(no subject)

Ahahaha. So. My university town used to be a major manufacturing center, and like so many small Midwestern towns is still a minor one. Therefore it is divided into two peices by a railroad line that cuts diagonally through the major central road(s). The big crossing in town is an open crossing, with two sets of railroad lines. There are big flag arms to block off the cars from the trains, which are equipped with the usual sirens, but that's it. On one side of this major crossing, which can tie up two lanes of traffic, is the library, the university, the old downtown, the newer commericial district, and about half the manufacturing. On the other side is the older residential district, a mixed commercial/residential zone, and the post office. This second side is the side where I live.

I went to the library last night, which meant that when a car crashed into a freight train at that largest and busiest intersection in town, it took me an hour to make a five minute trip home. But luckily no one was killed!