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The most stupid press article ever (regarding Glebe Way foot crossing)

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Frontera2

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I can't justify in words my anger, frustration and despair at this article..

Rather than explain it, just pay a visit to http://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/keep-death-crossing-open-say-45693/

Demonstrators have gathered at a notorious railway crossing where a teenage girl was recently killed – to demand that train operators keep it open.

Sacha Wheeler was knocked down by a train at Whitstable’s Glebe Way foot crossing as a London-bound train travelled through at 50mph.

An inquest heard that the 14-year-old had been listening to music on her headphones and was tragically unaware of the oncoming train as she crossed.

Sacha’s devastated parents have called on Network Rail to close the crossing, but members of the community are campaigning against the proposal.....
 
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richa2002

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Zero trains through Whitstable yesterday due to engineering work but still...
 

NSEFAN

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I think with those photos, Network Rail have all the information they need about the villagers' attitude towards their own safety. Can't be much longer before it sees closure at that rate. :lol:
 

JaJaWa

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Would they protest on a dual carriageway or motorway?
 

Agent_c

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I don't think it's fair to call it the most stupid article ever. It's not even the stupidest this week.

Whilst I would tend to agree with the proposition that the crossing should go, I do appreciate there is another side. If NR's alternative is to turn the railway into a Berlin Wall, with a long walk to the nearest crossing place, then I think the locals are right to be concerned.

And judging by the article itself the locals aren't opposed to all and any action, they'd like to see some safety equipment installed (so to call it Darwinism I think is also unfair).
 

jopsuk

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it would appear the crossing is a Right of Way, so that makes permanent closure tricky. As the existing right of way is accessible to persons of limited mobility, any replacement will have to be fully accessible too (so no steps-only bridge as was installed at Shepreth Branch Junction, where the official RoW was over stiles and the path on one side was not "accessible"). Complicated and expensive.

The photos are idiotic, but the campaigners make good points.
 

Frontera2

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I don't think it's fair to call it the most stupid article ever. It's not even the stupidest this week.

Whilst I would tend to agree with the proposition that the crossing should go, I do appreciate there is another side. If NR's alternative is to turn the railway into a Berlin Wall, with a long walk to the nearest crossing place, then I think the locals are right to be concerned.

And judging by the article itself the locals aren't opposed to all and any action, they'd like to see some safety equipment installed (so to call it Darwinism I think is also unfair).

How did any of them, including the photographer and the person filming the youtube video, know that there wasn't going to be an engineering / ballast train come hurtling out of that fog without warning?
 

whoosh

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It's a 'dangerous' crossing but we want it kept open, so we're all going to stand here across the track in poor visibility whilst the photographer sets up a shot.


Reminds me of flowers tied to CENTRAL RESERVATION barriers at dangerous road junctions. Idiotic.


I think it may have gone over some peoples' heads - 'The Darwin Awards' are when someone dies through their own idiotic stupidity - so if those protesters had got hit, it would be an act of 'Darwinism'.
 

Tetchytyke

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The campaigners make some good points.

Which are then completely undermined by standing in the middle of a railway track waving a placard in the fog.
 

yorksrob

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Whilst not the most appropriate publicity shot ever taken, I'm inclined to agree with the protesters fundamental point. Such crossings have been around for years - I used a similar one in Kent when I was growing up there.

Why should local residents suffer the inconvenience of not having a crossing because of a tragic one off accident.
 

Zoidberg

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I can't justify in words my anger, frustration and despair at this article..

Rather than explain it, just pay a visit to http://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/keep-death-crossing-open-say-45693/

For the benefit of folk who have difficulty accessing links here is an extract from the linked article:

Whitstable's Glebe Way railway crossing must be kept open, say protestors

Demonstrators have gathered at a notorious railway crossing where a teenage girl was recently killed – to demand that train operators keep it open.

Sacha Wheeler was knocked down by a train at Whitstable’s Glebe Way foot crossing as a London-bound train travelled through at 50mph.

An inquest heard that the 14-year-old had been listening to music on her headphones and was tragically unaware of the oncoming train as she crossed.

Sacha’s devastated parents have called on Network Rail to close the crossing, but members of the community are campaigning against the proposal.

