by DannyHaszard 48 Replies latest social current
Jourles,
These kind of statements are always a little out there: "Just think of the lives that would have been saved if Phyllis would have went off to school. She likely wouldn't have been anywhere near those tracks."
We could just as well say that if Phyllis had stayed home to read the latest edition of the Crotchtower so she was better prepared to sell it, she wouldn't have been anywhere near those tracks. Pretty silly really. Wrong place right time. Sad for sure.
W.Once
I guess my hypothetical sarcasm didn't come across well enough. It's just that if she was to go off to college right out of high school and a train hit her(and some college friends) on the tracks instead, some in her congregation would no doubt use that event as an example to other kids in the hall as to what happens when you don't put spiritual interests first.
The problem I have with this whole scenario is, some witnesses will use the urban legend, pro-witnessing activities as proof of jehover's blessing(i.e. sister with the two large men behind her - angels). But when something like this comes along, well then, it was simply time and an unforseen occurrance that befell them all. JW's only want it one way - the fluffy, happy way.
off to college right out of high school and a train hit her(and some college friends) on the tracks instead, some in her congregation would no doubt use that event as an example to other kids in the hall as to what happens when you don't put spiritual interests first.
Exactly Jourles. It's very sad that this happened. But what about all the other examples of being protected while out in service. If it applies to those others it should apply all across the board. protection for all.
If these people were on a date with the opposite sex, it would have been used as an example of how you should go out in service during the bloom of youth and not go out on dates.
Very sad. Danny described the crossing as not marked very well. No lights or gates. It is probable that a carload of women friends were just having a great time chatting and the young woman drove onto the tracks without stopping and looking. A tragic accident.
Many years ago, my wife and I went to the DC in San Diego. We stayed with my Grandparents and an elderly couple who lived in Encinitas. The Amtrak tracks run parallel to the 101 Hwy for many miles. Cars entering the highway from crossroads have only space for about two cars between the tracks and the Hwy. the third car in line is supposed to wait on the other side of the track until there is room to cross. The six of us were on our way the first day in a big sedan belonging to the 80ish brother who was driving. As we approached to highway he qued up right behind the second car waiting to enter the hwy. This put us right on the tracks. Cross traffic on the hwy was heavy so we sat for quite awhile. Then the bells began to ring and the crossing arm came down onto our trunk right behind the back window. The appraoching train began to lay on the horn. If I were driving I would have backed up anyway even if it broke the arm, but he just sat there stunned. My Grandfather yelled at him to pull forward and crank the wheel to get around the car in front of us. He did this in typical 80 year old slow motion. There was barely room and the cars in front of us could not move forward. The back of the car cleared to track, literally, a split second before the train went by at about 75 MPH. It is the closest I have ever come to dying.
Gregor,
scary indeed. but that is how people react sometimes, stunned. I wonder why that happens, the inability to move for one person and the lightning fast respones of another? interesting.
This is a tradegy alright but was more than likely caused because the sister driving the car did not stop and look both ways before crossing. If that particular train intersection had no bells or flashing lights to let you know when a train is coming, then oncoming traffic MUST stop and look both ways. This was drilled into our heads as children because my grandfather was a train engineer and had killed a few people over the years. All of which could be avoided had people not been walking on the tracks, not stopping to check to see if anything's coming and not thought they could "beat the train."
Be that as it may, this is going to be absolutely horrifying for the family members to try and deal with and my heart truly goes out to them.
For everyone reading this thread: TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN NEVER TO WALK ON THE TRACKS AND NEVER, EVER, TRY TO OUTRUN A TRAIN.
Just a moments thoughtlessness can kill.
I bet they were busy talking and the driver just went straight onto the track. Crossings like that should not even exist nowadays.
Sad.
HB
Not to make light of the situation, but where were the protection from the Angels? They claim that they are always gaurded by the angels when out in service so what happened in this case?
I feel terrible about what happened and that was a gruesome way to go, but this just goes to show you that ALL people die in all kinds of horrible ways. Methinks they should stop using that "protective angel while doing Jehovah"s work" example in talks because it is not true at all!
Being in "Jehovah"s Org. does not give you automatic protection from anything(like they claim) it can only give you a "hope" of everlasting life, which is still not gaurenteed because it"s up to God if he wants you to have it or not.
Sounds like they had a green, inexperienced teenage driver... That was part of the problem...
When I was a small kid, some school bus driver pulled his/her bus - full of children - onto a railroad track, and apparently didn't see or hear the train coming... [And how in the heck does that happen?? Who is UNABLE to hear a train frantically whistling as it approaches a road crossing - which the engineer is required - by LAW - to do???] Train sliced the school bus in half... Many children killed...
After that, even as a child, I was watching for trains every time my parents crossed railroad tracks in our family car. The habit stayed with me, even to this day... I even superstitiously refused to sit in the middle of the school bus - ANY school bus - for years afterwards, until I realized that a train could hit the school bus at any point, not just in the middle...
Some people learn quickly from others' mistakes... Some people don't learn quickly enough... Incidents like these reinforce the "survival of the fittest" thinking for me - the 'fittest' aren't the most muscular or most bullying... The 'fittest' are those who either learn VERY quickly from others' [sometimes fatal] errors, or who have enough brains and imagination to 'see' potential hazards before they fall victim to them...
A sad story, but unfortunately not surprising... Train/car wrecks happen far too often for a 'sensible' species... Zid
