Editor:
Re: White Rock jogger killed by train, July 16.
When we were kids, we were taught to stop and look both ways before crossing the street. We must learn to do the same when crossing railway tracks.
A while back I walked over the tracks in East Beach at the Sandpiper Pub corner for my morning walk.
I looked neither right nor left when I crossed and was horrified to have an Amtrak train glide by me just a minute or so after I crossed. I neither saw nor heard the train. It did not sound its horn at that crossing.
The trains are very quiet; you are only warned by the sound of the horn. I learned my lesson. I check the track right and left before crossing now.
It’s beautiful at the beach in White Rock, but dangerous.
Lynne Collins, Surrey
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Re: Question of the week, July 18-25.
According to your current online question of the week – “Should more be done to protect pedestrians at rail crossings?” – apparently, as of last week, the majority feel nothing more should be done.
In a perfect world, we would all like to see the trains take a different route and away from our beautiful White Rock beach. This is not going to happen, so I believe more can and should be done to keep the public safe.
Automatic warning devices with flashing lights and crossing arms at each pedestrian crossing along the White Rock boulevard should be installed.
With train traffic increasing as well as the popularity of the White Rock beach/Marine Drive and boulevard area, it seems to me this is a common-sense solution to prevent further tragedies.
For those so quick to jump to conclusions and judge an individual who paid with her life for a split-second decision gone so terribly wrong, yes, I believe in personal responsibility. But have you not made a poor decision that could have had dire consequences but did not?
Let us all pull together to make this gem called White Rock beach safer.
Jacqueline Williams, Surrey
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Re: Parental responsibility, July 16 letters.
I am responding to Katherine Booth’s letter wherein she states “it is your responsibility as parents to teach your children to stay off the tracks.”
As a parent and grandparent, I feel it is the responsibility of the railway, Transport Canada and the community to ensure the safety of all and not just parents. This would include protection of all adults, children, including the environment.
It would seem the letter writer is fine with letting everyone else off the hook and laying any tragic event solely on the parents. This is ignoring the fact that there is a company profiting from their services who perhaps may favour less regulatory infringements, and a federal agency that may well be under-resourced to oversee. Both these parties should be respecting the citizens’ views and protecting our interests and the environment.
The recent White Rock tragedy of the adult jogger at a public pedestrian crossing – as well as the disaster in Lac-Mégantic – attests to the fact that it is not just the parents’ responsibility.
There are others who also own the “responsibility” for any and all tragedies concerning the railways – namely our political leaders and the railway corporate executive.
John Mackintosh, Surrey
