This will be my last post before I arrive in Afghanistan where I will be required to wear a bright yellow reflective belt during hours of darkness on the FOB (forward operating base). I wanted to leave you with another true story about other stupid rules that don’t make much sense and, in fact make things worse when followed without logic or reason. I got this from my father in an email and verified before I reposted it.
The Good news:
It was a normal day in Sharon Springs , Kansas , when a Union Pacific crew boarded a loaded coal train for the long trek to Salina .
The Bad news:
Just a few miles into the trip a wheel bearing became overheated and melted, letting a metal support drop down and grind on the rail, creating white hot molten metal droppings spewing down to the rail.
The Good news:
A very alert crew noticed smoke about halfway back in the train and immediately stopped the train in compliance with the rules.
The Bad news:
The train stopped with the hot wheel over a wooden bridge with creosote ties and trusses. The crew tried to explain this to Union Pacific higher-ups but were instructed not to move the train! They were informed that Rules prohibited moving the train when a part was found to be defective!
REMEMBER, RULES ARE RULES!
(Don’t ever let common sense get in the way of a good disaster! )