Getting Railroaded

There’s another article in the paper today about the Infamous Honking Trains of Bakersfield. They’re still trying to figure out how to stop the noise without spending a bunch of money. I have an idea. Tell them to stop. There, problem solved and it didn’t cost a penny. Okay, so it’s more complicated than that. I just can’t figure out why.

Presumably the reason for all the noise is to alert people who might be on the tracks to get out of the way. In other words, to wake up the bums passed out on the train tracks. (That doesn’t sound very comfortable, does it?) I can understand the desire to help these people, but come on, is it really THAT big of a problem? Has there been a rash of bums being squished that I’m not aware of? If that’s the case, then I say honk away – but keep it within reason!

I often wake up early, especially in the summer. It’s nice to get things done before it gets too hot. So the other day while I was watering I couldn’t help but notice a train blowing its horn for a really long time. This was no three second job. This was really llllloooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg. I started counting when I noticed it and got all the way to 12 before it stopped. That’s the thing that makes me mad. Some dudes really lay it on. There are others that seem respectful, maybe even a little peaceful. Then there are the a-holes who blast away like it’s their own personal air raid siren.

I know how save money – ditch those guys.