a matter of time, though....
4. Posted by Joel | May 30, 2008 5:23 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2008 17:23
5. Posted by Candy | May 30, 2008 8:57 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
One of the young ladies mentioned in the story above was a student of mine two years ago. This tragedy has had a very large impact on our community. I, too, share Jay's opinion that this was FOOLISHNESS that never, ever should have occurred. Kids think they are invincible...
Rumor has it that the police had to chase more kids off the trestle today. You can't possibly block the area off unless the tracks are completely blocked, which would prohibit trains from moving across.
5. Posted by Candy | May 30, 2008 8:57 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2008 20:57
6. Posted by Spurwing Plover | June 1, 2008 3:56 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Reminds me of a incedent a few years ago where some antiwar antiarms race protester who had his legs aputated when he and his fellow idiots were sitting on some RR tracks when a train come along and severed his legs then tried to sue over a act of his own stupididy
6. Posted by Spurwing Plover | June 1, 2008 3:56 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 1, 2008 15:56