Back up a bit, Charlie. A little more. A little m …
A few days ago in Fargo, North Dakota, three pals were walking along Main Street in the wee hours of the morning near the Fryn’ Pan Restaurant. Train tracks cross the street there and, with perfect timing, a freight train appeared just as the trio came up to the barrier.
For some unfathomable reason, one of the guys suddenly got the idea to have his picture taken with a moving train in the background.
The men walked around the lowered gate to snap a photo of this character grinning at the camera while standing next to the track with the train passing behind him.
Close behind him.
Very close behind him.
Too close behind him.
One of the rail cars grazed him, tearing his shirt and pants and knocking him to the ground. He was able to make it to the local hospital where he was patched up and released.
The police report noted that – this will not shock you – alcohol was a factor in the incident.
It’s shocking how often that happens. I’m not sure that the actual number is, but a significant percentage of those deaths are, in fact, suicides. It takes a heavy toll on the engineers, too … as you can imagine. Many need counseling; a few are never able to get back into the cab again.
There was a news report from California today of an apparent suicide by train… Delayed commuters by an hour and a half.
Gruesome.