The Chainlink

The other day I was hurrying to work approaching the train tracks at clinton just n. of fulton.  the warning lights and bells started going off as i was maybe 20ft from them.  so i accelerated and made it over before the gates began to move.

a metra police officer jumped in front of me a little ways later and made me stop.  wrote me a ticket and said it will likely cost me at least $250.  I kind of thought that the lights and bell were like a yellow light and you didnt have to stop until the gates came down.  It appears this is not the case.  expensive lesson learned.

posting this as a cautionary tale to anyone else pedaling over train tracks regularly.

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It is a treacherous situation with the three tracks.  I wonder if anyone has been hit there.   And yeah, it can be a long wait with all those trains which is why I ride fast the moment I turn onto clinton (or canal)  and head for the tracks.

on the other hand it could be a pure money making play.  one cop could write a $250 ticket literally every 10min.  if they put 2 out there they'd probably get somebody every time the lights start flashing.

anyway duppie, glad the info can help you out.  hopefully more people who ride that popular rout see it and dont have to find out the expensive way.  $250 is kind of ridiculous imo. but those are the breaks.

You couldn't dodge round the cop and high tail it out of the vicinity? To get out of a $250 ticket, I'd have been tempted if the cop was on foot.

That sounds like a good way to turn a ticket and fine into a few more and possibly a court appearance to explain to the judge why you decided to disobey a lawful order from the police.  

Bike Bloke said:

You couldn't dodge round the cop and high tail it out of the vicinity? To get out of a $250 ticket, I'd have been tempted if the cop was on foot.

he had a pretty good angle on me and was a big fella.  i didnt really consider trying to slip by him, but in hindsight I think it was a longshot

Do you really want to try to beat a train to the crossing? Is is really worth your life? Granted, the trains are moving pretty slowly at that area, but still – just wait the 30 seconds. Geez.

Ever wonder why that darn gate goes down so doggone early?

 If you were to cross right befor the gate falls and you got stuck, that is how long it would take that long heavy train to stop before crushing you. 

Something to think about.

 

+1

baci said:

Ever wonder why that darn gate goes down so doggone early?

 If you were to cross right befor the gate falls and you got stuck, that is how long it would take that long heavy train to stop before crushing you. 

Something to think about.

 

true, the people most likely to pay a cost are the most likely to complain about it.   but that doesnt mean the cost is justified.  

Clint H said:

I think the likelihood of a person calling the enforcement of a law a "money grab" is directly proportional to the tendency of that particular person to break that law. Red light runners make the same claim. There's a large and disturbing web presence for drunk drivers making that argument.

In the name of Randolf Scott I hope you were wearing a helmet to protect your thinky part!

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" -Mao Tse-tung

1. Trains do not cause accidents. The train is where it's supposed to be, it's pedestrians, bikers and drivers who cause the accidents.

2. Ticket writing these days is most definitely a revenue-raising tactic by all government agencies with such power - it has almost nothing to do with safety. As voters refuse to pay for the government they want through taxes, the government has to try and collect money in other ways - hence increased fees, fines and increased ticket-writing.

Hah, I always like to see folks complain about getting a ticket for doing something they know is not advisable and illegal, quite a low sense of sympathy for you and others.

It blows me away to see people play chicken with train's on foot, bike or car especially a commuter train that will be clear in a few minutes.

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