TRAINS: No room for humans

So let me get this straight…

Due to a 2008 distracted texting passenger train engineer in Chatsworth, Calif., that killed 25 and injured 135, we may likely see our local freight train crews dropped from an engineer and a conductor to just an engineer, all by his/her lonesome? Wow!

Here’s basically what happened: After the horrific 2008 accident, Congress told the railroads it’s time to idiot-proof trains that blow through red light “stop” signals. So the railroads have spent billions with a “b” on a system that incorporates GPS antennas and satellites and mechanisms to stop wayward trains.

That investment has rendered human train drivers obsolete.

Or at least less needed. (Seen any cabooses lately?) Now railroads want to eliminate conductors. Which is what technology and advancement does — unemploy flawed people.

But will we be safer? What if an engineer has a heart attack? Then why have engineers at all? Progress. Intelligently planned. Artificial even.

MIKE RENO

Post Falls