My name is George H. Lightfoot III, and I am a Locomotive Engineer. I am appalled by the bogus reporting by CBS2 reporter Meg Baker of trains allegedly "speeding". She interviewed everyone but a qualified Locomotive Engineer as to how fast trains are operating on a given section of railroad over which New Jersey Transit operates. These people have no idea what they are talking about and even an unqualified railroad employee has no knowledge whatsoever of what we, as Locomotive Engineers do on a daily basis. The story can be viewed here:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/05/18/cbs2-investigates-nj-transit-trains-found-going-far-faster-than-advised-speeds/
My petition is to get both Meg Baker and CBS2 to apologize on the air for creating fear in the public and using total speculation and here say in creating the entire story. I encourage all Locomotive Engineers especially to sign this petition.
Updates
May 22, 2015
Meg Baker and the CBS2 newsroom think they can just smear professional engineers with garbage reporting and walk away. Their silence proves they do not care about the facts or the safety of the public they actively misled. Keep the heat on these people until they stop spreading these lies on the air.
May 22, 2015
The massive surge in support proves that people are finally seeing through the lazy, speculative trash that Meg Baker and CBS2 passed off as journalism. These executives at CBS2 need to realize that we will not sit back while they drag the reputation of Locomotive Engineers through the mud with their manufactured fear.
Reached 100 supporters
May 22, 2015
51 Comments
As I retired Locomotive Engineer, I find this type of reporting for sensationalizing a tragic situation with out REAL factual research and consulting REAL experts in the field appalling and one of the reasons the main-stream media is lacking in credibility!
Retired Road Foreman of Engines. I was troubled with her report. I have an issue with unqualified people causing alarm among the general public. Her source is a civil engineer, not a locomotive engineer. The civil engineer is equally unqualified on the book of rules, physical characteristics and special instructions.
Before she set out to do this "investigative story", perhaps she should have a copy of our rules and a timetable. I am also sure she would never, EVER be caught driving while texting, using a hand-held phone or exceeding the posted speed limit.
As a locomotive engineer for MNRR I take offence to shameless attempts to gain audiences by instilling fear inthe riding public.....shame on you!
I am a locomotive engineer....pointing a speed gun at the side of a moving train will give a very inaccurate reading.... Maybe you should have talked to someone who knows how to properly use one,before you used it
As a journalist i presumed you had done your research prior to publicizing a story. I was rather disappointed, but not surprised to see that you and another colleague had clocked several trains on a radar gun accusing engineers of speeding when in fact they were all operating below the posted speed limit for that track segment. After having watched your report I find it to be, at best poor, sensational journalism and at worst blatantly slanderous. A journalist is supposed to tell a story objectively and is always supposed to seek the facts rather than appeal to the lowest common denominator. I'm actually surprised that your television network hasn't terminated you as of yet for having intentionally made false statements for the sake of boosting your ratings.
If you intend to exercise your professional authority, at least make a conscientious effort to get the correct data before publicly condemning things of which you have no personal knowledge ! Though I'm not qualified to do your job, I opine, you are not, either. Shame on ya !
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My name is George H. Lightfoot III, and I am a Locomotive Engineer. I am appalled by the bogus reporting by CBS2 reporter Meg Baker of trains allegedly "speeding". She interviewed everyone but a qualified Locomotive Engineer as to how fast trains are operating on a given section of railroad over which New Jersey Transit operates. These people have no idea what they are talking about and even an unqualified railroad employee has no knowledge whatsoever of what we, as Locomotive Engineers do on a daily basis. The story can be viewed here:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/05/18/cbs2-investigates-nj-transit-trains-found-going-far-faster-than-advised-speeds/
My petition is to get both Meg Baker and CBS2 to apologize on the air for creating fear in the public and using total speculation and here say in creating the entire story. I encourage all Locomotive Engineers especially to sign this petition.
Updates
May 22, 2015
Meg Baker and the CBS2 newsroom think they can just smear professional engineers with garbage reporting and walk away. Their silence proves they do not care about the facts or the safety of the public they actively misled. Keep the heat on these people until they stop spreading these lies on the air.
May 22, 2015
The massive surge in support proves that people are finally seeing through the lazy, speculative trash that Meg Baker and CBS2 passed off as journalism. These executives at CBS2 need to realize that we will not sit back while they drag the reputation of Locomotive Engineers through the mud with their manufactured fear.
Reached 100 supporters
May 22, 2015
51 Comments
After 25 years as a locomotive engineer for the LIRR, I find your report on "speeding" trains appalling. There are no facts present except for some that were made up by your report, and without any knowledge of the rules on said portions of track in which you reported.
As I retired Locomotive Engineer, I find this type of reporting for sensationalizing a tragic situation with out REAL factual research and consulting REAL experts in the field appalling and one of the reasons the main-stream media is lacking in credibility!
Retired Road Foreman of Engines. I was troubled with her report. I have an issue with unqualified people causing alarm among the general public. Her source is a civil engineer, not a locomotive engineer. The civil engineer is equally unqualified on the book of rules, physical characteristics and special instructions.
Before she set out to do this "investigative story", perhaps she should have a copy of our rules and a timetable. I am also sure she would never, EVER be caught driving while texting, using a hand-held phone or exceeding the posted speed limit.
As a locomotive engineer for MNRR I take offence to shameless attempts to gain audiences by instilling fear inthe riding public.....shame on you!
I am a locomotive engineer....pointing a speed gun at the side of a moving train will give a very inaccurate reading.... Maybe you should have talked to someone who knows how to properly use one,before you used it
As a journalist i presumed you had done your research prior to publicizing a story. I was rather disappointed, but not surprised to see that you and another colleague had clocked several trains on a radar gun accusing engineers of speeding when in fact they were all operating below the posted speed limit for that track segment. After having watched your report I find it to be, at best poor, sensational journalism and at worst blatantly slanderous. A journalist is supposed to tell a story objectively and is always supposed to seek the facts rather than appeal to the lowest common denominator. I'm actually surprised that your television network hasn't terminated you as of yet for having intentionally made false statements for the sake of boosting your ratings.
If you intend to exercise your professional authority, at least make a conscientious effort to get the correct data before publicly condemning things of which you have no personal knowledge ! Though I'm not qualified to do your job, I opine, you are not, either. Shame on ya !
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After 25 years as a locomotive engineer for the LIRR, I find your report on "speeding" trains appalling. There are no facts present except for some that were made up by your report, and without any knowledge of the rules on said portions of track in which you reported.