Khalaf Al-Harbi Okaz newspaper A WEEK ago, a 25-year-old American woman was struck by a train in the state of Michigan. Investigations revealed that she remained seated on the tracks despite the train's conductor repeatedly sounding the horn of the fast approaching train. It seemed that she had no intentions of leaving the tracks. At the time of impact, she was talking with her boyfriend on her cell phone and stating her intention of committing suicide. Within seconds, she was struck by the train and died. If the Americans had shown some smarts and recruited experts from the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), this tragic accident could have been avoided. This is because there are only two options in front of any train run by our experts – either it derails or malfunctions in the middle of its journey! Had the American woman been talking on her cell phone in the Kingdom, she would have been more fortunate as the phone's battery would have drained out and the train would still be no where in sight. The latest excuse for the mishap that occurred on one of the wonderful trains was that it sustained an engine failure about 165 km before reaching Riyadh. The SRO spokesman attributed the malfunction to overheating of its engines due to the hot weather. If you imagine the intensity of the blazing heat forced nearly 300 passengers to wait for more than three hours in an isolated area for help to arrive. The incident shows the level of concern the SRO has for its customers. Some of you may remember a similar story of a train accident that occurred in the Tasha Ma Tasha TV series a few years ago. This time, reality set in and the same problem was repeated. The only new development is that unlike the annual TV series that is broadcast every Ramadan, SRO Reality TV has become a weekly event. As for the “historic” investigation committee comprised of SRO officials, it is investigating the accident before submitting its findings behind the derailing of the passenger train that resulted in injuries to over 35 passengers. I'm going to assume that it will come out with the same findings or excuses. Under public criticism, the organization has decided to hire a foreign expert to investigate. He is not a neutral party but a guest of the SRO who will probe the accident. Nor does he have the power or authority to submit his findings to any agency other than the organization that hosted him! By the way a rumor is floating around that the cell phone of the American young woman who committed suicide in Michigan is still ringing!
