Print
Comment
Rate
"Inadvertent" construction shouldn't happen
Thanks to Union Pacific Railroad we now have another exculpatory reason to use when things go wrong.
Last week's Range News carried a story that the railroad laid new track through Central Avenue in Bowie without the formality of Arizona Corporation Commission approval. It certainly moved the project along.
Unfortunately the law requires the railroad to obtain ACC approval for new crossings or changes to existing crossings. Central was an existing crossing. Union Pacific is in the process of expanding its Sunset Route from El Paso the Los Angeles. The number of trains on the route will increase, and several areas will acquire a second set of tracks - Bowie and Willcox for example.
When asked how this happened, Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific in Omaha, replied that it was "inadvertent." That's certainly an unexpected explanation. Inadvertent means unintentional. Presumably he meant they didn't intend to build it without approval, not that they didn't mean to build it at all.
Davis explained, "We don't know (how it happened), but with the modern, mechanized machinery they use, they can just keep going." That's quite an image. A small army of track-building drones are given the go-ahead, but everybody forgot to stop them. Is no one in charge here?
Nevertheless, it is an answer that has legs in many other facets of life. There is home life: "Yes, dear. I inadvertently spent more money than we have in the checking account. I don't know how it happened but with these modern ATM cards, I just kept buying stuff."
And we all have job issues. "Yessir, Mr. Boss, I inadvertently failed to meet my deadline. I don't know how it happened, but with these modern computers, I just kept playing online games."
And for law enforcement, it's a whole new can of worms. "Sorry, officer, I inadvertently went 100 miles an hour down Haskell Avenue, but with these modern cruise controls, I just kept on going."
Or even, "Sorry, officer. I inadvertently robbed the bank on my way home from work. I don't know how it happened, but with these modern GPS systems, I just found myself here."
Granted, the examples are silly, but not a whole lot sillier than Union Pacific's answer. The point is, a well-run organization doesn't have inadvertent construction.
So either management is asleep at the switch or this was a handy way to move things along. The basic problem is that in this country, railroads answer to no one. The Corporation Commission can control crossings but little else. Perhaps it is time for Congress to examine whether that is still the best system.
Last week's Range News carried a story that the railroad laid new track through Central Avenue in Bowie without the formality of Arizona Corporation Commission approval. It certainly moved the project along.
Unfortunately the law requires the railroad to obtain ACC approval for new crossings or changes to existing crossings. Central was an existing crossing. Union Pacific is in the process of expanding its Sunset Route from El Paso the Los Angeles. The number of trains on the route will increase, and several areas will acquire a second set of tracks - Bowie and Willcox for example.
When asked how this happened, Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific in Omaha, replied that it was "inadvertent." That's certainly an unexpected explanation. Inadvertent means unintentional. Presumably he meant they didn't intend to build it without approval, not that they didn't mean to build it at all.
Davis explained, "We don't know (how it happened), but with the modern, mechanized machinery they use, they can just keep going." That's quite an image. A small army of track-building drones are given the go-ahead, but everybody forgot to stop them. Is no one in charge here?
Nevertheless, it is an answer that has legs in many other facets of life. There is home life: "Yes, dear. I inadvertently spent more money than we have in the checking account. I don't know how it happened but with these modern ATM cards, I just kept buying stuff."
And we all have job issues. "Yessir, Mr. Boss, I inadvertently failed to meet my deadline. I don't know how it happened, but with these modern computers, I just kept playing online games."
And for law enforcement, it's a whole new can of worms. "Sorry, officer, I inadvertently went 100 miles an hour down Haskell Avenue, but with these modern cruise controls, I just kept on going."
Or even, "Sorry, officer. I inadvertently robbed the bank on my way home from work. I don't know how it happened, but with these modern GPS systems, I just found myself here."
Granted, the examples are silly, but not a whole lot sillier than Union Pacific's answer. The point is, a well-run organization doesn't have inadvertent construction.
So either management is asleep at the switch or this was a handy way to move things along. The basic problem is that in this country, railroads answer to no one. The Corporation Commission can control crossings but little else. Perhaps it is time for Congress to examine whether that is still the best system.
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
