As a resident of Valemount I see and hear many things, bad and good. We should all respect the law. Laws are made for good reasons. But laws can also be changed for good reasons.

Take into account facts that make sense, like insurance, licensing, right of way, etc.

I speak of railroad crossings. We have two in our village and the noise of the train horns, eight times each train. I believe it is getting to be too much with more and more trains using the tracks. Does it make sense to blow train horns within our village limits?

I spoke to a man who witnessed a car run into a train that was blowing its horn. The person was preoccupied with their dog, not the train or the horn, lights flashing or bells ringing. Accidents happen regardless.

At our crossings in Valemount, we have flashing lights and bells that are easy to see and hear. The way I look at it, we don’t need the extra noise of the horns. Think about it yourself. Do you see the conflict I see? Do the train horns do any good?

Is it dangerous when folks can’t see the lights and have a driver’s licence? They should not drive anymore if they are deaf and blind.

The village folks should sign a petition to eliminate the noisy railroad horns. Most residents, I believe, would be 100 per cent in favour of silence. Can you come up with any reason to have train horns within the village limits? I hope not, otherwise explain why. On other highways and roads we have to respect traffic lights and signs. Truckers do not blow their horns when they cross an intersection. It would be one big blow concert. It would be an unlawful nuisance.

Railroads have the right of way. That should be understood and respected by everyone. If you don’t obey the law, you are responsible for your own life, accidents, etc. And you should pay for it, not others.

I’d like to talk to a CN designer and offer him some good advice on the new and practical design concept. We should all work together, write our ideas to the editor, and solve the issue.

Henry Unger

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