[Magdalen] another train wreck

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

Well, the driver is dead, so it is hard to get her side of the story.  I
have no idea where the information came from that said she got out of her
car and tried to get back in again and then was struck.  It's so sad that
people think they have enough time to get out of the way when they really
don't.  This is apparently a pretty common thing.  We read about it and
ask, "How could they have been so (you know the rest!)...?" But I read
about it often enough to believe that folks have this false perception that
they have time to get away. Perhaps it has to do with the real alteration
of our perception of time when under a great deal of stress.

I read about an experiment where people were told to estimate time passage,
and then were asked to do so again while falling backwards out of a (yes,
perfectly sound) airplane.

They were able to demonstrate that for people subjected to stress, their
actual perception of time slows down.  Of course, it actually does not.  I
have never heard of anyone talking about this, but it might be the reason
in crises like these the person who ought to have (huge quotes) known
better (\H.Q.) allows self to be killed.

The experiment alluded to most likely needs to be replicated, but if this
is found to be an accurate finding, perhaps it ought to be publicized more
to sensitize people to the real danger of false time perception in a crisis
situation.



James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente

On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 3:52 AM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:

> Perhaps you guys have read something that I haven't.  Everything I've heard
> says they haven't determined why the car was on the tracks.  Do you have
> additional information, or is this a rush to judgment?
>
> Ann
>
> The Rev. Ann Markle
> Buffalo, NY
> ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
> blog:  www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com
>
> On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 10:03 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com>
> wrote:
>
> > From: James Oppenheimer-Crawford
> >
> >  This is so sad.  A woman driving an suv tried to beat the gates at the
> RR
> >> crossing, and the gate came down on her car, pinning it.  She got out to
> >>
> >
> > No one who is familiar with crossing gates would ever say they could
> "pin"
> > a
> > car. They are built to be broken away in emergencies.
> >
> > Like most motorists and truckers and bus drivers involved in such
> > "accidents"
> > they probably shouldn't be on the road any more than a drunk driver.
> >
> >  see what was going on, and got back and tried to get her suv out, and
> then
> >> the train hit her, killing her.
> >>
> >
> > It would appear to be more the case of being more concerned about a
> > scratch on her car
> > than her own safety.
> >
> >
>