I wondered about it. Would it ever happen? Would I be there to see it happen?...
Well, it did and I was. Yesterday.
Those of you who have been to our house know that if you go to Corvallis in any direction you have to cross the railroad tracks. If you're going the quickest route you are barely on your way and you're crossing one set of them. Well, now that I am going to school 2 days a week and have to be there by 8:00 A.M. it puts me right in the middle of rush hour and it gets quite backed up on the main road right off of our street. (our street is a dead end so I MUST take this very backed up road.) The reason the line gets so long is because it crosses the railroad tracks, has room for one car and then hits a light that lets you enter Hwy 99W. Most of the time people are very nice and let me enter the busy, backed up road in front of them but it still makes for a wait at the light. Sometimes numerous times.
Yesterday I ended up behind a man stopped at the tracks, or rather ON the tracks. I see this often and have never thought it a good idea but because I had seen this before and because I knew I was there for a little while I let my mind wonder to school and everything that my day entailed.
I shouldn't have done that.
By the time I looked up from my books the man (in a very large pickup. Remember I'm in a Mini) in front of me had his window down and was waving frantically at me to back up. It was then that I noticed the crossing gate had come down (across his hood as best it could. It was a really BIG pickup). I looked behind me and backed as far as I could (remember there is a huge long line behind me) That indicated to the car behind me to move (and so forth down the line) which allowed me to back further. It took about 3 backings until the guy was back far enough to be out of the trains way...
Just in time for the train to pass.
I don't know. It wasn't a very long train, maybe the damage would have been minimal.... who am I kidding? It was a train!!!
The guy was not happy with me. He left his window down and turned his side mirror so I could see him swearing at me. So maybe I should have been paying more attention but really
Who's the guy who parked on the tracks?!!!
After he had his say with me by way of hand motions and lip contortion and before he rolled his window back up, I gave him the look that replied to his tongue lashing. You know the look...
"I wondered if anyone was ever dumb enough to park on the tracks when a train was coming" look.
He probably had to get some damage repaired on his truck from the arm coming down on it and than the slide of it across the hood as he backed up. First, though, he probably had to go home and change his clothes... I know I would have peed my pants...
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5 comments:
OH MY!!!! Sounds like an eventful drive to school!!
scary! Well, at least now you will never be tempted to stop on the tracks :)
I have sat at that intersection many times and wondered what would happen if a train came along and the arm came down on the car parked in front of me. I learned a long time ago not to stop on the tracks. A friend of mine in high school had a father who worked for the railroad. She once told me they have a control in their trucks that will drop the arms and he would drop them on people who were parked on the tracks. Very scary to know that there isn't some sort of mechanism that would raise them if they hit a car.
I have thought of that every time I come up to that light. Never did I think that it would happen to you,that you would actually see someone park on the tracks. I bet that guy never parks on the track again!!!
I have thought of that every time I come up to that light. Never did I think that it would happen to you,that you would actually see someone park on the tracks. I bet that guy never parks on the track again!!!
Mom
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