Computerized Vehicle Kills Man

Terry Olaes

Terry Olaes

I Used to be the [H] News Guy
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Nov 27, 2006
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A Metromover car, which is computer-controlled and is not driven by a conductor, inexplicably moved forward after it was stopped and killed a maintenance supervisor that was inspecting the tracks. Metromover is a people-mover train located in Miami, FL. Cue the Skynet references.

This is the first time a Metromover employee has been killed on the tracks, said Harpal Kapoor, director of Miami-Dade Transit. …The National Transportation Safety Board on Saturday was investigating the death. The board must review the case because Metromover receives federal money, Kapoor said.
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Clearly this is the start of a machine uprising. Everyone must smash all of their computers now or be the next victim!
 
Hmmm this smells of "probing the defenses" to me. The machines are testing our response to one death and will use this to gauge our response to armageddon. Clearly our response needs to be to vaporise everything that resembles a machine and turn Amish. THE AMISH KNOW!!
 
Wasn't there another similar incident just a few weeks ago with a robotic arm that was posted here? The man wasn't killed, but seriously injured.
 
Great... the local subway system here was considering going computerized, which would be a great boon because that removes one more unionize worker who getting paid way too much with great benefits who's union expects regular raises and would have removed them. Allowing for a more affordable ride. Not that I expected the unions to allow them to become completely computer controlled, probably would require the same paid person to just sit in a chair with their hand on the e-brake :p
 
One problem with automation, who gets tried for murder? The lead designer or the lead maintainer?

Computer automation seems to misdirect blame at best-- something humans love to do!
 
velusip said:
One problem with automation, who gets tried for murder? The lead designer or the lead maintainer?

Computer automation seems to misdirect blame at best-- something humans love to do!
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No charges in criminal court I would guess. In the civil courts they go after the deepest pockets so probably The city of Miami and/or Metromover.
 
If they didn't already...
OSHA will require a mechanical chock among other steps to isolate the car/s from movement when working near them.
 
THE MACHINES ARE TAKING OVER OMG WE MUST MAKE IT TO SOME RANDOM FALLOUT SHELTER IN THE NEVADA DESERT GOGOGO
 
I have seen those Metromovers when I go downtown, didn't know they were computerized tho. They are bus sized I wonder how it could have lurched forward fast enough to kill a guy.

GovtCenter.jpg
 
Not one word of condolence for the transit inspector who died and his family?
 
GORANKAR said:
No charges in criminal court I would guess. In the civil courts they go after the deepest pockets so probably The city of Miami and/or Metromover.
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Bingo, it'll be classified as an workplace mishap. OSHA will investigate, unless there's someone who purposeful set it up to kill the guy, you can't say it's murder. Of course wife/family will make out like bandits... but rightly so IMO.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Great... the local subway system here was considering going computerized, which would be a great boon because that removes one more unionize worker who getting paid way too much with great benefits who's union expects regular raises and would have removed them. Allowing for a more affordable ride. Not that I expected the unions to allow them to become completely computer controlled, probably would require the same paid person to just sit in a chair with their hand on the e-brake :p
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well in all fairness the system has been running since 1986 without an issue... ive used it many times and it works quite well... i would be more inclined to think it might have been power failure related since FPL has a lot of issues with keeping the power on all the time it seems lol

GORANKAR said:
No charges in criminal court I would guess. In the civil courts they go after the deepest pockets so probably The city of Miami and/or Metromover.
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metromover is operated by miami-dade transit... part of miami-dade county... city of miami is the city of miami, totally seperate
 
Another case of some dumb fuck didn't use proper lockout procedures. If you are working on unsecured machinery you can and will likely get hurt or killed.
Most machines do not reflexively react to us squishes when they hit us, nor should they, people do not belong in the operational envelope of machines.
 
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