Quote:
Originally Posted by belpre122
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fredog
it's not 500 bucks anymore, it's automatic disqualification
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That has been my understanding also Fredog. The fines, etc., aside. Disregarding a RR crossing is not a CMV suspension, but a CMV disqualification. Is that how you understand the reg also Fredog?
That's how it is explained to me?
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That's pretty much the deal. It is important for a driver to communicate abandoned crossing such as the OP has asked about, to local authorities, the company he/she drives for, as well as the listed Rail Compnay owner.
If you are aware of a "controlled crossing", where you know that the crossing arms regularly fail and remain in the down position, blocking one or both directions of travel, after the signal lights have stopped, or if you know of a lighted only crossing, at which the lights and bells continue to run, sometimes for hours...stopping and calling the 800 number posted at the crossing, and reporting that location, can save you plenty of trouble.
Each crossing has a location number posted under the cross bucks.
I made one such call three weeks ago in Columbus GA. The lights were running at an industrial crossing, when I reached them at 2 AM. When I exited the plant at 7 AM, into which I had turned before crossing the tracks, the lights and bells were still running, only then, there were 3 school buses, sitting on each side of the crossing, blocking traffic.
After waiting for 5 minutes for someone to move, so I could make my right turn(narrow 2-lane street)...away from the crossing..and nobody moving, I shutdown my truck, walked up to the crossing with my cell phone, and made the call to the number posted. After explaining the problem to the operator, whom answered in a crisp clear voice on the second ring, there was a police car at the crossing within 6 minutes...the officer within which, got those buses cleared across the track and traffic moving.
Traffic was backed up over a mile each direction...yet nobody sitting right there bothered to read the signs....or even call the police department. The bus driver, whom was sitting within four feet of the sign I called the number from, had no clue that the number was even there, or what it was for........even though explained on the posting.
Few officers will ticket for crossing an abandoned rail line...but most will read the riot act for runnning a live one. There are some officers to dumb..or to lazy, to do anything.