Gary -- I'm sorry if my last post makes it appear that I feel that you and the many others who think similarly are somehow heartless or not compassionate. I know that is not the case -- we simply have somewhat different perspectives. And even though I have been a lifelong railfan and rail supporter, I thuoght it might be a healthy thing to express that different perspective.

A post on this board many months ago actually describes the same perspective, in a somewhat different context:

"It seems to me that the annual salary of another person in the cab is but a mere pittance of insurance to decrease the odds of of a wreck due to judgement error or physical lapse by a single individual by a factor of thousands. Nothing can give 100% assurance. How many annual salaries does the damage add up to? The loss of even a single human life is infinite in value and irreplaceable." (emphasis added) Posted by one Gary Hunter, 9/15/08, re: the Metrolink crash.

Thanks for your perspective, and allowing me to share mine.