Dan White,

Are you sure we are talking about the Metrolink in California, and not the St. Louis area? In California affirmative action hiring quotas have been unconstitutional since long before the deadly Mr. Sanchez was hired. From Wikipedia...

Quote:

Proposition 209 (also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative) is a California ballot proposition which, upon approval in November 1996, amended the state constitution to prohibit public institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity. It had been supported and funded by the California Civil Rights Initiative Campaign, led by University of California Regent Ward Connerly, and opposed by affirmative action advocates and supporters. Proposition 209 was voted into law on 5 November 1996, with 54 percent of the vote.

Quote:

Dan White
The final analysis: Rob Sanchez was [...] so busy trying to [text] underaged[sic] teen-aged boys that he forgot that a red wayside signal means "stop."
[...] The NTSB revealed what was distracting Sanchez from competently operating a train. He was text messaging a teen-age boy. [...] Let me ask you: Is it appropriate for a [...] man to be calling and text messaging a teenaged boy in hopes of becoming "buddies" with him? This was occurring to a point where Sanchez was concerned that it would anger the boy's father. Such behavior is most certainly not appropriate if it reaches a point where the [...] man loses "situational awareness" in running a train loaded with passengers.

Mr. Sanchez was so involved trying to [text] under-aged teenage boys that he lost "situational awareness" regarding red signals. 25 people died as a result.

I don't think any of the reasonable people commenting on this tragedy are disputing these facts. It is also common knowledge that the deadly Mr Sanchez was in his forties, gay, and had really creepy relations with really creepy teenage delinquents who liked trains. And I assume that he was Hispanic and HIV positive, if you say. Again, I don't think any of the reasonable people commenting on this tragedy are disputing these facts either. Pretty much everyone agrees with you, on this stuff, sir.

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Dan White
Now, before you lambast the above as "hate speech" or "homo-phobic", is there anything mentioned above that is NOT true? Sometimes the truth hurts. Gee, I wonder how long this post will remain available for all to see?

Remember, that's just my opinion. Last I checked, it was still okay to have one.

No need to be so paranoid. Nobody has said you can't have an opinion. And you have made very sure, you have went way out of your way, not to say anything that was "hateful" or "homo-phobic" at all. You have not said that Gay Engineers are generally unsafe, you have not said Hispanic Engineers are generally unsafe, you have not HIV-positive engineers are generally unsafe, and you have not said that "Older" engineers are generally unsafe, and you have not said engineers that have "Creepy" under age relationships are generally unsafe. You, sir, are probably the most Politically Correct poster I have ever read, perhaps in this whole history of the Internet. You should proud.

But do you actually have an opinion? A railroading, public safety, or Altamont Press related opinion? Because, if your opinion is about usual tired "talking points" and politics as usual (like your quote below) maybe a different forum might be appropriate. Just asking, sir!

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Dan White
I fear the NTSB has fallen victim to political correctness just like everyone else. Barney Frank is probably involved in their funding appropriations.