How to report cellphone use by train engineers?

I understand where your coming from on this given the terrible accidents in recent months.However i come from the old school of railroading in regards with turning in a fellow employee.I come from a railroad family with about 150 years of time in between us all.The first thing i was told is you never ever turn in someone and endanger their livelihood.I was taught that if you had a problem with someone you took them aside and settled it without involving the company.I'll probably get some thumbs down for this from people that frequent this category but that's just the way i feel about it.We have enough people trying to fire us without them getting anymore help.

Edit I realize that most non rails probably won't understand what i'm getting at but a company snitch is one of the lowest life forms you can encounter on the railroad.It was worse than a nasty old switchman that stole your lunch while you were out of the shanty making a move lol.

Edit..Ahhh ok Steven i'm glad you clarified things.I see what you have in mind nowYou might tell them this(and this is true,i went and verified it),they have detectors now that are handheld devices that can pick up cell phones from 30-50 feet away.The phone doesn't even have to be in use,just turned on.As you know our new FRA law says the phone can't even be turned on while moving.You can bet they are equipping officers with this technology.And they will enforce this law(rightfully so too given the accidents going on).It only takes a few idiots to ruin things for everyone.Myself i can't believe a fool would be texting while running on color but as we know it's sadly true.And by the way our student engineer training is going to be 2 years now before promotion.At least that's what they said.They haven't started any new classes since they said it.

If you can't find any information to support what your safety trainer says about the existence of this number, is it likely that members of the public will know about this number and be reporting your colleagues...?

I ask this purely as a rhetorical question. If your safety updates are anything like ours, all drivers (train operators/engineers) will have been told exactly the same thing. It really isn't your job to be scaring the bejesus out of them. If it bothers them enough they will make the change themselves, otherwise they will carry on in spite of the possible consequences.

It's a tragedy that one of your wayside workers got collected by a train, but if cell phone usage was ruled out then perhaps the fault lies elsewhere. I don't like to have anything going on in the cab that distracts from looking out the window, but I can understand how some very legitimate activities can take your attention to the extent that you might miss a track worker until the last minute.

On the other hand, in every job I've done there has been an element of "dead wood" in the form of people just going through the motions and collecting the pay cheque every month. It gives no credit to the rest of us when one among us commits an act borne of stupidity or negligence, especially if it leads to a loss of life. While I would never like to see a colleague lose their job, there is a perspective that each person reaps what they sow. If you're dumb enough to do something while on the move that results in an incident, then you really should be man enough to face up to the consequences. Therefore, if you find those consequences unpalatable then you really should be doing everything you can to prevent yourself from winding up in the situation where you need to be accounting for your actions.

With all the best will in the world I know that there are people up at the pointy end of the train who really have no cause to be there. For the sake of my own safety, the safety of everyone else on the railway, the safety of the people on my train and the safety of those I love and call friends who use the service, I want to know that everyone involved in the safe working of the railways is doing their jobs to the best of their ability. I don't like to contemplate the possible consequences of someone taking their responsibilities too lightly.

Please feel free to give me negative feedback for this answer. I'm not naive about what I'm saying and am prepared to take negative comments from other rail professionals. However, I am realistic enough to understand that things could always be better and to know that there are colleagues I would not happily entrust my loved ones. So shoot me down.

Just call the railroad company and ask to speak with a trainmaster or operating officer.

The railroads will be listed in your phone book or any online phone directory. Most crossings have the number of the railroad posted on the signal bungalow that actuates the crossing mechanism.

It is a California law but there is also a Federal law that supercedes the state laws, cell phone use is allowed as long as the train is stopped and certain conditions are being met.

I am not aware of a national number, but perhaps there is one.

Write down the engine number and time of day and contact which ever carrier is involved, such as UP, BNSF, BART, LIRR, MTA, etc.. The number should be listed for the nearest terminal where you should be able to talk to a supervisor.

Then, when they catch the idiots, they should have their thumbs cut off. No more texting.

And all rails are brothers. Snitches are beyond contempt. A word to the wise regarding a serious breach of rules is usually sufficient. But today, the "Blue Wall" way of doing things does have limits. If a crew member reported to work under the influence today, I would tell him to use a phone to lay off or I would use one to replace the crew member. In the past, the crewman would be loaded onto the caboose and sleep it off on the way...

Call the FRA that would be the likely police agency for this infraction.

They are federal.

Also the safety department of that railroad would conduct an investigation. Used to work for the rr and we could not use them in company trucks, so you can reinforce this policy to the crews.

Personally I think they should have gone to the true source rather than punishing everybody else. I believe an openly gay middle aged man should not have been texting 14 year old boys. It's not politically correct, but that is how I feel.

If you are a passenger on a train, how would you know whether or not the engineer (driver) is using a cellphone ?

Are you referring only to subway trains ?

I ASSUME A TRAIN OPERATOR IS NOT THE SAME AS AN ENGINEER BECAUSE YOU NEVER TATTLE ON A FELLOW ENGINEER OR CONDUCTOR. HERE IS A BETTER IDEA.....GET THE NUMBER OF THE DUMBASSES WHO RUN GATES OR LIGHTS. THEY ARE 100% RESPOSIBLE FOR ALL CROSSING ACCIDENTS. TRAINS DON'T HAVE STEERING WHEELS. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A FELLOW WORKER.....TAKE IT TO YOUR UNION....NOT THE GOVERNMENT. FREAKING TATTLETALE!!

BY THE WAY....WAS THE TRAIN MOVING? IF NOT, THEN IT'S LEGAL. IS HIS WIFE PREG (LIKE MINE)? SICK KID? TALKING TO FIELD SUPPORT OR DISPATCHER OR TRAINMASTER REPORTING WORK? YOU DON'T GIVE ALL THE DETAILS.

AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT RUINING SOMEONES CAREER.....WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM AROUND....SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED ONE IN OUR RANKS.

Dear Steven W, Maybe you should mind your own business.