How not to cross a railway line

[alex_holden]

I find this story rather astonishing.

"I came to this crossing at Ffynongain and there was like a metal gate, which looked like just a normal farmers' gate with a red circle on it. I thought it was a dead end at first and then there was a little sign saying, if the light is green, open the gates and drive through. So I opened the gate, drove forward, closed the gate behind me and then went to go and open the gate in front of me. Then I heard this train and I noticed there was train tracks. It was only then that I did realise I was on a train crossing."



After the driver parked her car on a level crossing and it was smashed by a train, she tried to blame the whole incident on her satellite navigation system.

[Onne]

Astonishing indeed. Or just plain stupid...

[bigginger]

Reminds me of the time the sat nav INSISTED that the way to ESM was to turn on to the line near to tham and drive along it. I didn't...

[rayofleamington]

It's quite normal to drive into a river, or into the path of a train, or oncomming traffic.
I'd much rather use my brain than a sat nav, and at least nobody on the train was injured by this drivers lack of thought.
Even Minor drivers are not immune to sat-nav induced stupidity. There was a near miss (head on collission) on last years JOGLE when someone used their Sat-nav, and was oblivious to the diversion signs - they only realised a problem when they saw a coach coming head on at them!
The people without sat nav made it to the atart point (including the diversions through a stretch or roadworks) without any near death experiences...

[Pyoor_Kate]

People really do worry me sometimes. I mean, didn't she actually have her eyes open when she opened the gate? *sighs*.

Mind, my mum's nearly gone the wrong side of a traffic island thanks to the sat nav (but seriously, she just *can't* read maps. I've tried, both my father and I spent many miserable hours trying to explain map reading to her... for some reason it just hits a blind spot).

I tend to ignore mine anyhow; I'll use it happily because I know I don't need it, it just saves me having to check the map when I'm on my own. But you just take everything it says with a pinch of salt...

[Furrtiv]

Did this woman not have to read the Highway Code before taking her test? I'm sure I read something about level crossings in there somewhere . . .

[gairlochrosie]

I've a sat nav in my car never once has my sat nav sent me the wrong way, totally dependable. absolutely 100% reliable... even tells me to watch out for the cyclist, pedestrians and other vehicles every 5 seconds......and the best thing about my sat nav is when we get back home.....my sat nav, washes the dishes, makes the tea, runs my bath, does my washing, buys my clothes, irons my shirt...Now then, where did she put my grease gun?

[Alec]

Hello all,

surely the satellite navigation system is irrelevant, the sign said if the light is green open the gate. Either the light was green or it wasn't, if it was she was correct in proceeding, if not she wasn't?

Alec

[alex_holden]

She tried to blame it on the sat-nav, but how she found her way to the level crossing is completely irrelevant. The sign said to open *both* gates and drive through. She opened the first gate, parked on the tracks, closed the first gate, went to open the second gate... Splat.