Unless things have changed, and I don't expect that has happened, level crossing gates in Germany are lowered BEFORE the train departs from the previous station. So a level crossing stop in that country can be for quite a few minutes.

I think it was Dresden that has/had one line which crossed a rail line then terminated probably less than a kilometre away.

These railway gates would normally be down for 8 minutes, so in anticipation of a train coming, heading back to town the tram departed the terminus 8 minutes earlier than the travel time.

If the tram got delayed by the gates, it had leeway. But if no train came, the tram would cross the railway and then sit for 8 minutes for departure time.

I suspect British rail crossings, of which I don't think there are many, have some similar procedure to Germany.

So next time you are delayed in your car or bus for a minute or two waiting for the train, be extremely grateful you don't have German crossing rules!!

Regards,

> On 18 Aug 2017, at 1:16 pm, Robbie Smithzoqaeski@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> On 17 Aug 2017 4:41 PM, "Matthew Geiermatthew@... [TramsDownUnder]" TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> On 17/08/17 13:48, Robbie Smithzoqaeski@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

> >

> >

> > I don't quite understand how people don't see trams. They are, after

> > all, a lot bigger than rhinos. Do these drivers also do U turns in front

> > of trucks?

>

> Some do - just ask any heavy vehicle driver.

> But there is also a 'perception' issue. People don't see something if

> they don't expect it to be there. Most roads do not have large trams on

> them - therefore none do.

>

> There is a psych experiment where they show a group of students (or any

> group of people, but it's usually use as a 1st year student group

> experiment), a basket ball game video and ask the students to 'keep an

> eye on the ball'.

> At the end they ask who saw the guy in the gorilla suit come into the

> game. You would be lucky to get 1 or two out of a class of 30.

> The video is then replayed and now that people are expecting it, they

> see the gorilla guy.

>

>

> >

> > There must be some kind of railed-vehicle blindness that affects a

> > significant proportion of motorists. I see it at level crossings with

> > integrated pedestrian signals: motorists stop when it's just the red

> > traffic signal, but if the crossing lights are flashing as well,

> > they'll drive right through, even when the booms are descending.

>

> Well conditioned that red means stop. However flashing red isn't common

> and they have to think about what it means.

> I think then 'flashing isn't quite as red as red on all the time so I

> must be able to go. They then get wiped out by the train.

>

> I believe this is why Germany has largely replaced their traditional level crossing signs with standard traffic lights topped by a St Andrew's cross.. Apparently motorists obey traffic lights, but ignore level crossings. Interestingly enough, the bells usually stop ringing once the gates have descended, and German trains don't feel the need to blast the whistle as they approach the crossing. I don't know whether Germany has fewer collisions caused by idiot drivers than here though.

>

> Robbie

> __._,_._

>