Stuck on railroad tracks? Here’s how to save yourself

QRecently, my husband and daughter were driving on Gilman in Berkeley, when my observant daughter noticed a woman sitting in her car, stuck on the railroad tracks. My husband got the woman’s attention — she was on the phone to AAA — and he convinced her she needed to exit the car. Minutes later a train came and destroyed her car.

My husband said when officers showed up, they acted like it was business as usual. So, here is my question: Is this common? — Maria Spark

AThis was one lucky lady, thanks to your quick-thinking husband and daughter.

Train- car collisions have dropped significantly during the past few decades, but many drivers continue to gamble and try to beat the crossing gates as trains approach. Few cars stall on the tracks. More common is a car that finds traffic ahead stopped and can’t clear the rails.

The city wants to build an underpass here, but that is many years away.

If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get everyone out and far away from the tracks. Debris from any collision will tend to fly in the direction the train is traveling and often can cause injuries.

QI have heard that there are people who time their entrances/exits onto the express lanes so that they can beat the cameras and not pay the tolls. This is just SO WRONG! What can be done about this? — Kenny Yakushiji, Berkeley

AThe cheating rate on the Interstate 580 toll lanes is around 20 percent. That is about half what it was the first few weeks after the lanes opened a year ago.

QWith reference to the concern about slow drivers in the Interstate 680 toll lane, a far greater concern are vehicles that violate the painted separation median multiple times, presumably to avoid paying the toll. I witness such violations virtually every day.

I find myself holding back to about 60 mph, to the probable annoyance of following traffic, in fear of needing to conduct a sudden deceleration to avoid these violators. — Frank Jesse, Alamo

AA reminder that drivers who pull this stunt can be ticketed for an unsafe lane change, which —unlike a carpool citation — is a moving violation that can increase their annual insurance rates $300 a year.

QAlthough I’ve certainly seen my share of disgusting incidents on BART, my experience with the station agents has been vastly different than some of your correspondents report. They are very responsive, especially if you get the car number ( by the connecting doors at each end of the car), give the agent a rough idea of the car’s position and tell the agent exactly where the mess is (e.g., the left-hand side of the last row).

The last time I had the need to do this, the agent at North Berkeley was on the phone as soon as he wrote down the information to alert BART to have a crew ready when the train got to Richmond. — Norm Vance, Berkeley

AAnd when you did report this problem, the agent offered a nice thank you.