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Motorcyclist vs. Train - San Leandro

gixxerjeff said:
I don't disagree with what you're saying.
My only point is there was plenty of stupidity going on to pass around.
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Oh....absolutely 100% agree there was extreme stupidity on both sides. I was just saying that one needs to take personal responsibility.

I cross railroad tracks everyday and when the gates start to go up, I still look both ways to make sure there is not another "train" (in quotes because it is actually BART) coming. I do not always trust the gates.
 
In the context of a more typical group ride size, I think once you get past a group of about 4-5 riders the dynamics in the back of the pack can become problematic. A newer rider doesn't have a lot of reserve bandwidth and the abandonment emotion overwhelms them. I'm certainly guilty of questionable choices just in an effort to "keep up". It's an easy trap, even though sitting here at my desk I'm feeling righteous that I know better.

It's a great bullet point to remind everyone in a group that getting split up is part of the process and everyone needs to have awareness of the rider in front and behind so that keeping the pack together is a collective effort.
 
In this case (and is frequently the case) I'm afraid it wasn't the size of the group, but the mentality of the riders within that group.
It's becoming an all too common theme.
 
Holding up the RR crossing gave encouragement to the other riders and put a test to their bravado.
C’mon, you’re not chicken are you?”.
He didn’t want to look weak to his girl passenger so he went for it.
 
gixxerjeff said:
In this case (and is frequently the case) I'm afraid it wasn't the size of the group, but the mentality of the riders within that group.
It's becoming an all too common theme.
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100%

The group ride was organized by a group that's all about speeding through traffic, popping wheelies on the interstate, and other hooligan behavior all for the social media clout.

Just the kind of riders that give motorcyclists a bad name :squid:thumbdown
 
It seems whenever there's a group ride with that many bikes it's not if there's a crash, it's how many. Just sad someone lost their life :(
 
rudolfs001 said:
The group ride was organized by a group that's all about speeding through traffic, popping wheelies on the interstate, and other hooligan behavior all for the social media clout.
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What could go wrong?
 
"Fuck around and find out"
Or
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes"
I'm not sure which one is best applied here.
 
Unfortunately, this is just down the street from where I live. We were passing by on our way home from our son's basketball tournament just after it happened and didn't get off at that freeway exit we kept going to Washington. They kept it blocked off well into the evening. Very sad and that crossing seems to have more deaths associated with it than any other I can think of besides down by 4th street in Berkeley.

Without knowing all the details, if they indeed tried to cross and beat the train.... Which you should easily be able to see coming from the left (North) moreso than the right (South) though (it does move pretty fast through there). That's my only guess....it was a Northbound train coming from the South and they just didn't see it till it was too late or misjudged the speed.

It's not worth it. Just wait. Godspeed Pillion Rider. 😭
 
budman said:
So the analysis is a very bad decision. Waiting an extra few minutes would have been easy and I suppose pier pressure led to a really tragic event.
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The train if it was an Amtrak gets through there quickly. It's like waiting seconds not a few minutes.
 
bmwbob51 said:
It seems whenever there's a group ride with that many bikes it's not if there's a crash, it's how many. Just sad someone lost their life :(
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This.

Having a leg torn off and then being cut in two pieces at the waist is certainly a horrible way to die.

I’m sure the rider will remember it for the rest of their life. And will likely never ride a motorcycle again.
 
Man, that is horrific. Poor kid blindly trusted this guy to keep her safe.
Seeing that bald back tire and riding with a passenger on it says all I need to know about his riding mindset.
I really hope this makes some of these riders think. Maybe this tragedy will save someone else’s life by them making better decisions.
I know, could just be wishful thinking.
 
IMHO, the person holding up the crossing gate bears, by far, the most responsibility.

I think that the other riders thought that the person holding the gate would be watching for the approach of the train and tell the others to stop.

The driver of the bike holds responsibility also, probably didn't even look.

Very sad situation, totally avoidable and totally stupid.
 
While not an Attorney, I can almost guarantee that anyone holding open a crossing gate, which can be seen as encouraging a rider to pass through, will end up in court. Under the best of circumstance they spend a bunch of money defending themselves and under the worst they spend time in jail. In many states you can be held partially liable for waving someone into traffic -which was not clear- and creating an accident.

In both these cases, we would think that they should have known, but liability gets spread around like warm butter on hot toast.

I'm not trying to argue, simply make someone reading this think twice before doing something like this.
 
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