(The following report by Marianne Martinez appeared on Tucson television station KOLD’s website on May 19. Brother G.W. Posey is a member of BLET Division 28 in Tucson.)
TUCSON, Ariz. — The bells sound. The lights flash. The barriers go down. You’re stuck at the tracks.
“I can’t get to work on time waiting for this train,” said driver Ron Dionne.
However, many people don’t wait for the trains. Instead, drivers race across the tracks, ducking the barriers. At the Ina Road crossing, News 13 spotted several drivers who illegally crossed the tracks in hopes of beating trains.
“You could be out here everyday and there would be several violations,” said Marana Police Officer Dan Sample.
On Wednesday, Tucson police cited 10 drivers, and Marana police cited nine. In Marana, the fines can range from $250 to $1500.
Union Pacific locomotive engineers say most drivers don’t realize how dangerous trains can be.
“Your average train is going to be 5,000 to 6,000 tons heavy,” said engineer G.W. Posey. “That moving at 50 to 60 miles per hour — that’s a lot of force.”
In fact, Posey said it takes an average train about two minutes to clear the crossing.
“I think it’s worth waiting a minute or two rather taking a risk with your lives or your kids’ lives,” he said.