boy jumps from train, CZ 6/22

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SweetSue

Train Attendant
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
66
Location
Northwest,Ohio
DH and I are traveling home from vacation on the CZ today. We boarded this train in Emeryville on Tuesday, 6/21. It was supposed to leave at 9:10am however we were informed when we arrived that it would be at least an 11am departure because it arrived about 11 hours later than expected yesterday and they had to give time to turn the train around and let the crew rest. So we stayed about 2 hours late for awhile and the conductor told us they would try to make up the time. On 6/22, in the desert in Utah, a teenaged boy pulled the emergency brake, opened the door and jumped off the train. He jumped over a barbed wire fence and started walking as fast as he could through the desert while pulling his luggage and carrying a backpack and another bag. My phone said the temperature was 100. Soon after, the conductor got off and ran after him. He finally caught up to him and talked with him then the conductor walked back to the train. The boy walked to the highway where local authorities arrested him. Seems he will be held on federal charges for pulling the emergency brake. We heard that he told the conductor he did it because he was paranoid that they would have him arrested at the next stop for having 4 oz of weed on him. We did smell someone smoking cigarettes during the night and running in the hallways. I guess he was running from car to car to smoke so he would not get caught.

Then while traveling through Nebraska today, we made another emergency stop as a truck was on the tracks playing chicken with the train. Luckily we stopped in time and nobody was hurt. At this time we are over 5 hours late. Hope we make it to Chicago in time to make our connection.
 
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Yeah, to me, "young boy" is under 12. (My first thought, when I read the first part - before I got to the part about paranoia and weed) was "Wow. Epic Tantrum Time." Because I could ALMOST see a child getting upset enough to stalk away from their family.....though maybe not by pulling the emergency brake and getting off the train in the middle of nowhere.

I'm glad the kid is unhurt and that he got talked back out of the desert, but I suspect he'd have faced lesser charges for being caught with the pot than for pulling the emergency brake....
 
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Ok, I changed it to boy,instead of young boy and put teenager in the context. He was far enough away that although I could tell he wasn't younger than a teen I also cannot be sure that he wasn't older than a teen. He could be in his 20's. I did not have binoculars but wanted to relay the story. I am in my late 50's and anyone under 30 is a young boy to me:)
 
I am 60 and anyone in their 20s looks like a teenager to me. But teenagers are adult or near adult sized. Young boys are shorter.

Have to say when I first read the post I was envisioning a five year old desperate to flee with his weed, and having some trouble with that.
 
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So he couldn't even wait to smoke. I take it that the smell was not of weed.

Strangely enough, I remember once in the Sightseer Lounge on the CS, I overhead a guy saying that he was coming down to Santa Barbara with some "excellent bud". He didn't seem too concerned that he might get caught. I wonder if the Amtrak Police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs.
 
So he couldn't even wait to smoke. I take it that the smell was not of weed.

Strangely enough, I remember once in the Sightseer Lounge on the CS, I overhead a guy saying that he was coming down to Santa Barbara with some "excellent bud". He didn't seem too concerned that he might get caught. I wonder if the Amtrak Police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs.
About 6 years ago, I was riding a Capitol Corridor train from Sacramento to the Bay Area, and the guy in the seat across the aisle from me was on his phone the whole trip making all kinds of deals regarding weed. From the context of the conversation, it seemed like he was the proprietor of one or more "medical cannabis" dispensaries, which are legal by California state law. In fact, I remember reading an alternative weekly paper in Sacramento that had a back page full of ads for these dispensaries, and it sounded like it wasn't too hard for you to get a prescription. In fact, most of the dispensaries advertised having a doctor on site.

The best thing about that trip was that we were sitting in a Superliner coach they had in the consist. Those California cars they use on the Capitol Corridor are a wee short in the legroom department.
 
I am in my late 50's and anyone under 30 is a young boy to me.
I hear this a lot and it has never once made any sense to me regardless of my age. Why not simply say "passenger under thirty" instead of some weird arbitrary description that varies in relation to the age of the author?
 
