Gentlemen, thanks again for your insights. OPRRMS, you said, "Some people are simply oblivious to their surroundings, or aren't able to put two-plus-two together." Yeah, well -- last I rode the San Bernardino Metrolink, maybe a year ago, they had sheriff's deputies checking the fares, so there was no need for the conductor to bother even with that. Open the doors, close the doors, announce the stations, give the highball. Answer a question now and then. Anything else?

Yet these guys are making I don't know how much and are unaware there's a moving freight on the next track? I think we're moving past "oblivious" and heading toward "seriously impaired", as in drunk or stoned. A commenter on the trainorders thread, sounding like he or she is in train service, said that to flunk the banner test, you had to be either asleep or texting.

I'm reminded of scholarly books on the UP by Maury Klein and the EL by H. Roger Grant which both made the point that in spite of the rules, alcoholism is widely tolerated on the railroads. Given the Tri-Rail/Amtrak incident you discuss, "asleep or texting" (or whatever) episodes seem to be extremely common. Wha?