PORTLAND, Ore. -- Some people in a rush to get across the tracks received citations and warnings on Wednesday. Railroad and Portland police were on the lookout trying to raise awareness, and ended up writing a lot of tickets.
In all, police gave out 14 citations and six written warnings.
A freight train traveling 55 mph can take up to a mile to stop.
“How much time do you really save versus what happens if I get ran over. That's a judgment call I make,” said bicyclist Sean Gunn waiting for a train to pass.
More than 400 people per year are killed trespassing on railroad tracks in the United States. Two people were killed driving across the tracks near Kelso, Wash., back in October 2017.
People have also been known to try to climb over and around trains when they stop at intersections.
It's a big problem. The consequences can be deadly.
“These trains are huge, they are heavy and they are really going to hurt somebody if you are in the way when they come through," said Portland Police Sgt. Ty Engstrom.
When a train unexpectedly stopped for over 20 minutes Wednesday, people got annoyed.
It didn't take people long to start taking chances, ignoring signs and flashing lights, and getting themselves ticketed.
A Union Pacific spokesperson says a car or a person doesn't have a chance against a train. “A common analogy vehicle running into a pop can is the same as train hitting a vehicle or pedestrian,” said Justin Jacobs.
Some people we talked to say they'd rather wait than risk their lives.
“I generally lean to being safer rather than sorry. I work with high-schoolers and middle-schoolers so you never know when you'll be on the news and have to set a good example,” said Sean Gunn.
Jacobs says he hopes people got the message so that they get home safe instead of chancing it on the tracks. He also says the railroad is aware that their train often gets hung up for an extended period of time and says they are working to fix that.