"Who hasn't looked away from the wheel to hand their kid a sippy cup or to answer a phone call?' Menken said. "It's hard to get from there to criminal negligence.'

Not if it's your JOB to drive and you have the lives of people in your hands, lady.

"This driver has an obligation, a moral obligation, a duty really, to protect the passengers that are under his control."

solemn duty?
honor-bound, solemn duty?
oath-sworn, honor-bound, solemn duty?
oath-sworn, honor-bound, solemn duty under penalty of negligence?
oath-sworn, honor-bound, solemn duty under penalty of criminal negligence?
oath-sworn, honor-bound, solemn duty under penalty of gross criminal negligence?
oath-sworn, honor-bound, solemn duty under penalty of gross criminal negligence?

My nu model T is da b's knees. 4 2 da floor. 23 ska du. Mittens: just ran n2 horse

MasterThief: Not if it's your JOB to drive and you have the lives of people in your hands, lady.

THIS! As a train driver your job is to ensure the safety of your passengers which is top priority.

No offense, Menken, but if everyone jumped off of a bridge, I would still expect my subway driver to keep it on the rails crossing the Longfellow. Thanks.

Is "everyone else was doing it..." really a plausible defense these days? Geez.

If a train conductor is drunk, would she say, "who hasn't needed to drive home from the bars once in a while?"

If I take my seatbelt off at a stoplight to grab something that fell on the floor, chances are the cop next to me isn't going to stop and give me a ticket. If I promptly take my foot off the brake and T-bone someone driving through the intersection, then I deserve to get arrested for my stupidity. While I'm sure what he did is a violation of every bit of his job description, it's also about the outcome of the act. If his boss caught him texting and no one got hurt, he should be fired. Because someone got hurt, he should face criminal charges.

"Who hasn't looked away from the wheel to hand their kid a sippy cup or to answer a phone call?' Menken said. "It's hard to get from there to criminal negligence.'

Me.
If my daughter would have been on that train, I'd be pushing for more than criminal negligence.
I am sorry, but if you have this sort of job (plane, train or automobile) you should be held to a higher set of standards.

Drivin' that train,
Updatin' his page,
Casey Jones you better
stop tweeting...

Aiden Quinn???

He's looked better...

I wonder who invented the train phone and wonder if it cause train accidents for those conducting the train...

P-U-T-H-I-M-I-N-J-A-I-L


[SEND]

sounds like a civil case and not a criminal one.

Shut up, you old... clerk guy.

No way he has a girlfriend.

They even said he never actually sent the text.

minnesotaboy: Aiden Quinn???

He's looked better...

I was thinking- has Aiden Quinn been cast as Chunk in the Goonies remake?

Wow, she should have a much easier time getting dates when she finishes becoming an overweight male.

His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

minnesotaboy: Aiden Quinn???

I thought that name sounded familiar.

MasterThief: "Who hasn't looked away from the wheel to hand their kid a sippy cup or to answer a phone call?' Menken said. "It's hard to get from there to criminal negligence.'

Not if it's your JOB to drive and you have the lives of people in your hands, lady.

Thanks. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one. That's pretty much as far as I got in the article and thought "WTF is to debate here?"

This lawyer sucks, true. She was probably his last option after fifteen other lawyers said they wouldn't take the case.

Last time I checked, blow up dolls do not have the ability to text.

.-.. --- .-.. .-- ..- -

At least he didn't crash his train

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

They do, but do you think he crashed it on purpose?

toonz: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

They do, but do you think he crashed it on purpose?

It doesn't matter that he didn't do it on purpose. He distracted himself from his duties. He is at fault for the whole situation.

maniacbastard: Maximum sentance of three years you say. hmm. Put a mop on him and he'll look like a rosy cheecked fat chick. And bet he has nice squeezable man boobs to.

Funny you mention that... (new window, SFW)

Nakito: .-.. --- .-.. .-- ..- -

Now you're speakin' my language.

""Who hasn't looked away from the wheel to hand their kid a sippy cup or to answer a phone call?' Menken said. "It's hard to get from there to criminal negligence.'"

Uh...no.

I've driven beside people texting on their phones. I will literally flip them off for 20-30 seconds straight and they won't notice it. Think they'd notice a kid running out in front of them?

and yes, in most cases they left their designated lanes multiple times, all while going about 5-10 mph under the posted speed limit.

If you THINK you can drive and text/talk "just fine", ask everyone driving around you, I guarantee they won't agree with you. Drunk people usually think they're driving "just fine" too right up until they end up in a ditch or wrapped around a telephone pole.

