> the Kangaroo Kourt's psychadelic interpretation of the incident and subsequent punishment

Jeez guys!

So I take that there was some sort of actual incident that had to be "interpreted". At least you got some sort of formal hearing - few others do. Many get canned right on the spot - union or not, without even waiting to "interpret" anything, or even to know all the facts.

The attitude makes me wonder though - Did your train run the damn red or not! Yes or No. What the hell difference does it matter how, or why. So what then is there to interpret, other than did it in fact happen - or not.

And if it did, lives were endangered. Do you really think those who's paid responsibility, is to prevent just that, should not be held accountable when it still happens. So just how would you propose that such accountability be expressed - if not by beech time for a failure to do what you were paid to do.

The only mitigating circumstance I can think of, is that it somehow went red in your face (it was not red when you passed the next signal back); but most modern signal installations record that sort of stuff anyway, so there is not much open to any "interpretation" there either.


As to "Job Insurance". Are you talking about state um-employment? No one that gets beached or "fired for cause" ever gets a dime from them. So I'm not sure what this "Job Insurance" is. State um-employment is generally aimed the those who were laid off for purely economic reasons, completely beyond their own personal control. Of course it would be nice if, when they fired you for cause, they put down that it was for economic reasons. But come on guys, just how often is that going to happen - and if your boss is so darn nice, why then is he firing you!


Is there some sort of insurance that railroaders can buy that indemnifies them, should they make a mistake on the job and get canned for it? If so - this is really unusual. Even most professionals, such as my lawyer boss, or licensed structural engineers that I know, don't have that available to them - nor have I ever heard of anyone else getting it.

Licensed professionals can get "Liability Insurance" to pay off a damage claim, if caused by their screw-ups; but should that happen, they are still quite likely to be booted out the door with nothing that wasn't already vested - and certainly, they would not qualify for un-employment.

That happened to one guy I know - he is now making a living (such as it is) selling shoes. He lost everything, and his screw-up did not even involve public safety - nobody indemnified him.

And this is the way it is - for most all of us. Even those guys I know in unions, are usually out of work should that happen; with absolutely no income - until and unless - the union wins for them - and that usually takes forever, and is a crap shoot at best.

If anyone out there does have insurance that will pay if they get fired for screwing up - they should consider themselves luckier than most all of us!