Bellingham’s RR anarchists

[CrazyDonkey]

I don't see these young women as "anarchists", but as "idealists" who are well meaning (at least in their own eyes), but mistaken. It tends to be the way of the self-convinced to believe that their end sanctifies whichever means. Instead they're looking at long stretches in federal prison (unless they can finger another or others for using them as dupes, providing them with material assistance, and, in short, having put them up to it) and lifelong felony records, with nothing positive achieved.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

I don't see these young women as "anarchists", but as "idealists" who are well meaning (at least in their own eyes), but mistaken. It tends to be the way of the self-convinced to believe that their end sanctifies whichever means. Instead they're looking at long stretches in federal prison (unless they can finger another or others for using them as dupes, providing them with material assistance, and, in short, having put them up to it) and lifelong felony records, with nothing positive achieved.

Sorry, I can't get onboard.
Imagine if these actions had resulted in a derailment in the center of one of the towns in the area and this happened:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErY01w1LLHs

Place a similar series of explosions at Bellingham's waterfront RR crossing at F street for example , and it would level/burn everything up to Dupont St, or further.

[rkcarguy]

Welp, that didn't take long.....

https://myferndalenews.com/train-der...custer_111067/

I also noticed this(quoted from the Bellingham Herald):

"Brooks and Reiche were arrested after triggering a game camera on BNSF property, the complaint said.
They made an initial court appearance Monday and were released pending a Dec. 14 hearing. Their attorneys declined to comment Monday afternoon."

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

Welp, that didn't take long.....

https://myferndalenews.com/train-der...custer_111067/

I also noticed this(quoted from the Bellingham Herald):

"Brooks and Reiche were arrested after triggering a game camera on BNSF property, the complaint said.
They made an initial court appearance Monday and were released pending a Dec. 14 hearing. Their attorneys declined to comment Monday afternoon."

Excellent!

[2nd trick op]

A simple question for the two ladies and their sympathizers (from a former operating railroader):

Would you rather see these shipments move on a private right-of-way in one 100-ton freight car, or on public highways -- on three 40-ton tractor-trailer rigs?

[2nd trick op]

In an attempt to shed more light on the Lac Megantic disaster, I'm posting a link to the Wikipedia summary of the accident,
which links in turn to the investigation conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Surete' du Quebec, equivalent to the Provincial Police in the Anglophonic Provinces.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%..._rail_disaster

The North American rail network now carries about 60 percent more freight than in 1945 (measured in terms of gross tonnage -- merchandise and perishable freight continues to be lost to trucking) and with about one-eighth of the payroll. This has been accomplished mostly via huge gains in productivity, but cost-cutting and deferred maintenance have sometimes played a role -- aggravated to some degree by increasing detachment from an understanding of the conditions and perils unique to rail operation on the part of the general public.

Operating railroaders sometimes have to deal with a stress unique to working the "extra board" (non-scheduled movements), since they may be called to work on two hours notice at any hour of day or night, an an unexpected spike or lapse in traffic can drastically disrupt sleep patterns, and increase a crew's haste to "mark off" at the end of a day which might run twelve hours; it's a condition common to those of us engaged in any form of surface transportation. It's not clear whether rest factors and requirements played a role in this accident

On the day in question (12/18/2013) a solid, or "unit" train of tank cars originating in North Dakota's Bakken oil field and destined for Saint John, New Brunswick, was halted at a siding at Nantes, seven miles west of Lac Megantic, and several hundred feet higher in elevation, for re-crewing the following morning.

In situations such as this one, the departing crew is responsible for securing the cars, either by air or hand brakes, preferably both -- but this duty was apparently downplayed or neglected by both the departing crew and the dispatchers and supervisors responsible for oversight of the operation. What air pressure was supplied by the locomotive (which had mechanical issues) apparently "bled off" and the loaded tank cars rolled down a 1.2 percent grade (vertical rise of 1 foot per 80 feet horiziontally) and derailed and ruptured within the center of town -- with disastrous results.

[jertheber]

Regardless of one's political leanings, most people draw a line between their feelings of wanting to protest something, and going to extremes in the process. In the sixties and seventies I went to plenty of protests, but never felt compelled to burn anything or blow up anything, or to smash windows--or people. Whether one is on the right or left of the political dynamic, the majority are not on the extreme side of those views.

It get's tiresome reading through the nonsensical posts that put all the disparate views into neat little boxes for the purpose of denigrating the other's political notions. I know plenty of Republicans who aren't Trump worshipers, nor extremists in any way, and plenty of Democrats who don't view Biden as the new savior, nor do they condone violence as a political tool.

Anyone caught trying to derail a train should end up doing hard time and plenty of it. So there's one liberal's thoughts about extreme behavior. Painting people with too broad a brush only makes one look like a brainless fool, we need to know the difference between those who are on board with protesting as a unique aspect of our political landscape-- and those who come to our cities with malice in mind...