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It's normal to have the herd culled. That's why there's a saying that "but for the grace of God, go I."
You just never know when it's your time to go and we all do things that later can be considered stupid but seemed safe at the time.
You just have to hope that you have a guardian angel that cares about you !
On every subway station platform and at each trolley stop here there is a bright yellow "safety line" about a foot wide. Most people with functioning brain cells know to stand behind it. For those who don't there are regularly recorded announcements. And when folks crowd onto the line presenting a risk to themselves, the operator of the arriving streetcar or train has a super-noisy horn they can sound.
A few nights ago, a woman aged 20-something decided texting took precedence over common sense. She ambled right to the safety line in a station downtown and kept going. No attention was paid to the train approaching. While her thumbs danced over the phone keyboard, her last thought in this life was probably, "Oh m'gawd, that horn was, like, so LOUD. That's, like, SO annoy..." POW!!! The only reason her fatal self-absorption didn't get focused on was, a guy in the station ran over to where the phone had landed when it flew from her hands and stole it.
The fact this child was killed crossing the tracks is worthy of a thread to point out that this happens way too often. But the reason for the thread seems to be to belittle the deceased child and even the family for holding a vigil at the sight where she was killed, rather than to show sympathy and highlight the problems of some RR crossings and the number of people hurt or killed. Those with no sympathy for accidents that involve teens or other loved ones and possibly questionable behavior would certainly feel differently if the person had been someone near and dear to them. That's why I don't care for threads that start out as this one does. OP, If you want to do that then contact the family of this child and tell them face to face what you think. None of us were there, nor were we even given a link to the article to read. I think it's odd she wouldn't have felt or heard the train coming. People wearing headphones don't always have them blasting so they can't hear anything else. It's a shame this happened and I feel bad for her parents. The family holding a vigil at the tracks is no different than people holding vigils on a highway where a person was killed or even on a street corner somewhere. They often put signs, some balloons, candles and such as a remembrance. OP, do you put down those that have some kind of prayer and vigil at other places where an injury accident took place? Why does it matter to you how they choose to deal with their grief?
It's so easy to judge this girl and every other "dummy" out there. Now think back to a few of the not so bright things we all have done during the course of life, especially when an invincible teen or college kid. Ya never took any chances when you were a kid or acted without thinking things through well? We could probably make quite an interesting thread on that subject too. Ever get behind the wheel when you knew you were over the legal limit and shouldn't drive? Wouldn't that be considered "darwinism at it's finest"? I'd say it qualifies.
As far as the subways in New York City, they could have had barriers for free sometime ago as long as the company was able to advertise and such. It would have been a good deal and made it much safer. Even before mobile phones there were some people right up next to the edge of the platform. People and their phones, the preoccupation with them and the things they do, that could be yet another thread.
Yes, then these same people want to get government aid to help them get over their grief. Then they also want all the towns and cities to install very expensive fences to prevent stupid people from stupidly standing/walking down the track.
You know, the real purpose of government is to prevent people from their own stupidity. Since stupidity from people knows no bound, the size of government, and the taxes that go to feed it, also knows no bound.
All of us do stupid stuff no matter how smart or dumb we are.
Yeah, but there's day altering stupid and life altering stupid
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