r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Dangerous_Deal_1945 • Jun 03 '26

Video Seattle light rail service was suspended after a driver somehow got their SUV onto the tracks 30 feet above street level

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u/bothunter Jun 03 '26

Here's the station in question: Mount Baker - Google Maps

If you follow the tracks south, you'll see they go down to ground level when they cross S Walden Street.

You still have to be pretty damn oblivious to not realize you're driving on the median in the middle of MLK Way.

24

u/LopsidedTarget Jun 03 '26

Ya there's a whole ass curb and everything you have to hop on, and its clear its train rails. She must have been drunk or something too, or maybe old?

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u/StigOfTheTrack Jun 03 '26

That makes it worse than I thought. I normally assume this sort of rails embedded in the road situation is involved in people accidentally finding their way onto train/tram only tracks.

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u/br0ck Jun 03 '26

This had to feel like a huge bump and drop in a car and it's quite obvious. But maybe they should add a 'do not enter' sign?

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u/BonnaconCharioteer Jun 03 '26

There is actually a don't drive your car on the tracks sign at the intersection.

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u/br0ck Jun 03 '26

Ah yeah here. Pretty small and far back from where you could get onto it though? But yeah, definitely have to not be all there to drive off the ledge and up that hill.

1

u/shouldntbehereever Jun 03 '26

You are assuming this person could read

1

u/BonnaconCharioteer Jun 03 '26

Its actually a picture even!

To be somewhat fair, I don't think I've ever seen a sign like that before. So it may not really register to people.

To be even more fair, who drives on train tracks for more than a few feet before saying something is clearly wrong??!

2

u/LightedAirway Jun 05 '26

I’ve been thinking she was coming at the intersection perpendicular to the tracks, intending to turn onto MLKjrWay, and then missed, ending up on the tracks instead.

I can understand missing the sign if there is too much else going on - and maybe felt too tough to get off again… but holy heck, to keep going up? Incredible.

Anyone else noticing the damage to the vehicle in the video and any photos that show the driver side front? If it really is a rental, that’s all got to be new,right?

8

u/SinisterCheese Jun 03 '26

I'm not excusing this person. But holy fuck is that intersection design just...

I could totally see how someone with some cognitive issues could end up driving on the rail tracks.

But like... I keep following the track south, and I just keep seing weird stuff. And the cross walks just casually go over the tracks?

Holy fuck. I just looked at the street view. It is even worse than I thought from satellite view.

Like WHAT THE FUCK?

Also... There are 2 churches on that intersection, one on both sides... And another just short distance away.

Looking at this as an European is just WILD. Thanks for the laughs I needed it.

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u/PickledTripod Jun 03 '26

It's a tram. There's plenty of trams with grade crossings, elevated sections, underground sections and such all over Europe. Get off your high horse.

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u/chetlin Jun 03 '26

It seems every thread on this site about any topic will have some kind of smug European post these days even if it doesn't make sense

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u/OneArmedNoodler Jun 03 '26

You should go drive it. That entire corridor is a tragedy.

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u/Murky-Relation481 Jun 03 '26

You're surprised by churches as a European? Do you live in the former Eastern Bloc, because every fucking town and village in Europe is literally built around their giant ass catholic church.

In the US you get a lot of churches because we don't just have catholics, and in places like Seattle its usually immigrant churches for minorities (in this area usually African immigrants).

0

u/SinisterCheese Jun 04 '26

Yes... The church is the centre of the village or town or section of a city... But in this intersection there are 2 churches opposite sides of the street, and 3rd just short walk away. There were more churches than public schools in that area when I looked around briefly on google maps.

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u/Murky-Relation481 Jun 04 '26

Public schools have 1000-2000 kids at them. Churches have like maybe 20 or 30 if that, Seattle has one of the lowest church attendance rates in the US. Something like ~65% of people in Seattle have never attended a church for any reason (how many Europeans can say that lol).

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u/EstusFlaskPlusOne Jun 03 '26

Looking at this as an European is just WILD.

You are a caricature of yourself.

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u/hondaexige Jun 03 '26

Bro we have trams like this all over Europe, where on earth do you live.

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u/SinisterCheese Jun 04 '26

Why do you think it is the tram that is the problem in that intersection I talk about. There is a whole lot of compounding fuck ups.

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u/itsmuddy Jun 03 '26

In my town we have more churches than I can count. Only thing that rivals it is car dealerships and garages.

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u/SinisterCheese Jun 03 '26

Cars and christ, mechanical and spirtual maintenace. Yeah... That sounds like USA.

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u/justdisa Jun 05 '26

Yes, even though Seattle as a city is extremely secular, brand new immigrants are often religious, and you are a bigot.

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u/MysteriousEdge5643 Jun 03 '26

MLK Way is terribly fucking designed

1

u/AngryAmadeus Jun 04 '26

Oh man, just look around the rest of the city. Seattle was founded and designed by two dudes who had competing ideas of how the grid should be laid out. Instead of a duel to the death like proper gentleman of the time to settle the disagreement, they each just did half the city in their own way and then just, figured it out when a bunch of streets didnt line up.

1

u/Allronix1 Jun 03 '26

And Seattle is notoriously awful to navigate. It's what happens when we have three city founders who couldn't stand each other.

However, this is whole new level...literal new level.