Thursday, December 18, 2008
Woman Stuck on Railroad Tracks Dials 911 Instead of Running
This is a pretty shocking story:
The right-wing talk radio show I listen to in the morning (when driving my son to school) was making a big deal about this, saying it was a metaphor for American society. I.e. there is an economic freight train headed for us, and nobody wants to save himself but instead wants the government to swoop in and rescue him (her).
I admit it's hard to fathom why someone would dial 911 in that situation, but the fact that she was 68 and someone was there trying to help her are details they didn't mention on the radio. Presumably the lady panicked and years of PSA habituation made her dial 911.
Police say a woman who died after her car was struck by a freight train in Anaheim was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher in the moments before the crash.
Police said Tuesday that 68-year-old Linda Kruger-Small told the dispatcher her car was stuck on the railroad tracks and she was urged to get out. The train collided with her car Monday night on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks.
Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez says the dispatcher heard someone trying to help her before the line went dead.
The right-wing talk radio show I listen to in the morning (when driving my son to school) was making a big deal about this, saying it was a metaphor for American society. I.e. there is an economic freight train headed for us, and nobody wants to save himself but instead wants the government to swoop in and rescue him (her).
I admit it's hard to fathom why someone would dial 911 in that situation, but the fact that she was 68 and someone was there trying to help her are details they didn't mention on the radio. Presumably the lady panicked and years of PSA habituation made her dial 911.
Comments:
Maybe she was physically disabled and could not remove herself from the vehicle without assistance.
Seems unlikely but who knows.
Seems unlikely but who knows.
Taylor, I don't know of any kind of disability situation that would prevent someone from merely exiting the front seat. They can either crawl out, or use the automated system they normally do for exiting, or use the assistance of someone with them.
Or just, you know, not drive onto the tracks while a train is coming, or drive a car that can't be foiled by mere railroads.
In her defense, it may be that she panicked and didn't realize the obvious solution. Lord knows, I've made stupid mistakes like that. Plus, at her age she may be accustomed to relying on the assistance of others. Although in that circumstance, I'm pretty sure that calling someone else for help wouldn't be on my mind.
The worst that can be said is that she was just not very bright, in which case, why is she allowed to drive? As Bob's wife put it one time, "Political correctness, M.D."
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Or just, you know, not drive onto the tracks while a train is coming, or drive a car that can't be foiled by mere railroads.
In her defense, it may be that she panicked and didn't realize the obvious solution. Lord knows, I've made stupid mistakes like that. Plus, at her age she may be accustomed to relying on the assistance of others. Although in that circumstance, I'm pretty sure that calling someone else for help wouldn't be on my mind.
The worst that can be said is that she was just not very bright, in which case, why is she allowed to drive? As Bob's wife put it one time, "Political correctness, M.D."
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