Do you check for train before crossing the railroad tracks?  

Nope, I don't, and foolishly rely on the drop-down security barrier to tell me whether or not a train is passing through

I need to be more vigilant, because who knows, maybe the security barrier could fail all of a sudden and I could be walking to my death

Yes, I always look both ways as far as I can imagine. It is just better to be safe than sorry in the instances. I do not really trust anything other than my own eyes for any number of reasons. The signals that would signal a train coming could not be working. The whistle on the train could be malfunctioning and not working as it should. These warnings will happen most of the time but there can be malfunctions as there would be with anything. I take plenty of time to check and get across as fast as I can. I would rather not be another statistic in the unfortunately growing number of railroad fatalities.

ya surely i will double check before there is train coming or not . nore over in our country there will be a gate and we cant cross before the train leaves and the gate is opened . sometimes i will cross when the gate is closed and before doingf i will surely check it . i will be very careful with my life and there is nothing wrong in that . i will read many news in newspaper about the accidents in the railway crossings . so we should be always careful before crossing the railroad .

Was thinking while reading your discussion and was about to say how can a person not hear a train coming? I live in a small town too. The train track isn't near me but I can hear it in the distance. However, many peole have been ran over here by trains on this track. Walking and in cars. I was wondering how this can be. Never really thought that a train can travel in silence.

I do look both ways before crossing a train track. And this is when I am driving. Because of the fact that we have had so many train tragedies here. But not recently. Now they have added the crossing gates to one of the areas that had the most accidents.

Trains can be scary sometimes. I had an experience in my town. One day I was at the train station, but it was not my usual train or station. I had decided to take another train service because I was curious to know how long it took to reach my destination. So when I went downstairs to the train to wait there weren't any barriers or anything marking where not to wait. So when I went to look out to see if the train was coming, another train came in out of nowhere zooming right by me. I later found out that where I was standing was not the waiting area. I was way too close, but the funny thing was that nothing was marked on the train line or no where near it. From now on I definitely check before crossing any railroad tracks.

It would be easier to see the train if there are no obstacles to block your field of view, but that's not always the case.

In the good old days you can run faster than the coal trains, and now days you never hear it coming until its almost in front of you.

Just like crossing a intersection on normal road, checking never hurts. I often see cars trying to squeeze through the yelllow light like their house is on fire or something. Patience can save your life some days, specially on railroad tracks.

There is old way of listening to the track vibration to know the incoming train, but I doubt it will work on speed trains. By the time you hear it coming it would already be over your head.

Checking before crossing is the universal rule for all the roads. If a red light can't make all the cars stop, a railroad intersection without gate is a potential danger zone, therefore use your time and look around will be a really good idea.

We don't have any railroad tracks currently in the town i live in. There used to be tracks. I'm sure of it, because i can still see the signs in a few places. I think they keep the signs up for the possibility of a ghost train coming through or something.

Because of this, do find myself looking both ways before crossing the area where they used to have the tracks. Don't know why I do it. My imagination is very healthy, and I can't help but come up with a scenario of a train coming out of nowhere, with the conductor thing to himself "what the heck did they do with the rails? and why haven't we stopped moving?"

hi friend,
Ofcourse,i check when i crossing the railway tracks before train.
When i going way to my office in middle rail tracks comes then i will stop rail gate for few seconds before train comes and checks the train is comin got not.
have a good day.

Yes.........

I'll check for trains.....

Unless we check i con't think what will happen..........

Oh my god

lucky enough where i live we have railroad cross with arm and lights but i still slow down and check to se if any trains are coming with my luck they lights or the arm wont be working and i get hit..