California Train Crash

The current event I'd like to talk about this week is the recent train crash in California. On Friday, September 12th, a commuter train in Los Angeles collided with a freight train, killing 25 people. This was a shock to me, not only because so many people died, but also because I could not understand how a train could crash into another train. After the investigation, however, it was discovered that the operator of the commuter train had been text messaging and was not paying attention to the rails ahead!
I could not get over how irresponsible someone could be to know they were trusted to operate a passenger train and yet think it was okay to try and multi task. The media has beaten the point to death that it is not safe to use a cell phone while driving, especially the text messaging feature. You have to literally take your eyes off of what you are doing to read the message. I used to think that if I heard the news emphasize the dangers one more time I was going to scream, but obviously some people still have not processed the message. It is one thing to put your own life in danger because it is your life to control, but when it comes to other people's lives, there is no excuse. I feel terrible for the families affected by this tragedy that could have been prevented.