Darryl Willis: "Which came first? Tracks or houses?"

Every once in a while a "Letter to the Editor" appears in the Post that deserves special attention. The recent public debate and daily news stories about the FEC train horns is winding down and now everybody's waiting for the next big thing to come along.

Like Darryl Willis, and many of you I imagine, always wondered why anyone would buy or rent property near the train tracks and then complain about the noise? Would bet that prior to becoming a train engineer there was a little training involved. When I hear a long train horn I think the engineer is looking down the tracks and seeing something unsafe happening and warning people to get out of the way. But that's just me. Others think the train engineers have other motives.

Here's the Letter to the Editor:

     In response to the Tuesday letter, “103.6 decibels OK? Try living nearby,” complaining about the “heavy-handed engineer” blowing the horn too often and too loudly, I say this.
     I wonder if the writer would rather there be more deadly accidents at the crossing? How much would that affect the quality of life of local residents?
     I understand being annoyed by the noise, but unless one moved into the area many decades ago, the tracks were, presumably, there first. Perhaps some more research into potential neighborhoods is warranted before making the move?

By the way, I first lived in Lake Worth on the 700 block of South H Street, which is just east of the railroad tracks. The apartment was somewhat buffered as it was at the east end of a duplex on the east side of the street. The properties on the west side backed right up to the FEC tracks. But the rumble of the train and the horns were loud, especially during the winter months when the windows were open. Which also let us hear the random gunfire in the area too. Eventually, we acclimated and didn't notice the neighborhood noises as much.