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Fox News Channel reported this morning that a passenger snapped a cell phone pic of another passenger operating the Long Island Railroad commuter train instead of the engineer. Dumb and dangerous no matter how you look at it. Fortunately there was no incident. The news anchor referred to the LIRR as the Wrong Island Failedroad.
I dont know the whole story but hearing stuff like this just erks me. whoes to say what was being done was unsafe? its never thought that it may have been a kind jester to a family member or railfan? again i dont know the story so I wont judge but if history serves me correct the band wagon is moving. If the person was just standing there in the cab at a station thats one thing if the engennier left the loco in complete control of an untrained party thats completly diffrent..I dont know maybee im just old school? I have ridden in a cab of a UP loco before. even got to notch up the engine with cars in tow, I have driven cross country without wearing a seat belt, walked across train tracks, pulled a wheelie on a bike, have been given temporary control of a small plane , and get this..... once when I was 15 I got to stand in the cockpit of a commercal airplane and talk to the captain and his crew all while at 30,000 feet!!!.. I dont play the blame game.. I can drive a truck and talk to a passenger all while staying in complete control. there is a time and place for everthing. sorry I will End my rant LOL
I saw no reference in the story to a cell phone picture of this alleged passenger driving the train and several other passengers said they saw no evidence of anyone entering the control cab but the engineer. Not saying what this guy alleges isn't true but it's why we do investigations. People have all sorts of reasons for making false police reports.
