Re: Speeding train engineer that caused fatal cras... - Page 2

Allegheny · ‎03-19-2010

I know it is difficult for people not to react to news headlines such as this, but I wish they would explore further before passing judgement. Below is the NTSB Investigative Report number.

DCA14MR002

Accident No.: Location: Bronx, New York
Date: December 1, 2013 7:19 a.m. eastern standard time Metro-North Railroad

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

One day people will look back on incidents like this and think how dangerously people used to travel in trains like this. I hope the future of train safety comes quickly.

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@eddyandme wrote:
@Venezia

I did not say it was deliberate. Nor did I say that he isn't traumatized.

A pension is earned through years of service at a given company. It is never guaranteed. Any employee fired for poor job performance, etc., does not receive a pension. Social Security and 401K plans, to which the employee contributes is a safety net and can provide for employee/family.

And, industries such as pilots, healthcare, lineman, air controllers, etc., have set standards as to required time off between shifts. But, they cannot police what the employee does in that time period. What caused him to fall asleep was not revealed.

As far as the company's safety neglect, they are liable to those poor passengers in that regard for sure!

As far as I understand, this employee was not terminated nor charged with a crime. In fact, he is on disability now.

I see neither a legal reason nor a moral reason for his not getting his pension.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

@eddyandme wrote:
@Venezia

I did not say it was deliberate. Nor did I say that he isn't traumatized.

A pension is earned through years of service at a given company. It is never guaranteed. Any employee fired for poor job performance, etc., does not receive a pension. Social Security and 401K plans, to which the employee contributes is a safety net and can provide for employee/family.

And, industries such as pilots, healthcare, lineman, air controllers, etc., have set standards as to required time off between shifts. But, they cannot police what the employee does in that time period. What caused him to fall asleep was not revealed.

As far as the company's safety neglect, they are liable to those poor passengers in that regard for sure!

It was discovered that the engineer suffers from sleep apnea and new rules are now in place regarding personnel that have sleep apnea.

His pension is a disability pension.

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.

Venezia · ‎03-09-2010

I decided to google some of the story and found this that I've copied from a longer article:

-----------

"A sleep-deprived engineer nodded off at the controls of a commuter train just before taking a 30 mph curve at 82 mph, causing a derailment last year that killed four people and injured more than 70, federal regulators said Tuesday.

William Rockefeller’s sleepiness was due to a combination of an undiagnosed disorder — sleep apnea — and a drastic shift in his work schedule, the National Transportation Board said. It said the railroad lacked a policy to screen engineers for sleep disorders, which also contributed to the Dec. 1 crash. It also said a system that would have automatically applied the brakes would have prevented the crash.

The board also issued rulings on four other Metro-North accidents that occurred in New York and Connecticut in 2013 and 2014, repeatedly finding fault with the railroad."

---------

Clearly, Metro-North wasn't too concerned about safety measures.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

I have no issue with this as he did not intentionally go out to do harm to anyone.

Now, those white collar SOB's who intentionally took money and traded it; those who almost destroyed the banking industry; the uppity ups at Wells Fargo...those that STILL received their pay-outs/bonus's while others lost EVERYTHING...... I have a very special place for them to reside.

Ack, sorry for the rant. In a nutshell: this was an accident due to a medical condition as well as no safe-guards in place (how can that be, you wonder?!) vs those that knowingly lie, cheat and rob and don't care how it will impact the victims.

HUGE difference. HUGE.

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@SahmIam wrote:
I have no issue with this as he did not intentionally go out to do harm to anyone.

Now, those white collar SOB's who intentionally took money and traded it; those who almost destroyed the banking industry; the uppity ups at Wells Fargo...those that STILL received their pay-outs/bonus's while others lost EVERYTHING...... I have a very special place for them to reside.

Ack, sorry for the want. In a nutshell: this was an accident due to a medical condition as well as no safe-guards in place (how can that be, you wonder?!) vs those that knowingly lie, cheat and rob and don't care how it will impact the victims.

HUGE difference. HUGE.

Sad to say, @SahmIam, but they will have a very cozy place to reside for the next few years -- with fewer regulations and more "opportunities."

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

We don't know why he fell asleep. We do know he didn't CHOOSE to fall asleep. Perhaps he was ill, perhaps he had a bad reaction to medication, perhaps he was exhausted because he had to work mandatory overtime. We just don't know. However, the accident and the benefits he was entitled to under his contract are two entirely different things. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. If he's entitled to the money, entitled to the money, As for the victims or and the survivors, they will be very well compensated. Some of the settlements will be in the millions.

Disneylandfan · ‎03-10-2010

My Grandfather was an engineer early in his career with the railroad. I can remember as a kid when we would visit that he would have to ignore the phone when it rang because if the railroad was calling for you to work and you answered, you had to go, even when he had only been home a few hours and hadn't had enough sleep. On paper he was supposed to get 8 hours of rest between shifts, but that's not what was in practice.

I can only imagine if that practice is still in effect that it probably is so much more difficult to say you didn't get the call on your cell phone.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@eddyandme wrote:
Some things never make sense. It's time that these type of 'failsafe' contracts are ended, not only for ceos and politicians but also for unionized labor. It's the consumer who foots the bill in the end.

IMHO his monthly 'stipend' should be overturned and given to those he caused so much suffering and grief to.

@eddyandme

I would include the word "tenure" or any job, in any position. There should be no "job/profession or career", where any individual is immune to the words "YOU'RE FIRED", period!

hckynut(john)