What do you do in a situation like this? (See pictures below.)

There has been a party in Orange Empire's Party Caboose. Probably one of these little girl's birthday party. It's 4:30 in the afternoon on a Friday. No trains are running.

Do I yell at the parents for letting their girls in red and pink tutus be on the tracks and ruin their day? No!

Well I took a few pictures and had a talk with the parents about the railroad track lecture they needed to give their girls. They seemed to clock in. Hope so!

What would you have done? I may have missed an educational opportunity. But a bearded big old guy in old dirty work clothes can't lecture little girls in tutus.


Marty Bernard

I think you did the right thing for this particular scenario. There were no trains running, and the 4 grownups supervising them probably knew about it. They weren't just walking down the tracks of their own accord, either - I'm sure the grownup taking the photo told them or asked them to do it. You didn't go yell at them, you talked to the adults - now if there were trains running, or the grownups weren't there, that would be a whole different story. As long as the kids end up knowing (hopefully via their parents) that walking on the tracks any other time is completely unsafe...I'd say you did your job for this particular scenario.

Of course you are right... It can't be about screaming and yelling...

It can be about "we don't walk on the train tracks..." nice friendly voice, maybe sit down next to them on the track so you are at their level... (bad roll model, but makes you less scary) coming from the big guy, in the work clothing and hard hat who belongs...

"train tracks are full of hard things.. the rails are slippery... trains are quiet..." or my favorite "you might hurt the train tracks..."

If you have the time and are comfortable, show them something fun and special... since no trains are running, unlock and throw a switch... let them hold a spike maul...

We occasionally pick up a bunch of the rail safety coloring books... and hand them out in cases like this.

I'm just as guilty as well as knowing the dangers, but a tight rope walker does too.

You know the risk, you know the safety, you go swimming, you gotta paddle around or you sink. But its one of those times when its.. "OK" to do it even when it really isnt, and then again you will bring up the whiska's of those safety gurus who will start shouting "you make a bad imppression". But you can't deny it, your out somewhere and some old forlorn unused track your tripping around the tracks and have a little fun, your stepping on the ties, and balancing yourself on the rail. Its your human you gotta do it habit. Why? You climb the mountain because its there. Of course it isnt safe.

overNout.

I just hope one of them is not sitting on a rail joint! That can REALLY HURT ones tutu if the joint comes together from expansion. You could have said something to the lady who should have not been wearing the tube top! LOL

DBH

Agreed. The only time you really need to yell is when the people are standing on or are too close to the tracks when the train will be where they are (or were) very soon. Otherwise, just politely remind them that "the train is wider than it's tracks" (which, believe it or not, is actually news to some people). They're more likely to move when asked nicely, and they're more likely to have a better opinion of the museum/operation/ etc. ("Wow, that engineer actually values me and my safety").

Yes, walking down tracks (even with no train) is dangerous (tripping over a tie = possibly knocked out teeth), but that's nothing new. The world is full of hard surfaces. I think it's more the bad habit that gets formed, and the possible subsequent instances of trespassing on busy tracks.

If they're not doing anything particularly dangerous (or something the museum would be liable for), and you've got some free time, why not "supervise" them. Like Randy Hees said, show them around. In the process, you can make sure they are protected, and you may win the museum not only some returning patrons, but perhaps a few more in addition as word of "helpful and friendly staff" spreads.

I would have to agree with Randy Hess's comments about this situation. Our museum sits next to live tracks with a 8' fence between them. We work very hard to educate both adults and children about the dangers of walking on or around tracks. A proactive approach is far better than the reactive one of yelling at people. Using ideas and information from various Operation Lifesaver programs one can educate people quickly with out boring them or making them feel like they have done something wrong. Remember there is not one of us at sometime in our lives that has either walked on rail or put pennies on a track or climed on cars in a siding.

My favorite story, which I use in appropriate cases, is about watching cows crossing a railroad track in open range country (I even have a movie of this). Cows will step over the rails, and not on them. We humans should be at least as smart as a cow.

I was reading a newsletter from a museum a few weeks ago. Near the end, they stated that they were going to have a "Balance and walk on the track contest." I knew it was not very smart, but why would said museum reward kids for walking on the tracks? Not very smart in my opinion...

Marty,

You took the same approach that I have taken.

I will find myself about every other month (usually in my train service garb) talking with some family group about being careful around any railroad track, etc. This being when I see them walking down the center of the track or one of the children balancing on and walking down one of the rails.

Sometimes, I will tell the story of the business man out for a morning run, with his earphones on, going down the railroad track and being hit from behind (and killed) by a freight train. This really did happen one Sunday morning at nearby Corona, California.

Over the years (40+) I have seen many a parent standing by while their children climb up the box car ladder, etc. Instead of bellowing across the property, I will quickly walk over and comment to the parent about the activity being unsafe and not an activity to encourage. Then the parent will tell the kid to get down -- often in the loud voice that I did not use.