From: Benjamin.Kubelsky@verizon.net

On 5/7/2015 11:52 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> Adam H. Kerman  wrote:
>> hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>> On Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 9:34:35 PM UTC-5, Michael Finfer wrote:
>
>>>> There was also a statement made that Metro-North is the only application
>>>> of under running third rail in North America.  That is not true.
>>>> Philadelphia's Market St. subway/elevated uses it as well.  There are no
>>>> grade crossings on that line, however.
>
>>> I believe in the 100 year history of third rail usage in the NYC metro
>>> area, the accident history (involving the third rail) is very good to
>>> excellent.
>
>>> I get the impression the SUV's driver could've driven off the crossing
>>> if she wanted to, but for some reason stayed still.  Maybe she thought
>>> the train would stop for her?  (Was she a resident of the area?)  Or,
>>> maybe it was a suicide.  But, as mentioned, I want to wait for the
>>> official report.
>
>> . . . to determine the driver's intent, after she's dead and can't be
>> made to answer questions?
>
>> What does being a resident of the area have to do with anything? She
>> KNOWINGLY violated a grade crossing, then KNOWINGLY drove her vehicle
>> directly into the path of the oncoming train.
>
>> The design of the third rail is irrelevant. No one designs grade crossings
>> anticipating this kind of stupidity.
>
> I'm reviving this dead thread to mention an opinion piece from March 2015
> Railway Age that I just read.
>
> The car being driven was a Mercedes-Benz ML350 SUV. The driver, Carol Brody,
> had purchased it only a few weeks before. The automatic transmission shift
> lever has an unusual pattern--Park, Neutral, Reverse or Drive.
>
> The more common pattern is Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive
>
> The commentator speculates that there's a possibility that she really
> did intend to reverse off the grade crossing and got confused.
> We'll never know.

Good point Adam.


I was wondering when this would come up. Way back in the early 1960s,
Chrysler got rid of the push buttons and GM changed the Hydra-Matic to
the P-R-N-D-L format. I was under the understanding that this was due to
DOT pressure to have uniform shift patterns. And, we did have uniform
shift patterns for several decades. A few years ago, some automakers
started screwing around with things.

Even though one gets used to the pattern in their own car pretty quick,
it doesn't help much when you get into another vehicle and things are
bassackwards.

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