Innismir: maniacbastard: Maximum sentance of three years you say. hmm. Put a mop on him and he'll look like a rosy cheecked fat chick. And bet he has nice squeezable man boobs to.

Funny you mention that... (new window, SFW)


Really, who cares if the driver was transgendered? Its not relevant to the story.

Maybe they should make the engineers ride on the front of the train:
1) they'll act like bumpers in a crash
2) they'll be reeeealy motivated not to crash

Some napkin math, someone verify this please.

25 mph and went for 600 feet without looking.... so 16.6 seconds not paying attention? Seems like long time not to be driving/operating a train.

MasterThief: "Who hasn't looked away from the wheel to hand their kid a sippy cup or to answer a phone call?' Menken said. "It's hard to get from there to criminal negligence.'

Not if it's your JOB to drive and you have the lives of people in your hands, lady.

Amen. And that applies to each of us driving our cars as well. You think that 'I killed that pedestrian because I had to hand a sippy cup to my baby' is going to hold up in court?

Oh, and Car & Driver did a great test on texting (new window). Keep in mind how optimal the conditions were, and how much of an impact texting had on reaction times.

Your point?

Dialing a phone number on your cell is the functional equivalent of texting. It's not the talking that's so dangerous; it's the dialing.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: toonz: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

They do, but do you think he crashed it on purpose?

It doesn't matter that he didn't do it on purpose. He distracted himself from his duties. He is at fault for the whole situation.

I was just pulling your leg
It's still an accident. Otherwise, I totally agree with you and it doesn't absolve him of any responsibility for what happened.

Ummm I hate to be the one, but...


This little farker is 24 farkin years old! and is in command of a train full of people!!


Bastage cannot even rent a car but gets to run a train!!!


hows about letting him co-conduct until he's 25 or so before letting him slam a few passengers into the back end of another train?

Is the T spokesperson required to refer to this person as a he? If I'm waiting to have an operation to become the spitting image of Napoleon Bonaparte can I force the press to refer to me as "emperor"?

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: toonz: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

They do, but do you think he crashed it on purpose?

It doesn't matter that he didn't do it on purpose. He distracted himself from his duties. He is at fault for the whole situation.

Then why does it matter if a relative of yours is on the train or if it was all total strangers? He is equally at fault either way.

neglogon: If my daughter would have been on that train, I'd be pushing for more than criminal negligence.

Same question for you.

ihatedumbpeople: I've driven beside people texting on their phones. I will literally flip them off for 20-30 seconds straight and they won't notice it. Think they'd notice a kid running out in front of them?

Yea, because someone flipping the bird in the driver's seat of a car next to you is exactly as visibile as a kid in the street in front of you.

Also, how do you know they didn't notice? Did you stare at them for 20-30 seconds straight to check? Way to pay attention to the road.

book, him, throw.

Tarzan angry.

Car_Ramrod: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: toonz: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: His lawyer called it an accident huh? I bet she'd change her tune, if a relative of hers was on that train. Lawyers suck.

They do, but do you think he crashed it on purpose?

It doesn't matter that he didn't do it on purpose. He distracted himself from his duties. He is at fault for the whole situation.

Then why does it matter if a relative of yours is on the train or if it was all total strangers? He is equally at fault either way.

I don't think his lawyer would be defending him, if someone from her family had been hurt in the incident.

Good. My wife takes that train every morning. (She was maybe 15 minutes ahead of the crash that day, thank god, but could just as easily been on that train.) His self indulgent idiocy hurt and crippled people for life. I hope the pudgy little farker gets shanked in the prison shower while performing his 1,000th involuntary beej.

/His scumbag lawyer, too.
//You bet I'm pissed.

If we're going to use a 100 year statute to prosecute, why not use a 350 year old punishment and hang his carcass in the middle of Boston Common?

I wonder if "his" lawyer will now argue that "he" has to go to a woman's prison.

If not... yoof.

OtherLittleGuy: If we're going to use a 100 year statute to prosecute, why not use a 350 year old punishment and hang his carcass in the middle of Boston Common?

Actually, from a gibbet on Long Wharf would be more apt. But I like the way you think.

"After the crash, the T initiated the strictest cellphone ban in the country, prohibiting its drivers from carrying any kind of electronic device on a train or bus."

If only there was some way we could call the engineer and tell him the bridge was out...

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: I don't think his lawyer would be defending him, if someone from her family had been hurt in the incident.

I would assume that would be because of conflict of interests, as it is my understanding that a good lawyer puts their personal emotions aside when defending their client.

If only there was some way we could call the engineer and tell him the bridge was out...

You mean like via the radio that connects every car to every other car? Or the signals along the track? Or the electric breakers then can be cut?