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Glad the kid didn't die out in the desert what with the Record Heat that isn't being caused by Climate Change!

He's lucky if he gets off with a fine and probation

for pulling the emergency stop (since weed isn't that big a thing now days)! Perhaps he should consider moving to Colorado!
 
Yea, teenagers (anyone under 25) sometimes do pretty impulsive things. Add to that, their lack of life experiences dealing with problems and consequences.

Glad the conductor went after him. It was the right thing to do.

Having raised two generations of kids, this doesn't surprise me at all. Of course, I always acted like a perfect, rational, adult when I was a teen. :D
 
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This post is about what caused the delay of this train and it has become an argument about what I should call a "younger than me" male passenger. Unbelievable!!
 
This post is about what caused the delay of this train and it has become an argument about what I should call a "younger than me" male passenger. Unbelievable!!
That's the thing about public forums. You start the discussion and then it goes where it wants based on whoever replies. If you want control over the outcome then start a blog.
 
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Two hours later:

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This post is about what caused the delay of this train and it has become an argument about what I should call a "younger than me" male passenger. Unbelievable!!
That's the thing about public forums. You start the discussion and then it goes where it wants based on whoever replies.
I see this on a lot of forums. On some, hijacking a thread and getting as far off topic as possible is considered an art form. :giggle:
 
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I cannot understand why anyone would even consider hauling Pot or any other kind of Narcotics on the CZ! That train has been a notorious route for Mules and cops are well aware of it; on one of my eastbound runs, as soon as we hit Reno, 4 Undercovers hit my Sleeper and went right for a Mexican couple. It turns out they had a suitcase billowing with bundles. Another pax, the Attendant and I were right in the middle of the action and it was fun and interesting to watch the bust go down.
 
Amtrak #6 of the 21st was eight hours and forty-three minutes late when it sped past Agency, Iowa. Looks like they had engine problems too, since a Union Pacific freight locomotive leading it. Sounded like the engineer was taking it in stride though.

 
This post is about what caused the delay of this train and it has become an argument about what I should call a "younger than me" male passenger. Unbelievable!!
Some forums, apparently not this one, do delete posts which are 'off topic'; which 'hijack' the thread..

It can be frustrating to post a thread on "XYZ" and then receive comments on "JKL".

Some may say it's disrespectful to the original poster. Others may say something else.

Of course ---> Just my humble opinion.
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I cannot understand why anyone would even consider hauling Pot or any other kind of Narcotics on the CZ! That train has been a notorious route for Mules and cops are well aware of it; on one of my eastbound runs, as soon as we hit Reno, 4 Undercovers hit my Sleeper and went right for a Mexican couple. It turns out they had a suitcase billowing with bundles. Another pax, the Attendant and I were right in the middle of the action and it was fun and interesting to watch the bust go down.
Your concept of "Mexican" is probably no more accurate than your assumption of what "narcotic" actually means, but it's not hard to imagine you jumping up and down with glee over a small time pot bust.
 
Glad the kid didn't die out in the desert what with the Record Heat that isn't being caused by Climate Change!

He's lucky if he gets off with a fine and probation

for pulling the emergency stop (since weed isn't that big a thing now days)! Perhaps he should consider moving to Colorado!
He will be lucky if he gets effective mental health and addiction treatment (regardless of in prison or out). Fines and probation or even jail will just be fluff unless the root causes are dealt with.
 
I cannot understand why anyone would even consider hauling Pot or any other kind of Narcotics on the CZ! That train has been a notorious route for Mules and cops are well aware of it; on one of my eastbound runs, as soon as we hit Reno, 4 Undercovers hit my Sleeper and went right for a Mexican couple. It turns out they had a suitcase billowing with bundles. Another pax, the Attendant and I were right in the middle of the action and it was fun and interesting to watch the bust go down.
Your concept of "Mexican" is probably no more accurate than your assumption of what "narcotic" actually means, but it's not hard to imagine you jumping up and down with glee over a small time pot bust.
I am so glad we have the Ignore option in here :)
 
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