I'm heading home via the subway from downtown at around 10pm. Earlier, I was at the college hacking some freelance code. I get off at the end of the line at the busy Finch Station.
I head to the platform to catch the Route 39D Finch East bus. Even at this late hour, the bus has a frequency of about 4-5 minutes. Tonight, the route is running behind, as two buses arrive at the station within seconds of each other, both dropping off their loads of passengers.
The first bus arrives at the loading platform, and passengers cram into the bus. Obviously, not everyone is going to get on the bus, so a few of us smart ones decide to wait for the second bus, which is approaching the loading platform.
At the same time, another bus from a different route arrives on our platform (behind the bus currently on the platform) to drop off another load of passengers. These passengers are running to catch the Finch East bus which is ready to leave the terminal. I point behind them and inform them that a bus is on its way and is going to pick the rest of us up. Most people look behind them and stop.
But not this guy. He's about 50, wearing glasses and an overcoat. He's still running. I'm still pointing behind him and telling him that a second bus is on its way. I'm standing only a foot from the Finch East bus currently on the platform, which has its doors closed and is ready to leave. But he runs between me AND the bus. On a platform which is covered with snow, and is very slippery. In the process he slips on the curb and lands on the ground. At the same time, the jam-packed bus leaves. I'll tell you this, he was a mere inch from being run over by the heavy right-rear wheel of the bus.
He's alright, but everyone was basically yelling at him saying "you idiot, you nearly got yourself run over for nothing". Even the bus driver of the second Finch East bus (which has now arrived on the platform) says this, he saw the whole thing. With the frequency of the route, why run in the first place?
Where does the idiot get off? Two stops after the bus leaves the terminal. He nearly gets killed over that? Sheesh.
Yep. Possible Darwin Award candidate. Too bad he didn't get the full treatment.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
He may be a Darwin Award candidate someday, but he would actually have to have killed himself to qualify w/ this incident. Or at least rendered himself sterile.
Posted by Tahna Los (Member # 33) on :
Well, he was close. That's why I said possible.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Heh, that'd make a good personal account, at the very least...
I've seen a few incidents like that. The more entertaining ones stem from the fact that there's a major railroad freight line that cuts through Newark, where the University is. All of the main campus buildings are south of the tracks, but there are a few residential facilities to the north, and therefore there's usually a stream of pedestrians crossing the tracks along the roadways.
Naturally, when there's a train going by during the time right before a class period starts, after the bell starts ringing and the gate goes down, there's a few idiots who don't hesitate to run around the gates and cross the tracks in front of a massive freight train trailing a line of a dozen or more fully-laden boxcars.
And these are people who are considered "educated"? (Well, I guess educated != intelligent.)
I know I'd rather be late for class than just "late." Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Well, he was close. That's why I said possible."
But that's my point. It's not possible, because the guy escaped intact.
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