Around 20 local residents gathered at the site yesterday bearing placards. Co-organiser Chris Weller said: “We say do what they do in a lot of areas in this country where they have bells and lights.

“They have magnetic catches on the doors on the entrances of level crossings to stop people physically getting on to the tracks when a train is coming.

“We believe that with that sort of improvement that we can save lives and we can keep this crossing open for the people of the community.”

Network Rail revealed last month that it was to introduce a warning system at the crossing – where four people have died since 2010.

However, at a public consultation event held last week, the operator unveiled three longer-term options which involved closure of the foot crossing and possible installation of a bridge.

...
 

Clip

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Why should local residents suffer the inconvenience of not having a crossing because of a tragic one off accident.

4 in 5 years is not quite a one off tragic incident. There's a few of such crossings all the way to Margate from there too.
 

John Webb

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Went to have a look at the original article just now to find it had been taken off the paper's website!
 

WelshBluebird

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Why should local residents suffer the inconvenience of not having a crossing because of a tragic one off accident.

Because such incidents are quite often not one offs?
In the case of this crossing there have been few more over the last few years.
Even ignoring the moral case of preventing more needless deaths / injuries, I'd be very surprised if Network Rail were not under a legal duty to make such crossings safer (after all certainly in more conventional workplaces it is the companies legal obligation to reduce the risk of injury to visitors as much as is reasonable).

I really don't see why the fuss about the crossing being closed. Just replace it with a bridge that can also be accessed by a ramp. Done.
 

yorksrob

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4 in 5 years is not quite a one off tragic incident. There's a few of such crossings all the way to Margate from there too.

Fair point (must have missed that when I skim read the article). I think I'd still be unhappy if I found my footpath blocked. Perhaps the gates and flashing lights are the best compromise, although they don't come without risks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I really don't see why the fuss about the crossing being closed. Just replace it with a bridge that can also be accessed by a ramp. Done.

That's fine, so long as someone is prepared to put up the bridge (though that might be more likely in this case, given this one's recent history).
 
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Zoidberg

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Went to have a look at the original article just now to find it had been taken off the paper's website!

Which is one of the reasons why, when posting a link, the site rules say that the linked article should be sufficiently quoted to give context.
 

SPADTrap

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I tried clicking that link but it seems the story has been removed

"Sittingbourne train station closed after woman falls on tracks" is another of their headlines, maybe someone put two and two together and realised that was a terrible example to set!
 

NSEFAN

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It looks like the article has been reinstated, except without the picture taken by means of trespass. The link to youtube video with the interview, which was also conducted upon the crossing, has also been removed.
 

SPADTrap

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Good job 'Google Cache' still has the old article then, and the YouTube video was easily downloaded! It has been tweeted to the BTP and Network Rail.
 

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bramling

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I can't justify in words my anger, frustration and despair at this article..

Rather than explain it, just pay a visit to http://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/keep-death-crossing-open-say-45693/

The photo is unimpressive, however the content of the article appears reasonably balanced and reasonable.

If it were me, I wouldn't be happy if the right of way disappeared, and from the point of view of a rail user I'd prefer money to be spent on eliminating AHB, open or user-worked crossings - which pose a greater danger in terms of their potential for a major accident to occur.
 

L&Y Robert

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I read that "the 14-year-old had been listening to music on her headphones and was tragically unaware of the oncoming train as she crossed". No-one has made comment here on this aspect - often people (mostly young ones) go about in public with their senses diminished and attention distracted by portable gadgets - phones, tablets, music machines etc. I think there should be some instruction in school about how to use these things and conduct oneself with safety in public. A national campaign, no less.
 

richieb1971

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Says a lot about kids today. NR should put up a sign with Headphones on it with a big red line through it. Have blazing alarm bells.. And the parents should tell their kids not to go near railways if they don't have common sense.
 

Agent_c

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I read that "the 14-year-old had been listening to music on her headphones and was tragically unaware of the oncoming train as she crossed". No-one has made comment here on this aspect - often people (mostly young ones) go about in public with their senses diminished and attention distracted by portable gadgets - phones, tablets, music machines etc. I think there should be some instruction in school about how to use these things and conduct oneself with safety in public. A national campaign, no less.

Import "dumb ways to die" from Australia?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw
 
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