Passenger Trains > Hole in the Fence at Berkeley, CA Stop

Hole in fence tempting for track shortcutters

BERKELEY, Calif. - A federal official said Monday (Nov. 19) that a gap in a fence people use to cross Berkeley railroad tracks should be fixed following a fatality last week, the Contra Costa Times reports.
In the meantime, employees of Truitt & White lumber yard who use the shortcut probably will continue to do so despite the death of their colleague, according to two managers who work there.

Scott Slaughter, 31, of Berkeley was struck by an Amtrak train Thursday (Nov. 15) as he headed for a gap in a fence on the west side of the train tracks across from the Berkeley Amtrak station, according to the Alameda County coroner's office.

Slaughter had just gotten off an AC Transit bus at the station, and instead of walking one block north or south to a street crossing over the tracks, he decided to take the shortcut through the fence when he was hit.

"There are no federal regulations regarding putting up fences around tracks, but certainly we would want whoever owns the fence to repair it," said Steve Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration. "In many places throughout the country, fences are put up to keep people off the tracks, but people continue to tear down the fences and cut holes in them.

"In the end, people are going to make the decision to use the tracks as a shortcut, and in far too many cases, it's a dangerous decision."

Kulm said that about 500 people are killed nationwide each year walking on railroad tracks.

Ninety one were killed last year in California, the highest number in the nation. The fence, directly across from the Berkeley Amtrak station under the University Avenue overpass, is owned by the city of Berkeley, according to an Amtrak spokeswoman. But Berkeley city officials were unable Monday to verify who owns it.

A spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the tracks, said the fence "appears to be the city's property."

Built of heavy vertical iron bars, some of those bars have been cut at the bottom and wrenched from slots holding them at the top to form a large gap.

John Niemeier, a product buyer for Truitt & White, said that he and six other employees ride the train to work every day and use the shortcut. They do not have any plans to stop.

"The alternative is walking down a block and one block over," Niemeier said.

He also said that Slaughter's death had not scared him into going around.

"You pay attention, just like anything else in life," Niemeier said.

That sentiment is something Amtrak is fighting all the time, spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.

"It's unfortunate there's that kind of mentality," she said. "That's what we're up against in trying to get people to understand when you are dealing with trains. You're not going to win when people are trying to take a shortcut."

Bill Graham, a purchasing manager at Truitt & White, said that even if the fence were fixed, someone would cut another hole in it. He said that when the fence went up in 2005 at the same time the Amtrak station was built, the bars were cut almost immediately.

In addition to employees who use the shortcut, the gap in the fence is a major homeless highway leading to a walkway over Interstate 80, he said.

Bill Graham said company managers were still in shock Monday following Slaughter's death, and he had not considered warning employees not to use the shortcut.

"People are going to do what they're going to do," he said.

Berkeley City Councilman Darryl Moore, whose district includes the fence, said he had not heard of a problem with the fence, but he agreed that someone needs to do something.

"Whoever is the guilty party needs to fix the fence to keep people from squeezing through there," he said. "If it's the city, we need to fix the fence; if it's Union Pacific, they need to."

(This item appeared in the Contra Costa Times Nov. 20, 2007.)

Yeah, right. People have been crossing the mains and drill tracks there since time began. It is wise to look before crossing, however. When the city builds all that housing at the depot, more people will be crossing the tracks. Then they'll demand quiet zones even though they choose railroad track residences. QZs could then increase accidents. And so it goes.

I saw the candlelight memorial for the guy that #6 got the other day. We almost got one of the mourners yesterday... Not smart people, not smart.

I was waiting for Train 744 at Berkeley last Sunday, and noticed the candlelight vigil. They were all standing around lighting candles. I thought it rather strange that they were doing this in front of the lumber yard site, considering the photos taken previously showed the body covered with a yellow sheet almost in front of the historical station.

raillady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John Niemeier, a product buyer for Truitt & White,
> said that he and six other employees ride the
> train to work every day and use the shortcut. They
> do not have any plans to stop.

> Bill Graham, a purchasing manager at Truitt &
> White, said that even if the fence were fixed,
> someone would cut another hole in it. He said that
> when the fence went up in 2005 at the same time
> the Amtrak station was built, the bars were cut
> almost immediately.

> Bill Graham said company managers were still in
> shock Monday following Slaughter's death, and he
> had not considered warning employees not to use
> the shortcut.
>
> "People are going to do what they're going to do,"
> he said.


This is perfect stuff!! If they truly feel this ambivalent about the consequences of their behavior... then it should be used to the advantage of those who do suffer.

The next train crew that hits & kills a trespasser cutting through their lumber yard now has grounds to sue Truitt & White for pain and suffering and infliction of mental anguish.

$225,00 will do me just fine!

raillady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John Niemeier, a product buyer for Truitt & White,
> said that he and six other employees ride the
> train to work every day and use the shortcut. They
> do not have any plans to stop.
>
> "The alternative is walking down a block and one
> block over," Niemeier said.

Oooh...walk a whole two blocks to get to work! What a hardship you poor baby!

>
> He also said that Slaughter's death had not scared
> him into going around.
>
> Bill Graham said company managers were still in
> shock Monday following Slaughter's death, and he
> had not considered warning employees not to use
> the shortcut.
>
> "People are going to do what they're going to do,"
> he said.
>

Sounds like there is more than one dummy working in that lumber yard! I wouldn't doubt it that one of their own employees cut the hole in the fence.

Another examples of anti-rail/anti-transit bias. People also get struck by vehicles when crossing at locations other than intersections and the number of pedestrians struck and killed by motor vehicles is much greater than the number of persons walking on tracks who are hit by trains. Yet, there is no movement to fence off sidewalks from streets.

Dave

raillady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Scott Slaughter, 31, of Berkeley was struck by an
> Amtrak train Thursday (Nov. 15) as he headed for a
> gap in a fence on the west side of the train
> tracks across from the Berkeley Amtrak station,
> according to the Alameda County coroner's office.

If it was the same Scott Slaughter mentioned in this
Daily Cal article (http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=18949),
this could be considered a case of karma.

bay_bridge_tgv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> raillady Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > Scott Slaughter, 31, of Berkeley was struck by
> an
> > Amtrak train Thursday (Nov. 15) as he headed for
> a
> > gap in a fence on the west side of the train
> > tracks across from the Berkeley Amtrak station,
> > according to the Alameda County coroner's
> office.
>
> If it was the same Scott Slaughter mentioned in
> this
> Daily Cal article
> (http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=18949),
> this could be considered a case of karma.



Yes, based on the exact same name and ages checking out - this is the same dummy, no I mean IDIOT. Yes it's a tragedy that he's dead after being run over by a train while talking in his cell phone trespassing across an active 79mph double track mainline per his daily walk-to-work routine. But he's a bigger an idiot for being involved in this "hey baby" cat-call pedestrian intentional hit-and-run turned almost manslaughter/deadly.

I'm not sure if he was driving this car two years ago but he was either hanging out with someone that did and resisted arrest by fleeing with the driver after they ran over the Cal student's leg twice. I remember this Berkeley incident too after it happened seeing I live just a couple blocks away from this crosswalk intersection.


So yes, I think it was karma...



-Ryan aka "espeeboy"
on the ex-SP Martinez Sub MP6.2

Figured this would come eventually...wathced somebody go through that fence and my first thought, "Somebody is going to get hit right there soon."