Railroad Tracks & World Records

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been said that, “Some people will accept it when you tell them that the pan is hot, but some people just have to touch the pan.” Consider this little story to be my own personal public service announcement.

I believe that I was twelve or thirteen at the time. I lived in a small town in southeastern New York that had a lazy creek running through it, which we locals referred to as ‘the crick’. My passion was fishing and even at that young age, I was quite the expert. I knew all of the best spots and the deepest holes. It was not an uncommon sight to see me walking through town with a three to five pound bass or a large stringer of panfish or catfish.

On this particular day I had fished in my favorite spot for half the day before I decided to travel the two miles to a spot where I’d seen several big bass earlier that week. The trip was about five miles if I traveled the streets and roads to get there and even longer if I walked along the winding creek shore. But I always walked between the two spots by way of the railroad tracks, which was the straightest line between the two points. Now my parents didn’t like me walking along the tracks. They had horrible visions of their son being unable to find a safe spot far enough to the side to avoid an onrushing train. Had they known that I disregarded their warnings and chose to walk the tracks, I would have had some ‘splainin’ to do. But what did they know? What could possibly go wrong? I had stopped at the Agway and bought an Orange Crush before starting my walk, which went without incident for almost the entire distance.

That’s when things became interesting … much more interesting than I would have had them become. When I was about three or four hundred yards from where the tracks crossed the creek over a small trestle, I heard the train approaching in the distance. I must admit that my heart did begin to beat a bit faster as I hopped off of the tracks and pushed myself back into the thorny blackcap bushes that lined the tracks. The thorns in the bushes were most unpleasant as they poked and scratched at me while I waited. But it wasn’t all that bad. The train passed by with a deafening roar and the clanking shudder of the rails.

I was quite proud of my coolness under pressure as I hopped back onto the tracks and continued my walk. That was when fate’s terrible lesson began. Have you ever noticed that bees, wasps and hornets like to nest in old rotting wood? I had noticed that fact, but up until that moment, I had never really seen any practical use for storing this particular piece of information. Let me point out that railroad ties are made of wood; often old, rotting wood. At this point, I refer you back to that clanking shudder of the rails. When the rails clank and shudder, the old, rotten, wooden railroad ties also shake and shudder. You might never have given this much thought … but I can assure you from personal experience that bees, hornets and wasps do not enjoy this sensation.

When the bees, hornets or wasps (by now, you may be putting it together that I didn’t take time to identify my assailants) came out to see who was disturbing their home, they did not find the offending train. They found me. At this point I was about a football field from the trestle. Now as I sit here typing this story I know that some fellow with the last name of Bolt set a new world record in the one hundred yard dash in the most recent Olympics, but let me assure you that whatever time he took to cover the one hundred yards was not the fastest time that that distance had ever been covered. Furthermore, I am willing to wager that he did not run his one hundred yards over railroad tracks and did not finish it off with a leap off of a twenty foot tall railroad trestle into eight to ten feet of muddy creek water. But I digress.

         To the people out there who just have to touch the pan, I implore you; take my word for this. The railroad tracks are dangerous; please … please … take the road.

Reviews

[Kristina Moulaison]

This is a great story. I love the picture of little Jerry running for his life. Sorry, it's true. I will have to have my children read this, though thankfully they can't really reach our railroad tracks, unless they swim across the river first , which would be far more treacherous. Perhaps you have a river andecdote you could share to deter them from that peril. Love the picture, love the voice (clever and subtle, comfortable), love the "but I digress" and the paranthetical unknowing of your assailants. Very charming.

[Scott Free]

I agree with Misty--great voice you developed in this story. The pictures are vivid, also--you created a real atmosphere. This is a great anecdote; I love it!

[Emily B]

I'm sorry. I should have come and read this story long ago. Sometimes I have trouble remembering what I've read and what I haven't among my friends. This is a jewel. I think we've all done things as kids that caused us to learn BIG lessons. They make for humorous stories later in life. Great story.