Passenger Trains > Follow Up To Last Week's Teen Death On Caltrain Tracks

A local newspaper in Palo Alto has a follow-up story to last week's suicide on the Caltrain tracks at Churchill Avenue, which is next to Palo Alto High School.

The person who died was a sophomore.

The article offers a few new details. Here's the linkk:  https://padailypost.com/2025/03/13/paly-student-killed-by-train-is-identified/

Here's a link to the original post from last week: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,5993438

The referenced article suggests that he had serious issues with his own identity (referred to as non-binary).

From this sophomoric solution to his issue, ne now has only a non-identity.  Sadly he took no notice of how he involved other, innocent people in his action.  Whether that was out of sheer inconsideration or from a selfish desire to advertise his plight publicly, what he did was wrong and I feel no loss.

I pray for him and his family. May God be with them all.

Tom Loftus
Omaha, NE

You have just revealed how you posses absolutely no understanding of the paths and decisions that lead one to suicide, as well as the reveal that you are devoid of empathy. I hope no one you care for is ever involved in such a situation.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The referenced article suggests that he had
> serious issues with his own identity (referred to
> as non-binary).
>
> From this sophomoric solution to his issue, ne now
> has only a non-identity.  Sadly he took no notice
> of how he involved other, innocent people in his
> action.  Whether that was out of sheer
> inconsideration or from a selfish desire to
> advertise his plight publicly, what he did was
> wrong and I feel no loss.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/25 13:40 by PumpkinHogger.

Events like this spread pain over many people. The family, friends, classmates, train crew, first responders and many more.

Posted from Android

PumpkinHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You have just revealed how you posses absolutely
> no understanding of the paths and decisions that
> lead one to suicide, as well as the reveal that
> you are devoid of empathy. I hope no one you care
> for is ever involved in such a situation.
>
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The referenced article suggests that he had
> > serious issues with his own identity (referred
> to
> > as non-binary).
> >
> > From this sophomoric solution to his issue, ne
> now
> > has only a non-identity.  Sadly he took no
> notice
> > of how he involved other, innocent people in
> his
> > action.  Whether that was out of sheer
> > inconsideration or from a selfish desire to
> > advertise his plight publicly, what he did was
> > wrong and I feel no loss.

For PumpkinHogger... Lack of empathy is a gentle way of framing what I'm thinking  I sign up for trainorders to enjoy a love of railroads with other like minded people.  Not to listen to someone just being...unkind.  As a physician who has dealt with a number of people over the years who have been devastated by the suicide of a loved one, as a military officer who had the honor of accompanying one of my Airmen to a final resting place in his hometown after "suicide by cop" (sadly very effective) and just as a human being, I find the comments about suicide deeply troublesome.  

I will consider it out of ignorance vs worse. 
 

OmahaTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I pray for him and his family. May God be with
> them all.

Thanks OmahaTom.  For him, his family, and all those who sadly were impacted by this tragedy. 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Events like this spread pain over many people. The
> family, friends, classmates, train crew, first
> responders and many more.
>
> Posted from Android

Amen. 

DocVooDoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OmahaTom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I pray for him and his family. May God be with
> > them all.
>
> Thanks OmahaTom.  For him, his family, and all
> those who sadly were impacted by this tragedy. 

The real tragedy here is someone didn't recognize the pain this person felt and tried to get hm into a situation that would ease his stress and pain.  That's the real tragedy.  

Thanks to many of you for your thoughtful and sensitive comments regarding this tragedy. As someone who, as luck would have it, has been involved a few times over many years in helping to talk someone back from a suicidal or serious self-harming situation, once together with a skilled and sensitive police officer who had responded to the scene, I am deeply appreciative for your words.

As for "GenePoon's" comments, I find them repugnant and deeply concerning. Gene, I hope that you can find some way to reach a more enlightened and sensitive understanding of tragic situations like this. They are always first and foremost about respecting a life, and hopefully helping to save it, no matter how troubled and different from our own. While such incidents can have tragic consequences for many, including very unfortunately train crews who may witness the situation, they are never about some analysis of societal policy and values, and particularly never about keeping score about anything.

MC



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/25 19:19 by ironmtn.

