A quick rant before I run off to watch the red sox at yankee stadium…

In both of today’s Boston papers, there is a story about a kid who was hit and killed by a commuter train in a suburban town. In the Globe, the story focuses on the fact that, to preserve the quiet of suburbia, many towns have disallowed trains to blow their horns at railroad crossings. Because of this accident, the clamor is now about reversing this trend, and forcing trains to toot at every grade crossing. In the other “paper,” the Herald, the debate was about speed, with clamor for trains to slow down to about 1/3 normal operating speed at all grade crossings.

Now, we happen to live nearby a street which is crossed by tracks for the commuter rail. As a driver, I’m frequently forced to stop as the train passes. As a rider of said train, I enjoy the relatively speedy trip downtown. Now, before a train ever crosses the road, lights flash, gates are lowered, and bells ding. I’ve been taught that when the gates go down, the bells ding and the lights flash, that a train is coming, possibly at high speeds.

I’m sorry about this unfortunate accident, however, I think that both articles completely missed the point. Trains should not have to slow down at every grade crossing; that would make for an arduously long trip. Also, trains should not have to blow their horns at every crossing; this would be legitimately annoying for those living near such crossings. The problem is not in the way the trains are run, rather the parenting of children.

I was taught way back when that when the lights flash and the gate comes down, you stop, wait for the train to pass, and then continue. I was also taught not to walk along active railroad tracks. These two lessons are ones which every parent should impart to his/her children. And, if need be, that child should be shown pictures of those whose last decision was to ignore one of those lessons.

I’m tired of the railroads being blamed for things which are not their fault. Had the gate malfunctioned, it would be another story entirely, but such was not the case. Although we all like safe environments (especially those of us living out in suburbia,) we have got to take responsibility for it ourselves. If a kid, having been told to look before crossing the street, does not, and is hit by a car traveling the speed limit, is the driver at fault? No. And any sane parent will tell his/her kid to look both ways. So instead of blaming incidents such as this on the evil trains, how about taking responsibility for a grave mistake.