Almost Get Hit By the Train! Oh, and Happy Veterans Day!

OH! MY! GOD!! Don’t try to beat the train in order to make it. You will lose… or come close to losing.

Let’s explain my new train stop in case you aren’t familiar with it. North Billerica. You can park on the outbound side but once you get up to the train tracks, there isn’t a nice little bridge that goes over the tracks to get you to the inbound side. On NO! You must cross the tracks. It is set up with a nice rubberized path. However, the tracks stick out just a little so you must be careful when crossing. There is also a nice little warning bell at the crossing so that if you don’t see the train coming, you can hear that it’s on its way. (Pictured below you can see the rubberized path for crossing)

Now, this morning a man coming up from the outbound side realized he was going to miss the train if he didn’t get across. The alarm goes off way before he gets to this rubberized path. I look to my left to see the inbound train coming to pick us up. When I look back at this man he is full out sprinting. He has his dress shoes on that are obviously not made for sprinting. He gets to the path and the train is about 100 feet away now. As he is on the path he loses his balance and FALLS! Yes, he falls!

The crowd gasps, some running to his rescue. Others screaming “Get up! Get up!” I hear a few “Oh my gods!” sprinkled in there too. The train is now only 50 feet away and I am thinking this guy is a goner. The train’s horn is blaring.  I nearly drop my coffee and close my eyes praying that I am not going to witness what I think I am going to witness.

At the very last moment, this guy rolls out of the way and off the track. “Are you ok?” I hear people screaming. “Are you hurt?” another one screams. Someone replies “Only his ego is hurt today!” It’s safe to open my eyes and I look over and the guy is brushing himself off and is shaking like a leaf.

Please learn from this guy’s mistake. Don’t run in front of a train in order to catch it. I don’t care if you’re going to be late for work. I am pretty sure you’d rather still have your life and have to deal with an angry boss/client/whatever than to be dead! You’re better safe than sorry. There is always another train that will come along.