Thank you for this comment. Good to read some sensitivity.
ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks to many of you for your thoughtful and
> sensitive comments regarding this tragedy. As
> someone who, as luck would have it, has been
> involved a few times over many years in helping to
> talk someone back from a suicidal or serious
> self-harming situation, once together with a
> skilled and sensitive police officer who had
> responded to the scene, I am deeply appreciative
> for your words.
>
> As for "GenePoon's" comments, I find them
> repugnant and deeply concerning. Gene, I hope that
> you can find some way to reach a more enlightened
> and sensitive understanding of tragic situations
> like this. They are always first and foremost
> about respecting a life, and hopefully helping to
> save it, no matter how troubled and different from
> our own. While such incidents can have tragic
> consequences for many, including very
> unfortunately train crews who may witness the
> situation, they are never about some analysis of
> societal policy and values, and particularly never
> about keeping score about anything.
>
> MC

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The referenced article suggests that he had
> serious issues with his own identity (referred to
> as non-binary).
>
> From this sophomoric solution to his issue, ne now
> has only a non-identity.  Sadly he took no notice
> of how he involved other, innocent people in his
> action.  Whether that was out of sheer
> inconsideration or from a selfish desire to
> advertise his plight publicly, what he did was
> wrong and I feel no loss.

"Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day’s useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colors from our sight.
Red is gray and yellow white,
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion?"

Poor kid.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/25 08:09 by Jonny_Chi.

I must comment on the abuse heaped on GenePoon.  There are two very different ways to view this incident.  First, from the railroaders point of view, this was a completely avoidable accident that will affect them for the rest of their lives.  Their career has suffered a huge personal blot that they did not create...it was simply thrust upon them.  From the railroaders point of view, someone has done something very evil to them which will stay with them and that they didn't deserve.  Given that, I can certainly understand something of a cynical view of something as tragic as the suicide death of a person on the line.  It's probably good we think about that, too even as we understand the tragedy of that young person.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/25 11:02 by a737flyer.

a737flyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must comment on the abuse heaped on GenePoon.
>  There are two very different ways to view this
> incident.  First, from the railroaders point of
> view, this was a completely avoidable accident
> that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
>  Their career has suffered a huge personal blot
> that they did not create...it was simply thrust
> upon them.  From the railroaders point of view,
> someone has done something very evil to them which
> will stay with them and that they didn't deserve.
>  Given that, I can certainly understand something
> of a cynical view of something as tragic as the
> suicide death of a person on the line.  It's
> probably good we think about that, too even as we
> understand the tragedy of that young person.

As a railroader, please stop trying to make excuses for Gene's ignorant comments.

a737flyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must comment on the abuse heaped on GenePoon.
>  There are two very different ways to view this
> incident.  First, from the railroaders point of
> view, this was a completely avoidable accident
> that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
>  Their career has suffered a huge personal blot
> that they did not create...it was simply thrust
> upon them.  From the railroaders point of view,
> someone has done something very evil to them which
> will stay with them and that they didn't deserve.
>  Given that, I can certainly understand something
> of a cynical view of something as tragic as the
> suicide death of a person on the line.  It's
> probably good we think about that, too even as we
> understand the tragedy of that young person.

I have sympathy for both the kid and the engineer. Empathy for all of the living I say.

Posted from iPhone

Jonny_Chi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> a737flyer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I must comment on the abuse heaped on GenePoon.
> >  There are two very different ways to view
> this
> > incident.  First, from the railroaders point
> of
> > view, this was a completely avoidable accident
> > that will affect them for the rest of their
> lives.
> >  Their career has suffered a huge personal
> blot
> > that they did not create...it was simply thrust
> > upon them.  From the railroaders point of
> view,
> > someone has done something very evil to them
> which
> > will stay with them and that they didn't
> deserve.
> >  Given that, I can certainly understand
> something
> > of a cynical view of something as tragic as the
> > suicide death of a person on the line.  It's
> > probably good we think about that, too even as
> we
> > understand the tragedy of that young person.
>
> I have sympathy for both the kid and the engineer.
> Empathy for all of the living I say.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yes.   This whole situation is very sad. Sad for the engineer, the first responders, the family, class mates etc.  In some ways they will all have grief that will be with them for a long time. They did not ask for it, or seek it. It was thrust on them.

But, it's also very sad this kid didn't have alternatives available or known to them  which could have better informed his outlook on life.