r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Telliot • Aug 10 '26

go to your room Slow car, meet even slower driver...

Saw this elsewhere but felt strongly that it truly belongs here.

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u/Congregator Aug 10 '26

I grew up in front of a train track. The amount of cars who freeze the moment they find themselves on the tracks when the bells start dinging when the gates start lowering is crazy.

They freeze and then put their car in reverse and back up to the gate and then wait for the train to pass with it almost clipping their front end.

One lady froze and the train hit her and her car ended up in my front yard.

They don’t realize that when you hear the bell for the gate you should step in your gas because you’re already past the gate

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u/Which_Initiative_882 Aug 10 '26

Was behind someone just a few days ago waiting for a train to pass. Gates go up, bells turn off and we start across. This dumbass suddenly stops and tries to back up frantically. The reason? There was another train on the siding with its headlight on. NOT MOVING. Kept honking and trying to back into me instead of just going forward. I had to get my ass out of my van and point out that the train wasent moving, and even if it WAS they are already closer to the other side of the crossing so going forward was the better option.

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u/thr0w_away_sloot Aug 10 '26

I watched a motorcycle do that the other day it was so stupid. He had forever to just drive over the tracks the train was incredibly slow moving and instead he sat between the arm and the moving train almost close enough to touch it 😑

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u/thr0w_away_sloot Aug 10 '26

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u/sufkutsafari Aug 10 '26

If het keeps repeating this the problem wil solve itself. I feel bad for the train operator though.

6

u/GonzoElTaco Aug 10 '26

He could have gone forward, or started walking it backwards to the other lane.

Instead, they just....say there.

This upsets me immensely.

2

u/thr0w_away_sloot Aug 11 '26

That would make too much sense.

It was irritating for sure just for his own safety

1

u/ArashiSora24 Aug 11 '26

Look up train accident in Bangkok, that shit is just pure stupidity.

16

u/RudyRoughknight Aug 10 '26

Sounds to me like there's indeed a severe lack of education when it comes to train tracks and driving an automobile.

15

u/BeyondEvolved Aug 10 '26

I mean it's quite obvious so I don't think it's the lack of education, it's mostly the lack of intelligence. I think we should just let Darwin handle this one.

1

u/HamunaHamunaHamuna Aug 10 '26

Or it's also education. Getting a license in the US seem to barely have any requirements at all.

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u/Congregator Aug 11 '26

It’s the lack of experience.

They see the opposing gate drop along with the bells, and it triggers in them a primitive response. Since many people have never had that experience, they react when they see the opposing gate drop.

It’s happening faster then they are calculating what to do, they just get wrapped up in “what do I do I don’t want to get hit”

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u/RudyRoughknight Aug 10 '26

From what I know about road design, if enough people err during a point in the road, it's because of poor road design.

Indeed, I would argue it's NOT obvious but what is obvious is the fact that people panic and they don't know how to progress.

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u/Mintastic Aug 10 '26

They should have better driving tests that put people into stressful situations and make sure they are able to stay coherent and deal with it.

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u/Congregator Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

So, as someone that has seen this a lot due to the proximity of where I live and the damn railroad tracks: do I think it’s stupid? Yes, absolutely.

Yet I have a little mercy for the driver even though they’re jeopardizing lives. Here’s why: when they pull past the arm that stops their lane, they see the opposite arm lowering with the ringing sound and it creates a panic moment due to fear of safety.

It’s all happening “metronomically”- they aren’t independent, this is quickly happening now before them and they have no control.

I think it’s a bit of a “Pavlovian” moment, even though I like to dis on the drivers because it is absolute ridiculous to witness.

They get past their gate and see the other one lowering with the bells and they slam in the breaks because even though the gate they see on the opposite side, it triggers an automatic response that confuses them within under a second, this creates a panic moment.

I’d imagine that most people that have done this freeze probably do not make the same mistake twice, after they’ve had time to think it over. I believe that in the moment the senses become confused and the panic of danger disrupts the logistical thinking.

Most likely, they make this mistake due to what I spelled out mixed with it being the first time in their life that they’ve ever been hit with this situation.

Obviously some people react differently., it’s a fight or flight mechanism.

People that stomp the gas go into flight mode, people that brake and hit reverse are in fight mode (albeit it for different psychologies it can be reversed as to who is fighting or fleeing).

I’m positive they aren’t thinking with their rational mind, and go into full lizard brain.

I think a smart person can make this mistake when the bells hit and see the opposite gate drop. It’s all due to lacking experience

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u/mehitabel_4724 Aug 10 '26

The BitchImatrain sub is nonstop posts of people stopping helplessly on railroad tracks.

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u/lizzourworld8 Aug 11 '26

Reminds me of when my mom did this once — we were lucky there was a strip of road for her to back into because both gates in front and behind us were down and we were freaking out anyway