Sabotage Caused Washington oil-train disaster, rail union says

[Iain]

https://kuow.org/stories/sabotage-caused-washington-state-oil-train-disaster-rail-union-says

[pedro]

You have to read through a lot of bullshit in that story to get to the part where the new crew neglected to do a “train check.” It’s pretty SOP for a DP train. Just sayin…

[Hawghead]

Two days ago the ITAG4 out of Portland was fire bombed near Rockwood on the Graham line.  Some "homeless" people thought it would be fun to throw Molotov cocktails at the train as it went by.

Scott

[sirenwerks]

Two days ago the ITAG4 out of Portland was fire bombed near Rockwood on the Graham line.  Some "homeless" people thought it would be fun to throw Molotov cocktails at the train as it went by.

Scott

We don't use "homeless" anymore, we generalize them as "campers" and its the bane of many Oregonians that the population is growing throughout the Willamette Valley.  It's getting to be like urban guerilla warfare, as you are never sure if the individual bounding out from under the blue tarp is a friendly or not.  I drove to PDX the other day along the Columbia and was amazed.  The monthly FBI briefings we get in the federal sector hadn't mentioned the number of tarped campers and vehicles up on cinderblocks, in various stages of parting out or being repaired on that route - it felt like Jersey.  The clashes downtown are art and sport, but the issue of people living, literally, outside the box has gotten ugly in a new way.  Some I feel sorry for and want to help; some I want to kick in the a$$ and tell to take a bath and get a job; and some I'd like to take into the woods and not bring them back.  That's the problem with being a realist liberal who owns firearms.

[peteski]

The homeless (or whatever you call them) exists on the Northeast coast too (and probably elsewhere in the country).  There are encampments with tents and tarps, and many of them panhandle for spare change at intersections with traffic lights, holding the obligatory cardboard sign with the message usually ending with "God bless". 

In Manchester NH they even put signs at the intersections, but some drivers still feel sorry for those panhandlers, and throw them a bone.  I wonder if you asked those panhandlers to do some work for you (and pay them for that) how many would agree to do it.  But since they keep coming back, the panhandling must be profitable enough.  Then one wonders what that money ends up being used for. 
https://www.nhpr.org/post/anti-panhandling-signs-go-manchester

[wazzou]

The problem I've seen in the PNW with homelessness is that they are often afforded more rights than those that hold down jobs, live in dwellings and pay taxes.
There has long been a problem with some violent behavior but it's escalating.
Imagine driving down the turnpike as most back East call it and having a Lime Bike or large rocks drop from an overpass through your windshield.

Last week, a woman walking her dog was accosted, the dog kicked so hard as to kill it.
The man, homeless was arrested for Animal Cruelty, arraigned, couldn't pay bail so was released rather than detained, then failed to re-appear in Court and has vanished.
Imagine if I or anyone on TRW had committed a similar atrocity?

***No political intent

[delamaize]

...Oh man, do not get me started on the Homeless/Transient problem in the PNW....

Two HUGE contributing factors with this one.
1: This is what happens when one political ideal runs the whole show, and will not even consider the oppositions input and ideas. and....
2: the people who are in charge, and "Helping" clearly have never read "When you give a mouse a cookie"...

[CRL]

We don't use "homeless" anymore, we generalize them as "campers" and its the bane of many Oregonians that the population is growing throughout the Willamette Valley.  It's getting to be like urban guerilla warfare, as you are never sure if the individual bounding out from under the blue tarp is a friendly or not.  I drove to PDX the other day along the Columbia and was amazed.  The monthly FBI briefings we get in the federal sector hadn't mentioned the number of tarped campers and vehicles up on cinderblocks, in various stages of parting out or being repaired on that route - it felt like Jersey.  The clashes downtown are art and sport, but the issue of people living, literally, outside the box has gotten ugly in a new way.  Some I feel sorry for and want to help; some I want to kick in the a$$ and tell to take a bath and get a job; and some I'd like to take into the woods and not bring them back.  That's the problem with being a realist liberal who owns firearms.

Oh, man… you’re only about 2 clicks off from coming to the realization that you’re a redneck trying to survive in lunatic land. All I can say is… come on in - the water’s fine. You need to listen to some Jeff Foxworthy recordings.

Several years ago, a super conservative buddy of mine was working for MK’s locomotive works as a quality control engineer in Boise when that operation fell apart & he was laid off. He had to find a job fast, and ended up taking a similar position with a shelving manufacturer in Eugene. Suffice to say he was a fish out of water there politically. One day, he shows up for work like usual, but the facility is practically empty. He looked around for awhile and finally ran into someone up in the management offices. He asked where everyone was and the guy says “Oh man! Didn’t you hear? Jerry Garcia died!” My buddy responded “That’s sad to hear. What department was he in?”