Not one but two (presumably) railfan foamers have now scolded me for suggesting that a locomotive that overruns the tracks into someone's house is not the house's fault.
@munin A remotely controlled locomotive in upstate NY overran the end of a yard track, crossed the street, and demolished someone's garage the other day. I commented that I was surprised that the railroad, as they invariably do when a train hits something, didn't call the house a "trespasser".
@munin my father once drove me through the town where he grew up; there was a sharp curve in a residential road, and a house facing the curve, and two or three huge boulders in the house’s yard.
He said they’d added the boulders after the second time a drunk driver had flung off the curve and through their living room window.
The third drunk driver turned out to be the mayor’s son. He didn’t survive the impact. The mayor tried to ruin the household’s lives in court, but the argument that they have to stand there and let themselves be killed in their own house by drunk drivers didn’t hold much water, so the boulders are still there. I wonder how many impacts total; drunk driving is not nearly as common now as when he was young, thank gods.
@20002ist @munin Here's the story if you're skeptical: abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/hu…. Me—I figure the owners thought that the “yard limit" sign was a good one to use to tell their kids how far they could go. (And if you don't know what I’m talking about, you're not a true rail fan…)
Matt Blaze
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Denton Gentry
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Matt Blaze
in reply to Denton Gentry • • •Fi, infosec-aspected 🏳️⚧️
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Matt Blaze
in reply to Fi, infosec-aspected 🏳️⚧️ • • •Matt Blaze
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Fi, infosec-aspected 🏳️⚧️
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •abadidea
in reply to Fi, infosec-aspected 🏳️⚧️ • • •@munin my father once drove me through the town where he grew up; there was a sharp curve in a residential road, and a house facing the curve, and two or three huge boulders in the house’s yard.
He said they’d added the boulders after the second time a drunk driver had flung off the curve and through their living room window.
The third drunk driver turned out to be the mayor’s son. He didn’t survive the impact. The mayor tried to ruin the household’s lives in court, but the argument that they have to stand there and let themselves be killed in their own house by drunk drivers didn’t hold much water, so the boulders are still there. I wonder how many impacts total; drunk driving is not nearly as common now as when he was young, thank gods.
Tindra
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •silverwizard
in reply to Matt Blaze • •Jef Poskanzer
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Matt Blaze
Unknown parent • • •Steve Bellovin
in reply to Matt Blaze • • •Me—I figure the owners thought that the “yard limit" sign was a good one to use to tell their kids how far they could go. (And if you don't know what I’m talking about, you're not a true rail fan…)
Freight locomotive runs off tracks, flattens garage at home in Niagara Falls
The Associated Press (ABC News)