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Re: Revoke the right to enter BNSF property
Author: OldPoleBurner
Date: 10-03-2012 - 21:58
> .../a charge of reckless driving resulting in injury. A conviction on that charge will
> probably mean a revocation of his driving privilege, and he will have to find some
> other line of work.
No need for him to find some other line of work - as jail food is free. "Reckless driving resulting in injury" is chargeable as a felony. It could land you in a state prison for quite some time. That is - when it is actually prosecuted. But our out-to-lunch legal system usually bargains it down to a slap on the wrist, to save work on the part of the DA's office.
They usually don't see it as worth the bother and effort, to actually enforce the law; which is why every tom dick and harry farm trucker flaunts it, and so these train wrecks just keep on happening.
And yes, tolerating this might supposedly keep food prices down as someone mentioned, but I don't believe it has any significant effect that way. Much bigger market forces than that govern the C.O.D. prices of Ag goods. Besides even if it did, instead of costing us money, it is still costing us lives.
As for finding deeper pockets to sue, Amtrak should go after the Big Ag corporations that hire these substandard fly-by-night outfits, rather than legitimate truckers at legitimate prices. And they should be demanding full action from the DA, as well. Since this happens so often, they should make a crusade out of it!
Moreover, long haul passenger trains should not be operated at high speed butt first - way too much exposure - just by the shear numbers of grade crossings involved, each an accident just waiting to happen. Had the lead car struck that truck broadside at high speed; with all that mass behind it the train would have almost certainly jackknifed all over the countryside, killing many. We all were lucky this time. but luck is a poor preventer of death by accident.
> probably mean a revocation of his driving privilege, and he will have to find some
> other line of work.
No need for him to find some other line of work - as jail food is free. "Reckless driving resulting in injury" is chargeable as a felony. It could land you in a state prison for quite some time. That is - when it is actually prosecuted. But our out-to-lunch legal system usually bargains it down to a slap on the wrist, to save work on the part of the DA's office.
They usually don't see it as worth the bother and effort, to actually enforce the law; which is why every tom dick and harry farm trucker flaunts it, and so these train wrecks just keep on happening.
And yes, tolerating this might supposedly keep food prices down as someone mentioned, but I don't believe it has any significant effect that way. Much bigger market forces than that govern the C.O.D. prices of Ag goods. Besides even if it did, instead of costing us money, it is still costing us lives.
As for finding deeper pockets to sue, Amtrak should go after the Big Ag corporations that hire these substandard fly-by-night outfits, rather than legitimate truckers at legitimate prices. And they should be demanding full action from the DA, as well. Since this happens so often, they should make a crusade out of it!
Moreover, long haul passenger trains should not be operated at high speed butt first - way too much exposure - just by the shear numbers of grade crossings involved, each an accident just waiting to happen. Had the lead car struck that truck broadside at high speed; with all that mass behind it the train would have almost certainly jackknifed all over the countryside, killing many. We all were lucky this time. but luck is a poor preventer of death by accident.
