Fourth of July Monorail Incident

[kurtisnelson]

So the Monorails resumed operations today... "with extra safety steps" according to the OS: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-disn ... 9159.story

"We've added additional verifications of these track switch positions, supplemented our safety procedures and protocols for these operations, and communicated these changes to our Transportation partners."

The new procedures include having multiple employees verify that a switch between monorail beams has been completed before a train is allowed to advance.

They could throw a MAPO transmitter somewhere probably, they replace a couple every thunderstorm :)

[Shorty82]

I was watching the Move it, Shake it, Celebrate it! Street Party on it's return trip down Main Street this afternoon and the music got me thinking. Here are the lyrics (or at least as close as I can find online right now):

It's the time of your life
You don't want to miss out
On the here and now

Cause you get the chance
And you take it
Make it the best you can make it
Why should you hold back

It's the time of your life
You don't want to miss out
On the here and now

There's so many reasons why
That you don't want to stop
It's your chance live it up

For everything you do
Let's celebrate life, woah
Let's celebrate life
Everything you do
Let's celebrate life

This song struck home with me today, you don't know when you'll die so live it up now because tomorrow it might be to late. Celebrate life and celebrate it today.

May God rest Austin's soul and may He give his friends and family the strength needed to get through this. I didn't even know the man and his death has struck me hard. I know it has struck the Monorail Cast extremely hard and many are having a tough time with things right now. Two I have talked to today have had a hard time getting back into the cab. I'm planning on going to his memorial service Wednesday and pay my respects. I might not have known him personally but I know a number of Monorail Pilots and from everything I've heard I know I would have liked Austin.

Gotta end this post, I'm starting to cry here.

[Syndrome]

I have an address to which condolences can be sent, but I don't want to post it publicly (it was posted on our secured community intranet). If anyone would like it, please PM me.

[Zazu]

They'll have a harder time covering their ass now:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-d ... 1564.story

[indent]The fatal monorail crash at Walt Disney World early Sunday will be probed by the National Transportation Safety Board in an unprecedented move by the federal agency, which normally investigates airplane and public-train crashes.

"We'll be looking at operating control systems, and their procedures, and the different procedures they use on the monorail to position trains."[/indent]

That's good to hear. NTSB reports are all published, albeit years later, we'll get to find out what really happened. I lack confidence that Disney and OSHA will make such a full reporting.

BTW Zazu, looks like this would mean NTSB has jurisdiction over the railroad too.

Perhaps, but only after a wreck. I want to see the FRA have jurisdiction over the two railroads and monorail at Disney. Perhaps that would prevent the need to call in the NTSB.

[Switchbeam 9]

Not familiar with the FRA but I am assuming that would probably involve lengthy certification as well as a powerful RR union coming in. Disney would probably just scrap all of it instead knowing them.

Yeah the NTSB reports will be lengthy. They usually include a 3D animation. But yeah expect 8 months to 2 years.

[February]

((((Cujo)))))

and huge, big huge hugs for Shorty...

(((((((((Shorty))))))))))))))

Our hearts are with you all on Main Street, pal. Believe it.

I swear, next time we're in WDW we're gonna buy you dinner...you're such a sweetie.

Last night during our local fireworks, as I said someplace before I was playing Illuminations music- I needed to hear it. The lyrics to We Go On from Reflections of Earth had the same effect on me as the music you heard today, Shorty.

Yes I am typing these from memory as I used to sing this to my father when he was in neuro ICU back in 2001 and couldn't fall asleep.

In the stillness of the night
there comes a time to understand
to reach out and touch tomorrow
take the future in our hand

We can see a new horizon
built on all that we have done;
and our dreams begin another
thousand circles round the sun

We go on, to the joy and through the tears
we go on, to discover new frontiers:
moving on, with the current of the years:
we go on, moving forward now as one
moving on with a spirit born to run
ever on, with each rising sun, to a new day we go on...

*Tears*

hugs
Bru

[Whazzup]

I wish we could be there to offer our support and help share your grief during this difficult time. We will be thinking of all of you and Austin's family as well as the other monorail drivers, and praying your hearts heal.

[Shorty82]

((((Cujo)))))

and huge, big huge hugs for Shorty...

(((((((((Shorty))))))))))))))

Our hearts are with you all on Main Street, pal. Believe it.

I swear, next time we're in WDW we're gonna buy you dinner...you're such a sweetie.

Last night during our local fireworks, as I said someplace before I was playing Illuminations music- I needed to hear it. The lyrics to We Go On from Reflections of Earth had the same effect on me as the music you heard today, Shorty.

Yes I am typing these from memory as I used to sing this to my father when he was in neuro ICU back in 2001 and couldn't fall asleep.



*Tears*

hugs
Bru

Thanks, Bru. But I don't need the hugs as much as I'm sure the friends, family, and coworkers of Austin do, of that I'm sure.

It's hard to lose someone you care about, that I know. Even though I didn't know him in a way Austin and I were family in that we were both Cast Members (a large family of over 60,000 people but a family still). We both also shared a love of the Monorails, he was a pilot and I will be one day (of that I am sure of now). Don't know when but one day I will be a Monorail pilot. I also am friends with friends of his. I am friends with at least 3 or 4 Monorail Pilots who worked with and were friends with Austin. I'm sure given enough time I would have met and become friends with him too.

[February]

(((((Shorty)))))))

I can't hug Austin's friends and family though I wish I could so again all I can do is offer these to you. I know we didn't really get a chance to talk that brief time we met you last year but March and I have both said that when we go back we'd love to visit with you on one of your off days from work.

You have the pixie dust- I know you'll be a pilot too if that's what you want.

Just like I knew you'd become a CM when you were making the plans to do it, that seems so long ago now. You made us all so proud and still do. I've seen you at work. Matter of fact, I have a story to tell you. The last day of our trip last year, we caught sight of you but couldn't get to you to say goodbye there was some sort of bagpipe marching band thingie going on on Main Street but we could see plainly how hard you were working and I thought, now there goes a real CM that Walt would be proud of. They need more like you.

More like Austin, it sounds like, from the way people have described him.

Even those of us who were CM's off property, those of us who really loved the job, will always be CMs in our hearts. You can ask March, every time we go to WDW at least ten cast members try to talk me into becoming casual there. If I were healthy enough to work anywhere, I'd be working at WDW along with you.

So when current CMs hurt, those like me hurt in our own way too. I know we don't feel it like you do, but we do feel it.

All I can say is I just wish that everyone at WDW could feel the love that we're sending out to them right now. I truly don't think that it's possible for it to be contained or quantified- there's just too much to measure.

To any CM's who are lurking here and reading this- you are loved more than you know by your guests even if we never get to tell you to your face. Though I try to tell every single cast member I encounter during our trips thank you for the magic they make.

My child does too. We've taught her to. You should see the looks on the faces of the housekeeping and custodial cast members when she thanks them for wiping down the sink counters...

bru

[Syndrome]

The Sentinel has a video of Austin; I just posted the link and a little article on Examiner: http://bit.ly/wyjzX

That video really shows his personality...what a neat guy. You can tell how much he is enjoying joking around with the little boy and the family. It was just taken last Tuesday...it made me teary-eyed to see it and know what was to come, but you can clearly see how much he loved his job.